ACEMAGIC Mini PCs Debut with Panther Lake CPUs: Developer Choices Between 65W and 120W Designs

Platform Update: Dual-Form Design for Thermal Flexibility

Chinese manufacturer ACEMAGIC has introduced two mini PC variants built around Intel's upcoming Panther Lake processors. Both models share identical core specifications but diverge dramatically in thermal design:

• Compact Model (147 × 147 × 39mm): Enforced 65W power ceiling
• Taller Model (147 × 147 × 81mm): Supports up to 120W for sustained workloads

The height differential accommodates an enhanced cooling solution in the taller chassis, directly impacting long-term performance potential for compute-intensive tasks. This design acknowledges the thermal constraints that frequently bottleneck mini PC performance.

Shared Hardware Specifications

Both configurations include:

• Intel Core Ultra 9 386H or Core Ultra X9 388H processors
• Up to 96GB LPDDR5 onboard memory
• Dual M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe SSD slots
• WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity
• Port selection:
  • 1 × OCuLink
  • 2 × USB4 Type-C
  • 4 × USB 3.2 Type-A
  • 1 × HDMI 2.1
  • 1 × DisplayPort 2.0
  • 2 × 2.5GbE LAN
  • 3.5mm audio combo jack

Developer Impact: Processor Selection Tradeoffs

The processor options present distinct advantages for different workloads:

Specification	Core Ultra X9 388H	Core Ultra 9 386H
Graphics	Arc Pro B390 (12 cores)	Intel Graphics (4 cores)
Memory Support	LPDDR5X-9600	LPDDR5-8533 / DDR5-7200
PCIe Lanes	8 × Gen4 + 4 × Gen5	8 × Gen4 + 12 × Gen5
Memory Upgrade	Soldered	User-replaceable (unconfirmed)

Developers prioritizing GPU acceleration (AI workloads, rendering) will benefit from the X9 388H's superior integrated graphics. Those needing PCIe expandability or potential RAM upgrades might prefer the 386H configuration despite its weaker GPU.

Thermal Considerations for Sustained Workloads

The 120W thermal design provides significant advantages:

1. Performance Consistency: Prevents throttling during extended compilation, rendering, or virtualization sessions
2. Higher Turbo Durations: Maintains peak clock speeds longer than the 65W variant
3. Workload Flexibility: Accommodates bursty and continuous high-demand operations

Developers should evaluate whether their typical workloads (container deployment, CI/CD pipelines, local builds) require the thermal headroom of the taller chassis. The compact model remains viable for lighter DevOps environments or edge deployments.