It’s not often I find myself staring at a PC in awe, but the Tecno Megamini G1 managed to do just that. This impossibly small machine, bursting with RGB lighting, packs laptop hardware that delivers desktop-class performance. And to top it off, it features a custom liquid-cooled loop crammed into its 5.6-liter chassis. This isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a marvel of engineering that delivers real-world results.
The Megamini G1 is a collaboration between Tecno, a mobile brand known for its phones, and Geekom, masters of mini PCs. Currently in a Kickstarter campaign that has raised close to $700,000, this PC is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or tested. While it exceeded my performance expectations, I have some reservations about recommending it due to its high price and some ongoing software issues.
Specs and Pricing:
The Megamini G1 comes in two configurations, both sporting an RTX 4060 and 32GB of memory. The difference lies in the CPU and storage:
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Core i7-13620H Model:
Features a 10-core Intel processor with 1TB of storage. It’s priced at $1,699, or $1,599 during the Kickstarter campaign.*
Core i9-13900H Model:
Equipped with a 14-core Intel processor and 2TB of storage. This model costs $1,899, with a Kickstarter price of $1,799.These are laptop components, but without the keyboard, trackpad, display, and battery, Tecno is charging a premium. For example, the HP Omen Transcend 14, which boasts a newer Intel CPU and an RTX 4060, can be found for around $1,300. It even includes a 2.8K OLED display.
While the Megamini G1 delivers faster performance than its components would suggest, there’s no denying the hefty price tag. For a desktop comparison, the closest competitor is the Asus ROG NUC 970, which comes in at $1,629 for an RTX 4060 configuration.
Considering the small form factor and the effective cooling solution, the Megamini G1 isn’t exorbitantly expensive. However, a significant portion of the price goes towards its compact size. If performance is your primary concern, you can find more powerful options for less money.
Build Quality and Design:
The Megamini G1 is an absolute showstopper. It’s impossible to look at this PC without being captivated by its striking design. Although it’s a mini PC, it doesn’t skimp on the RGB flair. The empty space between its clear plastic panels creates an alluring effect, as if you’re gazing at a treasure locked inside a display case. It’s certainly not for everyone, but there’s no other PC that looks anything like the Megamini G1. Even the Corsair One i500, considered a stylish PC, pales in comparison.
The centerpiece of the PC is the liquid-cooling loop, with its four tubes connecting the CPU block to other components. Watching the liquid flow through these tubes while working or gaming is a mesmerizing experience. Each plastic side panel is adorned with diffused RGB lighting that cycles through a vibrant spectrum of colors, along with the single 120mm fan. Two angled fins at the top provide air channels and house two diffused teal light strips.
If you’re not a fan of the rainbow effect, you’ll be disappointed to learn that the RGB lighting and the top light strip are not customizable. What you see is what you get.
Tecno’s branding is prominent, appearing on nearly every surface, including the top, sides, front, and even the power button. It’s clear that Tecno wants everyone to know where this PC comes from.
Beyond its unique design, the port selection on the Megamini G1 is exceptional, surpassing even full-sized towers. It boasts more ports than the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i, a midtower PC with a motherboard similar to a full ATX design.
Here’s a breakdown of the port selection:
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Front:
Four USB-A ports (two USB 3.2 Gen 2 and two Gen 1), and a 3.5mm headphone jack.*
Left:
A full-size SD card reader.*
Back:
Two 10Gbps Type-C ports with DisplayPort Alt mode, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, a USB 2.0 and a USB 3.0 Type-A port, an Oculink connection for external GPUs, and two HDMI ports (HDMI 2.0 only).The lack of HDMI 2.1 is a disappointment, especially given the lack of a DisplayPort connection as a fallback option. However, the impressive array of ports is enough to make any mini-ITX PC user envious.
Driver Troubles:
I genuinely love the look and performance of the Megamini G1, and I must because I wouldn’t have tolerated the setup hassles otherwise. You should not have to go through what I did. While I suspect driver development is ongoing, hopefully, everything will be ironed out before the PC launches in November. It’s important to be aware of the current driver situation.
Out of the box, the PC was stuck at 768p resolution, even after installing all graphics drivers and Windows updates. After an hour of troubleshooting, I decided to perform a fresh Windows 11 install, figuring it wouldn’t be the first time. Considering the lack of bundled software, I wasn’t worried about disrupting the out-of-the-box experience. That was a mistake.
After multiple attempts to complete the Windows installation process, I gave up. The PC refused to recognize the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth card, nor the audio card. This meant Windows couldn’t find drivers for those devices. Thankfully, Geekom provided a driver package, which should be available on their website when the PC is released, and everything works as expected now.
While Geekom has extensive experience with mini PCs and driver support, Tecno is relatively new to this market. It’s understandable that they might be facing challenges with drivers. However, users shouldn’t have to endure the same issues I did. Keep a spare USB drive handy, as it’s the easiest way to run the driver installer.
Other areas where I’m less confident about fixes include the lack of software for adjusting fan curves or changing power modes. Thankfully, the Windows power modes still function. Additionally, the display on the front of the device often malfunctions. While it displays the correct CPU and GPU utilization, it consistently reports that I’m using 11% of 70GB of RAM, which is obviously incorrect. Based on other reviews of the Megamini G1, I’m not alone in experiencing this issue.
Performance:
Comparing the performance of a desktop using laptop components is challenging. Initially, I planned to compare it to the ROG Nuc 970 and some gaming laptops, but after seeing the Megamini G1’s performance, a more accurate comparison is to full-sized desktops.
The Megamini G1, despite using laptop components, holds its own against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i and HP Omen 40L, both of which utilize desktop-class components in midtower cases. In Geekbench 6, the Megamini G1 excels in CPU performance, and it matches the other two machines in Cinebench R24. In real-world applications like Premiere Pro, it outperformed both the Lenovo and Asus machines, defying its seemingly weaker hardware on paper.
The Megamini G1’s remarkable CPU performance, surpassing even newer, more powerful Intel mobile CPUs, is a testament to the impact of effective thermal management.
While it’s a gaming desktop, the performance story isn’t entirely rosy. In 3DMark, the Megamini G1 lags behind the ROG Nuc 970 and significantly trails the Omen 40L, which features a desktop-class RTX 4060 Ti. This isn’t surprising, considering the Megamini G1’s specs are inferior.
In actual games, the Megamini G1 holds its own, falling slightly behind but not by a huge margin. It performs surprisingly close to the RTX 4070 mobile GPU inside the Asus ROG Nuc 970 and even rivals a desktop RTX 4060 in the Legion Tower 5i. The Omen 40L emerges as the clear winner, but the fact that the Megamini G1 is even in the same conversation is a testament to its ability to extract maximum performance from its hardware.
This is a powerful PC, and it runs surprisingly quiet considering its performance output. However, there’s no way to control the fan speed, so you’ll have to accept that it gets louder under demanding workloads. A third-party app like Fan Control can help manage the fan noise.
I’m willing to tolerate the higher fan noise for the sake of the performance and thermal management. Even during a multi-core Cinebench R24 run, the CPU temperature hovered around 60 degrees Celsius, allowing it to exceed its maximum boost clock speed, with my measurement tools reporting 104% utilization.
Liquid cooling in mobile devices, like the Lenovo Legion 9i, often gets overlooked, but the results here speak for themselves. The Megamini G1’s performance is undeniably boosted by its cooling solution.
A Powerful Novelty:
The Megamini G1 is a novelty, and a pricey one at that. It’s small, it’s decked out in RGB, and aspects like software support take a backseat to aesthetics. What’s truly surprising is its ability to deliver impressive performance, often exceeding expectations based on its hardware.
While the price is high, it’s not out of line with other small form factor options, especially considering its exotic cooling solution. My main concerns revolve around software support and the HDMI 2.0 ports. In an era of upscaling and frame generation, HDMI 2.1 is a must-have, and the lack of software is a significant drawback when dealing with mobile components.
If you enjoy tinkering with technology, the Megamini G1 is a remarkable PC. For everyone else, it’s a visually captivating device but might not be the best choice for daily use.
