ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC vs Apple Mac mini (M6)

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against mini PCs at a similar price

The Apple Mac mini (M6) scores 6.2/10 overall, ahead of the ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC at 5.4/10.

The ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC leads on upgradeability.

The Apple Mac mini (M6) leads on CPU performance, networking, efficiency and noise, ports and expansion and build and support.

The biggest difference is upgradeability, where the ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC scores 8/10 to the Apple Mac mini (M6)'s 2/10.

ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC

5.4/10verdict: good, not the best

The ACEMAGIC K1 suits buyers who want an inexpensive mini PC with eight threads and room to upgrade memory and storage. It fits light server duties, a desk PC or a media box where multitasking matters more than power draw. It is a weaker choice for anyone who needs a silent, low-power or faster-networked machine.

Typically about £219.98 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Apple Mac mini (M6)

6.2/10verdict: good, not the best

The Mac mini (M6) is for buyers who want a fast desktop with strong networking options and are happy with fixed memory. It suits people who can pick the right memory size at purchase and want 2.5Gb or 10Gb Ethernet plus Thunderbolt 4. It is a poor match for anyone who expects to upgrade RAM later.

Typically about £824 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC	Apple Mac mini (M6)
CPU performance	25%	6/10	8/10
Upgradeability	20%	8/10	2/10
Networking	20%	4/10	8/10
Efficiency and noise	15%	3/10	6/10
Ports and expansion	10%	5/10	7/10
Build and support	10%	5/10	6/10
Overall		5.4/10	6.2/10

Specifications

Spec	ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC	Apple Mac mini (M6)
CPU	AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544, 4 cores/8 threads, Zen+ architecture, 3.35 GHz base, up to 3.7 GHz turbo, Radeon Vega 8 graphics	Apple M6, 12 cores (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency), 12-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine
Memory	8GB DDR4-3200 in the base configuration, SO-DIMM slots	16GB unified memory
Storage	256GB M.2 NVMe SSD in the base configuration	256GB SSD
Networking	Wired GbE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2	Apple N1 chip, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6, Thread, 2.5Gb Ethernet configurable to 10Gb Ethernet
Maximum memory	32GB DDR4-3200 per the manufacturer	32GB
Storage slots	Two M.2 slots	not listed
Ports	HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C with DP Alt Mode, USB 3.2 Type-C	Front: two USB-C ports (USB 3, up to 10Gb/s), 3.5 mm headphone jack. Rear: 2.5Gb Ethernet, HDMI, three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
Power draw	28W TDP (maker listing figure)	Maximum continuous power 155W

Strengths and weaknesses

ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC

+ Eight threads from a 4-core Ryzen Embedded chip
+ SO-DIMM slots, 32GB ceiling and two M.2 slots
+ Three ways to connect a display
− Fan-cooled, with owners reporting higher idle power
− Wired GbE and Wi-Fi 5 only
− Ageing Zen+ hardware

Skip it if:

Buyers who want a fanless or near-silent always-on machine
Anyone who needs faster than gigabit wired networking
Buyers who want USB4, OCuLink or the newest CPU architecture

Read the full ACEMAGIC K1 AMD Ryzen Embedded R2544 Mini PC review ›

Apple Mac mini (M6)

+ 12-core M6 with 12-core GPU
+ 2.5Gb Ethernet, configurable to 10Gb, plus Wi-Fi 7
+ Three Thunderbolt 4 ports and HDMI
− Memory is onboard and not user-upgradeable
− Maximum memory is 32GB
− Warranty is 12 months, per Notebookcheck

Skip it if:

Buyers who want to add or swap RAM after purchase
Anyone needing several network ports for router or firewall use
Home lab users who need published idle power figures before buying

Read the full Apple Mac mini (M6) review ›

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