Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01: Best Home Lab Server in 2025?

I have made no bones about the fact that I think the Minisforum MS-01 was the best home lab mini PC in 2024. I have (2) of them in a two-node VMware vSphere cluster, maybe Proxmox this year. However, when I got word of the Minisforum MS-A2 and the specs this forthcoming mini PC is going to pack, the excitement for this new mini PC has definitely stirred. Both of these mini PCs are power houses. However, in this post, I will compare the Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 and the specs that we know from the CES 2025 show this year for the MS-A2.

More a successor to the MS-01 than the MS-A1

You might think the MS-A2 is a successor to the MS-A1. I had a review unit of the MS-A1 for a few weeks to test and play around with. I was excited at first for this unit. However, it disappointed due to the networking. While all of us thought the MS-A1 would be the AMD equivalent of the MS-01, it really wasn’t.

While it had a healthy AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor with 16 threads, it had only 2.5 GbE networking and it had Realtek network adapters which definitely limits you on cross compatibility with VMware and Proxmox.

So, long story short, the MS-A2 is more of a successor to the MS-01 than the MS-A1. Let’s look at the specifications of what we know from the details released at CES 2025 regarding the MS-A2.

Not yet released

Also, keep in mind that the Miniforum MS-A2 has not been released as of yet. When it is going to be released? According to Minisforum, it is set to release in March or April of 2025. So keep in mind, we are comparing what we know about the MS-A2 vs the MS-01.

Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01: AMD vs. Intel

Both the MS-A2 and the MS-01 have healthy processors with multi-thread performance. However, the MS-A2 ups the game with an AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX. This is a 16-core, 32-thread processor that clocks up to 5.4 GHz. It’s built for multitasking and will absolutely trounce on virtualization workloads.

According to the marketing from Minisforum, the CPU performance of the MS-A2 vs MS-01 is a ratio of 1.6 > 1 performance.

Also, what I love about this processor compared to the MS-01 is that the AMD processors are uniform cores that you don’t have to worry about the oddities of the Performance cores vs Efficiency cores when it comes to hypervisors.

The Minisforum MS-01 is no slouch in the processing department. However, it uses the Intel Core i9-13900H in the top trim model. This chip has 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores (14 cores total) with 20 threads. The max turbo frequency of 5.4 GHz, the same as the MS-A2. However, the MS-A2 will have a total of 12 more threads of processing power in the form of uniform processing cores.

Take a look at my review video of the Minisforum MS-01:

Winner

If you are looking at which mini PC is the most powerful from a processing standpoint and will allow you to have the ultimate in multi-threaded performance, there is no question the MS-A2 is the winner here. However, the MS-01 still holds ground as a fantastic configuration for home lab, albeit not quite as stellar as the MS-A2.

Memory

Memory is king in home labs. Both the MS-01 and the MS-A2 support 96GB of DDR5-5200 MHz RAM. I am really hopeful that we see Crucial’s new release of 64 GB modules drop this year as well, giving us the ability to at least try to get 128 GB of memory in our mini PC configurations.

Winner

We have a tie in the memory department as both currently will support 96 GB of DDR5 memory.

Storage

On the storage side of things, both of these mini PCs support really great storage options for home labs. Multiple internal M.2 slots is always a good thing and both mini PCs have (3) M.2 slots.

• MS-A2 offers three M.2 slots, including two PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 3.0 x4. It does support M.2-to-U.2 adapters
• MS-01 also features three M.2 slots, including a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot that supports U.2 drives

Winner

For more PCIe 4.0, the MS-A2 edges ahead of the MS-01. Both have U.2 options.

Networking is identical

Both mini PCs shine when it comes to networking, boasting top-tier connectivity. The MS-A2 and the MS-01 include two 10 Gbps SFP+ ports and two 2.5 Gbps RJ45 ports, all Intel-based. This combination supports high-speed networking for data-heavy tasks.

Verdict

It’s a tie here. Both models have the 10 GbE networking that we all know and want and the 2.5 GbE for additional multi-gig connectivity.

Expansion and Connectivity

Note the following comparison with between the MS-A2 and the MS-01:

• MS-A2: Comes with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x8 speed), two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and one USB 2.0 port.
• MS-01: Has better connectivity due to the two USB4 ports capable of 40 Gbps data transfer, alongside two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and two USB 2.0 ports. This also means it can support 8K displays via USB4.

Winner

The MS-01 edges out the MS-A2 in connectivity due to its USB4 ports and support for high-resolution displays.

Minisforum MS-A1 vs MS-01: Which is best for home lab server?

So, should you choose the Minisforum MS-A2 vs MS-01 for a home lab in 2025? Here’s the breakdown as far as I see it:

• Go with the MS-A2 if you’re all about virtualization, multi-threaded performance, and maximum RAM capacity. Its AMD Ryzen processor is a uniform processor with 32 threads of processing power and three PCIe 4.0 storage slots will make this a virtualization beast.
• The MS-01 is also great for virtualization as I can speak from experience with it that it works weell. Compared to the MS-A2 it loses on the CPU front. But if you would rather have USB4 connectivity, and display versatility such as using this box as a powerful workstation that dual-purposes as a home lab environment, the MS-01 is still king since it supports 8K displays with the USB4 connectivity.

Note the comparison table below.

Ultimately, both the Minisforum MS-A2 and MS-01 are phenomenal home lab servers in 2025. Your decision boils down to your specific needs—whether it’s brute force or refined efficiency. Either way, you’re in for a treat.