Sapphire Edge AI 370 review: A mini PC that’s easy to upgrade

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With the Sapphire Edge AI 370, the renowned manufacturer Sapphire Technology, known for high-quality graphics cards and embedded solutions, presents a new flagship in its compact mini PC series. The concept of the Edge AI series combines maximum computing power with minimum space requirements – ideal for companies, creative professionals, and AI-based applications.

In addition to the top model with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the series also includes the Edge AI 350 with Ryzen AI 7 350 and the Edge AI 340 with Ryzen AI 5 340. All variants offer the latest Zen 5 technology, integrated Radeon graphics, a powerful NPU and an easily upgradeable, space-saving design. In this review we tested the top-of-the-range Edge AI 370 model.

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Specs

• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12 C/24 T, up to 5.1 GHz)
• GPU: Integrated Radeon 890M (RDNA 3.5)
• NPU: XDNA2, up to 50 TOPS (Copilot-capable)
• RAM: 32 GB, 2 × DDR5 SODIMM, up to 96 GB
• Storage: 1 × M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0, Kingston OM8TAP41024K1 with 1 TB
• Additional slots: 1 × M.2-2242 PCIe 4.0; 1 × M.2-2230
• Connectivity: 2.5 GbE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Connections (rear): 2 × HDMI 2.1, 2 × USB4 (PD), 1 × USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 1 × USB-A 2.0
• Connections (front): 2 × USB-A 3.2 Gen2, 3.5 mm jack
• Dimensions: 117 × 111 × 30 mm
• Special features: magnetic lid, VESA mount
• Operating system: Barebone (without OS), Windows 11 or Linux supported

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Design and features

The compactness of the Sapphire Edge AI 370 is noticeable as soon as you unpack it. At 117 × 111 × 30 millimeters, the mini PC is barely larger than one and a half 250 gram pieces of butter laid side by side. This makes the Sapphire model similar in size to the Geekom IT15 with Intel Core Ultra 9, but significantly more compact than the Minisforum AI X1 Pro with its 195 × 195 × 47.5 millimeters and the Geekom A9 Max (135 × 132 × 46.9 millimeters), which also rely on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Christoph Hoffmann

Despite its small dimensions, the Sapphire Edge AI 370 offers the performance of a fully-fledged desktop system. The precisely milled chassis with a matte black surface and golden accents looks high-quality and stable, and the design is well thought-out.

The magnetically attached lid is particularly well-designed: all it takes is a flick of the wrist to access the RAM and SSDs. No tools and no need to remove rubber feet as with the Geekom A9 Max – simply lift off the lid, swap modules, and close. Sapphire has deliberately reversed the internal layout so that the RAM and WLAN module are located directly under the lid. This makes upgrades quick and easy – a detail that IT departments appreciate just as much as ambitious power users.

Christoph Hoffmann

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Processor, GPU, RAM, and SSD

The central processing unit, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, is based on a combination of four powerful Zen 5 cores and eight efficient Zen 5c cores, i.e. a total of 12 cores and 24 threads with boost clock rates of up to 5.1 GHz.

The Radeon 890M based on AMD’s RDNA 3.5 architecture is used for the integrated graphics. The advantage also lies in a more direct link with the CPU and memory. The system remains compact, efficient, and flexible. The XDNA2 NPU delivers up to 50 TOPS, which enables co-pilot functions without a cloud – a plus for data protection.

In contrast to cheaper compact PCs, Sapphire focuses on the maintainability and longevity of its system. Instead of soldered LPDDR memory, the manufacturer, like Geekom and Minisforum, relies on replaceable DDR5 SODIMMs – which are somewhat slower in the peak bandwidth, but expandable up to 96 GB and inexpensive to replace.

Christoph Hoffmann

A Kingston OM8TAP41024K1 with 1 TB capacity is installed as mass storage in the test device – exactly the same model is also used in the Minisforum AI X1 Pro.

Two USB-A ports and a 3.5 mm jack are located on the front, while two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB 4 Type-C sockets with Power Delivery, additional USB-A ports and a 2.5 Gigabit LAN connection are located on the rear. The Edge AI 370 thus proves that “mini” is not synonymous with “limited”. The only nagging issue: a front USB-C would have perfected the set. The device can also be mounted inconspicuously behind monitors using the included VESA mount – practical for offices, presentation rooms, or embedded applications.

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The two HDMI 2.1 connections and the two USB4 ports, which can be used to connect up to four monitors with 4K resolution, are particularly noteworthy. This means that the small computer can be used both as a multi-monitor center in the office and as a compact development or AI node.

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Minisforum relies on an internal power supply unit for the AI X1 Pro and thus dispenses with an external one – which, however, requires a larger housing. Sapphire goes the other way round and supplies an external 120-watt power supply unit with the Edge AI 370.

This design keeps the waste heat outside the case, which favours quieter operation and stable performance. The main plug connects securely and the generous cable length ensures that the mini PC remains easily accessible even when installed in a concealed position.

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The BIOS also shows Sapphire’s focus on practicality: there are three selectable performance profiles, temperature-controlled fan curves, and a fan stop at low load.

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Operating System

The Edge AI 370 comes barebones without an operating system. The user must organize and install Windows or Linux themselves.

Unlike the model of the Sapphire mini PC delivered to customers, our test device had Windows 11 24H2 installed, which we updated to version 25H2 Build 26.200.7019 using the operating system’s update function.

Christoph Hoffmann

Important note: After the initial installation of Windows 11, numerous drivers are required, above all the AMD drivers for the Radeon graphics card and the chipset. At the time of testing, Sapphire offers the required drivers for Ethernet, WLAN and Bluetooth for download on its websites and an update to version 2.10 is also available for the BIOS.

We won’t be taking a detailed look at Windows, but we can see that the operating system seamlessly supports its AI functions in many places.

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Performance

With the new AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the Sapphire Edge AI 370 positions itself currently as one of the most powerful mini PCs in its class and shows great overall scores for CPU, GPU, and memory performance in the benchmarks.

The Ryzen HX 370 is based on the Zen 5 architecture with integrated Radeon 890M graphics (RDNA 3.5), which technically puts it well ahead of many current Intel and AMD Ultrabook SoCs. In combination with 32 GB of RAM and a fast PCIe 4.0 SSD from Kingston, the result is a system that is ideally equipped for classic office and productivity tasks as well as computing-intensive applications and AI workloads.

In PCMark 10, the Edge AI 370 achieved a very high overall result of 7,423 points – values above 7,000 are typical for high-end notebooks or compact workstations. Here, however, the mini PC is below the CPU-identical models Minisforum AI X1 Pro (8,292) and Geekom A9 Max (7,976 points), which are equipped with 64 instead of 32 GB RAM.

Christoph Hoffmann

The benchmark sub-sections Essentials (10,758 points) and Productivity (9,555 points) show that everyday tasks, office work, or multitasking run practically without delay on the Edge AI 370. The “Digital Content Creation” score of 10,801 points is particularly remarkable, with which the mini PC even outperforms many full-blown desktop systems. Creative workflows such as image or video editing benefit from both the powerful CPU and the potent integrated GPU.

In the 3DMark CPU profile, the HX 370 underlines its versatility: with 8,808 points at maximum threads and 1,166 points in the single-thread test, it achieves values that are comparable to a mobile Ryzen 9 8945HS or Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285H. The excellent multi-thread scaling shows that even demanding computing operations or parallel AI processes are processed with ease.

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The Time Spy score of 3,764 points illustrates the GPU performance – this is around 30 to 40 percent faster than a system with Radeon 780M, but is below the 4,244 points of the IT15 with Intel Core Ultra 9 285H. The CPU points (10,991) are clearly in the upper performance segment, which pays off in simulations, rendering, or AI tasks.

Christoph Hoffmann

Modern benchmarks such as Steel Nomad Light (3,285 points, 24.3 FPS) and Solar Bay (15,216 points) also prove that the Edge AI 370 is not only theoretically strong, but also practically in real 3D and ray tracing scenarios.

The Geekbench AI Pro values (2,955 Single Precision / 6,616 Quantised) also indicate solid AI acceleration, which is particularly relevant for on-device AI applications, edge computing, or local LLM inference.

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The overall package is rounded off by the excellent SSD performance in the Crystal Disk Mark. With 6,124 MB/s read and 5,250 MB/s write, the storage works at desktop level, which guarantees short loading times and high response speed. The values are roughly on a par with the identical SSD in the Minisforum AI X1 Pro and the Lexar LNQ7A1X002T in the Geekom A9 Max.

Christoph Hoffmann

Sapphire Edge AI 370: Conclusion

The Sapphire Edge AI 370 impressively demonstrates how much computing power fits into a compact format. With the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Radeon 890M graphics, and an XDNA2 NPU with 50 TOPS, it’s currently one of the most powerful mini PCs money can buy. In the test, it impressed with over 7,400 points in PCMark 10 and strong 3DMark values – ideal for office, content creation and AI workflows. The upgradeability is exemplary: up to 96 GB DDR5 SODIMM and two NVMe SSDs can be accessed without tools via the magnetic lid.

The high-quality chassis, excellent workmanship, and good connectivity make the Edge AI 370 extremely versatile. The fan becomes audible under continuous load, but even then it remains within reasonable limits. The only downside is the lack of a front USB-C and SD slot, and the iGPU is not sufficient for AAA gaming.

To summarize, Sapphire delivers a technically mature, future-proof system for professionals, developers, and AI users. The Edge AI 370 combines performance, efficiency, and upgradeability – all in all, it’s a top-class mini PC.

Best Prices Today: Sapphire Edge AI 370

Author: Christoph Hoffmann, Contributor, PCWorld