DROIX blog review of the Minisforum NUCXi5 (i5-11400H + RTX 3060) and NUCXi7 (i7-11800H + RTX 3070) gaming mini PCs. Extensive benchmarks at 800p and 4K, gameplay tests, and emulation.
Key Specs
Spec
NUCXi5
NUCXi7
CPU
Intel i5-11400H, 6C/12T, up to 4.5 GHz
Intel i7-11800H, 8C/16T, up to 4.6 GHz
GPU
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 6 GB
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB
RAM
Up to 64 GB DDR4
Up to 64 GB DDR4
Storage
Up to 2 TB M.2 2280 NVMe
Same
Connectivity
WiFi 6, Bluetooth, 2.5 Gb Ethernet
Same
Dimensions
10.2 x 15.4 x 3.1 in (on stand), 2.4 kg
Same
Peak power
163.5 W
181.2 W
Temperature
64 C
64 C
Fan noise
51 dB
51 dB
System Benchmarks
Benchmark
NUCXi5
NUCXi7
PassMark
6,889
7,551
PCMark
6,420
6,660
Cinebench
9,417
11,022
3DMark Time Spy
8,394
10,218
3DMark Fire Strike
18,339
21,298
3DMark Night Raid
46,453
55,105
Gaming Benchmarks
Game
NUCXi5 (800p / 4K)
NUCXi7 (800p / 4K)
Forza Horizon 5
150 / 24 FPS
165 / 46 FPS
Tomb Raider
142 / 39 FPS
156 / 87 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077
71 / 16 FPS
123 / 29 FPS
CoD: MW2
167 / 33 FPS
188 / 48 FPS
At 4K max settings, NUCXi7 averages 50% higher performance than NUCXi5.
Gameplay Tests (NUCXi7)
Game
Resolution
Settings
Performance
Doom Eternal
4K
Ultra Nightmare (no RT)
Solid 60+
Cyberpunk 2077
4K
Medium
60+ FPS
Overwatch 2
4K
Epic
Mostly 60+
CoD: MW2
1440p
Ultra
60-70 FPS
Forza Horizon 5
4K
High
Solid 60
Emulation Results
System
Performance
Xbox 360 (Xenia)
Sonic Transformed, PGR2 @ 30 FPS; Halo 3 mostly 30 with dips
PS3 (RPCS3)
Wipeout HD solid 60, Skate 3 solid 60
Switch (Yuzu)
Cruis’n Blast solid 60; first party games mixed but generally high FPS
Reviewer Verdict
NUCXi7 with RTX 3070 is the clear winner with average 50% performance increase over NUCXi5 at 4K. Great space-saving gaming solution with peak power of only 181 W. Far smaller than a desktop gaming PC while remaining competitive.