MSI Pro DP20Z — A Great Line-Up of Mini PCs Sporting Ryzen 5000 APUs

If you’re in the market for a Ryzen-based mini PC, the MSI Pro DP20Z might be worth taking a look at! Better yet, it has just started selling globally and is mighty capable for a machine that is just 2.6 liters in volume!

MSI offers the Pro DP20Z in three different SKUs — Ryzen 3 5300G, Ryzen 5 5600G, Ryzen 7 5700G. That’s the only difference between them as all three options share the exact same dimensions and internals. Memory-wise, these machines support up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM (3200Mhz), but there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to overclock both the APU and the RAM if you happen to have the necessary knowledge. This is especially important if you plan on gaming on its iGPU, no matter the SKU you might opt for!

In terms of I/O, the MSI Pro DP20Z is a sight for sore eyes. On the front there’s a microphone/headphone combo jack, one USB-A port (3.2 Gen 2), one USB-C port (3.2 Gen2), and even a built-in microphone. On the rear there are three USB-A ports (2.0, perfect for connecting peripherals and dongles), one optional COM port, one USB-A port of the 3.2 Gen2 variety, an Et

hernet port (Rj45), a VGA output, one HDMI (2.0), and a DisplayPort as well.

Feature-Rich and Well-Rounded

All in all, it has everything you could ever want for, sans Thunderbolt 3 and some kind of SD card reader. Three video outputs means it’ll support up to three displays, and there’s even an on-board Wi-Fi 6 module which will net you an even faster internet connection than standard Gigabit LAN. Not too shabby! Overall, we’re talking about a well-rounded package that can rival the more affordable NUC line-up from Intel. It might not be as sleek or miniscule, but it’s a whole lot more powerful. Heck, that’s putting it mildly!

For a more detailed look at its spec sheet, head over to MSI’s official product page.

Pricing-wise, the cheapest SKU is currently available on Amazon with 8GB of dual-channel RAM (2666Mhz) and a 250GB M.2 NVMe drive for $499.99 which is a pretty good deal all things considered. Buying a mini PC from a big company like MSI is always a lot smarter than going with, say, Beelink or MINISFORUM. Their products might be alluring at first glance, but if something goes awry their customer support and repair options might not be satisfactory.

In any case, even the base model will suffice for everyday tasks and a bit of light esports gaming — its 4-core, 8-thread CPU will chew through any (regular) task you might throw its way, so performance shouldn’t be an issue whatsoever.