AOOSTAR launches the Maco-L, a mini PC with Ryzen 7 7735U, OCuLink and three PCIe 4.0 SSD slots

The mini PC segment does not stop growing, and Chinese manufacturers such as AOOSTAR have been pushing this growth for some time with proposals that seek to offer the maximum possible performance in the lowest volume. The company has just presented its new Maco-La mini PC that bets on the AMD Ryzen 7 7735U processor and that adds an element that is increasingly common in this type of equipment: OCuLink connectivity so you can plug in an external graphics card when the integrated power falls short.

This launch comes at a time when mini PCs are no longer content with being a discreet alternative to a conventional desktop for office tasks. More and more users are looking for a device in this compact format capable of moving between daily productivity and some extra graphic performance, without having to give up the small size that characterizes these devices.

Ryzen 7 7735U and Radeon 680M as base

The heart of the Maco-L is the Ryzen 7 7735Ua processor with eight cores and sixteen processing threads based on the AMD’s Zen 3+ architecture, which also integrates Radeon 680M graphics. It is a chip that, although it does not belong to the most recent generation of AMD, is still a reliable option for productivity tasks, navigation, light editing and also for playing undemanding titles thanks to its integrated graphics, one of the most capable within the company’s APU catalog in its consumer range.

What distinguishes the Maco-L from other similar proposals is its modular approach to expanding graphical power. The team incorporates OCuLink connectivitya standard that allows you to connect an external graphics card with considerably higher bandwidth than that offered by other common interfaces on the market, such as Thunderbolt or conventional USB4. Additionally, the Maco-L also includes USB4 supportwhich expands the eGPU connection options depending on the accessory each user has.

Three PCIe 4.0 SSD slots, the great storage claim

One of the most striking aspects of the new AOOSTAR mini PC is its storage section. The Maco-L incorporates up to three PCIe 4.0 SSD slotsan unusual figure in equipment of this size, where the normal thing is to find one or, at most, two M.2 slots.

This type of approach is especially interesting for users who need to move large volumes of data, such as content creators, developers or professionals who work with large video or design files, and who until now were forced to resort to external storage solutions due to the limitation of internal space common in mini PCs.

A design designed to separate computing and cooling

At the design level, The Maco-L is presented as a set formed by two differentiated bodiesas can be seen in the images shared by AOOSTAR: one houses the mini PC itself, with compact dimensions of approximately 15 x 13 x 5.5 centimeters, while the other corresponds to an additional module that integrates the cooling system.

This physical separation between the computing part and the thermal part is an increasingly common solution in high-performance mini PCs, since it allows improving heat dissipation without having to disproportionately increase the volume of the main body of the equipment.

This approach is especially useful when combined with OCuLink connectivity for external graphicsbecause it allows you to keep the mini PC in a small size while the additional graphics power is managed through an independent external module, without compromising the cooling of the set or increasing the noise level during demanding workloads.

Availability of the AOOSTAR Maco-L

For the moment, the AOOSTAR Maco-L has begun marketing in the Chinese market, where its starting price is around 2,699 yuan in its base configuration (that figure is approximately equivalent to 346 euros).

For now, the company has not confirmed an international availability date or an official price. for markets such as Europe, so those interested in this type of equipment will have to wait for AOOSTAR to announce a possible expansion of the availability of the Maco-L outside its borders.

In any case, the Maco-L joins an increasingly broad AOOSTAR catalog within the mini PC segment aimed at users looking for expansion capacity, both in storage and graphical power, without giving up the small format that has made this type of equipment an increasingly popular alternative to the traditional desktop.