ACEMAGICIAN S3A

Updated on

Starry Hope Rating
4.0
ACEMAGICIAN S3A lifestyle

The ACEMAGICIAN S3A pairs AMD’s Ryzen 7 8745HS with Radeon 780M integrated graphics. A mechanical dial on the front switches between Silent, Balanced, and Performance modes without a trip into BIOS settings. The processor sits in a compact vertical tower that drives up to three 4K displays through USB4, DisplayPort 2.0, and HDMI 2.0.

Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Ryzen 7 8745HS and Radeon 780M cover office work and creative appsAAA titles need reduced settings at 1080p
Front dial moves the power ceiling from 25W to 54W with no softwareNo SD card reader for camera media
Three 4K displays, and the USB4 port can carry 8KBarrel power connector, so no charging over USB-C
Two DDR5 slots to 64GB and two M.2 slots to 4TBPerformance mode brings fan noise to 42dB
Magnetic side panel opens for upgrades without toolsPlastic exterior on a tower with RGB lighting
2.5GbE and WiFi 6 handle wired and wireless at speedSticker residue on the chassis out of the box

Related Videos

ACEMAGICIAN S3A Comparison Chart

ACEMAGICIAN S3A

ACEMAGICIAN S3A

Price

List Price: $399

Amazon Prices:

Check Price on Amazon

Version16GB/512GB
Performance Rating5.3
Operating SystemWindows 11 Pro
ProcessorOcta-core 3.80 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz)
AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS
GPUIntegrated AMD Radeon 780M
RAM16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM
Internal Storage512 GB
Dimensions
width x length x thickness
5.89 x 7.42 x 3.06 inches
(149.61 x 188.47 x 77.72 mm)
Weightunknown
WiFiWi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
BluetoothBluetooth 5.2
Ethernet1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI1 Full-Size HDMI Port
DisplayPort1 DisplayPort (DisplayPort 2.0)
VGANo VGA Ports
USB Ports6 USB 3, 1 USB-C (1 USB4)
Front: 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 1x USB4 Type-C with DP 1.4 alt mode. Rear: 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
Thunderbolt PortsNo
OCuLinkNo
Internal SATA PortsNo SATA ports
Card ReaderNo Card Reader
Headphone Jackcombo
FanlessNo
VESA MountYes
In the BoxMini PC, power adapter (19V 6.32A), HDMI cable, VESA mounting bracket, user manual
ExpandabilityRAM upgradable to 64GB via 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM slots. Storage expandable via 2x M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 slots. Tool-less magnetic side panel for easy access.

Related Mini PCs

Vertical tower, tool-less panel, and a dial that sets the power ceiling

Connectivity graphic listing WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet

The case stands upright at 5.89 by 7.42 by 3.06 inches, and the height gives the dual fans and copper heat pipes a straight path to pull air through. A magnetic side panel lifts off without tools, so the memory and storage slots are a few seconds away. RGB lighting rings the front of the plastic shell, and review units came with Crucial DDR5 RAM and Lexar NVMe storage inside.

The Ryzen 7 8745HS runs 8 Zen 4 cores up to 4.9GHz, and its Cinebench R23 multi-core results land in productivity territory for an 8-core mobile chip. Radeon 780M graphics add 12 compute units at 2.6GHz, which covers video editing, creative applications, and casual gaming. Modern AAA titles run at 1080p with reduced settings, while indie games, emulation, and software like DaVinci Resolve run smoothly.

The front USB4 Type-C port carries DisplayPort 1.4 alternate mode and can push an 8K signal, and it moves data as well. Six USB 3.2 Type-A ports split two on the front and four on the back. Wired networking runs over 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 covering the wireless side.

Reviewer Insights

Performance tier graphic labeled Power User

Tim Borg opens the case

Tim Borg walks through the hardware of his review unit and notes approvingly that ACEMAGICIAN “didn’t even go on cheap brands,” with Crucial 32GB DDR5 RAM and Lexar 1TB NVMe SSD inside. On the mechanical dial he says, “I like this switch… that sounds like high quality.” He also calls out the power input, saying “unfortunately this one isn’t USB-C powered, which is one downfall.” The barrel connector rules out charging from a USB-C supply. He mentions sticker residue left on the chassis as a minor annoyance.

A “B” grade from Minimachines

Pierre Lecourt at Minimachines.net gives the S3A a “B” score for versatile performance across gaming, creative work, and office tasks. He treats the three-mode power system as the standout, with TDP ranging from 25W to 54W and noise levels from 35dB to 42dB. He praises the official distribution with certification and two-year warranty, and notes that users may want to reinstall Windows after purchase. The vertical design saves desk space without giving up the upgrade room.

Customer Reviews

Several Amazon owners bought this machine as a small-footprint gaming box. Emilio, a verified buyer, called it “a powerful unit” and wrote, “I bought this device for gaming only,” noting it handled titles like Suicide Squad and Doom: The Dark Ages while flagging that more demanding games (Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth) were out of reach. R. Blass, another verified buyer who chose the Ryzen 9 version, wrote, “I’m able to play AAA titles without an issue,” and praised the small footprint and value. One verified owner put the upgrade path this way: “add more ram and another ssd and it gets even better.”

The four-star reviews flag rough edges around the software and the packaging. Verified buyer TPham1948, using it as a home server, titled the review “Almost Perfect” and reported a driver gap: “Neither windows server 2025 nor windows 11 enterprise has acceptable driver” for the PCI Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Controller. Patricia K., also a verified buyer, liked the unit but criticized the sparse documentation, writing that “the only paperwork included is a tiny booklet” with no guidance on the advertised RAM expansion, and added that “the flashing lights are a distraction.” One reviewer described prompt warranty service after the unit failed at five months. One-star ratings make up 3 percent of the total.

A desk-side machine for office work, creative apps, and 1080p gaming

The S3A fits a home office, a video or graphic design workload, and casual gaming where desk space is tight. The dial puts the power and noise balance under a thumb, so the same box can stay quiet during a workday and open up when a render starts.

Gaming at high settings calls for discrete graphics, and anyone set on USB-C power should look at a different design. Photographers and videographers who move cards every day will miss the SD reader. For everyone else, the two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots and two M.2 slots behind that magnetic panel mean the machine can grow after the purchase. Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart lines it up against the alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the performance dial on the ACEMAGICIAN S3A?

A mechanical dial on the front panel switches the S3A between three performance modes: Silent (25W TDP, 35dB), Balanced (35-45W TDP, 38dB), and Performance (45-54W TDP, 42dB).

Can the ACEMAGICIAN S3A run modern games?

Yes, the AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics can run modern AAA games at 1080p with reduced settings for playable framerates. Indie games, emulation, and less demanding titles run smoothly at higher settings. For competitive or high-fidelity gaming, a system with dedicated graphics would be more suitable.

How many monitors can the ACEMAGICIAN S3A support?

The S3A supports up to three 4K displays simultaneously using its USB4 Type-C port (which also supports 8K output), DisplayPort 2.0, and HDMI 2.0 outputs.

Is the RAM upgradeable in the ACEMAGICIAN S3A?

Two SO-DIMM slots take DDR5-5600 memory up to a maximum of 64GB. The magnetic side panel opens by hand, so reaching the RAM slots takes no tools.

What storage expansion options does the ACEMAGICIAN S3A offer?

The S3A includes two M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 4.0 slots supporting up to 4TB of total storage. There is no 2.5-inch SATA bay or SD card reader.

How loud is the ACEMAGICIAN S3A during operation?

Noise levels depend on the performance mode selected. Silent mode runs at approximately 35dB, Balanced mode at 38dB, and Performance mode can reach up to 42dB under heavy loads.

Does the ACEMAGICIAN S3A support VESA mounting?

A VESA mounting bracket ships in the box, so the S3A can hang behind a compatible monitor.