PELADN HO5

Published on August 29, 2026

The PELADN HO5 is a five-inch-square desktop built around AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, the 12-core Strix Point chip that anchors the upper end of the integrated-graphics mini PC tier. Two things separate it from the crowd of boxes running the same silicon. The memory is soldered LPDDR5X-7500 rather than SO-DIMMs, which Robtech notes is the maximum speed the platform officially supports, and which is permanently fixed at whatever capacity you buy. And there is an OCuLink port on the side, a direct PCIe link for an external GPU that TechPowerUp describes as still rare on mini PCs. TechPowerUp gave the machine its Recommended award and placed the HO5 near the top of its integrated-graphics leaderboard; NotebookCheck scored it 81 percent. The recurring complaints are a fan that becomes clearly audible once the workload is sustained, and, from two of the reviewers, a plastic chassis that feels cheap for the price.

Pros and Cons of the PELADN HO5

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PELADN HO5 Comparison Chart

	PELADN HO5	PELADN HO5
Price	List Price: $1,199.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $1,299.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	24GB/1TB	32GB/1TB
Performance Rating	9.9	10.1
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro
Processor	Twelve-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370	Twelve-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU	Integrated AMD Radeon 890M	Integrated AMD Radeon 890M
RAM	24 GB LPDDR5X, 4-channel (LPDDR5X-7500, soldered)	32 GB LPDDR5X, 4-channel (LPDDR5X-7500, soldered)
Internal Storage	1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD	1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Dimensions width x length x thickness	5.08 x 5.08 x 2.13 inches (129.03 x 129.03 x 54.1 mm)	5.08 x 5.08 x 2.13 inches (129.03 x 129.03 x 54.1 mm)
Weight	1.27 lbs (0.58 kg)	1.27 lbs (0.58 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4
Ethernet	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	1 Full-Size HDMI Port	1 Full-Size HDMI Port
DisplayPort	1 DisplayPort (DP 1.2 (4K@60); DP Alt Mode via USB4)	1 DisplayPort (DP 1.2 (4K@60); DP Alt Mode via USB4)
VGA	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB 4 1x USB4 Type-C, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 2.0	2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 1 USB 4 1x USB4 Type-C, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 2.0
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No
OCuLink	PCIe x4 for eGPU	PCIe x4 for eGPU
Internal SATA Ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports
Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader
Headphone Jack	combo	combo
Fanless	No	No
VESA Mount	Yes	Yes
In the Box	Mini PC, 120W power adapter, HDMI cable, VESA mount, manual	Mini PC, 120W power adapter, HDMI cable, VESA mount, manual
Expandability	RAM is soldered LPDDR5X and caps at 32GB. 2x M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4, up to 8TB. OCuLink for an external GPU. External 120W adapter.	RAM is soldered LPDDR5X and caps at 32GB. 2x M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4, up to 8TB. OCuLink for an external GPU. External 120W adapter.

Detailed Insights into the PELADN HO5

The chassis is plastic. NotebookCheck describes a simple plastic housing built to be as light as possible, and measured the unit at about 5.1 inches square, 2.1 inches tall, and 1.3 pounds; TechPowerUp’s spec table lists a slightly larger footprint and a 2.2-pound bare unit. The top panel is the part people remember: a dense square-pixel grid surrounding the HO5 wordmark, backlit in RGB, with the O in that logo acting as a touch sensor that cycles the lighting modes. NotebookCheck lists that as a pro because the lighting can be controlled by touch without software, and TechPowerUp said the textured light ring gives the machine a look that sets it apart from the many plain mini PCs it has tested. TechRadar’s Alastair Jennings was less charmed: “With a premium price and premium internals, it feels like a relatively cheap exterior compared to those in our best mini PC guide.”

Inside is the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, AMD’s Strix Point design: four full Zen 5 cores to 5.1GHz plus eight Zen 5c cores to 3.3GHz, 24 threads total, Radeon 890M graphics with 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units, and an XDNA 2 NPU that PELADN’s listing rates at 50 TOPS within an 80 TOPS platform figure. Those TOPS numbers are the vendor’s, not a measured result. PassMark puts the chip around 35,500 on CPU Mark. This is 2024 silicon in a 2026 box, which matters mostly because AMD has since shipped the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, a modest clock-speed refresh of the same 12-core Zen 5 design; our BOSGAME VTA-439 page collects the measured gap between the two. If the NPU is not the reason you are shopping, our look at whether the AI tax is worth paying covers the same tradeoff across the category.

Memory is the defining decision on this machine. The HO5 uses soldered LPDDR5X-7500 running quad-channel, which TechPowerUp calls out as a benefit to both CPU-heavy tasks and integrated graphics, and which NotebookCheck credits for the machine’s strong AIDA64 memory results. Robtech put the same point plainly, saying the machine gets the maximum officially supported speed thanks to the fast LPDDR5X memory. The cost is permanence: 32GB is the ceiling, there is no SO-DIMM slot, and no upgrade path. That is the exact tradeoff we unpack in the soldered-RAM trap, and it is the one thing to settle before buying, because it cannot be revisited later. Storage is the opposite story: two M.2 2280 slots on PCIe 4.0 x4, supporting up to 8TB in total. The bundled drive is a Crucial P3 Plus, which TechPowerUp measured at just under 4,900 MB/s read and around 4,500 MB/s write, ordinary for a mainstream Gen 4 SSD rather than fast for one.

Port layout splits front and rear, with the interesting one on the side. The front face carries a 3.5mm combo jack, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a USB4 Type-C port, the power button, and a CMOS reset pinhole. The rear holds HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2, both capped at 4K60, two USB-A 2.0 ports, two 2.5GbE jacks on a Realtek RTL8125 controller, and the barrel power input. Networking comes from a MediaTek MT7925 WiFi 7 module with Bluetooth 5.4. The USB4 port’s bandwidth is reported differently depending on where you look: PELADN’s own listing and TechPowerUp’s spec table both say 20 Gbps, while NotebookCheck’s system inventory recorded a 40 Gbps USB4 controller and Robtech’s port rundown also calls it 40 gigabit. The side-mounted OCuLink port is the reason to care about this machine, and TechPowerUp is direct about why: “OCuLink provides a direct PCIe connection, which means higher bandwidth, lower latency and far better performance with a discrete graphics card.” Its spec table lists that port as PCIe 3.0 x4, while EVO Tech describes the link he tested as four PCIe lanes of Gen 4, so confirm the generation with PELADN if the bandwidth ceiling matters to your build. Our eGPU connector comparison shows how much each interface gives back.

Cooling and noise are where the reviews split. NotebookCheck measured 29.8 to 29.9 dB(A) at idle against a 24.9 dB(A) room floor, rising to 39.3 and 39.5 dB(A) under full load, judged that comparatively quiet against the machines it has tested, and listed it among the pros; its objection was to the shape of the curve, noting that the fan reacts quite spontaneously to load changes and revs up quickly, which makes the noise clearly audible at times. TechPowerUp put the load peak at around 41 dB with a mild high-pitched tone that is most noticeable in a quiet room. Temperatures stay reasonable in NotebookCheck’s chamber, with a 74.8C maximum in the stress test and just under 84C briefly during a Cinebench R15 multi-loop, and a 33.6C surface maximum. Robtech’s read on the CPU side was less forgiving. Power draw is a genuine strength: NotebookCheck logged 3.2 to 6.9W at idle and 57.3 to 73.8W under load, listing “outstanding efficiency” among its pros, while TechPowerUp’s 24-hour idle monitoring with the display off averaged 10W, which it called in line with a modern mini PC rather than class-leading. The 120W adapter has headroom either way.

Reviewer Insights on the PELADN HO5

TechPowerUp

TechPowerUp ran the machine through its full Mini PC suite and gave it a Recommended award. Its introduction sets the tone: “This may end up being the best mid-range iGPU gaming Mini-PC we have tested to date.” The conclusion backs that up on the graphics side, reporting that “The H05 currently sits near the top of our iGPU leaderboard, matching or edging out other 890M systems.” Its benchmark run lands at 1124 multicore and 118 single-core in Cinebench 2024, 7,636 in PCMark 10, 114.68 FPS in HandBrake, and Blender scores of 129.76 on Monster, 68.63 on Classroom and 92.14 on Junkshop. On gaming, it found Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 comfortable at 1080p, with Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 playable at medium settings.

The same review is clear about the costs. Its cons list runs to soldered non-upgradeable memory, fan noise during extended workloads, an internal design that makes accessing certain components difficult, and a machine best suited to lighter AI workloads. On that first point it is specific: reaching the SSD requires removing the motherboard, working carefully around the wireless antenna cable and the loose power button during reassembly. TechPowerUp also frames the OCuLink port as the HO5’s structural advantage over the size class as a whole, writing that “OCuLink provides a much more direct and predictable path to higher bandwidth external hardware than what most Mini-PCs in this size class offer.” Separately, in its pricing section, it positions the HO5 against the GEEKOM A9 Max, which runs the same chip with upgradeable DDR5 and no OCuLink.

NotebookCheck

NotebookCheck scored the HO5 at 81 percent after a full lab pass. Its verdict: “The Peladn HO5 presents itself in the test as a powerful mini PC that convincingly utilizes the potential of the Strix Point platform.” On graphics it adds that “The integrated Radeon 890M also delivers strong iGPU performance, enabling even moderate gaming in customized settings,” and places the 890M on a par with Intel’s Arc Graphics 140T. Cinebench R23 came in at 1998 single-core and 20354 multi-core.

The pros list credits the sturdy housing and low weight, the HX 370 running without loss of performance, the LPDDR5X at 7,500 MT/s, the magnetic lid, the “outstanding efficiency”, touch-controlled lighting, the USB4 plus OCuLink pairing, and the machine being comparatively quiet under load. On serviceability it is the mirror image of TechPowerUp: NotebookCheck opens the magnetic lid by hand and notes the HO5 takes a second M.2 drive. The cons are shorter and specific: somewhat high DPC latencies (it measured a 1296 microsecond maximum), RAM that is not expandable, and a fan curve that seems a little too finely graduated. Its closing position on the brand is the useful part for a buyer weighing a smaller name: “Peladn doesn’t make any major mistakes with the HO5, making the mini PC a serious alternative to well-known brands such as Minisforum or Geekom.”

TechRadar

TechRadar had Alastair Jennings use the machine as a working creative desktop, running Microsoft Office, Lightroom Classic and Premiere Pro. His performance read was positive from the first boot: “Once registered and activated, the speed at which the machine boots provides insight into its true processing power.” He recorded a Windows Experience score of 8.3 and reported no trouble moving between Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop and a browser.

The reservations are the build and the cooling. Jennings noted that during a five-minute Premiere Pro edit with effects and grading the fans kicked in and were audibly louder than he would usually expect for a machine this size, though unlike some machines that produce a high-pitched whine, the tone stayed consistent and more tolerable. He also wanted a second USB4 port for a machine at this level. He did credit the design for access, calling the magnetic top plate easily removed and the internal SSD quick and easy to replace. On the eGPU option he is unambiguous: “The OCuLink enables you to connect to an eGPU and offers superior performance options compared to HDMI or DisplayPort when feeding an eGPU.”

Robtech

Robtech put the HO5 through his standard mini PC checklist and landed mixed. The memory got credit: “It’s super easy to open, and you’re getting the maximum official supported speed thanks to the fast LPDDR5X RAM. But unfortunately, it’s not upgradeable or replaceable.” His summary of the thermals and acoustics was the harshest of the six: “CPU temp is pretty high under load, which does result in thermal throttling. And fan noise, while not terrible, is above average under load.” Closing out, he said “Overall performance is good, but I’m not too impressed by the CPU cooling,” gave the SSD and RAM cooling a pass, and called the loud fan noise not great.

Two of his findings are worth weighing before you buy. The first is the eGPU path: “While it does have a USB 4 port, I couldn’t get it working with my eGPU. This isn’t the first time. Still, if you’re buying this, you should be using OcuLink.” The second is support. He received a BIOS update directly from PELADN and observed that “these aren’t easily accessible on a download page, so I wouldn’t expect any others,” and could not find a driver page either. He also reported that PELADN includes a standard 1-year warranty, or two years in the EU. The Amazon listing advertises a 3-year term, so check which one applies where you are. His parting judgment on the cooling was that the high fan noise for the temperature is not what he has come to expect from the vast majority of mini PCs he looks at.

Mr. Sujano

Mr. Sujano focused on gaming and emulation and came away positive on the silicon. Running PUBG at 1080p with most settings on medium, a couple on low and textures on high, he held above 70 FPS and concluded “Overall, this integrated GPU is doing pretty good.” He also reported a stable 60 FPS at the medium preset in Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves with no tweaking, and the same 60 FPS in Street Fighter 6.

His two complaints are the ones a buyer feels on day one. On the chassis: “I’m not the biggest fan of the case. At this price point, I would kind of would have expected a metal case overall.” On the fan, he found it quieter than some other mini PCs but disliked the character of the sound, describing “a very high-pitched whine that I do not like at all when I’ve got the mini PC sitting like this on my desk,” and worked around it by tilting the unit up to improve airflow. The setup experience drew the sharpest criticism: his unit’s WiFi was not recognized during Windows out-of-box setup, and he reported “I could not get into Windows unless I brought up the command prompt and typed in bypass NRO,” pointing out that an average buyer might reasonably conclude the machine was broken and return it.

EVO Tech

EVO Tech tested the HO5 specifically as an OCuLink host, pairing it with a desktop graphics card and benchmarking at 1440p. He framed the CPU as the headline: “This is the most powerful CPU that we’ve ever tested in OcuLink setup with. That’s going to be a 12-core 24-thread part paired with 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory.” The clearest advantage he isolated was not frame rate but shader compilation, where core count does the work: “This thing finishes doing that significantly faster than any of the other mini PCs because of the fact that it has so many cores and so many threads.”

He is candid that this does not make the machine a value pick. He described the OCuLink link as four lanes of PCIe Gen 4, a bandwidth ceiling for a high-end card, and concluded that the shader-compile advantage is a quality-of-life improvement rather than a reason to pay the premium unless you are compiling shaders constantly. His broader point applies to the whole tier: as you go up the product stack you pay a premium for more performance, and you do not get twice the performance of a mini PC at half the price.

Where the reviews agree and where they split

The four full reviews line up on the two things that matter most: all of them rate the CPU and integrated graphics highly for this class, and all four flag the soldered memory. Fan noise is the first place they part company. TechPowerUp, TechRadar and Robtech each list it as a real cost, while NotebookCheck’s chamber put full-load noise just under 40 dB(A), called that comparatively quiet for the category, and reserved its objection for how abruptly the fan curve ramps. NotebookCheck’s idle figures also read far lower than TechPowerUp’s 24-hour average, because the two are measuring different things.

The chassis is the second split. TechPowerUp says the all-black enclosure feels solid and holds together well, and NotebookCheck lists the sturdy housing among its pros, while TechRadar and Mr. Sujano both read the plastic as below the price bracket. Serviceability is the third split, and it is the one to settle before you plan an upgrade: TechPowerUp reached the SSD it tested only by removing the motherboard, while NotebookCheck, TechRadar and Robtech all describe a magnetic top lid that lifts off by hand for drive access. Nobody disputes the OCuLink port’s value, and the one reviewer who tried the USB4 port as an eGPU link could not get it working.

Conclusion

The HO5 makes sense for a specific buyer: someone who wants a genuinely fast 12-core desktop in five inches square, knows they will never need more than 32GB, and wants the option to bolt on a real graphics card later without buying a new machine. The LPDDR5X-7500 memory runs at the fastest speed this platform officially supports, the two Gen 4 M.2 slots leave storage wide open, and the dual 2.5GbE gives it a second life as a home-lab or routing box. TechPowerUp’s leaderboard placement and NotebookCheck’s 81 percent are both earned.

It is the wrong machine for a few others. If you expect to add memory in two years, the ceiling is fixed at purchase, and the GEEKOM A9 Max runs the same chip with upgradeable DDR5 (without the OCuLink port). If your desk needs to be quiet during long renders, three reviewers flagged the fan under load and two singled out its pitch, though NotebookCheck’s measurements put it on the quiet side of the class. If you want a metal chassis at this price, this is plastic. Buyers who want the newer silicon rather than 2024’s should compare against the Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 machines, starting with the BOSGAME VTA-439. To line the HO5 up against the rest of the catalog, use the Mini PC Comparison Chart.

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