The New Contender in the Gorgon Halo Market

Minisforum has officially entered the Gorgon Halo workstation segment with the launch of its MS-S1 MAX-P495. This compact yet powerful machine is currently being offered at a promotional price of $7,399, down from its standard retail price of $9,249, marking a significant entry in a competitive space alongside offerings from companies like HP and GMKtec.


Technical Specifications and Processing Power

At the heart of the workstation lies the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 processor. This chip features 16 Zen 5 cores capable of reaching speeds up to 5.2GHz across 32 threads. To support intensive computing, the device is equipped with 192GB of LPDDR5x memory operating at 8,533MT/s and a 2TB SSD for storage.

Graphics and AI tasks are handled by the integrated Radeon 8065S (RDNA 3.5) and a dedicated NPU. According to Minisforum, the platform achieves:

  • Total AI Performance: Up to 131 TOPS
  • NPU Contribution: Up to 55 TOPS

The manufacturer highlights the system's scalability, noting that two such units can function as a compact AI cluster, capable of running complex models like Qwen3.5 397B with reported speeds of 16 tokens per second.


Connectivity and Expandability

The MS-S1 MAX-P495 is designed for professional environments requiring high-speed data handling. Connectivity options include:

  • Dual 10GbE networking ports
  • Wi-Fi 7 integration
  • USB4 ports with DisplayPort and power delivery support

For hardware expansion, the chassis houses a PCIe x16 slot and two M.2 slots, supporting RAID 0 and RAID 1 configurations to balance storage speed and data redundancy.


Design and Thermal Management

Minisforum has engineered the cooling system using copper components, dual fans, and phase-change materials to manage a total power draw of up to 160W. The workstation comes with a 320W power supply and offers versatile orientation, allowing it to be placed either vertically or horizontally. Additionally, the system includes a built-in noise-reducing microphone and four distinct operating modes—Performance, Balance, Quiet, and Rack—to adapt to different deployment scenarios.

Regarding its utility, the company stated: «The rack mode is specifically intended for deployment environments where specialized rack integration is required.»


Availability

The device features a modular internal layout with a removable board tray, facilitating easier maintenance and setup. Shipments for the US market are expected to commence around mid-October 2026, with the current promotional pricing valid only during the initial pre-order window.