What’s Inside the Box
The ACEMAGIC W1 is a compact mini PC powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor. It offers a combination of performance – with 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB NVMe SSD, and Radeon 780M graphics – in a modest form factor. The rear panel features DisplayPort 2.0, HDMI 2.0, four USB ports, and a 2.5 Gbps LAN port. The front panel includes the power button, a 3.5mm audio connector, two USB 3.2 ports, and one USB4 Type-C port. The plastic case measures 128 mm x 128 mm x 41 mm. Accessories include a power supply, a mounting kit for attaching to a monitor, an HDMI cable, and a user manual. It supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
The processing capabilities are decent, without being exceptional. While the exterior aims for a metallic look, the case is plastic, which is acceptable considering the price point.
On paper, it’s a very nice piece of hardware
Internally, the arrangement is compact. The motherboard, CPU, GPU, and cooler with fan are located on the lower portion. Two RAM slots are positioned above each other, alongside two M.2 2280 slots and one shorter slot housing the combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas utilize sheet metal pieces glued to the inside of the case.
First Suspicion
The computer functioned flawlessly in both Windows, and Linux. Yet, a peculiarity was observed: the top of the PC became noticeably warmer in Xubuntu compared to Windows, even when idle.
While some warmth is expected, it felt unusual that the fan remained largely inactive. There are no fan settings available in the BIOS. Considering the compact size of a mini PC and the inherent concentration of heat, a more aggressive fan profile would be anticipated.
Reviews suggested the W1 has well-managed thermal performance, so further investigation was initially deferred.
And It Started to Harden
When running No Man’s Sky on Full HD resolution with the lowest graphics settings, the game ran smoothly at 60 FPS. The fan operated quietly, and it was unclear whether the fan speed was proportional to the load or simply on/off.
After approximately 45 minutes, the computer froze. The top surface became too hot to touch comfortably. The plastic cover contributed to poor heat dissipation.
Kitchenware in IT
To attempt cooling, a liter of cold water in a metal saucepan was placed on the computer before restarting No Man’s Sky. The system froze again after about 25 minutes. The water in the saucepan remained only slightly warmer. The freezes occurred inconsistently, typically within minutes to half an hour of starting the game.
The BIOS offers three “performance profile” settings, but none resolved the issue. Suspecting overheating, the computer was opened for inspection, revealing the core problem.
Bottom view of an open computer
The fan only cools the board from the bottom, where the CPU and GPU are located. The top side houses the RAM slots and M.2 slots with NVMe SSD drives. Heat dissipation from the upper RAM and SSDs is achieved using a thermally conductive “plasticine” material that bonds the components to an aluminum plate attached to the inside of the top plastic lid. This creates an air pocket with no air exchange with the outside.
We Cool Passively
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module was removed as it wasn’t needed. An aluminum heatsink was then attached to the SSD, initially with the manufacturer’s “plasticine” and later with thermally conductive adhesive tape. Heatsinks were also added to both RAM modules, but later removed as they proved unnecessary. A new Kingston Fury Renegade 1TB NVMe SSD and an 8mm aluminum heatsink were installed to address the SSD overheating issue.
A better SSD with a cooler
With these modifications, the SSD temperatures became acceptable, reaching 51 and 54 degrees Celsius. The disk is no longer at risk of overheating. However, the SSD remains cooler in Windows (around 37 degrees) than in Linux, suggesting a difference in power management.
Two Problems Remain. Or Not?
The remaining concerns are RAM and NVMe cooling. Active cooling would be beneficial, potentially extending component lifespan. A custom superstructure with a controlled fan was designed and 3D-printed to address this.
Additional active cooling. On the right, the thermistor sticks up, later glued with foam tape in place above the SSD. Components glued with hot melt glue
View of the PC with the superstructure attached
Worth a look