Firebat F1 mini PC with Ryzen 7 H255: Review and Opinions

The Firebat F1 has established itself as one of the most well-rounded mini desktop PCs in its class. The upgrade to an 8-core Zen 4 processor with integrated Radeon 780M graphics delivers an outstanding experience for demanding multitasking and smooth emulation without breaking the bank. However, the DDR5 RAM is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be expanded, requiring careful selection of capacity when purchasing the product.

• Pros:

  • Powerful AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 processor with 8 cores and 16 threads in Zen 4 architecture.

  • Integrated Radeon 780M graphics card, far superior to the previous generation for 1080p gaming and emulators.

  • Excellent connectivity: 40Gbps USB4 port supporting 100W PD charging and 6 USB-A ports in total.

  • Two parallel M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 slots for expanding storage up to 8 TB.

  • Quiet operation (~30 dB at rest and in general use).

• Cons:

  • LPDDR5 RAM soldered to the motherboard that does not support future expansion.

  • The factory-installed SSD is PCIe 3.0 instead of taking advantage of 4.0 bandwidth.

  • No 2.5-inch SATA connector for traditional mechanical hard drives.

→ See Firebat F1 and Ryzen 7 mini PC prices on Amazon

→ Deals on the Firebat F1 with Ryzen 7 H255 on AliExpress

Unboxing and box contents

The equipment packaging arrives protected with high-density rigid foam inserts to prevent rough handling during international shipping.

Upon opening the package we found:

• Firebat F1 Mini PC finished in silver tone.

• 120W (19V/6.32A) external power adapter with 5.5 × 2.5 mm barrel plug and cable with European plug.

• Standard VESA mounting plate with its respective fixing screws to place the computer behind a monitor.

• High-speed HDMI cable compatible with 4K resolution.

• Basic user manual with start-up instructions.

Key technical specifications

Design and construction quality

The Firebat F1 has compact dimensions of just 128 × 128 × 37 mm, making it easy to place on any work desk or carry in a backpack without taking up much space.

The chassis combines a perimeter casing with a cool-touch metallic finish and reinforced ABS covers. A geometric pattern with the brand logo is discreetly printed on the top. It feels solid in hand, with no structural creaking when pressure is applied to the edges.

Ventilation grilles are located on the sides and rear. Four raised rubber feet on the base ensure a firm grip on the table and allow fresh air to flow freely to the lower radiator.

Display and multimedia capabilities

Being a mini desktop PC, it does not have its own panel, but its video controllers offer outstanding versatility:

• Simultaneous triple display: Allows you to connect up to three independent monitors at 4K resolution at 60 Hz using its HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 outputs and the front USB4 Type-C connector.

• High refresh rate support: Both the DisplayPort and HDMI ports allow you to work at 144 Hz or 120 Hz on 1080p or 1440p resolution monitors, offering smooth pointer and window operation for office tasks and browsing.

• Audio output: It has a 3.5mm combined jack on the front for headphones with microphone, plus direct multi-channel digital audio pass-through via HDMI and DisplayPort.

Performance and software

Under the hood, the team stands out for the agility provided by its 8 Zen 4 architecture cores.

Operating system and software cleanup

The computer comes pre-activated with Windows 11 Pro. The installation is clean: it doesn't include any annoying promotional tools ( bloatware ) or pre-installed trial antivirus software. During initial testing, the operating system downloads cumulative updates from Windows Update and the official AMD graphics drivers without any compatibility issues.

Storage speeds

The factory-installed SSD offers transfer speeds in line with the PCIe 3.0 protocol (around 2400 MB/s sequential read and 1800 MB/s sequential write). The system boots in under ten seconds, and common applications open instantly. However, with two PCIe 4.0 compatible lanes, replacing the main drive with an M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD allows for speeds exceeding 5000 MB/s for demanding video editing tasks or large-scale data transfers.

→ See Firebat F1 and Ryzen 7 mini PC prices on Amazon

→ Deals on the Firebat F1 with Ryzen 7 H255 on AliExpress

Energy consumption, temperature and noise

The Firebat F1's electrical management and dissipation system is sized to support a 54W processor power consumption.

• Power consumption: In idle mode , power consumption from the wall outlet ranges from 8W to 11W. During average office tasks, it hovers around 25W–35W, and under continuous CPU and GPU stress testing, it reaches a stable peak of between 62W and 68W. Its 120W power supply operates with ample headroom.

• Operating temperatures: At idle, the CPU stays around 39°C – 43°C. During continuous rendering or demanding gaming sessions, the package temperature stabilizes at around 76°C – 82°C, well below AMD's 95°C thermal throttling threshold.

• Noise level: The turbine-type fan remains virtually imperceptible at around 30 dB during video playback and browsing. At full continuous load, it generates a low air hum below 45 dB at a distance of 60 cm, without any high-pitched bearing squeaks.

Connectivity and ports

The inclusion of physical interfaces is one of the great strengths of this review compared to other devices of a similar price:

• Frontal:

  • 1 × USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4 video output and 100W PD power input).

  • 2 × USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps).

  • 1 × 3.5 mm audio jack connector.

  • Metal power button with integrated LED indicator.

• Rear:

  • 1 × HDMI 2.1.

  • 1 × DisplayPort 1.4.

  • 1 × Ethernet RJ45 at 2.5 Gbps (ideal for local transfers and fast fiber networks).

  • 4 × USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) for permanent peripherals.

  • 1 × DC power input (19V).

  • 1 × Kensington security padlock slot.

• Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.2 card with support for multiple MU-MIMO indoor antennas.

Expansion and internal improvement options

Access to the interior is gained by removing four screws hidden under the lower rubber pads.

• RAM: It cannot be upgraded or replaced. The system comes with 16 GB of LPDDR5 soldered to the motherboard in four 32-bit subchannels ( LP Memory Non-removable ). Those requiring a higher configuration should choose the factory-installed 24 GB variant.

• SSD storage: This is its strong point for future upgrades. It includes two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 slots located side-by-side on the motherboard, allowing you to install up to two 4TB drives (up to 8TB of total storage). To add a second high-speed drive, you can purchase an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD on AliExpress.

• SATA drives: There is no space or SATA connections for traditional 2.5-inch drives.

Comparison of mini PCs with direct competitors

Reviews on well-known websites and user experiences

Ratings on platforms like Amazon and AliExpress stand out for their consistency regarding daily performance and heat dissipation:

• Thermal stability in video rendering: Verified Amazon buyers highlight that the device performs demanding video encoding tasks and heavy multitasking without crashing or increasing fan noise.

• Smooth graphics without stuttering: Several users point out that the image transition and system response are immediate ( "without stutters" ), performing well in both professional software and casual and moderately demanding games.

• 2.5 Gbps Network Performance: Actual wired network speed measurements show that the port squeezes the contracted bandwidth without packet drops, which is especially useful for high-speed fiber connections and local transfers to NAS servers.

• Quality control in packaging and homologation: International buyers on AliExpress report shipping times of approximately one week and confirm that the external transformer includes the electrical certification seals corresponding to each regional market.

Technical testing and hardware validation

Analysis using diagnostic software such as CPU-Z clears up any doubt about the identity of this processor:

│ CPU-Z Specification: │
│ AMD Ryzen 7 255 w/ Radeon 780M Graphics │
│ │
│ • Code Name: Hawk Point (4 nm) • Max TDP: 45.0W / 54W│
│ • Socket: FP8 (BGA) • Stepping: 2 (HPT1-A2)│
│ • Cores: 8 Cores / 16 Threads • L3 Cache: 16 MBytes │
│ • Instructions: AVX-512, SHA, AES, FMA3, x86-64

• Native identification: The microcode formally detects the chip as an AMD Ryzen 7 255 on Hawk Point silicon (Zen 4 at 4 nm) and FP8 socket. This is not a renamed chip or a tampered BIOS.

• AVX-512 Instruction Set Support: The Zen 4 architecture natively supports the AVX-512 instruction set. This significantly accelerates vector computation and provides a critical advantage in complex emulators compared to competing processors that lack this instruction set.

• Quad-channel memory configuration: The tool confirms LPDDR5 memory organized into four independent 32-bit subchannels (128 bits total), ensuring a constant flow of data to power the integrated GPU without shared memory acting as a bottleneck.

Gaming and Emulation Performance

The presence of the Radeon 780M (12 Compute Units based on RDNA 3 at 2600 MHz) represents a qualitative leap compared to previous iGPUs:

• Roblox and other popular lightweight titles: Titles like Roblox, Minecraft, or League of Legends run at maximum graphics settings at 1080p, maintaining a stable 60–120 FPS.

• Once Human and recent 3D games: In open-world survival games or titles like GTA V, Forza Horizon 5, or Cyberpunk 2077, the device achieves stable frame rates of 45 to 60 FPS at 1080p resolution with medium/low settings and using AMD FSR upscaling technology in quality or balanced mode.

• Emulation:

  • PS2, GameCube, Wii and 3DS: Internal rendering at native 3× or 4× resolution at 60 FPS without drops.

  • Nintendo Switch and PS3 (RPCS3): Native support for AVX-512 instructions and 8 physical cores allow demanding titles (such as Gran Turismo 5 or Super Mario Odyssey ) to run at their nominal speed with great stability in frame times.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can the RAM be expanded in the future?

No. The Firebat F1 with a Ryzen 7 H255 processor has LPDDR5 memory soldered to the motherboard. If you need more memory, you should opt for the 24GB configuration from the start.

Can I power it using only a USB-C charger?

Yes, provided the charger or monitor supplies at least 100W via Power Delivery (PD) through the front USB4 port. To continuously utilize the chip's 54W power consumption under prolonged stress testing, the supplied 120W drum charger is recommended.

What is the difference between the Ryzen 7 H255 and the Ryzen 7 8845HS?

Both share an 8-core Zen 4 architecture and the same Radeon 780M graphics card. The main difference is that the H255 omits the dedicated NPU for artificial intelligence, which reduces manufacturing costs without sacrificing performance in games or everyday tasks.

Final conclusion: Is the Firebat F1 worth it?

The updated Firebat F1 with the Ryzen 7 H 255 processor is a recommended purchase option for users looking for a versatile, quiet desktop computer with capable graphics for under €350–400.

It's ideal as a 4K media center, advanced office workstation, home node, or console emulation machine up to the PS3 and Switch generation. Its only drawback is the inability to add more RAM in the future.

Where to buy the Firebat F1 and recommended accessories

• See prices for the Firebat F1 and Ryzen 7 mini PC on Amazon

• Firebat F1 deals with Ryzen 7 H255 on AliExpress

• Storage expansion: If you plan to add a second high-capacity SSD, you can purchase an M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 drive to make the most of the two available bays.