The CHUWI Aubox is not your average budget PC—it’s an ultra-compact desktop system aimed at users who need portability, practicality, and just enough power to get things done. With its Ryzen 7 7840HS chipset and Radeon 780M integrated graphics, the Aubox positions itself as a ready-to-use productivity and media box that fits in the palm of your hand. Whether you’re a remote worker, a student, or someone looking for a low-profile home theater or retro gaming setup, this mini PC promises a lot without breaking the bank.
Its design echoes minimalism and efficiency—no RGB, no gimmicks, just clean metal lines and a wealth of I/O. More importantly, it offers DDR5 RAM, dual SSD slots, and surprising thermal stability for a chassis this small. But with a growing market of mini PCs and handhelds at similar price points, does the Aubox truly stand out, or does it get lost in the shuffle of affordable compact PCs?
Let’s explore how it performs in real-world workloads, what games it can handle, how upgradable it is, and whether it’s the right plug-and-play desktop for your hybrid work setup.
Performance & Gaming
At the heart of the Chuwi Owbox is the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS—a Zen 4-based octa-core processor that brings desktop-class performance to this palm-sized chassis. With a base clock of 3.8GHz and boost speeds up to 5.1GHz, this chip makes quick work of productivity tasks like office work, web browsing, and light creative workloads. The integrated Radeon 780M graphics, based on the RDNA3 architecture, is no slouch either—it’s one of the most capable iGPUs on the market and a big step up from Intel’s integrated offerings.
In Cinebench R23, the Aubox scored nearly 14,000 in multi-core and just over 1,800 in single-core, which is more than enough for everyday multitasking, video conferencing, and even heavier tools like Photoshop and Illustrator. PCMark results also showed the system excelling in general usage scenarios such as writing reports, editing spreadsheets, and attending Zoom meetings.
Where it gets more interesting is gaming. For esports titles like Valorant, CS2, League of Legends, and Rocket League, the Aubox delivers frame rates in the 90–120fps range at 1080p with medium-to-high settings. Even Genshin Impact was playable at 1080p with high settings, staying comfortably above 50fps. However, when plugged into a 4K display, frame rates start to dip—especially in AAA titles—so 1440p or 1080p is ideal for smooth gameplay.
We also tested Warzone 2.0 and Fortnite. Warzone required low settings to hit the 40fps mark, while Fortnite was more forgiving, reaching 60fps at medium presets. Thermals were kept under control thanks to the bottom-mounted fan and smart venting design. While this isn’t a gaming PC by traditional standards, it’s surprisingly competent for what it is.
Use Cases
The Chuwi Owbox is a surprisingly versatile little machine, tailored for a wide range of users who want a plug-and-play desktop without the complexity or bulk of a full-sized tower. For remote professionals and students, it’s a no-brainer—lightweight, portable, and powerful enough for productivity. Whether you’re handling Excel spreadsheets, Zoom meetings, or light design work on Canva or Adobe Express, the Owbox performs reliably and stays quiet.
In the education space, this device is ideal for classrooms or student dorms where space is a premium. Pair it with a compact monitor, and you’ve got a distraction-free setup for research, coding, or streaming lectures. Writers, bloggers, and content creators can comfortably use it with apps like Scrivener, Obsidian, and even Photoshop for photo editing.
As a home entertainment hub, the Aubox also shines. With HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 support, it’s perfect for streaming 4K content from Netflix, YouTube, or Plex—even running as a low-power home server or emulator box for retro gaming. Add a Bluetooth controller and you’ve got yourself a tidy console replacement.
Its portability makes it ideal for hybrid work setups too. Instead of syncing files back and forth between office and home, just toss the Aubox in your bag and plug it in wherever you go. IT admins can also use it for thin-client applications or digital signage, thanks to dual Ethernet ports and flexible mounting options.
Design & Build Quality
At first glance, the Chuwi Owbox doesn’t scream “powerful PC,” but that’s precisely the charm. With dimensions of just 154 x 152 x 45 mm and weighing a mere 740 grams, it’s more compact than many traditional Intel NUCs. The entire chassis sports a smooth, matte silver finish that blends seamlessly into modern office setups, minimalist workspaces, or even cozy living rooms. The understated top cover is accented only by a subtle Chuwi logo, while the beveled edges give it just enough character to stand out quietly.
The boxy profile is practical more than flashy, optimized for unobtrusive placement on desks or shelves. You’ll find the air vents discreetly placed on the left side, and all the primary I/O ports tucked neatly around the back—keeping cable clutter to a minimum. A chamfered lip around the top adds just a hint of sophistication, which elevates the aesthetic appeal of the unit beyond its price point.
The front side features just a single power button and an AMD Ryzen sticker (easily removable if you prefer a cleaner look). On the right side, easily accessible ports cater to USB peripherals, while the rear hides dual Ethernet ports, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB-A and USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It’s clearly designed for functional minimalism.
What really makes the Aubox shine in design is the thoughtfulness behind its mounting options. A bundled VESA mount allows users to attach the Aubox behind a monitor for a totally hidden workstation setup—perfect for minimalist or public-facing environments. Despite its small size, airflow isn’t sacrificed; the fan tucked beneath ensures heat dispersal without breaking the form factor. Rubber feet provide grip and clearance for air intake, even on slick surfaces.
Portability is another huge plus. The Aubox can slip easily into any bag and works well for people who alternate between office and home workspaces. Combine it with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and it becomes a transportable desktop PC, minus the bulk.
Tech Highlights
The Chuwi Aubox may look like a modest silver cube, but under its minimalist exterior lies a surprising stack of modern hardware. At the heart of the system is the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor—a 5nm chip built on the Zen 4 architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. It’s designed to handle serious multitasking workloads, from document crunching and web browsing to light creative tasks like photo editing and video trimming.
Graphics are handled by the integrated AMD Radeon 780M GPU, which leverages RDNA3 architecture. While it’s not a substitute for a dedicated GPU, it’s capable enough to run popular titles like League of Legends, Valorant, and even Genshin Impact at respectable frame rates, especially at 1080p or 1440p.
The included 16GB DDR5 RAM is arranged in dual-channel SO-DIMM configuration, allowing for up to 64GB of expansion. That alone puts the Aubox ahead of many other budget mini PCs, most of which top out at 16 or 32GB. Memory speeds are snappy and make switching between multiple open apps completely seamless.
Storage is also a strong suit. The Aubox comes equipped with a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD, but users can upgrade up to 2TB using its dual M.2 slots. There’s also support for NVMe and SATA protocols, making it easy to expand storage without sacrificing performance.
Connectivity is top-tier for the price bracket. On top of the dual 2.5GbE LAN ports, there’s USB4 Type-C with support for high-speed data transfer, video output, and power delivery. That same USB4 port means you can connect an external GPU enclosure if you ever need to dramatically boost graphics performance.
Display output is robust as well. You can hook up three monitors simultaneously using the HDMI 2.1 port, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB4—each capable of 4K@60Hz, and the HDMI port going even higher with 8K@60Hz support.
Even the audio setup is thoughtfully included: a 3.5mm combo jack on the rear ensures easy audio device integration.
Overall, the Aubox delivers an incredible blend of cutting-edge hardware, generous upgrade paths, and versatile connectivity, all packed into a chassis smaller than some paperback books.
Repairs & Upgrades (Teardown)
The Chuwi Aubox shines not just in performance but also in accessibility, which makes it a delight for tinkerers and upgraders. Opening up the unit is refreshingly simple—just remove a few screws at the bottom and lift off the shell. There’s no adhesive or awkward latches to worry about, which already gives it an edge over many closed-off mini PCs in the same price tier.
Once inside, the layout is impressively neat. You’ll immediately notice the dual SO-DIMM DDR5 RAM slots, both easily accessible and swappable. These support up to 64GB of memory, and both sticks are user-replaceable—ideal for users who want to futureproof their build or upgrade later.
Next to the RAM is the primary 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD, which can be swapped for up to a 2TB unit. There’s also a second M.2 slot available underneath the first one, which supports both NVMe and SATA drives, giving you flexible options depending on your storage needs or budget.
The fan and cooling system are modular too. If needed, you can replace or clean them without disassembling the entire board. Thermal pads and heat sinks are well-placed to avoid hotspots.
The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module is soldered, which may disappoint users hoping for swappable wireless cards. However, given the good wireless performance, it’s not a deal-breaker.
There’s no room for a 2.5-inch drive, but in such a compact chassis that’s to be expected. That said, the expansion capability via dual SSDs is more than sufficient for most home office or media center use cases.
Overall, the Chuwi Aubox earns high marks for serviceability and upgradability—making it an excellent choice for tech-savvy users who appreciate modularity.
Connectivity
Despite its compact form, the Chuwi Aubox is loaded with ports that easily rival larger desktop setups. Starting with wired networking, it features not just one but two 2.5GbE Ethernet ports, ideal for dual LAN setups or advanced networking configurations.
You also get two USB 2.0 Type-A ports for connecting peripherals like keyboards and mice, along with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port for high-speed file transfers and accessories.
On the video output front, the Aubox supports triple display output through an HDMI 2.1 port, DisplayPort 1.4, and a USB4 Type-C port. That means you can drive multiple 4K displays or even a single 8K monitor at 60Hz, making this ideal for multitaskers and creative professionals alike.
For audio, there’s a 3.5mm combo audio jack, offering basic but essential support for headsets and external speakers.
The USB4 port also supports external GPU enclosures, which could drastically enhance gaming or rendering workloads.
Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, which is fast and reliable for both internet access and pairing with wireless accessories.
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Cooling
Despite its small chassis, the Chuwi Aubox manages heat quite effectively thanks to a smart internal design. It features a large, centrally mounted fan beneath the unit, paired with a well-ventilated chassis and multiple heat pipes. The air intake on the side and exhaust at the rear provide good airflow circulation.
During productivity tasks and light gaming, the fan runs quietly, only ramping up under sustained loads. While playing heavier titles or exporting video, fan noise becomes noticeable but remains tolerable.
Thermal performance is surprisingly solid, keeping the Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU below 80°C under most workloads. The compact layout leaves little room for advanced thermal solutions, but for what it is, cooling is more than adequate. There’s no thermal throttling in day-to-day use, and the system remains stable.
BIOS
The BIOS on the Chuwi Aubox offers a basic yet functional setup environment, fitting for casual users and enthusiasts alike. Upon boot, you can access the UEFI BIOS interface with a quick tap of the Delete key. The UI is minimalistic—don’t expect flashy graphics—but it provides essential controls.
Key features include fan curve adjustments, XMP profile toggles, and boot priority customization. You can also enable or disable virtualization, TPM, and secure boot for users interested in dual-booting or running virtual machines.
One pleasant surprise is the inclusion of a power-on-after-power-loss setting, useful for kiosk or server applications. BIOS updates are possible via USB, but Chuwi doesn’t release them often. Still, for a budget mini PC, the BIOS is versatile enough to support casual tweaking and professional setup preferences. Buy at a cheap price on Aliexpress
Drawbacks & Verdict
While the Chuwi Aubox is an excellent plug-and-play mini PC, it’s not without its flaws. First, it lacks a dedicated GPU, which limits its gaming and 3D rendering capabilities. It can run lighter titles and creative software, but anything beyond that starts to show performance strain.
Second, 4K output to a TV causes notable frame drops, so it’s best used with 1080p or 1440p displays for optimal performance. The Wi-Fi module is non-upgradable, which could be a turnoff for networking purists. Additionally, no 2.5-inch SATA bay means storage expansion is restricted to M.2 drives.
That said, the positives easily outweigh the negatives. You get a solid AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, ample connectivity, triple-display support, and easy upgradability all in a compact and elegant design. It handles office work, media consumption, and casual gaming with ease—making it ideal for students, home users, and traveling professionals.
In short, if you want an affordable mini PC that works right out of the box, the Chuwi Aubox punches well above its weight. Buy at a cheap price on Aliexpress
