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| Minisforum has revealed that the Intel Panther Lake-equipped M2 Pro mini PC is arriving soon. |
The mini PC market is heating up, and leading the charge into the next generation of computing is Minisforum. Following the industry-wide shift toward Intel’s highly anticipated Panther Lake processors, the hardware specialist is putting the finishing touches on its latest flagship. Fresh off its debut at CES 2026, the Minisforum M2 Pro is finally preparing to hit the global stage, and the latest teasers suggest gamers and professionals won’t have to wait much longer.
The "Coming Soon" Signal
Minisforum initially pulled the wraps off the M2 Pro AI mini PC at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year. However, like many CES unveilings, the company remained tight-lipped regarding pricing and a concrete release date. That silence has now been broken.
According to a recent teaser circulated by the manufacturer, the M2 Pro mini PC is officially labeled as "coming soon." While an exact calendar date remains under wraps, industry speculation—fueled by the timing of the teaser—suggests that an official launch could occur as early as this month. Historically, Minisforum tends to debut its hardware in the Chinese domestic market first, followed by a rapid international rollout. Buyers in North America and Europe can likely expect the M2 Pro to appear on global store shelves shortly after its initial Chinese launch.
Under the Hood: Panther Lake Power
The headline feature of the M2 Pro is its integration of Intel's next-generation Panther Lake silicon. This positions the device as a direct competitor to other high-end NUCs and compact workstations rolling out this year.
At the top of the spec sheet sits the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H. This is a 16-core beast designed to handle productivity tasks, content creation, and heavy multitasking with ease. For users who need slightly less grunt, Minisforum is expected to offer a tiered range of Core Ultra chips. Paired with this processor, the M2 Pro supports up to 96 GB of LPDDR5X-9600 memory, ensuring that data-heavy applications and virtual machines run buttery smooth.
Graphics and Connectivity: No GPU, No Problem
One of the most striking features of the M2 Pro is its omission of a discrete graphics card—a common trait in the mini PC space to maintain a small footprint. However, Minisforum is betting big on the integrated graphics solution.
The M2 Pro will leverage the new Intel Arc B390 iGPU. Early benchmarks and company claims suggest this integrated graphics unit is a powerhouse. In fact, Minisforum states that the B390 is over twice as fast as the Radeon 890M found in AMD Strix Point systems. This means that while you won't be maxing out Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K, the M2 Pro should handle "moderately-intensive workloads" and lightweight AAA gaming without breaking a sweat. For video editors and 3D modelers, this iGPU offers a significant boost in rendering and encoding tasks compared to the previous generation.
Connectivity is where the M2 Pro truly shines for pro users. The I/O on this machine is stacked:
- Dual Ethernet: A rare and welcome sight, the M2 Pro includes both a 10G port and a 2.5G port. This allows for direct high-speed connections to NAS devices or switches for server management, while keeping the 2.5G port for standard internet traffic.
- Triple USB4: With three USB4 ports, users can create a versatile multi-monitor setup or connect high-speed external SSDs for additional storage.
- Additional USB-A ports and display outputs round out the package, making it one of the most versatile small-form-factor PCs on the market.
Pricing and Market Positioning
The big question for any piece of cutting-edge hardware is the cost. If we look at the current market landscape, high-end mini PCs are commanding a premium. For context, the Asus NUC 16 Pro, which is powered by the slightly lower-tier Core Ultra X7 chip, has been confirmed to carry a price tag exceeding $1,600 in China.
Given that the Minisforum M2 Pro can be configured with the top-tier X9 chip, it is reasonable to expect high-end configurations to land in a similar—if not slightly higher—price bracket. Furthermore, the ongoing volatility in the semiconductor market means that memory prices are "skyrocketing," which will inevitably impact the cost of fully-configured units with 96 GB of RAM.
To mitigate this, Minisforum will likely offer barebones variants of the M2 Pro. These versions, which require users to supply their own RAM, SSD, and operating system, should be significantly more affordable and appeal to DIY enthusiasts who want to source their own components.
Conclusion
The Minisforum M2 Pro is shaping up to be a landmark device for the brand. By combining Intel’s potent Panther Lake architecture with workstation-grade networking (10G Ethernet) and a surprisingly capable Arc B390 iGPU, it blurs the line between a home theater PC and a professional productivity hub.
For those currently in the market for a high-performance mini PC but needing something immediately, the current generation still offers plenty of power. You can check out the Minisforum AI X1 Pro, featuring AMD's capable Strix Point hardware, which is available now on Amazon.
Click here to view the Minisforum AI X1 Pro on Amazon.
However, for those willing to wait a few more weeks, the M2 Pro promises to be a worthy upgrade—provided your wallet can handle the premium for that next-gen Intel silicon and 10G connectivity. Keep an eye on Minisforum’s official channels for that "coming soon" launch date to turn into a reality.
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| The M2 Pro mini PC will be powered by up to a 16-core Intel Core Ultra X9 processor. |