Most mini PCs we test have the same sort of look. Little black boxes or Mac mini-style silver designs. Acemagic's X3 does things a little differently: styled like a Nintendo Entertainment System, it's quick enough for work and light gaming, while bringing a big dose of nostalgia.

For a very limited time, the Acemagic Retro X3 is $509 (was $799) at Acemagic when you use the code . That's the cheapest I've ever seen this mini PC, which comes equipped with an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 H255 chip, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 512GB SSD.

• Best for: Retro gaming fans and home users who want a compact, capable Windows PC with a design that stands out.

• Why we like it: We're big Nintendo fans here at . So of course, this classic retro-themed "console" one catches the eye. On top of some good specs for the price, the mini PC also features Radeon 780M graphics, a fast USB4 port, two M.2 slots for adding storage, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.

• What you need to know: While you can expand storage, memory is soldered to the board here. And if you're more of a SNES fan, check out the higher-spec but higher-priced Acemagic X5.

Why we recommend it

Acemagic has built a following for affordable mini PCs - we included the K1 as our top mid-range pick in our guide to the best mini PCs we've tested. But the Retro X3 is its most eye-catching yet, with a gray shell and red power button that’ll take anyone who grew up with an NES straight back.

We haven’t tested it ourselves, but we previously covered the initial launch and welcomed the hardware boost inside its retro casing when it launched. In Notebookcheck’s review, it delivered solid, stable performance with low case temperatures, though the fan got clearly audible under heavy load and the 16GB of memory is soldered, so you can’t upgrade it later.

Price Context & Historical Value

At $509 with code RETRO40, the Retro X3 is cheaper now than it was the last time we checked back in September, where it was priced at $539. For comparison, it's discounted at Amazon right now for $575 (was $639).

The Retro X5 is a different story, since $1,099 is a lot to pay for a mini PC, even one with a faster Ryzen AI 9 chip and 32GB of memory. Unless you need the extra power, the X3 is the better buy.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Acemagic Retro X3 if... you want a compact Windows PC for everyday work, streaming, and light or retro gaming, you love the retro console look, or you’d like to add storage later through the spare M.2 slot.

❌ Skip the Acemagic Retro X3 if... you need more than 16GB of memory, since it’s soldered and can’t be upgraded, you want a near-silent PC under heavy load, or you’d rather not wait for a pre-order to ship.