Acer's Revo Box AI mini PC already looks more cutting-edge than the new Mac mini as it brings Copilot+ to your desktop

It's been less than eight months since Microsoft and Qualcomm teamed up to unveil the first Copilot+ PCs, and Acer has further expanded the lineup with a host of new PCs announced at CES 2025.

However, instead of running on Qualcomm's ARM-based Snapdragon X chips, all of Acer's newly announced Copilot+ hardware has either Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) or AMD Ryzen AI 300 processors inside. Acer has eight new Copilot+ PCs in all, but the one that piqued my interest the most is the new Revo Box AI mini PC.

Acer's Revo Box AI brings Copilot+ tools to a mini PC

The standout announcement from Acer is the Revo Box AI, a mini PC powered by Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 chips with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for local AI acceleration.

Mini PCs had a big year in 2024, but there wasn't any crossover in terms of Copilot+ tools. Qualcomm canceled its Snapdragon X Elite devkit days after it launched, and a leak involving a Geekom mini PC with X Elite chip came about in December.

Here now is the Revo Box AI, a tiny PC with a 0.75-liter chassis weighing in at 1.1 pounds (0.5kg). It's available in a black or white finish, and Acer has jazzed up the top of the PC with intersecting lines, an embedded fingerprint reader for Windows Hello, and an AI activity indicator that first made an appearance in 2024 on some of Acer's first AI laptops.

It's one of the most attractive pieces of hardware that Acer has produced in recent memory, but it's more than just looks. Acer lists Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) mobile AI processors as the centerpiece for the mini PC, though it remains unclear exactly which chips it's selected. In any case, you can expect 48 TOPS of NPU power for the AI tools available through Copilot+.

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Intel's Series 2 GPUs received a considerable performance boost compared to the Series 1 chips, and you should have no issues with lighter games should you want to have some fun. Acer is offering up to 32GB of soldered LPDDR5x RAM in support, as well as up to a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD from the factory. The mini PC has three accessible M.2 slots inside for easier upgrades: two 2230 slots and one full-size 2280 slot.

Acer states the Revo Box AI will be available with up to Wi-Fi 6E for wireless networking, and it also has dual 2.5G Ethernet ports for strong wired communication.

It's hard not to draw comparisons to Apple's latest M4 Mac mini, which has its own AI working behind the scenes with Apple Intelligence. There are a few spots where I can see Acer coming out ahead. Storage upgrades should be a much easier process in the Windows system; there are two 2.5G Ethernet ports as standard (the Mac mini has one 1G Ethernet port that can be upgraded to 10G), and there's a more varied selection of ports.

The Revo Box AI comes with a USB4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two USB-A 3.2 ports on the front, with another two USB-A on the back. DisplayPort 2.1 and HDMI 2.1 are present for native video output, and there are the two aforementioned Ethernet hookups.

The Revo Box AI mini PC is expected to launch in Q2 2025, starting at $799.99.

Acer's Copilot+ initiative extends to its all-in-one PCs

The Revo Box AI is far from the only new Copilot+ hardware announced by Acer at CES 2025, and it's not just laptops. Acer's new Aspire S AI and Aspire C AI all-in-one (AIO) PCs are each available in 24- and 27-inch configurations, with a fresh design that's among the most modern that I've ever seen from Acer.

Ultra-slim bezels, pop-up webcams, and space-saving stands are immediately noticeable in the C series, while the S series takes a more utilitarian approach with a chunkier stand and webcam in the thicker top bezel. Acer is using Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 chips for the Aspire S AI, and it's using AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips for the Aspire C AI.

As for Copilot+ laptops, there are new Aspire 14 AI and Swift Go 14/16 devices on the way. The former laptop is expected to come with up to Intel's Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) CPU with an NPU capable of 48 TOPS, as well as up to 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Prices are expected to start at $799.99 when the Aspire 14 AI launches in February, and you'll have the option to upgrade to an OLED panel for deeper color and contrast.

The Swift Go lineup will receive up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 CPU with an NPU at 50 TOPS, as well as your choice of 14- or 16-inch display. With up to a 3K resolution and an OLED panel, the $899.99 starting price doesn't seem unreasonable. The 14-inch model is expected to launch in May, with the 16-inch model following up in April.