Vzmore’s iX9 Max packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H into a small-form-factor desktop, a configuration that looks competitive on paper but falls short of the bar set by the company’s own AMD-powered AX9 Max. The mini PC ships with 24GB of LPDDR5 memory and targets buyers who want a compact machine at a reasonable price, yet its Meteor Lake-era silicon cannot keep pace with newer designs in graphics workloads.
- Key Point: The iX9 Max runs an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with Intel Arc 8-Core integrated graphics and 24GB of LPDDR5 memory.
- Key Point: In F1 24 at 1080p High, the iX9 Max averaged 46.2 fps, while the AMD-based Vzmore AX9 Max reached 65.5 fps.
- Key Point: The AX9 Max, built on an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 with Radeon 890M graphics, outperformed the Intel model across the tested game presets.
- Key Point: The iX9 Max’s design echoes Apple’s Mac Mini, positioning it as a compact desktop rather than a gaming machine.
Gaming benchmarks expose the generational gap
The clearest measure of the iX9 Max’s limits comes from gaming tests. At 1920×1080 with the Low preset, the Intel machine managed 65.4 fps in F1 24. The AX9 Max hit 98.3 fps in the same run, a roughly 50% advantage. Moving to the Medium preset widened the spread: 59.8 fps for the iX9 Max against 85.9 fps for its AMD counterpart. At High, the gap held at about 42%, with 46.2 fps versus 65.5 fps.
The Ultra High preset compressed both machines into single-digit territory, but the ranking did not change. The iX9 Max returned 14.2 fps, essentially level with the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG and ahead of the Geekom A7 Max and Minisforum MS-02 Ultra, yet still behind the AX9 Max’s 15.3 fps. In GTA V at 1024×768 on the lowest settings, the iX9 Max reached 160.8 fps, a result that shows the CPU can feed older, lighter titles without trouble.
Those numbers place the iX9 Max in the middle of the mini PC field rather than at its front. Newer Intel-based competitors such as the Beelink GTI15 Ultra, built on a Core Ultra 9 285H, and the GMK NucBox K17 with a Core Ultra 5 226V both edged past it in F1 24 at Low. The Minisforum M2 Pro, using a Core Ultra X7 358H and Arc B390 graphics, more than doubled the iX9 Max’s frame rate at every preset tested.
A Mac Mini lookalike with last-gen internals
Vzmore has clearly aimed at the small, square desktop silhouette popularized by Apple’s Mac Mini, and the iX9 Max adopts that footprint. The comparison matters because the mini PC segment now competes on both size and silicon generation. Intel’s Core Ultra 9 185H belongs to the Meteor Lake family, while rival machines in the same price band have moved to Arrow Lake and Panther Lake parts.
The practical consequence is that the iX9 Max’s 24GB of LPDDR5 and its Arc 8-Core iGPU are asked to carry workloads that newer integrated graphics handle more efficiently. The AX9 Max, with its Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 and Radeon 890M, demonstrates what the same chassis class can do when paired with a more recent AMD platform.
What the positioning means for buyers
For general desktop tasks, the iX9 Max remains a capable compact machine, and its memory configuration is generous for its class. The difficulty is that Vzmore’s own catalog offers a stronger alternative. Buyers weighing the two will find the AX9 Max ahead in every game benchmark available, often by a wide margin, while the iX9 Max’s main appeal rests on its price and form factor rather than raw performance.
The broader mini PC market has also become crowded with Intel alternatives that outperform the 185H. Machines from Beelink, GMK and Minisforum now ship newer Core Ultra chips, and the benchmark table shows several of them posting higher frame rates at 1080p Low. That leaves the iX9 Max in an awkward spot: it is neither the fastest Intel option nor the best performer in Vzmore’s own lineup.
What happens next will depend on how Vzmore prices the iX9 Max against the AX9 Max and against newer Intel-based rivals. If the Intel model undercuts the AMD version by a meaningful margin, it could still make sense for buyers who prioritize cost and a familiar x86 platform over frame rates. If the gap is narrow, the AX9 Max’s consistent lead in graphics tests makes the decision straightforward. The iX9 Max is a competent small desktop, but it arrives with an architecture that the market has already moved past.