I had been a fan of the Bosgame M2 gaming PC model as some of my favorite mini computers. It gave excellent gaming performance while also allowing me to easily upgrade the memory and SSD storages without having to be a surgeon to take the hardware apart (I'm looking at you, Beelink with your gaming PC!)WHY THE BOSGAME M3?Mini PCs have come a VERY long way since my very first one, the Beelink U57. The U57 was our first budget computer small enough to use for video conferencing and distance learning on our Samsung TV. It had afforded excellent performance with a 2015 chip, storage options, low power consumption, and great value in a compact size. It also ran Windows Server 2016 well so I could remotely do some work while the kids were simultaneously chatting away with the grandparents.As speedy as the U57 was for casual use, however, its maximum of 8GB of memory succumbed to my need to run some heavy security tests for work. The Beelink GT-R series with more expansion options solved the issue. However, over the past two or so years, I have noticed a shift in Mini PCs: they have increasingly become more gaming capable. I do not mean casual games, but blockbuster titles like Call of Duty, X-Plane, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and so on. Those games had failed miserably with the built-in graphics processing units (GPU) found in older Mini PCs.Imagine my excitement to see Bosgame, whose eGPU (external GPU) I had already loved, offer a Mini PC option with gaming capabilities via the M2 model! But, take this with a small disclaimer: absent of hooking up an external, dedicated graphics card, I did not expect the Bosgame M2 to perform as well.My friend asked me for a mini PC recommendation to simplify his work environment. I told him to look at the M3 model (specifically, with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chip) as it also is geared towards improving AI performance.Let's dive into it.IN A NUTSHELLBosgame is a relatively new brand I had only been introduced to recently after watching and reading rave recommendations for its eGPU (external graphics card). I fell in love with their eGPU and was curious to see how their mini PCs would fare -- particularly, one with a gaming graphics card built in. That's when I bought and loved their M2 model with the AMD Ryzen 9 chip.For my friend, he wanted something a little less expensive (not necessarily for gaming, but with AI acceleration and some gaming). I recommended him to look at the Bosgame M3 with the Core Ultra 7 155H CPU (computer brain) and associated Intel Arc GPU. It was cheaper than the M2 and had slightly lower performance overall, but still suitable for his needs.Externally, the M3 looked like many of the generic mini PCs: a minimalistic blue, buttons at the front and back, and cooling vents on the sides, top, and bottom.Internally, the M3 was very easy to take apart: removed 4 screws along the bottom of the chassis, took out a metal shield that had a replaceable fan affixed, and right underneath were two slots each -- a pair for SODIMM memory and another for M.2 SSD drives. Underneath one of them was an Intel WiFi module.More importantly, how did the CPU and GPU -- the computing and graphics brains -- perform? I had pit the pricier Bosgame M2's AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS against this Bosgame M3's Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, and found the AMD having a very narrow advantage overall. Both are chips made for notebooks and why they fit so well into Mini PCs.For multitasking and work, the Intel had twice as many cores and 6 more threads than the AMD -- what that translates to in the real world is that compute-intensive tasks could potentially finish faster. It is like having more assembly lines available on a factory floor to get products processed sooner in parallel. However, in benchmark tests, the AMD was about 12% faster than the Intel at single core performance and 6% faster at multicore. In other words, performance is negligible for the average consumer for work-related tasks, such as spreadsheets, web browsing, and photo or video editing.Both chips included AI components for increased AI task acceleration.For 3D performance, the AMD beat the Intel's chip by 31%, but surprisingly, Intel's chip outperformed the AMD in integrated gaming acceleration by 7%. VERY surprising considering that the M2 model (AMD) costs a bit more than the M3 (Intel).Overall, both the Bosgame M2 and M3 performed well with gaming and everyday tasks. Both Mini PCs have built-in speakers, making it more portable to carry around. Do not expect high-fidelity sound to come from those speakers, though, but they were sufficiently loud enough for a quick game of Call of Duty or one of my favorite classic: Command & Conquer Red Alert.Both ran X-Plane 12 acceptably with 30 FPS with medium setting. By contrast, the Bosgame eGPU ran at much higher resolution with all settings maxed out and at about 70 FPS. Not too bad for a mini computer and its built-in graphics card -- for both the AMD and Intel models!I also had installed Ubuntu Linux flawlessly with minimal configuration.CPU: INTEL VS AMDThe CPU, the "brain" of a computer, is an important piece to gauge performance. It is responsible for processing all the general calculations and instructions to carry out everything an electronic device can do. The faster it can "think", the faster things will get done.Intel has maintained a significant lead in the computer industry with only AMD having been its noteworthy rival for decades. The announcement of the "Ryzen" brand in 2017 marked AMD's return to high-performance computing with integrated graphics processing ("Radeon Vega" GPU), helping the company to steadily regain market share from stagnant Intel. AMD's Ryzen processors offer greater, multi-threaded performance than Intel at the same price-point and has gained popularity with budget-conscious gamers.Intel Core Ultra 7The Bosgame M2's Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is positioned against AMD's high-range, mainstream Ryzen 7 processor. "Ryzen" numbering scheme mirrors Intel's "Core": the 3, 5, 7, 9, and "Threadripper" models go from lowest to highest performance.TIPSSTORAGE AND EXPANSIONINSTALLATION/UPGRADE: SATA/M.2 SSD/MEMORYReplacing the 2.5" SATA drive, adding an additional M.2 SSD, or replacing/adding extra RAM are hassle-free. Pop off the 4 screws found at the bottom of the case to reveal the storage/memory slots. Be sure to educate yourself about which parts to buy, as I will explain below.This mini PC uses DDR5-5600 SODIMM 1.1V CL46 chips.The SSD slot closest to the memory slots is the primary drive.DRIVE DIFFERENCES: SATA, SSD, mSATA, M.2, NVMeHard disk drives (HDD) are mechanical devices whose performance was primarily based on the RPM (revolutions per minute) rating. They were generally 5400 or 7200 RPM (and beyond) — the higher the number, the faster it would usually perform. As with anything mechanical, they break down over time as the components age.Flash-memory based Solid State Drives (SSD) were introduced in the 1990s and were VERY expensive. SSD promised resistance to physical shock, faster performance, lower heat output, and more silent operation. Even to this day, SSDs still cost more than similarly-sized HDDs.SSD and HDD connect to your computer via multiple interfaces. Relative to this Mini PC, we are only concerned with the SATA and PCIe ones. SATA can connect two drive types:- 2.5" SATA SSD (nowadays used in most laptops and desktop PCs and is physically larger)- mSATA and M.2 SSD (typically used in Mini PCs and laptops), each with their own connection typesMini-SATA (mSATA) is older and slower than M.2, and the latter can also connect to the newer, significantly faster PCIe interface (those drives are known as NVMe M.2 SSD).- This Mini PC includes two M.2 SSD 2280 slots (NVMe)M.2 SSD 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280? WHAT DO THEY MEAN?- The first two digits correspond to the width of the drive- The last two are the lengthA M.2 SSD 2280 is 22mm wide and 80mm long. This is important to know, especially with Mini PCs where space is scarce. If you purchase a 2280 drive and the computer only has room for 2230, you would not be able to use the former.FINAL THOUGHTSBoth the Bosgame M3 (Intel) and the Bosgame M2 (AMD) are premium-looking Mini PCs with some forward-thinking technologies, thoughtful design, and generous expansion options that can challenge mainstream laptops and desktop computers. Performance was among the best for Mini PCs in their class and price range with the ability to run as demanding tasks as video and photo editing with decent gaming to boot. The Bosgame can be VESA mounted behind a monitor/TV or simply be thrown inside a well-ventilated drawer. Likewise, both of their compact size makes them suitable as a travel companion that can be neatly tucked away in a RV or camper van.This Bosgame M3 came with built-in speakers that were suitably loud enough for a quick game while traveling, and it cost a little less than the Bosgame M2, making it a slightly better recommendation for my friend.