Although the best mini PCs are small, they have enough power to perform tasks such as web browsing, content creation, and gaming. These small computers are not only more convenient than large PC towers, but they are also extremely quiet.
Mini PCs range in size from small desktop computers to stick PCs that fit in your pocket. Mini PCs use small, energy-efficient components from laptops to provide a surprising amount of power in sizes small enough to be hidden behind a monitor. There are mini stick PCs and mini desktops for almost everyone, with mini PCs designed for everything from media streaming to gaming and virtual reality.
The best mini PCs for everything from home entertainment to gaming and professional workstations are listed below. Extensive testing and hands-on evaluation are part of each review. This allows us to tell you which systems are the best. We put each mini PC on this list through its paces and have the best models available today.
The Apple Mac mini, the late 2020 version of Apple’s compact desktop computer, is the best mini PC overall. As one of the first Macs to use Apple’s M1 processor, it provides a lot of power at a lower price than ever before. Consider the Mac Studio if you want more power but prefer to stay on macOS. It is not cheap, starting at $1,999, but it is one of the fastest Macs on the market, especially if you pay the $4,000 starting price for a model with Apple’s cutting-edge M1 Ultra chip.
The Azulle Access3 is the best stick PC we have reviewed, with a pocketable design that works with any HDMI-equipped monitor or TV. The gaming-oriented Intel Hades Canyon NUC demonstrates that a well-designed mini PC can handle even AAA games and VR, while the Intel NUC 9 Pro delivers powerful workstation-grade capabilities in a deceptively small design.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Size (Inches): 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4
- Weight: 2.6 pounds
- CPU: Apple M1
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Geekbench 5 Score: 6,005
The latest Apple Mac mini may appear unchanged from its predecessors, but there is a revolution hiding inside – the Apple M1 processor, Apple’s first significant step away from using Intel processors in Macs. The new chip packs a surprising amount of punch, outperforming more expensive Intel Core i3 and Core i5 systems. When combined with Apple’s Mac OS Big Sur and Rosetta 2, it can run pretty much anything that is not Windows.
It is not an ideal desktop. A smaller port selection and support for only two displays are significant drawbacks, but the overall value of the Mac mini exceeds our expectations for a newer, more expensive model.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Size (Inches): 7.7 x 7.7 x 3.7 inches
- Weight: 5.9/7.9 pounds (M1 Max/M1 Ultra)
- CPU: Apple M1 Max – M1 Ultra
- Storage: 256GB – 2TB
- Geekbench 5 Score: 23,931
SPECIFICATIONS
- Size (Inches): 5.5 x 2.36 x 0.76
- Weight: 5.12 ounces
- CPU: Intel Celeron N4100
- Storage: 32GB
- Geekbench 4 Score: 4,54
SPECIFICATIONS
- Size (inches): 4.6 x 4.4 x 1.8
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
- CPU: Intel i5-8259U
- Storage: 256GB, 512GB
While this low-cost mini PC uses an older 8th generation Intel Coffee Lake CPU, it has more than enough power for everyday tasks. The Mini IT8 can handle everything from web browsing to word processing. The Geekom Mini IT8 is also VESA-mountable, so you can slap it on the back of your monitor for a clutter-free workspace.
While having Windows 11 Pro pre-installed is fantastic, our minds immediately start to fantasize about what you could do with it if you turned this mini PC into, say, a streaming media hub or virtualization host for your home network. The Mini IT8 is a great mini PC for installing Linux or whatever you want.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Size (Inches): 8.7 x 5.6 x 1.5
- Weight: 4.75 pounds
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8009G/AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH
- Storage: Bring Your Own
