As a powerful and portable substitute for laptops and desktop computers, tiny PCs are available.
Our experience has shown that Apple’s reasonably priced, elegantly built Mac mini is the greatest compact PC available. Our top picks for Windows tiny PCs are the more capable Minisforum UM790 Pro, which is excellent at video editing, and the less expensive Beelink U59. However, there are a ton more options.
Similar to our evaluations of the top business laptops and desktops, we’ve carefully examined features and benchmarked every device—from the best tiny PC for video editing to the least expensive mini PC for individuals seeking excellent performance at an affordable price.
1.Apple Mac mini
With its stunning design and outstanding performance, the Apple Mac mini is our choice for the finest little PC. It’s a fantastic option for most people searching for a desktop computer with a small form factor.
The Mac mini—named “mini” to emphasize its small size—is equipped with the lightning-fast M2 and M2 Pro CPUs. It is ideal for running office productivity software, browsing, and even demanding creative tasks like editing photos and videos.
We didn’t run into any performance problems with the Mac mini. It performed flawlessly on all benchmark tests and tasks, trailing only slightly in performance behind the somewhat smaller but still quite portable MacBook Pro. In relation to its performance capacity, the device is also among the least expensive mini PCs.
If you’re not too concerned about the best processors, you can still occasionally find the M1 model, which is a very good alternative at a cheaper price.But this is an Apple product, and it’s a great way to get started in its exclusive community. However, unlike most little PCs, this one doesn’t have a barebones option, upgrade the OS, change the distribution, or allow for any other customization. For those who want a tiny PC that is ready to use right away, this is it.
Alongside the MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023) and MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023), the Apple Mac mini (2023) was released unexpectedly. Although the two new laptops have received a lot of attention, it would be a crime to overlook the Mac mini (2023).
Even while everyone was anticipating Apple to reveal the M2 Pro and M2 Max, as well as updates to the 14- and 16-inch MacBooks starting in 2021, the new Mac mini was a true surprise—and as more information became available, that surprise became even more enjoyable.
The M2 CPU, which powers the most recent MacBook Air (M2, 2022) and MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022), is now included in the Apple Mac mini (2023). This potent SoC includes a substantial boost in performance compared to the M1 Mac mini from 2020.
But Apple also took the world by surprise when they revealed that the Mac mini (2023) will now ship with the all-new M2 Pro CPU. This gives an incredible amount of power and is also present in the high-end MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch models. With up to 32GB of unified memory, the Mac mini (2023) has become an extremely powerful workplace computer.
The best part is probably that Apple managed to fit all of this additional power into the same small form factor that so many of us have grown to adore in the Mac mini. It would be extremely difficult to get a computer of a comparable size that matched the performance on offer here.
But the greatest surprise of all for Apple with the Mac mini (2023) may be that the base model now has a new. After utilizing the Mac mini (2023) for a variety of jobs, such as creating music and editing ultra-high quality videos, I can confidently suggest this to almost everyone. It is an excellent value for the money.
Once more, the Mac mini has won us over subtly without needing to be a hog.
Pros
Even more powerful
Small form factor
Reduced price
Cons
Can’t upgrade after purchasing
Premium price
2.Beelink U59
The Beelink U59 is the finest affordable tiny PC for simple tasks like browsing and using office software. It performs well in these areas. Built around the Intel Celeron Processor N5105 (4C/4T, 4M Cache, 2.0GHz up to 2.9GHz), it doesn’t have the best specs we’ve seen. It can be purchased with 512GB of SATA SSD added in addition to 8GB or 16GB of RAM.
The U59 has potential as a small office machine or for embedded applications, and it performs well at fundamental tasks even with that low silicon. Customers having 8GB RAM can upgrade to 16GB RAM and M.2 SATA storage. For even more storage possibilities, there is a 2.5-inch drive bay located within.
This transaction is sealed by the comparatively low asking price of both the 8GB and 16GB models and the bloatware-free Windows 11 installation. Including dual HDMI outputs and dual gigabit LAN ports neatly positions the U59 for embedded use, ideal for providing product presentations or as a self-contained firewall. For a low cost and affordable mini PC, the Beelink U59 is easily one of the best we’ve tried.
Chinese PC manufacturer Beelink was established in 2011 and gained wider recognition approximately six years ago for having one of the greatest product lines of small PCs.
Since then, it has increased the scope of its offerings to include Google TV hardware, and the workstations it makes use of run on both AMD and Intel platforms.
We’ll be examining the U59 today, a very affordable mini-PC with a lot of promise for use as an embedded system as well as a first-rung PC.Recently, we’ve seen a number of systems running the new Elkhart Lake cored Celeron N6211, but Beelink opted with the reliable Celeron N5105. Launched in early 2021, that processor is a Jasper Lake-era model with four cores and four threads.
Its base frequency is 2GHz, however for better single thread performance, it can turbo boost one core to 2.7GHz.
This platform has an incorporated Intel UHD Graphics with a base speed of 450MHz and a burst frequency of 800MHz, and it supports a maximum of 16GB of RAM. At 60 frames per second, the maximum permitted screen resolution is 4096 x 2160. This resolution allows for mirroring or an extended desktop on several displays.
Pros
Super small size
VESA mount included
Upgradable storage and RAM
Cons
M.2 slot is only SATA
USB ports are all 5Gbps
3.Geekom AS6
When we previously examined Geekom tiny desktop PCs, we discovered that they were good performers and offered good value. The Geekom AS6 continues in that vein, but with a unique twist. Intel Core CPUs served as the foundation for earlier Geekom PCs. In contrast, the AS6 is powered by a potent octa-core AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX mobile processor. In contrast to certain small PCs that are sold as empty shells that need additional memory, storage, and an operating system added, the AS6 is completely functional right out of the box and has an abundance of connectors as well as internal expansion space. It’s a good addition to the mid-range small-form-factor desktop market and a good value, although you might have to settle for Geekom’s dialed-down Ryzen 7 configuration, due to spotty online-retail availability of our test model in the U.S.
The AS6 is incredibly lightweight and portable, measuring at under 2 pounds and measuring 2.3 by 4.7 by 5.1 inches. Still, this little PC has a genuine engine at its core. The processor is a 3.3GHz-clocked, eight-core, sixteen-thread Ryzen 9 microprocessor from AMD, not Intel.
In addition to being well-equipped, our review device is the top model in the AS6 series. However, it is currently only available from select US retailers and is frequently marked down from its original price of when it is. (There is a more commonly available Ryzen 7 variant with a lower specification; more on that shortly.) Geekom has packed 32GB of DDR5 RAM (which is done in laptop-style SO-DIMMs, not regular desktop modules) and a 2TB drive inside the simple, matte-black casing.
Pros
Small footprint for an HX-series-processor mini PC
Snappy CPU and GPU performance
Loads of ports for its size
Cons
Spotty U.S. availability of tested Ryzen 9 configuration
So-so documentation for upgrades
4.GMKtec NucBox K1
GMKtec has unveiled what it considers to be one of its finest tiny PC models, given the growing popularity of NUC-sized computers.
The NucBox K1 makes fantastic use of the superior performance provided by the Ryzen 7 6800H processor and its integrated Radeon 680M GPU.
This machine, which is perhaps too powerful for simple office tasks, is unconstrained by its small size or restricted expansion.GMKtec offers the K1 as a low-cost “barebones” system that requires the buyer to provide the NVMe, DDR5 memory, and operating system. or coming preconfigured with 1TB of NVMe Gen 4 storage and up to 32GB of RAM.
The review item only included a single 16GB memory module, although two memory modules of any capacity are required to fully utilize the Ryzen 7 6800H. This is the sole drawback to the pre-installed alternatives.
When both memory modules are loaded, the K1 can outperform any Core i5 or Celeron-powered computer and take the wind out of the Intel NUC 13 Pro.
There are many external connectors, simple upgrade options, and ease of deployment. The fact that it has USB 4.0 is its sole significant drawback.One peculiarity about the design of NUCs is that, although their motherboards typically adhere to the Intel 4-inch square specification, each enclosure’s dimensions vary.
One of the smaller NUC designs, the NucBox K1’s enclosure has been shrunk to nearly perfectly fit the motherboard.
This is a model that has been used previously; the ports are limited to the front and back, with the sides serving merely as a means of letting air in before a fan extracts it from the back.
The K1 has an outer body constructed of machined alloy, with the exception of the top and bottom, which are composed of plastic, unlike other low-cost small systems.
The decision to use a plastic top was advantageous for GMKTec in a clever way, as this is the easiest access to the inside of a mini PC we’ve so far experienced.There’s no need for any additional parts or screws. By inserting a small flat-bladed screwdriver or spudger into the seam that separates the metal chassis and top, you can remove the top and expose the M.2 storage and memory SODIMM slots.
An ADATA-branded DDR5 4800 module was inserted in one of the two SODIMM slots in our review machine, and a 2280-sized Lexar NM620 was installed in the M.2 slot.
The one drawback of this memory and storage position is that air does not naturally circulate through it, thus any NVMe drive that could overheat under stress should be placed with caution. Nonetheless, there is sufficient vertical room to install one with a heatsink.
Pros
AMD Ryzen 7 6800H Mobile Processor
Compact design with easy access
Cons
No Thunderbolt ports
5.Apple Mac Studio
Our top pick for the most powerful tiny PC is a fully specced Apple Mac Studio. The Mac Studio, a more robust iteration of the Mac mini, has a height of 3.7 inches and a square footprint of 7.7 inches. It is constructed from a single aluminum extrusion.
We tested the Mac Studio, and it worked flawlessly. It handled Adobe Photoshop’s sophisticated AI-powered photo editing capabilities and 8K video processing with ease. We even witnessed the Mac Studio load a complex 3D picture that required more RAM than the majority of discrete professional PC GPUs. It accomplished all of this almost silently.
In the end, you just won’t find another PC with this performance level in a chassis this small.Its laser-like focus on creative professionals means it won’t be for everyone, but it packs plenty of ports, and if you want a powerful and compact creative mini PC, there’s a lot to love with the Apple Mac Studio.
Most people were surprised when Apple unveiled the Mac Studio at its March Event. Though there were speculations regarding a potential upgrade to the M2 chip and a new MacBook Air, nobody anticipated a completely new Mac.
But with what may be among the best little PC models available, that’s precisely what we got.
Apple appears to have rekindled its passion for computers after it seemed for years that the corporation had lost interest in its Mac products in favor of focusing all of its attention on its iPhones and iPads. These days, Apple Macs rank among the most interesting products the business produces, and the new Apple Studio Display is a welcome addition to the lineup.
The M1 chip plays a major role in this. Apple abandoned Intel in 2020 and introduced the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, which were all run on its proprietary M1 technology. Offering great performance and battery economy, it was an enormous hit. In late 2021, Apple improved the silicon with the M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs, which provided significantly more performance and were released alongside the MacBook Pro 16-inch and 14-inch models (2021).
Aimed at professional creatives, the Mac Studio is a desktop PC that offers the M1 Max or the new M1 Ultra, which is essentially two M1 Max CPUs linked together via a low-latency interface. As a result, there are twice as many unified memory units and f CPU and GPU cores, and in some cases offers almost twice the performance of the M1 Max.
Pros
Compact
Powerful
Cons
Mouse and keyboard not included
Best mini PCs: FAQs
Are there different types of mini PC?
When it comes to micro PCs, there is a wide range of options: different sizes and purposes are intended for each one.
Certain little PCs are made to fit flat beneath desks, but others have a special vertical shape that lets you set them on top of your desk, right next to your monitor, and at arm’s length. If they have VESA mounting holes, you can also hide them fully behind your monitor.
The greatest tiny PCs available today are an excellent substitute for large, cumbersome full-size desktop computers and all-in-one systems for a variety of applications, including data input for administrative staff, customer support agents, call center offices, creative professionals, and at-home learning for students.
What is the best use of a mini PC?
Mini PCs are great at commonplace chores like word processing, streaming videos, web browsing, and light gaming. With the effectively set functioning as a monitor, you can effortlessly link them to your TV to play games and watch movies using services like Netflix or through your own media server. Their specifications are similar to those of mid-range laptops, meaning they lack the CPU and GPU needed to run games and apps that require more resources. Under those conditions, it might make sense to spend money on high-end equipment, such as the best laptops for video editing, which are designed to withstand demanding workloads.