Additionally, this ryzen mini pc features five USB 3.0 ports as well as a USB Type-C port for high-speed connectivity of devices. It also features a 2.5 Gigabit ethernet port for lag-free online games. However, you might wish to forego Windows entirely. Perhaps you just aren’t fond of Microsoft. Or perhaps the software you need isn’t present on the system. In that case, you may consider opting for a Linux Ryzen mini PC. Except for the barebones version, all versions come with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed. The barebones version does not include RAM and SSD; therefore, it does not have pre-installed Windows 11 Pro. Need more storage? Have no fear, as the HX90 also supports not one, but TWO 2.5 inch HDDs/SSDs of your choice with its built-in SATA III drive bays. What could have been better was the USB ports that are all blue in colour, though one is a USB 2.0, and both USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports are on the front and both Type-A ports. That the only USB-C port is Gen 1 was a definite oversight.

With support for up to 64GB of DDR4 memory and up to 2TB of m.2 2280 PCIe SSD storage, the HX80G offers ample space for games, applications, and multimedia. It boasts 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, ensuring seamless connections to networks and peripherals. The mini PC also features multiple HDMI and Display Port outputs for up to quad monitor display capability, along with a range of USB ports for easy peripheral connectivity. The machine comes with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed, the AM08 Pro which is a nice touch, although the boot times are slightly longer than machine running the home edition. In GeekBench 5, the multi-core score impressed at 10532, while the single-core score reached 2184. Again these results are good putting the machine in the midrange for this level of machine. Price is always a consideration. Depending on how you use it, the most expensive mini PC you can buy may not offer genuine value for money. We've curated a selection of mini PCs here, from premium machines to the cheapest mini PC with great performance. The MinisForum UM690 is a high-performance Ryzen mini PC that offers excellent processing power and graphics performance for demanding home or office workloads. It is powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, though with the integrated AMD Radeon 680M GPU instead of a dedicated GPU card. It still delivers exceptional high performance.

Verdict — All About That GPU

Not only are gaming mini computers great for gaming but they are also excellent for retro gaming. You will have no issues emulating systems from the earliest up to more recent systems such as the Xbox 360. They are even capable of more current gaming consoles and handhelds. With many systems you can upscale the graphics to higher than their native resolutions and transform classic games to the large TV. Some Mini PCs are designed to lay flat under a desk while others have a unique vertical design that allows them to be placed on top of your desk next to your monitor and within arm's reach. You can also completely conceal them behind your monitor if they come with VESA mounting holes. If a mini PC is best, consider how you'll be using your machine. In addition to general computer usage, Mini PCs have been used as media servers, games emulators, and much more. The system is enclosed in an oddly wedge-shaped enclosure that is designed to sit on the desk rather than to be mounted on the rear of a monitor. The Mini PC for content creation supports dual displays up to 4K 60Hz with its two HDMI ports or a single 8K 60Hz display with the USB 4 Type-C port. It also features USB 3.2 generation 2 ports for peripheral connectivity and the option to connect an external GPU (eGPU) for enhanced graphics performance.

However, it has USB 4.0, and the two 2280 M.2 NVMe slots are both Gen 4, allowing for plenty of performance storage to be added alongside a 2.5-inch SATA mechanism. Sadly, Geekom supplies the machine with only a Gen 3 NVMe drive, but swapping it for something faster is a relatively inexpensive and straightforward exercise. With so many brands simply turning out NUC clones, the Khadas Mind machine is a radical departure but not a cheap option. The processor platform is the same as Intel put in the NUC 13 Pro, providing this system with good performance for a machine with a mobile CPU and integrated GPU.

Energy Management

Mini PCs, sometimes known as think clients or NUCs, are ideal for light use, such as web browsing and video streaming. Some can even handle casual gaming sessions. But you won't find the raw power offered by the likes of the best mobile workstations.

We explore the internal specs of each device, and how they compare with some of the other best mini PCs on the market. As part of this process, we also assess the upgradability of the device - from the options on offer to the ease of creating your perfect mini PC. This includes benchmarking performance of the CPU, GPU, and RAM. We're not necessarily looking for the most powerful mini PC. But we want to see suitable performance relative to a range of uses and budgets. In the Fire Strike benchmark, the graphics score settled at 6523, while the physics score impressively hit 7057, and the combined score reached an impressive 25045. These results further demonstrate the AM08 Pro's well-rounded performance, particularly in graphics-intensive applications and multitasking scenarios. If you want a small gaming machine, the Intel NUC platform is an attractive prospect. The NUC 13 Extreme is the 2023 iteration of Intel's New Unit of Computing, available in both a barebones kit and "finished" forms. This particular model, the RNUC13RNGI90001 (which just rolls off the tongue) is a barebones kit, so you'll need to buy and install a few extra components yourself.The Beelink U59 is a NUC-sized PC built around the Intel Celeron Processor N5105 (4C/4T, 4M Cache, 2.0GHz up to 2.9GHz). It can come with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and up to a 512GB SATA SSD installed. If you are limited on space, or simply do not want the clutter of a massive desktop gaming PC then a gaming mini PC is the easy choice! With all the power and performance in a case not much larger than a box of teabags, you can enjoy the latest AAA Windows games. Don’t buy it if you like working in absolute silence. The constant whirring of the fans combined with random changes in fan speeds may infuriate some users. One more thing to bear in mind. Also consider The problem it faces is that it’s competing with systems that use either more recent Ryzen designs or the latest Intel 13th gen processors that use DDR5 memory. The DRR4 RAM in this design comes in copious amounts, but the bandwidth on offer is the Achilles heel of this platform, as it reduces the performance of the integrated Radeon RX Vega GPU.

What seals this deal is the relatively 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. USB port confusion aside, this is a capable mini system that covers many of the typical roles these devices are used, but inexpensively. With its size and power, we found it ideal for conferencing rooms, but it could easily be used as a replacement desktop PC, media server, or firewall, to mention just a few. Overall, the power in this small system is daunting, with an impressive selection of ports that include two USB 4.0/Thunderbolt and dual 2.5GbE LAN. These give the NPB7 remarkable flexibility for a wide range of applications and plenty of scope for external enhancements to storage and networking. A brilliantly effective design which isn’t expensive for what is inside it. Some models can even support more via additional HDMI/DisplayPort interfaces. Or even USB-C interfaces. Like the Beelink GT-R which can support up to four displays simultaneously. Network Connectivity The other will either be a second HDMI port, or a DisplayPort interface of some kind. DisplayPort being an alternative to HDMI (you’ll recognize it as the port will be horizontally asymmetrical).Ports and connectivity are another area where we look at what's on offer - and how it compares with rival devices. Not everyone will need Thunderbolt 4, but we expect to see adequate slots on a mini PC to increase functionality and flexibility. Over the years as technology has progressed, we no longer need to have desktop PC’s for gaming. Gaming laptops have been around for some time already and now that technology has been introduced to mini PC’s. A gaming mini computer takes up very little space making it ideal to play on the living room TV for example.