Top Best Mini PCs to Buy

Summary – 

Today, Personal Computers or PCs as they are commonly referred to, are getting smaller and smaller. So, if you are planning to buy a desktop computer, why not opt for the latest and the best mini PC instead of buying a giant tower? A mini PC, these days, comes as a compact package and can hold up to the computing power of any tower computer due to the progress in technology. They are also priced lower and consume much less electricity.

Top Best Mini PCs To Buy In 2022

There are two types of mini PCs, barebones ones and Ready-to-go types. In the case of the former, you have to buy the hard drive and the RAM and install it. They are cheaper. However, the Ready-to-go units come with the RAM and the hard drive along with your preferred OS. Let’s check out the latest line of mini PCs to make your choice easier.

See also: Best Ultrabooks

A Mighty but Pricey Mini PC

Apple Mac Mini

The Apple Mac Mini is a 2018 model, first introduced in 2010, with a refreshed look and new hardware offering excellent performance. The dimensions are 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches and weigh 2.9 pounds. The vents are bigger in this version. It can be upgraded, for instance, the RAM can be swapped, or the speed and capacity increased for graphics-intensive games, etc.

As for ports, there are 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, one headphone jack, and one Gigabit Ethernet port, offering plenty of connectivity options. It is powered by the quad-core Intel 8th Gen processor and the Intel Core i3-8100B chipset, clocking a speed of 3.66 GHz.  It has a memory of 8 GB and an ultrafast SSD storage of 128 GB. The graphics card is Intel UHD Graphics 630.

It comes equipped with the macOS version 10.14 Mojave, with all the latest features of a night mode, deep integration with your iPhone or iPad, Gallery view, some iOS apps, etc. There is a full Office Suite as well and plenty of apps. In the box, you will find the Mac Mini along with the Power cord.

Who should buy this?

• Those who are looking for the best value for money in a Mac.
• Those who are interested in buying a mini-computer that can be upgraded.
• Those who are looking for productivity with heavy usage of web apps or for using as a PC for streaming to a TV.

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Tiny and Flexible, but a Powerful Mini PC

Azulle Byte3 Fanless Mini Desktop PC

This is a palm-sized PC that runs a powerful Windows 10 Pro inside it and available at an affordable price. It is powered by the quad-core Apollo Lake Celeron processor, the 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron, combined with a RAM of 4 GB and 32 GB of eMMC storage. The graphics processor is Intel HD Graphics with a 4 GB size.

The dimensions are 5.9 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches and it weighs 1.12 pounds. It runs on the Windows 10 Professional OS. As for ports, it comes with three 3.0 ports and one Type C port along with one HDMI port; one display port and one serial DB9 port. There are one M2 slot, one SATA port, and one infrared receiver. It has a number of ports, more than even some laptops. It also has a small remote for turning it on. The HDMI 2.0 port enables 4K playback abilities at 60 fps.

What really sets the Azulle Byte3 apart from the rest is that it comes with plenty of USB ports, which is unheard of in a computer of this size. There is also an SD card slot, so you can upgrade the storage. It runs silently and boots up fast. This version comes with the PC only and does not come to with a keyboard, camera or remote.

Who should buy this?

• Those looking for a tiny and flexible, powerful Windows 10 PC at a budget price.
• Ideal for home as well as work applications. Also useful for those who want to use their PCs for streaming Netflix or YouTube on their TVs.

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High-Performance Barebones computer

Intel NUC (Hades Canyon)

It is one of the smallest VR enabled PC with an Intel quad-core chipset combined with a discrete AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics card, both packed in a single chip. As it is a barebones computer, you have to buy the storage, the memory, and the OS separately. It also has an impressive array of ports – 4 USB ports and 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 2 mini DisplayPorts and one HDMI 2.0 ports, combined with 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports. This is more connectivity than those seen even in regular desktops.

The Intel NUCis an impressive mini PC that you can use for work and play with ease. It is a high-end PC operating on one standalone chip. The processor is a 3.1 GHz Intel Core i7. It comes bundled with Memory M.2 SATA SSD and an optional OS. The dimensions are 8.7 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches and weigh 7 pounds with a flash memory size of 512 GB.

With all the video out connectors, it is capable of supporting up to six 4K or 5K monitors. The wireless connectivity is supported by the Intel 8265AC 802.11 ac card and also Bluetooth 4.2.

Who should buy this?

• Those looking for a high-end PC packed in a compact and well-equipped mini desktop.
• Those looking for a mini PC with excellent overall performance and which offers a combination of a small footprint with abundant connectivity and silent operation.
• Suitable for gaming purposes.

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See also: Best desktop computers

Pocket-Sized Mini PC

AzulleAccess Plus

It is a pocket-sized stick PC with an external Wi-Fi antenna. The dimensions are 5.5 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches and it weighs just 5.12 ounces, coming in an elegant design. There is an HDMI connector that you can connect with the HDMI port of your TV or a monitor. In addition, there is a power button, one micro USB port, one USB 3.0 port, and a USB 2.0 port. You also have a microSD card slot for expanding storage. A full-sized ethernet port is also present along with a 3.5 mm audio headphone jack.

The AzulleAccess Plus is powered by the Intel Atom x5-Z8350 chipset clocking 1.44 GHz and this is combined with a RAM of 4 GB. It offers support for 64-bit Windows 10 and supports multitasking. For storage, it sports an eMMC card of 32 GB having 18 GB of free space. Graphics performance is excellent with a graphics card Ram size of 2 GB.

Though it has Windows 10 pre-installed in it, there is no other software like Microsoft extras and so on. The installations filling 18 GB of the 32 GB available storage space are therefore minimal. The microSDXC card offers a storage space of 128 GB and this is useful for surfing the web or watching online content.

In short, this is one of the best pocket-friendly PC sticks with good port selection, excellent performance, graphics prowess, and connectivity options.

Who should buy this?

• Those looking for good connectivity and performance in a tiny PC stick.
• If you want a compact and attractive looking mini PC with several port options and excellent performance.
• Those who want a stick PC that they can literally stash in their pockets.
• Those who want a mini PC stick that they can use for productivity as well as for streaming movies, music and rendering of sites that are graphic heavy.

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High Functionality Mini PC for Budget Shoppers

AzulleAccess3 Mini PC

The dimensions of this mini PC are 5.6 x 2 x 0.75, which includes the HDMI connector and the Wi-Fi antenna, and it weighs just 132 g. It is powered by the Intel Celeron N4100, Gemini Lake and has been designed for ultra-low power apps. It brings in a built-in capability for 4K video processing along with a native HDMI 2.0.

The RAM is 4 GB and this is combined with an SSD of 32 GB which is more than sufficient for regular PC usage. It is supported by the Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit OS which occupies 16GB out of the total 29 GB available. It includes an integrated Intel 3165 802.11ac Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth along with an external antenna for the Wi-Fi to work efficiently.

As for ports and connectivity, it has the usual HDMI connector along with 2 USB 3.0 ports and one 3.5 mm jack for headphone and microphone. In addition, there is a slot for the microSD card offering the storage of up to 256 GB, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a Kensington lock port. You can use the AzulleAccess3 in the form of an HTPC and watch Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. in 4K quality. It can be connected with any TV or monitor that is HDMI ready.

Who should buy this?

• Those looking for a mini PC with several ports and good built-in wireless networking options.
• Those who want plenty of functionality at a low price. Those wanting a high-quality and innovatively designed mini PC at an ultra-low-cost.

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All in One Mini Desktop

Lenovo ThinkCentre M710q Tiny

The Lenovo M710q Tiny is among the best mini PCs offering solid performance in a compact package. The dimensions are 7.05 x 7.20 x 1.36 inches and it weighs 2.91 pounds. It comes included with a small stand. One cool feature of the Lenovo ThinkCentre M710q Tiny is that it is compatible with the Tiny-in-One desktop display, converting it into a modular all-in-one. Though it is small in size, it packs a good number of ports. At the front, there are two USB 3.0 ports with one 3.5 mm jack for microphone and earphone. In addition, at the rear, there are four 3.0 USB ports along with a DisplayPort for video output and one HDMI port.

It is powered by the Intel Core i5-7500T chipset and has a RAM of 8 GB with an SSD of 256 GB, and is supported by the pre-installed Windows 10 Pro OS. Additionally, it is compliant with Opal as well. There is an integrated graphics card, the Intel Graphics 530, which is more than sufficient to meet daily needs.

Who should buy this?

• Those who are looking for a tiny computer in a compact design offering solid performance, lots of ports and smart accessories.
• A very serious office PC, despite the small size. Well suited for office productivity purposes.

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Perfect Mini PC for Home Office

Mini PC, Intel x5-Z8350

This is a power-efficient mini PC with a quad-core SoC clocking a speed of 1.44 to1.92 GHz in the burst mode, belonging to the Cherry Trail platform. The processor is Intel Atom x5-Z8350. The performance is comparable with that of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801. It is combined with the HD Graphics Cherry Trail having a clock speed of 500 MHz. It can handle Windows games if they are less demanding and in low settings. It also offers support for 4K/H.265 video acceleration.

The RAM is 4 GB and the internal storage of the Intel x5-8350 is 64 GB. You can use the microSD card for expanding storage up to a maximum of 128 GB. It comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Pro OS, 64-bit. As for connectivity options, there are two USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI port, one combination port for headphone and microphone, one Ethernet port of 1000 Mbps and one microSD card slot.

The dimensions are 4.72 x 4.72 x 0.94 inches and it weighs 9.8 ounces.

Who should buy this?

• Adequate for those who want a mini PC to perform everyday tasks, light browsing, Office, but not suitable for playing modern games or for complex software.
• Ideal for visual content, home entertainment, watching movies, and as a home office PC.

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Small Yet Powerful Mini PC

ACEPC AK2 Mini PC

ACEPC has several similar models, namely AK1, AK2, GK1, GK2 and so on. Here, A stands for Apollo Lake and G stands for Gemini Lake and the numbers stand for the different modules. The ACEPC AK2 mini desktop is powered by a quad-core Intel Celeron J3455 chipset, clocking a speed of 1.5 GHz and going up to a maximum of 2.3 GHz in the burst mode. The RAM is 6 GB and the internal storage is 64 GB. In addition, users can install a 2.5 SATA SSD which can be stretched to a maximum of 2TB for increasing the internal storage and improve the performance of the computer.

As far as ports are concerned, there are two 2.0 USB ports and two USB 3.0 ports. In addition, there is one Gigabit Ethernet port, one Micro SD card port and two HDMI ports for supporting dual display. It comes pre-installed with the Windows 10 Home Edition supporting 64-bit, using the 64 GB eMMC drive.

Who should buy this?

• Those who are looking for a small yet powerful mini PC for a home office, home entertainment and for playing light games as well.
• It is suitable for use as a digital security PC, for digital signage and for use in a conference room or a media center.

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Palm-Sized Mini PC

MINIX NEO N42C-4

MINIX offers several such ultra-small systems, for a wide variety of uses. The NEO N42C-4 comes in a compact size but has several features such as good memory, storage, and an excellent OS. The MINIX Neo N42C-4 operates on the Windows 10 Professional OS.

It is actively cooled and has several expansion options, such as an M.2 slot as well as an extra SO-DIMM slot. It is powered by the Intel Pentium N4200, 64-bit processor and has a RAM of 4 GB and internal memory of built-in 32 GB MMC 5.1. As for storage expansion, it supports up to 512 GB. The inclusion of a 2280 M.2 slot along with two SODIMM slots enables easy expansion of storage as well as RAM according to your requirements.  The graphics card is Intel HD Graphics 505, making it suitable to handle both commercial and industrial apps and digital signages.

It is capable of ultra HD 4K @60 Hz and is ready to handle 3 displays. This mini PC offers clear and detailed 4K images@60 Hz. Being display ready, you can easily connect it with 3 displays using the HDMI port, the Mini DisplayPort, and the USB C outputs. As far as connectivity is concerned, there are three USB 3.0 ports with one HDMI 4K @30 Hz port, one Mini Display Port with 4K @60Hz, one USB C port with 4K @60 Hz, an optical S/PDIF, one 3.5 mm for audio, and one Gigabit Ethernet. The dimensions are 5.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches and it weighs 2.34 pounds.

Who should buy this?

• Can be used for home offices, home theater PCs, digital signage as well as for other industrial applications.
• Those who want a small and compact mini PC that comes with full features.

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Mini PC with Chrome OS

Acer Chromebox

Acer Chromebox

Acer Chromebox is a great option for those who are looking for a mini PC witch Chrome OS. It has a great design, and you can put it away with ease. With this PC, you will be able to finish all the basic computer work effectively, and you can carry it with you to your office or classroom.

This model of Acer Chromebox comes with Intel HD Graphics 620 and its dimensions are 5.85 x 2.22 x 6.24 inches. It weighs 4.5 pounds. This PC comes with several USB 3.0 ports, six of them to be precise. This option comes with a keyboard and a mouse.

Who should buy this?

• Those who want a mini PC with Chrome OS
• Those looking for a basic computer for getting regular work done effectively.

A Small, Quiet and Powerful Mini PC

AWOW NYi3 Mini PC

The AWOW NYi3 Mini PC is powered by the Intel Core i3 chipset, the Intel Broadwell chipset i3-5005u dual core clocking 2.0 GHz. As for the OS, it comes with the Windows 10 Pro pre-installed in it and can run Office as well as Entertainment and Game applications efficiently and smoothly.

The RAM is 8 GB and the internal memory is 128 GB. It additionally supports M.2 SSD slot along with a SATA HDD Port and a TF Card slot. It also offers support for dual monitors using the two HDMI ports available on this mini PC. Video playback meets HD standards. Wireless support is present in the form of Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/c, Ethernet Gigabit 1000 MB/s LAN, Bluetooth 4.0. The design is a wall-mounted one and it runs quietly.

The dimensions of this mini desktop are 4.8 x 4/3 x 1/6 inches and it weighs a mere 1 pound.

Who should buy this?

• Most suitable for those looking for a mini PC for their home office and for entertainment purposes.
• Those who want a powerful desktop in a light device that can offer more performance per cubic inch than other PCs.

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Conclusion

Earlier computers used to occupy lots of space, but with the evolution of technology, PCs now come in smaller sizes and different shapes. The performance of mini PCs is almost similar to tablets, so you cannot compare them with regular desktops or laptops. However, these mini PCs are capable of turning your TVs into smart TVs and you can also use them as a regular computer, be it at home or in office. You just need to connect these mini PCs with a monitor and other peripherals, like a mouse and a keyboard to use them as you would normally use a desktop personal computer. Moreover, you can place them in creative ways, such as in a drawer on under a desk, which is not possible with a traditional desktop. It is perfectly suitable for places where you wish to make optimum use of space and keep the PC out of sight!