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• Electronics

The Best Mini Desktop PCs

By Dave Gershgorn

Dave Gershgorn is a writer covering monitors, laptops, and tablets. He is a certified display calibrator through the Imaging Science Foundation.

If you’re looking for a simple, small desktop computer that doesn’t take up much space in your home or office, consider a mini PC. These computers are best for everyday tasks like working on documents and spreadsheets, browsing the web, taking video calls, or watching TV. However, our top picks are also powerful enough to do some light media editing, and our upgrade pick is fast enough even for professional photo and video editors.

Everything we recommend

HP Pro Mini 400 G9

The best windows mini pc.

This simple Windows PC is small, quiet, and powerful enough for daily work.

Buying Options

Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023)

The best mac mini pc.

The Mac mini offers excellent performance, and the system’s fan is whisper-quiet even when you’re editing photos or videos or compiling code.

Upgrade pick

Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023)

A tiny powerhouse.

The Mac mini with an M2 Pro and 32 GB of RAM can speed up most media-editing workflows, and it can connect up to three monitors.

For those who prefer Windows, the HP Pro Mini 400 G9 is the best choice, and macOS users should buy the Mac mini with Apple’s M2 processor . Both are capable little computers that you can stick under or behind a monitor, saving space on your desk. A more powerful upgrade is the Apple Mac mini with the M2 Pro processor , which competes with high-end desktops in photo and video editing capabilities.

The HP Pro Mini 400 G9 is a basic PC that’s perfect for home or office use. It runs on Intel’s latest generation of processors, which are energy-efficient and more than powerful enough for daily tasks. It has all the ports you need to hook up multiple monitors, and it offers the latest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity. We love that the Pro Mini 400 is especially repairable; you can swap out and upgrade the storage drive, the RAM, and even the processor. And HP’s competitive pricing on this model means you can get more RAM and storage for $300 less than you’d pay for a similarly upgraded Apple Mac mini.

If you prefer macOS, get the Apple Mac mini with Apple’s M2 processor . This speedy little Mac desktop can integrate seamlessly with an iPhone or an iPad, as well as Apple services like FaceTime and iMessage. For everyday browsing and general use, an M2 Mac mini with 8 GB of memory is good enough, though if you plan to use yours for professional photo and video editing or app development, you should step up to 16 GB of memory. Keep in mind that you can’t upgrade the Mac mini’s memory or storage after you buy it, so you need to make that decision up front. Apple’s internal-storage upgrades are pricey enough that you should look at an external hard drive or a portable SSD if you need more space.

By upgrading the processor in Apple’s Mac mini to the M2 Pro, you get the same blistering processing speeds found in the new MacBook Pro for nearly half the cost. Compared with our previous upgrade pick, the Mac Studio with an M1 Max chip, the Apple Mac mini with an M2 Pro processor loses some convenient features, such as front USB-C ports and an SDXC card reader, but you pay substantially less—$700 less, to be exact—for a faster machine. It’s also whisper-quiet, even under a heavy processing load, so you can keep it on your desk and forget it’s even there.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: hp pro mini 400 g9, our pick: apple mac mini (m2, 2023), upgrade pick: apple mac mini with m2 pro, what about gaming mini pcs, what about other mini pcs not listed here, what to look forward to, the competition.

Dave Gershgorn has reviewed and covered technology since 2015 at publications such as Popular Science, Quartz, Medium, and now Wirecutter. As a senior staff writer, he covers all computer displays for Wirecutter and is a certified display calibrator through the Imaging Science Foundation. He has also built, repaired, and largely avoided frying his own computers since 2006.

Mini PCs are small computers that cram all the components of a desktop tower into a box the size of a paperback. There’s no attached display, mouse, or keyboard, so you have to buy your own. (Check out our guides to the best monitors for our recommendations on which one is best for you.) Despite these desktops’ small size, they’re more than powerful enough for browsing the web, handling basic photo and video editing, and working in documents or large spreadsheets.

Unlike ultrabooks or most all-in-one PCs, Windows mini PCs are easy to upgrade if you want to add more memory or storage, and they have all the ports you need to connect two or three monitors and your favorite keyboard, mouse, and webcam. The size of a mini PC prevents much expansion, but you can upgrade the storage and the memory on most Windows models, and some allow you to swap out the CPU, too. Instead of having a dedicated graphics card, you’re usually stuck with integrated graphics, so don’t expect a mini PC to have enough power to play many modern games; you can add an external graphics dock if your mini PC supports Thunderbolt 3 or higher, but such docks tend to be large and expensive .

Two of Apple’s flagship desktops fit into this mini PC category, and they’re a bit different from Windows mini PCs. They’re not upgradable and repairable—instead they contain desktop versions of the same powerful guts found in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Their chips are power-efficient, and they’re nearly silent, since they don’t require much cooling from fans to keep running smoothly; the Mac mini has one, but it’s almost unnoticeably quiet.

You can find mini PCs for less than $250, but Windows PCs in that price range have unusably slow processors and less memory and storage than most people need. We did not look at cheap, single-board computers, such as those from Raspberry Pi , nor would we include them in our definition of the term “mini PC.” Those ARM-based computers are slow, geared toward hobbyists, and designed to use custom Linux software.

Here’s what we look for in a good mini PC:

• Processor: A mini PC needs a processor powerful enough to handle basic web browsing, light photo editing, and any office programs you use. With the exception of our budget contenders and the Mac mini, all the mini PCs in our test group have a midrange 12th-generation Intel processor.
• Memory: We recommend at least 8 GB of RAM for browsing the web and handling basic productivity tasks. If you spend lots of time in heavy-duty apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, or Premiere, or if you regularly edit several large spreadsheets or databases at a time, you may benefit from 16 GB; aside from the Mac mini, any of our picks allow you to upgrade the RAM if you decide that you need more.
• Storage: A spinning hard drive can bog down an otherwise speedy computer, so a solid-state drive is a requirement here. A 256 GB SSD should be available as a standard feature, and upgrading the storage or adding a second drive later should be easy. Budget picks usually come with less storage, but Chrome OS relies more on cloud storage than Windows and macOS do, so local storage isn’t as big a deal for a Chromebox.
• Wireless features: Every mini PC should come with support for Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) wireless networking, as well as Bluetooth, so you don’t have to waste USB ports by adding dongles for Wi-Fi or your wireless keyboards and mice.
• Price: Mini PCs are smaller than desktop PCs, but their size doesn’t make them cheaper—on the contrary, cramming everything into a small box is an engineering feat that you pay a small premium for. Expect to pay between $600 and $800 for a mini PC capable enough to last you the next few years.
• Ports: A good mini PC comes with at least four USB ports. A great mini PC tosses in a USB Type-C and/or Thunderbolt port and an SD card reader. The ports should be split between the PC’s front and back so that you can access at least a couple of them without messing around at the back of the computer. A mini PC should have at least two ports for connecting to monitors—any combination of HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C is workable for most people.
• Preinstalled operating system: We focus on computers that have either Windows or macOS. Each of our picks comes with the operating system preinstalled.
• Size: A mini PC should be small enough to hide behind or under a monitor, taking up no additional space on a desk. Because mini PCs fit almost anywhere, many clever mounting options are available, and if a smaller mini PC model has a VESA mount (more on that below), you can tuck the PC behind a monitor or underneath a desk.
• Ease of upgrades: You should be able to upgrade the memory and storage on any mini PC without much technical know-how. (However, our Mac picks are not upgradable in this way.)
• Fan noise: Like laptops, mini PCs cram a lot of power into a small case. Although you don’t need to worry about burning your legs with a mini PC, you do need to make sure the case regulates temperature so that the computer doesn’t overheat. Due to the system’s size, you might hear the fan (if it has one) kick on more often than with other computers, so it’s important that the fan’s sound isn’t too annoying.
• Warranty: Most mini PCs come with at least a one-year warranty, but the best have a two- or three-year warranty. The policy should cover any defects as well as tech support over the phone, chat, or email.

We also consider the following features, but their presence has no effect on our recommendations:

• Lack of bloatware: Nobody wants useless, poorly designed, complicated software—bloatware—preinstalled on their PC, and it’s annoying for people who can’t figure out how to remove it. A mini PC free of manufacturer cruft is more desirable.
• Bundled keyboard and mouse: Some of the mini PCs we’ve looked at come packaged with keyboards and mice, while others don’t. This doesn’t affect our judgment one way or the other. The accessories that PC manufacturers bundle with their desktops are rarely very good—if you care about your keyboard and mouse, you’re likely to spend extra on a nice Bluetooth keyboard or mechanical keyboard and a good wireless mouse anyway.
• VESA mounting support: Mounting a mini PC to the back of a monitor is a good way to save a little space on your desk and get some of the benefits of an all-in-one without having to pay for one (or dealing with its lack of upgradability). VESA support on a mini PC is nice to have but not something everyone needs.
• Power consumption: Mini PCs use low-power desktop and laptop processors, so yours shouldn’t draw much power even when it’s working hard.

After we settled on the hardware criteria, we searched the websites of major PC manufacturers such as Acer , Apple , Asus , Dell , HP , Intel , and Lenovo —and poked around in the inventory of smaller manufacturers such as Gigabyte , MSI , Shuttle , and Zotac —to find models to test.

We started our tests by booting up each mini PC and then running all available updates to the operating system and hardware. We then ran the benchmarking program Geekbench 5 and ran the 10-minute single-core and multi-core benchmarks in Cinebench R23—this process gave us a good idea of how the computers would perform in general use and when running at full speed for an extended period of time.

We then connected each mini PC to a series of 24-inch, 27-inch, and 4K monitors to test its display outputs and used it for a few days of ordinary work. This process usually consisted of running a web browser with at least 15 tabs open at a time (Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail, Slack, and plenty more), streaming music through the Spotify desktop application, video chatting, and recording audio. The testing allowed us to get a feel for how each mini PC performed on a daily basis, and it also gave us time to discover any quirks related to bloatware or driver issues.

The HP Pro Mini 400 G9 is a simple and repairable computer that’s fast enough for everyday work and general use. It’s small enough to mount behind a monitor, which you can easily do with the computer case’s included VESA mounting holes, and its fans aren’t too noisy.

Inside the Pro Mini 400 is a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-12500T processor, which in our tests felt fast to use and didn’t get bogged down running a bunch of apps at once. The model we tested also had 16 GB of RAM, which was more than enough for us to have a wealth of tabs open, to stream video, and to run applications with abandon.

In this guide we’ve linked to a configuration of the Pro Mini 400 that in our opinion provides the best value and options, but you can configure the PC on HP’s site to put in more RAM, a better processor, or even a better Wi-Fi antenna, if you want. (We didn’t have any problems with the standard antenna.) One upgrade that might be worthwhile is using the Flexible Port option to add one more USB-C port to the rear of the PC, as HP says this port can serve to power the whole mini PC if you have a monitor capable of outputting 100 W of power over USB-C. This means you would need to have just one power cable running to your display and then have one USB-C cable connecting your display to your Pro Mini 400, supplying video and power. If you then mount the PC to the back of that monitor, your setup would be especially clean and space-efficient.

Keep in mind that if you are configuring your own PC, you should make sure to include a wireless card for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, because that option isn’t selected by default.

If you’re agnostic as to which operating system your computer uses, one advantage of the Pro Mini 400 over the Mac mini is its front-facing ports. The computer has two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and a headphone jack on the front, making it easy for you to plug in flash drives and other peripherals you might not want plugged in all the time. The back of the computer has more ports, including three USB-A ports, two DisplayPort 1.4 connections, one HDMI 2.1 port, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Also available is a single HP FlexPort, which you can change into an extra DisplayPort, HDMI, or USB-C port if you customize your PC.

The Pro Mini 400 is extremely easy to open and upgrade yourself. You’ll find just one screw on the back of the computer, which you can open with a flathead screwdriver. You can then push the entire top of the computer case forward and lift it off, revealing the internals of the PC. Unlike on any Apple computer, in this mini PC, removing three screws that secure the heat sink allows you to upgrade the processor, an excellent feature that helps to ensure the repairability and long-term lifespan of your computer. The SSD inside is also readily accessible if you want to upgrade that yourself, and it requires the removal of only one more screw. The RAM is equally accessible, hidden under the PC’s fan; you lift the fan up from over the RAM using a clever hinge built into the computer’s heatsink, which cools both the processor and the RAM. This kind of design also lets you clean dust from the heatsink and fans, making maintenance a breeze.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Our only issue with the HP Pro Mini 400 G9 is a strength in disguise, much like an answer that an over-coached applicant might give in a job interview. The Pro Mini 400 is almost too configurable, in a way that makes it confusing to buy. For instance, if you want to change HP’s Flexible Port to the USB-C option that allows you to power the whole device from a compatible monitor, you have to go through HP’s customization menu. This menu is not intuitive, and you can’t configure the machine to be the same price as one of HP’s preconfigured options. This is more of an issue with HP’s website and price structure than anything else, but it’s still an annoying aspect of the purchasing process.

If you prefer macOS to Windows, the Apple Mac mini with Apple’s M2 processor is the mini PC you should get. Apple’s M2 processor is about as fast as the speediest Intel processors available for our Windows pick, and thanks to its power efficiency, the Mac mini remains whisper-quiet even when the computer is working hard.

The 2023 Mac mini’s M2 processor makes it about as fast as an M2 MacBook Air, so it’s great for everyday tasks such as web browsing, document and spreadsheet work, and casual photo editing yet still usable in a pinch for professional tasks like app development and video editing. If you mainly plan to use it as a day-to-day computer, the basic $600 version with 8 GB of memory works just fine. If you want to run professional apps, getting 16 GB of memory is worth paying an extra $200, since you can’t upgrade the Mac mini yourself after buying it. Apple’s storage upgrades are similarly expensive, so we recommend buying an external hard drive or a portable SSD rather than paying Apple’s prices.

Despite its relatively larger size, the Mac mini actually comes with fewer ports than most of the Windows mini PCs we tested (and fewer than the old Intel-based Mac mini had). You get one Gigabit Ethernet port, a pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4, an HDMI 2.0 port, two Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and a headphone jack. You can use the Thunderbolt and HDMI ports in any combination to connect up to two external monitors, which is fewer than the three or four external monitors that Intel’s graphics support. But when you’re using a pair of high-resolution 4K-and-up monitors with the M2 Mac mini, macOS and its apps remain fluid and responsive, without any of the choppiness you could sometimes see if you were to hook the same pair of monitors to an Intel Mac mini.

The Mac mini is one of the larger mini PCs we’ve tested, at 7.7 by 7.7 inches and 1.4 inches high. It also lacks VESA-mounting options, so it needs room on a desk (unless you want to try a third-party mount ). But unlike the Windows PCs we’ve tested, the Mac mini doesn’t have an external power brick, so you don’t need to find room for one behind or under your desk.

One area where the Mac mini excels in contrast to our Windows pick is fan noise: The Apple M2 version of the Mac mini is barely audible even when you’re playing a game or encoding video files. Apple’s chips, originally designed to fit into small, fanless iPhones and iPads, are more efficient than Intel’s, so they generate less heat and use less power. In laptops like the MacBook Air, that manifests as a few extra hours of battery life. In a desktop computer like the Mac mini, it means that the system doesn’t need a loud fan, and your power bills will be a little lower. Most of the Intel-based systems in our tests consumed between 50 W and 60 W of power when encoding a video, a task that stresses all the cores on a processor at once. The M2 Mac mini, in contrast, used about 24 W of power to do the same task in a similar amount of time.

The Mac mini comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty. Extending that coverage to three years with AppleCare+ costs $99; doing so also adds accidental-damage protection and three years of “priority access to tech support.”

Unfortunately, you cannot repair or upgrade the Mac mini yourself. This is in stark contrast to our Windows pick, which is one of the most repairable PCs that we recommend at Wirecutter.

Part of what makes Apple products compelling is the suite of great applications that sync across all its devices, such as iMessage and Photos. Unfortunately, the size of Apple’s default storage drives hasn’t grown as quickly as many people take photos and send them to their friends. And larger drives are extremely costly, adding hundreds of dollars over the typical market price to the cost of the Mac mini. Long-term Apple fans who have years’ worth of saved photos, videos, and messages who don’t want to pay for iCloud must now pay a premium to store all that data on their own drives.

This choice by Apple to make its devices non-upgradable means that if you run out of storage on your Mac mini, you won’t be able to swap out its storage drive to gain more space. Your only options are to buy an external hard drive (though some synced iCloud services like iMessage cannot be stored on external devices), buy Apple’s cloud storage for a monthly cost, or buy a new Mac mini.

For anybody who does processor-intensive work, the Apple Mac mini with an M2 Pro processor is a tiny powerhouse that can fit under a monitor. Its processor is wickedly fast for converting file types, rendering video, or working in 3D. Because the unified 16 GB of RAM works with either the central processing unit or the graphics processor, you can also more quickly handle enormous video files. The Mac mini with the M2 Pro also has two more USB-C ports than the standard model, so you can have peripherals aplenty.

The M2 Pro chip is the centerpiece of this upgrade pick, and in our tests it proved to be just as fast as the M2 Pro processor we recommend for the MacBook Pro line. The M2 Pro Mac mini exported our two-minute 4K test video in Adobe Premiere in just 2 minutes 8 seconds, and it resized and exported 330 high-resolution images in 5 minutes. That 4K-export time is a minute faster than what we got from the M1 Max–based Mac Studio, and 1 minute 20 seconds faster than the results from our M2-based top pick. These tests aren’t indicative of the performance you’re likely to get from every video- and photo-editing process, but they offer a good benchmark for how quickly you can expect the desktop to process similar media.

Apple has an even more powerful mini PC in the Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. If you came here looking for a small desktop PC, we think these would be overkill. They’re intended for professional video and graphics editors, and those whose work includes processing gigabytes to terabytes of media.

The M2 Pro Mac mini’s 16 GB of RAM represents a notable difference from the configuration of every other Windows mini PC currently available. Apple calls this RAM “unified,” which means that it’s accessible to both the CPU and GPU cores on the M2 Pro chip. Traditionally, on Windows PCs, only the CPU accesses the RAM; this is why media editors and gamers typically buy dedicated graphics cards, or GPUs, which have their own processor for video as well as additional RAM. In the M2 Pro Mac mini, all of the RAM resides in one pool that the system can access for handling spreadsheets, managing Chrome tabs, and exporting video at the same time. This design also gives you a larger supply of RAM for graphics processing, which is generally a good thing when you’re working on larger projects consisting of many gigabytes of video files.

This processor and RAM configuration does have the downside of being completely soldered to one mainboard, which means that the system is essentially unrepairable.

Upgrading to the M2 Pro chip also upgrades the number of ports you get. The M2 Pro version of the Mac mini has two more USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports than the standard version, for a total of four, and the computer can support three monitors instead of two. It also has two USB-A ports, an SD Card reader, an HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a headphone jack. Thanks to this collection of ports, you should be able to connect just about any accessory, peripheral, storage drive, or monitor with little issue.

Measuring 7.7 inches wide, 7.7 inches long, and 1.4 inches tall, the Mac mini system is extremely quiet even under heavy load, and the noise is almost unnoticeable even when the computer is on a desk.

Gaming mini PCs promise full gaming capabilities in a package smaller than most game consoles, but they don’t make sense for most people. Gaming mini PCs are considerably pricier than the models in this guide, and buying one is usually much more expensive than building a larger PC yourself. They run hot, which can lead to a shorter lifetime for the components. The components are slower than what you get in a midrange gaming PC, and you’re usually limited in the kinds of CPU and GPU upgrades you can perform when you need more speed. In most instances, you should still stick to a gaming PC in a Mini-ITX case if you’re looking for something small, because such a PC will have better cooling, cost less to build, and be easier to upgrade later on. If you’re more concerned about portability, a gaming laptop is a better option.

You can also find a slew of mini PCs sold with more limited Intel Celeron and Pentium processors, which might be fine for emulating games from older consoles but don’t meet the processing-power threshold that we set for daily use. If you’re looking for a mini PC to emulate retro games, the reviews posted by the YouTube channel ETA Prime are thorough and widely sample the category.

A handful of other powerful barebones gaming mini PCs exist, but most of them come from smaller companies like ASRock and Zotac and have shorter warranties and worse support. They’re also harder to find and to buy, and their makers haven’t always updated them to use the newest processors and GPUs.

If you’re looking for a mini PC we haven’t mentioned for daily use or to replace a desktop tower, consider the recommendations we outline in the How we picked section as you shop for one. The configuration should include a 13th-generation Intel processor, at least 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of SSD storage.

Mini PCs have other uses, however, like acting as small servers to host websites or the Plex media-management app. For these specialized situations, you could relax our stated requirements for the latest processors and go down to 4 GB of RAM, and wind up saving quite a bit of money on an older mini PC. We don’t recommend going older than the 10th generation of Intel processors, however, since at that point you’ll start to miss out on critical security updates in just a few years. We also don’t recommend Celeron or Pentium processors, which are unlikely to be powerful enough to handle anything but the simplest computing tasks.

If you’re watching any company building mini PCs right now, watch Asus. Last year, it became the first company to license Intel’s Next Unit of Computing (NUC), and at CES 2024, Asus released its first line of the new mini PCs.

Asus has launched three mini PCs under the NUC name: the NUC 14 Pro, NUC 14 Pro+, and the gaming-focused ROG NUC. All three are powered by Intel’s new Core Ultra processors, and the ROG NUC can be configured with an Nvidia RTX 4060 or 4070 for gaming. We’re especially interested in these, as they seem more consumer-focused compared to Asus’s enterprise-focused ExpertCenter mini PC line. Asus hasn’t released pricing for these NUCs yet, but they’re shipping in February, and we’re looking forward to putting them through their paces in a new round of testing for this guide.

Windows PCs

We tested the HP Z2 Mini G9 , a Windows mini PC built for creative work and any jobs that might require a bit more horsepower than the HP Pro Mini 400 G9 offers. You can outfit it with any of several 12th-generation Intel processors, a wealth of RAM, and large storage options. If you’re specifically looking for a more powerful Windows mini PC, this is a good choice. However, it had some drawbacks that prevented us from making it a pick. In our tests, our upgrade pick, the Apple Mac mini with an M2 Pro processor, proved to be more than 30% faster at certain tasks, especially multi-core tasks such as media editing. The Mac mini was also whisper-quiet, even under heavy load, whereas the Intel processor in the Z2 Mini required a fan, which audibly kicked on while it was handling that same workload. Although the Z2 Mini has a lot of DisplayPort connections, the model we tested didn’t have an HDMI display output or USB-C ports capable of video output by default. (You can add these by configuring the Flexible Port on HP’s site, however.) We don’t want to discount the Z2 Mini G9 entirely, though, as it could be a great machine for some people since its shortcomings are similar to those of many other Windows PCs. It’s worth checking out if you’re not in the Mac ecosystem.

We tested the Dell OptiPlex 3000 Micro and found it very similar to the HP Pro Mini 400 G9. The two computers are available with similar processors, RAM, and storage configurations, but the HP model is less expensive and more flexible in terms of configuration. Most important, the Pro Mini 400 also has a USB-C port. If the HP model is out of stock or wildly more expensive than $800, or if you don’t care about USB-C, this Dell model is a comparable purchase.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Tiny , M80q Tiny , and M90q Tiny are virtually indistinguishable, as they provide most of the same ports and processor options. Compared with the HP Pro Mini 400 G9, however, they cost more for less RAM, storage, and processing power, and Lenovo systems have had fluctuating pricing and availability this year, likely due to supply-chain issues.

As a general rule for any mini PC, you can skip models that use older 9th- or 10th-generation Intel processors, as those processors are aging and will receive support for a shorter amount of time.

Chromeboxes

We used to recommend Chromeboxes as a low-cost alternative to mini PCs for people who need only to surf the web and check email, and who mainly rely on Google services. However, new Chromeboxes with modern processors aren’t released as often as Chromebooks, and generally Chromebooks offer a better value for those people who don’t need a full PC.

For more details, read our guide to the best Chromebooks .

Apple’s new Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra processors is geared toward media professionals rather than the average person. While the Mac Studio was previously an upgrade pick here, we now think the M2 Pro Mac mini offers most of the performance for nearly half the price.

If you want to learn more about the Mac Studio and how it compares to the Mac mini, check out our full guide to Mac desktops .

The latest version of this article was edited by Arthur Gies and Caitlin McGarry.

Chris Hoffman, How to Install Windows 10 on Your PC , How-To Geek , November 1, 2017

Meet your guide

Dave Gershgorn

Dave Gershgorn is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He’s been covering consumer and enterprise technology since 2015, and he just can’t stop buying computers. If this weren’t his job, it would likely be a problem.

Further reading

How to Shop for a Used Laptop or Desktop PC

by Kimber Streams and Andrew Cunningham

Major stores and manufacturers sell refurbished, refreshed, and used laptops and desktops that sometimes perform as well as new ones, but for much lower prices.

How to Buy a Mac Desktop

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Apple makes fantastic laptops, but its desktops are also great options for many people. We’re here to help you figure out which one is right for you.

The Best Laptops for Video and Photo Editing

Photographers and video editors on the go need a powerful laptop with good battery life, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro is almost always the best tool for the job.

The Best Laptops

by Kimber Streams and Dave Gershgorn

From budget-friendly options to thin-and-light ultrabooks to powerful gaming laptops, we’ve spent hundreds of hours finding the best laptops for most people.

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Best mini PCs of 2024

The best mini PCs are more powerful than you can possibly imagine

• 1. Best overall
• 2. Best on a budget
• 3. Best for video editing
• 4. Best for gaming
• 5. Most powerful
• 6. Smallest
• 7. Best Mac mini alternative
• 8. Best for business
• 9. Best for students
• How to choose
• How we test

The quick list 1. Best overall 2. Best on a budget 3. Best for video editing 4. Best for gaming 5. Most powerful mini PC 6. Smallest mini PC 7. Best Mac mini alternative 8. Best for business 9. Best for students FAQs How we test

Don't let the size fool you - the best mini PCs we've tested offer a powerful, portable alternative to laptops and desktop PCs. Our team of reviewers tested the best of the best, benchmarking performance, and comparing specs for a range of uses - from basic office tasks to gaming and video editing. 

Mini PCs, sometimes known as a NUC or thin client, are compact boxes that often hide impressively powerful components. Because of their small size (you can mount many to monitor) and reliability, they've become a popular choice for video conferencing, streaming, and server use alongside general office workflows. And while they lack the sheer force of the very best business computers or even best business laptops we've tested, they're a lot more powerful than you might think - and a lot cheaper, too. 

Our review team have gone hands-on with a massive range of the best mini PCs for video editing, gaming, office work, and and the cheapest mini PCs for those looking for a low cost machine on a budget. Rigorously benchmarking overall performance, we compared specs, connectivity, and explored features across Windows and Mac mini PCs for the home, office, and everywhere in between.

Best mini PC overall Our top-rated mini PC, the Apple Mac mini is an appealing machine for everyday users and content creators alike. It’s not the smallest mini PC, but it’s compact and beautifully designed for carrying around. 

Read more below

Best budget mini PC The Beelink U59 is one of the cheapest mini PCs you can get. With a number of RAM configurations, and following Intel's NUC specifications, we found the U59 to be an excellent, affordable machine. 

Best mini PC for video editing The Minisforum UM790 Pro is a powerful small form-factor PC that impressed us with solid performance across the board. It effortlessly handles everything from office tasks to 4K video editing. 

Best mini PC for gaming The Miniforum Neptune series of mini PCs are an excellent pick for gamers. With the HX100G and HX99G hovering somewhere between full-sized desktop and mini gaming rig, we had no trouble playing triple-A games during our tests. 

Most powerful mini PC Built for professional creatives, an M2-powered Apple Mac Studio can’t be beaten on performance - and having tested it out, we can confidently say it's a powerhouse for heavy workloads and resource-hungry apps. 

Smallest mini PC Probably the smallest mini PC we’ve tested, the Minisforum Mercury EM780 is a quarter of the size of rivals, with high-performance specs for productivity and power. It might just be the best compact PC of its size

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Best Mac mini alternative The Minisforum UM780XTX is a highly capable Mac mini substitute if you prefer Windows or you like to upgrade your machine. Performance was exceptional during our tests across office tasks and content creation. 

Best business mini PC The Intel NUC 13 Pro is a top-rated mini PC for business - a blistering powerhouse, with up to 12 GPU threads, 64GB of RAM. Gen 4 NVME and Thunderbolt 4 in a range of (admittedly barebones) SKUs. 

Best mini PC for students The GMKtec NucBox K6 for students looking for an impressive performer with the expandability to last well beyond the end of your course. Beyond minor design gripes, the K6 gets almost everything right. 

Best mini PC overall

1. Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023)

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

The Apple Mac mini is our pick for best mini PC - with excellent performance and a gorgeous design, it’s a great choice for most people looking for a small form-factor desktop computer. 

Packing the incredibly fast M2 and M2 Pro chips, the Mac mini (‘mini’ in lowercase, just to emphasize its compact form) is perfect for running basic office apps, browsing, right up to intensive creative tasks like photo and video editing. 

When it comes to performance, we experienced no issues with the Mac mini. It breezed through every task, every benchmark test, with results putting it not too far behind the similarly portable but not so mini MacBook Pro. The machine is also one of the cheapest mini PCs relative to its performance power, with prices around the $600 / £600 mark. 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. 

However, this is an Apple device - and an excellent entry-point into its closed ecosystem. But unlike most mini PCs, there’s no barebones option here, no upgrading the system, switching distros, or any other tinkering. This is for those who want a mini PC ready to go from day one. 

Prefer a Windows mini PC? Check out our GMKtec NucBox K8 review or head below to see our best Mac mini alternative pick.

Read our full Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) review .  

You could save on Apple products with our Apple promo codes .

Best mini PC on a budget

2. Beelink U59

If you want the best budget mini PC, the Beelink U59 offers good performance during basic tasks, such as browsing and using office apps. It doesn’t have the best specs we’ve seen, 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.

Even with that modest silicon, the U59 performs well at basic tasks and has potential as a small office machine or for embedded applications. For 8GB customers, the RAM can be upgraded to 16GB, along with the M.2 SATA storage. There is also a bay inside for a 2.5-inch drive for even more storage options.

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. For a low cost and affordable mini PC, the Beelink U59 is easily one of the best we’ve tried.

Read our full Beelink U59 review .  

Best mini PC for video editing

3. Minisforum UM790 Pro

The Minisforum UM790 Pro impresses with its compact design and powerful performance. When it comes to video editing on a mini PC, it’s important to choose a machine that’s fully specced and ready to tackle even the most resource-hungry software. A number of our recommended mini PCs are up to the task, but the Venus UM790 Pro is a stand-out. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU and AMD Radeon 780M GPU, in our tests it excelled in processor and graphics-intensive tasks, including gaming and 4K video editing. 

The machine's 32GB DDR5 dual-channel RAM (expandable to 64GB) and dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots (1TB installed) ensure fast data access and storage capacity. The UM790 Pro offers versatile connectivity, VESA mounting compatibility, and effective cooling. Its benchmark scores reflect its exceptional real-world performance, making it just as suitable for creative professionals and gamers as gentler office tasks. 

The design might be plain, but it's practical, emphasizing functionality. While priced in the mid-range for a high-end mini PC, its strong performance and features justify the cost, appealing to those seeking powerful performance in a compact form.

Alternatively, we’d recommend the Apple Mac mini or Apple Mac Studio for professional video editors. 

Read our full Minisforum UM790 Pro review .  

Best mini PC for gaming

4. Minisforum Neptune HX100G

Bridging the gap between desktop and mini gaming PC, the Minisforum Neptune HX100G is a powerful yet compact machine that put on an impressive display of performance during our tests. 

You can tell from the specs that this mini desktop computer is designed for gamers, creators, and video editors. It features an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS chip and Radeon RX 6650M graphics. The size and weight of the HX100G does stretch the definition of “mini” somewhat. However, the additional size helps with cooling, which is a fair trade-off. And we can’t complain about its gaming prowess. During our review, we tested titles including Assassin's Creed, Cyberpunk 2077, and Tekken 8. All these games showed good performance, although we did note some reductions in Ray Tracing settings. 

Considering the compact form, the PC's external power adapter is inconveniently bulky. The price isn’t exactly “mini” either, but you get plenty of bang for your buck, whether blasting through triple-A games or using your mini PC for emulation. If you can’t get hold of the HX100G, as an alternative, try the similarly-specced Minisforum Neptune HX99G. 

Read our full Minisforum Neptune HX100G review .  

Most powerful mini PC

5. Apple Mac Studio

If you want the most powerful mini PC, a fully specced Apple Mac Studio is our top choice. A beefed-up version of the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is built from a single aluminum extrusion, with a square footprint of 7.7 inches and a height of 3.7 inches. 

In our tests, the Mac Studio performed beautifully. It easily handled 8K video editing and the advanced AI-powered photo editing tools in Adobe Photoshop . We even saw the Mac Studio load a detailed 3D scene that took up more memory than most discrete professional PC GPUs come with. And it did all this in near-silence. 

The bottom line is that you’re just not going to get another PC of this performance level in such a compact chassis. 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. 

Read our full Apple Mac Studio review .  

Smallest mini PC

6. Minisforum Mercury EM780

At a quarter of the size of a standard mini PC, the Minisforum Mercury EM780 is an ultra small form-factor PC offering potent performance. 

Despite its compact design, the EM780 impresses with a AMD Ryzen 7 7840U processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, and 32GB RAM. 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations are available. We were initially skeptical that a micro PC like this could accommodate the specs. Booting up the machine for the first time dispelled all our fears. The Minisforum Mercury EM780 is fast, breezing through office apps, basic video editing, and even triple-A gaming, although you’ll need to dip into the graphics settings for best results. 

It’s not the cheapest mini PC out there, and we would’ve liked more upgradeability options. But if size and performance are the most important factors, the EM780 is the full (tiny) package.

Read our full Minisforum Mercury EM780 review

Best mini PC alternative to the Mac mini

7. Minisforum UM780 XTX

Looking for a Mac mini substitute? The Minisforum UM780 XTX is a good Windows-based alternative that packs the same sort of punch at around the same price in a smaller package than Apple’s fearsome micro-machine. 

The mini PC comes loaded with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, 1TB SSD storage, and 32GB or 64GB RAM depending on configuration (upgradeable to 96GB). In our own tests, performance was exceptional. Office software was no trouble at all. Raw file photo editing and high-resolution video editing were both very effectively handled. The system also features the OCulink interface for attaching external GPUs. limits storage expansion. Our only concern here is the built-in storage, which fills up quickly when storing large video files - so you’ll want to expand that. Even gaming, not a strong point for the Mac mini either, was good, with mostly decent frame-rates. 

As with most of Apple's line-up, the Minisforum mini PC is on the expensive side. But with its high-performance across the board, the UM780 XTX is one of the best compact PCs for anyone not yet sold on the Apple ecosystem or those who want more expandability from their systems. 

Read our full Minisforum UM780 XTX review .

Best mini PC for business

8. Intel NUC 13 Pro

The latest, and arguably the greatest NUC yet, the Intel NUC 13 Pro takes the best silicon from the new 13th Gen mobile product lines and packages them in the classic Intel NUC cases.

What the customer gets is plenty of CPU performance with up to 12 threads and 64GB of RAM combined with Gen 4 NVMe storage and Thunderbolt 4 technology baked into the machine. Starting at around $320 for the Core-i3 models and going to over $1,000 for the top-of-the-range Core-i7 vPro processors, there is plenty of scope for both performance and price. All these machines are provided as ‘barebones’, meaning that you will need to provide RAM modules, NVMe storage and other peripherals (mouse, keyboard, screen, operating system , etc.) to make them fully operational. Extending business capabilities is support for KVM and remote admin. 

In our testing, the NUC 13 Pro was much quicker at multithreaded tasks than its predecessors, but the performance of single-threaded benchmarks was only modestly better. The best aspects of the new NUC are the connectivity with Thunderbolt 4.0 and USB 3.2 ports and the near-silent operation.

The Intel NUC 13 Pro might not be the cheapest option for compact computing devices, but it is from a highly trusted source and offers the absolute cutting edge in NUC technology.

For an alternative, check out our Dell OptiPlex 7000 review - another top-rated mini PC for business.

Read our full Intel NUC 13 Pro review .

Best mini PC for students

9. GMKtec NucBox K6

Boasting many of the features of the GMKtec K8 but at around $100 cheaper, the GMKtec NucBox K6 is a recommended mini PC pick for students who want a reliable performer that won’t break the bank. 

Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M graphics, and 32GB RAM (expandable to 64GB). This little machine proved to be an all-round performer for office apps, browsing, content creation, and light gaming. It’s also one of the quietest mini PCs we’ve tried, making it a good choice when working in shared spaces. In some of our graphics tests, the GMKtec K6 even had the edge over the more powerful K8 model. 

The option to expand - and to last the length of your course and beyond - is especially welcome. We did find the mini PC’s design made accessing internal components awkward, and we recommend diving in, your screwdriver in hand, only once you know what to expect inside. Our only other gripe is the lack of Thunderbolt ports. The unit also lacks the AI processing of its bigger brother the K8, which shouldn’t affect most day-to-day users. For us, almost everything else about the K6 is just right. 

Read our full GMKtec NucBox K6 review .

• ^ Back to the top

Best mini PCs: FAQs

Are there different types of mini pc.

There is a lot of variety when it comes to mini PCs: various sizes are available and they are designed for various use cases. 

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.

Today's best mini PCs are a great alternative to bulky full-size desktops and all-in-one systems for all kinds of uses: from administrative workers doing  data entry, to customer service specialists and call center offices, to creative professionals and students learning at home.

What is the best use of a mini PC?

Mini PCs excel at everyday tasks like web browsing, word processing, video streaming, and light gaming. You can easily connect them to your TV to play games and watch movies either via a platform like Netflix or through your own media server, with the effectively set acting as a monitor. With specs comparable to mid-range laptops, they don’t have the necessary CPU and GPU to run more resource-intensive apps and games. In those circumstances, it may be worth investing in high-spec devices like the best video editing laptops , which are built for heavy workloads. 

What are the disadvantages of a mini computer?

While the best mini PCs absolutely shine, they’re not without a few downsides. When it comes to specs, mini PCs pale in comparison to modern desktop computers and the very best laptops . While you shouldn't have trouble using most as a space-saving alternative to the best laptops for graphic design or the best laptops for photo editing , it can make it difficult to use hardware-intensive apps and processes, like any of the best video editing software . 

Upgrading those lower-specced internals is usually out of the question. Even some of the best mini PCs can't be expanded with better components (at least, not without some technical knowledge and skill). 

They also need to be run from the mains, so while they’re an excellent portable option, you lack the built-in batteries found in laptops. Due to their form, some users may also experience issues with overheating. Mini PCs also lack peripherals, from screens to optical drives. 

How much RAM do you need for a mini PC?

As with desktop computers and laptops, the best RAM is the most amount of RAM you can get within budget. It will make performance much more fluid, especially if you’re using the mini PC for a lot of tasks. We recommend a bare minimum of 8GB memory, although 16GB and above is preferred.  

Are mini PCs good for gaming?

It all depends on which games you want to play. The very best mini PCs can ably run lightweight or older games - in fact, many use them as emulators. However, they will typically struggle with newer games, like the triple-A offerings from the likes of Rockstar. They simply don’t have the required CPU and GPU to handle them. 

Can you connect a mini PC to a laptop?

Yes, you can connect your mini PC to a laptop and use it as a monitor - but it’s also easy, as many mini PCs lack the required HDMI ports to output to the laptop screen. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by using remote desktop software. 

Are the best mini PCs better than laptops?

It depends how you intend to use your mini computer. While both are highly portable, mini PCs are more so, with a far smaller surface area. If you’re working on the go, be aware of the sometimes limited battery life on laptops - if you’re usually running off the mains, a mini PC may be the better choice.

Laptops serve as a great all-in-one solution with everything you need to work and play. Accessories like the best office keyboards and the best monitors for a dual set-up are optional. They also come with a range of tech specs, with options for everyday computing tasks right up to the best gaming laptops . 

Like a traditional desktop computer, a mini PC is best when used in spaces with easy access to monitors (or TV), keyboards, and other peripherals on hand. For this reason, mini PCs are great for office use, allowing multiple users to access the device in a variety of locations. Cost is also a factor, as mini PCs tend to be cheaper than laptops.

How to choose the best mini PC for you

When choosing which mini PC is best for you, there are several factors to consider - but first, it's important to be sure a mini PC is right for your needs.

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 .

Despite their name, mini PCs come in a range of sizes, from tiny machines like the Acemagician T8 Plus to the Apple Mac mini, which on the larger size. But they're all considerably smaller than a desktop, so if you're looking for a space-saver, they're ideal. You'll find plenty that even include a VESA mount for attaching the device to monitors to de-clutter the desk. 

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. 

For smooth performance. a good CPU, GPU, and RAM are essential. We've included a selection of AMD- and Intel-powered thin clients here, all capable of delivering speed and performance for a range of uses. 

However, be sure to check your device's ports and connectivity. Some of the best mini PCs pack in plenty of Thunderbolt and USB ports, memory card slots, and HDMI connections, but some are less generous. If portability is a consideration, remember to check dimensions and weight. You'll find these details in our full mini PC reviews. 

How we test the best mini PCs

We've tested thousands of devices, from the best photo editing PCs to best business monitors , including small form NUCs and thin clients. 

A lot of time and care goes into selecting the best mini PCs. Appliance-type mini-PCs often have a metal enclosure to help with passive cooling and more than one wired Gigabit Ethernet port. The best mini PCs are perfect for leaving unattended in a small network cabinet, rack, or locker, where they can be used as fixed-function mini-servers, such as a firewall for an office network or file storage for a small shop.

There's also a class of mini PCs that are small. These range from palm-sized to slightly more significant than a thumb drive, often with an HDMI male connector and built to be attached to the back of a TV or monitor for entertainment or web browsing on a big screen.

As such, selecting a mini PC is no easy task. First, we had to filter them based on size. We started from the tiniest ones, the thumb drive-sized PCs, up to the palm-sized devices, then moving to the TV-box-sized machines. In each size jump, we looked for the usage scenarios for each based on the capabilities of the CPU and amount of RAM and included ports, then we weeded out the ones with sub-par specs; this removed several dozen entries with the same Celeron CPUs and low RAM.

Once we got to the higher-spec entries, the winners started to show up either by expansion capabilities, unique features, or suitability for the purpose. Final filtering by brand name and support considerations is how we ended up with our selection of picks for the best mini PC for home and office.  

As such, when testing which mini PC is best, we study several key areas. This includes build quality and form-factor - we want to see a robust machine, and the best materials available for the cost. This is especially true with mini PCs, as they're designed to be easily carried and used in multiple locations. 

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.

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. 

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.

You can read more about our comprehensive testing methods in our guide How we test laptops and desktops: Our review process explained .

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CHUWI CoreBox Mini PC, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM 512GB SSD, Intel 12th Gen i3-1215U (Up to 4.4GHz), Mini Desktop Computer, 2.5''SSD Up to 2TB, 4K UHD, Windows 11, Gigabit Ethernet, BT5.1, WiFi 6

About this item.

• ✔ CHUWI CoreBox Mini PC is equipped with the powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, featuring 6 cores and 8 threads. With a main frequency of 4.4GHz and advanced 10nm lithography technology, it offers superior performance compared to processors like i3 12100F, i5-7200u, i7-6500u, i5-8350U, and more. This mini PC provides ultra-fast, smooth, and power-saving performance, effortlessly meeting your daily entertainment, gaming, office, and educational needs.
• ✔CHUWI CoreBox mini desktop computer offers an impressive 16GB LPDDR5 (Max 4800Mhz) dual-channel memory and a 512GB SSD ROM. It also provides the option to expand storage using a 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD interface, allowing you to upgrade storage up to 2TB (drive not included). With this large storage capacity, the CoreBox mini PC ensures smooth operation without any delays.
• ✔ CHUWI CoreBox Desktop Mini PC is equipped with Intel Iris Xe Graphics, providing eligibility for high-quality visuals and supporting 4K ultra-high-definition streaming. This mini PC offers an amazing visual experience with true-to-life picture quality, making it perfect for use as a home media center to enjoy TV shows and games. It also supports dual display ports and an HD port with a resolution of 4096 x 2304@30Hz, allowing for easy connection to two monitors simultaneously.
• ✔CHUWI CoreBox i3 Mini Desktop Computer features the Intel AX201 wireless module, supporting WiFi 6 and BT5.1. Additionally, the mini-computer includes an RJ45 Gigabit network port, ensuring fast and stable transmission whether you choose a wireless or wired connection. This guarantees a smooth and reliable WiFi experience, eliminating any freezing issues and enabling seamless remote collaboration.
• ✔CHUWI CoreBox Windows 11 Mini Computer is designed with a compact 2L miniature body, constructed with a lightweight yet durable aluminum-magnesium alloy and polycarbonate materials. With its small size, this mini PC occupies only 10% of your desktop space, measuring just 66 inches (17.3*15.8*7.3cm) compared to traditional 20L hosts. This makes it highly portable and easy to place anywhere in the office, and it can even be conveniently carried in a bag. ♥ Free maintenance within one year after purchase, free return and exchange within three months.

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Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002

• Warranty: 1 Year    Effortless warranty claims with global coverage; shipping costs are on us*. Learn more

•  Condition: New
• Deliver To Moscow Change Delivered by Jul 03 If you order within 9 Hours, 22 Minutes

Description for Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002

Small Outside. Powerful Inside.

Intel® NUC 12 Pro Mini PCs and Kits raise the bar for performance and connectivity in a 4x4 device for the edge, business, or home. 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors deliver revved-up performance with up to 64 GB dual-channel memory and ample SSD capacity-plus lightning-fast wired and wireless connectivity.

Intel® NUC Pro Form Factors Available as mini PCs or customizable kits, every device is qualified for 24x7 operation and comes with three-year availability and a three-year warrant.

Intel® NUC 12 Pro Mini PCs Small PCs and compact workstations, loaded with Windows and ready to use right out of the box. Get the latest in performance with 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, plus dual-channel memory and large storage capacity.

Intel® NUC 12 Pro Kits Kits include a range of 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, chassis, and board. They are easy to customize with the right operating system, memory, and storage to meet different customer needs.

Intel® NUC 12 Pro Boards

Surprising Size. Supercharged Performance.

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With 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, Intel® NUC 12 Pro Mini PCs, Kits, and Boards deliver the latest in powerful performance for edge computing, collaboration, home offices, and more.

Intel vPro® Platform

Created for IT professionals, Intel vPro® Enterprise sets the standard for business: multilayer hardware-based security, efficient remote manageability, business-class performance, and PC fleet stability. Powerful, proven performance for today and tomorrow.

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Stay on top of all of your devices. Oversite tools like Application Monitor, Player Failover and Advanced Features make Intel NUC devices easy for admins.

All Day, Every Day

Intel® NUC Pro Software Suite(NPSS) ensures that digital signage applications stay running and enables player redundancy, agnostic of CMS package.

The Power of Small

With a 4" x 4" footprint, pint-sized Intel® NUC 12 Pro Mini PCs and Kits are available in two chassis, including tall kits with a 2.5" drive bay and an internal expansion bay.

6-8 Days Delivery in Russia We offer express delivery to Russia, Moscow, Sant Petersburg for Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002. Best Price Guarantee We offer the best price for Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002 in Russia, Moscow, Saint Petersburg. Buy now with the best price!

Specifications for Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002

• 07 February, 2023
• 18.00 cm x 18.00 cm x 15.01 cm

Reviews for Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSHi3 Barebone PC, Intel Core i3-1220P, 4.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency, 64GB Max Memory, DDR4-3200 , Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 2x HDMI 2x DP-Type C, Black | RNUC12WSHi30002

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Mini Motorways Review – A Calming Commute

Mini Motorways Review on PC

Being stuck in traffic is never a good time. But what if you could control the traffic by placing and rearranging roads at will? Mini Motorways allows you to do just that, in the most relaxing way possible. It doesn’t have the most to offer when it comes to its length or replayability, but the game takes you on a ride that’s short and sweet.

Mini Motorways is a minimalist strategy sim that brings you to cities all around the world like Tokyo, Moscow, and Los Angeles, and puts you in direct control of their traffic networks on a much smaller scale. You’ll need to keep cars moving to their destinations for as long as you can, so avoiding traffic jams is the goal here.

Mini Motorways starts you off in a small section of a city and your only objective is to make sure that cars from each house can reach the larger buildings of the same color. So blue cars need to get to blue buildings, yellow cars to yellow buildings, and so on. Color plays a big role here so it’s important to note that there’s a colorblind mode for those who need it.

Little pins will appear on the larger buildings to indicate that a car wants to go there. It’s your job to make that trip as efficient as possible by placing roadways between buildings. This task is simple enough, but as time progresses, more houses and other buildings will start to appear, causing your tiny city to expand in unpredictable ways.

That’s where the real fun begins, as adjustments need to be made on the fly for cars to get to their destinations. And the more pins you clear, the higher your score for that city. If too many pins start to build up at one location without cars coming to remove them fast enough, a red timer will start. If that timer fills up, it’s game over.

To get the job done, Mini Motorways provides a limited number of tiles that you can place to create roads. The game only provides standard road tiles at first, but as the city grows, so do your options for traffic infrastructure expansion.

As time passes, the days of the week will go by in-game. At the end of each week, you get to choose between two upgrades to help with your city planning. They include things like bridges that can cross waterways, streetlights that can lead to more efficiency at intersections, and motorways that can create shortcuts over existing roads.

Every upgrade comes with a set number of standard road tiles, but the better the upgrade, the fewer road tiles it comes with. So a motorway upgrade that can be built above regular roads will come with only 10 extra standard road tiles, while a roundabout upgrade may come with 30.

Running out of road tiles can leave you stuck, unable to make new roads in the middle of a week as new buildings continue to pop up. You can always delete existing roads to regain road tiles, but that could be costly if the deleted roads were helping with efficiency.

Mini Motorways makes you really take your time while considering these upgrades, adding some genuine challenge to an otherwise relaxing game. But if you ever need to slow the game down for more time to think, there’s an option to pause everything as you make adjustments where necessary. There’s also a fast-forward option for those who want the cities to grow/move quicker.

The upgrades you need usually depend on the city you’re in and what you’ve built so far.

Each city is essentially a new level with a new topographical layout that feels distinct, even with the minimalist art style. Creativity and outside-the-box thinking are necessary to keep your city running for as long as possible, and no two cities should be approached with the exact same strategy.

Cities like Beijing have rivers or other bodies of water that call for the use of a number of bridges, while others like Los Angeles require the use of many elevated motorways and roundabouts.

It’s a joy to gradually find out which roads work best in which cities and finding the most efficient road placements to solve my many traffic issues never got old. It also helps that, to earn new cities, the game only requires you to complete 300 trips in any given location (300 pins cleared) to unlock the next city.

300 trips may seem like a lot, but I regularly completed over 1000 trips in multiple cities, so it isn’t too difficult to see everything the game has to offer. You’re never stuck in the same place for too long, and you’ll want much higher scores than 300 if you want to place high on the game’s leaderboards for each location.

Going beyond the standard city levels, there’s also a daily challenge and a weekly challenge. They change the game up in a few unpredictable ways by using unique modifiers like unlimited road tiles or mystery upgrades to keep you on your toes.

Daily challenges can only be played once, while weekly ones can be attempted endlessly as you aim for the top global score. It would be nice if there were challenges like these for each of the standard maps, though, since the dailies and weeklies are only on one map each.

Mini Motorways is a short game, for sure, but it’s one of those games that you can get lost in for a little while as you rack your brain trying to figure out how to make all the traffic on-screen run smoothly as possible. Never in my life have I found joy in the thought of planning out roadways, but these mini-cities do bring a smile to my face.

The slow, time-consuming monotony of big-city traffic has somehow been transformed into a game that I can’t wait to play more of.

• Cities have different topography and feel distinct.
• Simple to understand but still offers a challenge.
• Relaxing atmosphere, even when things get a bit chaotic.
• No special challenge modifiers for regular city levels.