My favorite mini PCs “tempt me away from desktops” — smaller than a graphics card and powerful enough for Windows 11 in 4K
Some of the best mini PCs ever tested enjoy heavy discounts before Black Friday even starts, including an RTX gaming beast.
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There’s a perfect middle-ground between a tower-sized desktop and a slim laptop for Windows 11, and it’s the relatively niche category of mini PCs. Some of the best examples I’ve seen, like the excellentBeelink EQR6, are heavily discounted with deals that look suspiciously similar to those usually appearing aroundBlack Fridaydespite it being weeks away. They’re perfect for students and casual users, but gamers with a little more cash to spare can spring for the RTX-poweredASUS ROG NUC 970while the saving lasts!
Beelink EQR6Was:$499.99Now:$379.99 at Amazon.com
“It’s pretty much near silent all of the time. I only ever heard the fans spin up during our benchmark testing and gaming/video rendering, and even then, it was still whisper quiet. It also doesn’t get alarmingly hot, which explains why you pretty much never hear the fans. — Zac Bowden”
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
CPU:AMD Ryzen 5 6600H/7 7735HS/9 6900HXRAM:16GB/24GBStorage:500GB/1TBPorts:3x USB-A 3.0, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 10Gb, 2x HDMI 4K60, 2x Ethernet LAN, 1x combo audio
Launch date:2024
👀See at:Amazon.com
✅Perfect for:Choice — Beelink offers variants with lower-spec CPUs and smaller storage to save cash if you don’t need them.
❌Avoid if:You mostly use USB-C devices since there’s only one front-facing port, so you might need a docking station (data only, no video-out.)
💰Price check:$435.99 at Newegg
Beelink SER5 PROWas:$329.99Now:$296 at Amazon.com
“If you’re looking for an affordable mini-PC with a powerful AMD processor and don’t mind it being on the older side, the SER5 Pro 5800H is a great choice. It’s great for productivity and even some creative workflows. — Zac Bowden”
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
CPU:AMD Ryzen 7 5800HRAM:16GB/32GBStorage:500GBPorts:3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x Ethernet LAN, 1x combo audio
Launch date:2023
👀See at:Amazon.com
✅Perfect for:Budget-friendly computing with ports for a modern DisplayPort monitor and high-speed USB devices.
❌Avoid if:You use intensive apps that rely on the GPU, like video editors or even gaming.
💰Price check:$420.99 at Newegg
Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8)Was:$649.99Now:$589.99 at Lenovo.com
“Lenovo’s latest IdeaCentre Mini tempts even me, thanks to the substantial space-saving benefits and whisper-quiet operation. Just spring for the entry-level or mid-range option and upgrade it yourself because the top-end CPU pairing doesn’t shine to its potential. — Ben Wilson”
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CPU:Intel Core i5-13500H/i5-13420H/i7-13620H/i7-13700HRAM:8GB/16GBStorage:512GB/1TBPorts:3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 2.0, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet LAN, 1x combo audio
Launch date:2023
👀See at:Lenovo.com
✅Perfect for:Upgrades — Lenovo includes standard M.2 2280 storage and SODIMM memory that is user-replaceable.
❌Avoid if:You’re looking for a compact gaming machine; Intel’s Iris Xe graphics aren’t strong enough for real-time rendering.
💰Price check:$719.99 at Amazon
ASUS ROG NUC 970Was:$2,199Now:$1,808.99 at Amazon.com
“The fact that it supports up to four monitors means you can have a decent battle station without needing a large computer tower. It also works as a great gaming console alternative if you want to connect it to your TV and play your favorite PC games on your couch. — Rebecca Spear”
Windows Central review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
CPU:Intel Core Ultra 7 155H/9 185HRAM:16GB/32GBGPU:RTX 4060 L/4070 LStorage:512GB/1TBPorts:1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-A 2.0, 1x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort, 1x Ethernet LAN, 1x combo audio, SD card reader
Launch date:2024
👀See at:Amazon.com|Newegg.com
✅Perfect for:Gaming, thanks to the dedicated NVIDIA RTX graphics card inside. It’s the closest version of a console-sized PC you’ll find.
❌Avoid if:You don’t absolutely need a space-saving machine because similarly-priced gaming laptops could match this performance.
💰Price check:$719.99 at Amazon
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
Which specs matter the most in a mini PC?
Amini PCis exactly what it sounds like. It’s a fully functional computer in a compact form, often so surprisingly tiny that it might give unfamiliar users an impression of being underpowered or otherwise inferior to afull-size desktop tower. However, most components inside come from some of thebest laptops, specifically the processor (CPU) and often the memory (RAM), because they’re already designed to fit in a small chassis.
I’ve tested countless variants of desktop PC components and laptops, seeing their parts migrate to some of the most fascinating and surprisingly capable mini PCs and experiencing first-hand how performant these little machines can be.
Solid-state storage (SSD) commonly uses the M.2 standard, which looks like a USB memory stick without the plastic casing and comes in ultra-skinny shapes small enough to fit inside any PC or laptop. So, besides the purpose-built power supply (PSU) and motherboard that everything connects to, the only outlier is a graphics card.
Almost all mini PCs rely on the processor’s integrated graphics (iGPU) and will handle productivity tasks without issue, while mini PCs for gaming require the extra power that a discrete GPU provides. Evenbudget desktop graphics cardsare generally too big to fit inside a mini PC, with even a compact, single-fan variant proving too chunky. It’s another area where laptop-centric parts make an appearance in mini PCs, like NVIDIA’s RTX 4060 and 4070 L variants available inASUS' ROG NUC 970.
What can you use a mini PC for?
Productivity is a common buzzword, but it’s relevant here, withmini PCs proving particularly useful to students. It boils down to web browsing, working in apps likeMicrosoft 365 or Office, and some light creation in image editing suites and simplisticvideo editors like Clipchamp. Essentially, you can expect to do everything on a mini PC that you would on a laptop or desktop computer besides modern gaming unless the model you pick is geared explicitly towards it with a dedicated graphics card, and don’t forget adiscounted gaming monitorif you do.
That’s not to say you couldn’t play any casual titles with lighter minimum specification requirements, especially with titles around ten years or older — just don’t expect to fire upCall of Duty: Black Ops 6if you opt for a $300-400 machine with integrated graphics. If your day-to-day is more ‘traditional’ in that you’re spending most of your time on a web browser likeperformance-optimized Microsoft Edgeor Google Chrome, then a mini PC is more than capable of providing an optimalWindows 11experience.
Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.
