The best mini PCs in 2024
The best mini PCs might be tiny compared to standard-sized rigs but they pack enough power to perform a wide range of tasks — including web browsing, content creation and gaming. These minuscule computers are not only more convenient than enormous PC towers, but they’re also super quiet. For some people, mini PCs could be the perfect personal computer.
Mini PCs range from smaller desktops to stick PCs you can slip into your pocket. Mini PCs also leverage the small, energy-efficient components of the best laptops to provide you with a surprising amount of power in sizes that can be hidden behind a monitor. With mini PCs made for everything from media streaming to gaming and VR, there are mini stick PCs and mini desktops for almost everyone.
Below, we’ve listed the best mini PCs for everything from home entertainment to gaming and professional workstations. We’ll continue updating and adding to this list as we receive new units to review.
The quick list
Here’s a quick overview of the best mini PCs you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews. Even if some of the machines listed aren’t the latest models available, they still provide plenty of power for whatever you’re working on.
The Mac mini M2 is a pint-sized powerhouse that’s cheaper and faster than its predecessor thanks to the speedy M2 chip. The option to upgrade it with an M2 Pro ($1,299) sweetens the deal, turning this into a decent Mac for gaming or light photo/video editing. It’s a great mini PC for Mac fans.
Read more below.
The Mac Studio M2 is an incremental improvement over its predecessor, delivering more power than ever before in a Mac desktop that still runs quiet and looks good on a desk. But that’s not the pitch for the Studio. This is a high-performance Mac desktop that does everything a creative needs it to do.
Read more below.
3. Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT
The AtomMan G7 PT is a powerful mini PC with a slightly larger footprint. This extra size makes for improved cooling, more ports and a better mobile GPU. The AtomMan G7 PT won’t be for everyone though with its more gamer-focused aesthetic. Still, this mini PC delivers great performance without breaking the bank.
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4. Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B pushes things to new heights with a more powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection. It offers enormous value.
Read more below.
The Acemagic F2A is a powerful mini PC with an Intel Core Ultra processor, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and Wi-Fi 7 support. However, it lacks Thunderbolt or USB4 ports and its fans can be quite noisy even during less demanding tasks. Still, it’s power is hard to deny.
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Tony Polanco
Tony is a senior staff writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iPadOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on Twitter. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.
The best mini PCs to buy now
The best mini PC overall
Apple outdid itself with the Mac mini M2, a pint-sized powerhouse that’s cheaper and faster than its predecessor thanks to the speedy M2 chip. The option to upgrade it with an M2 Pro sweetens the deal, turning this into a decent Mac for gaming or light photo/video editing. Best of all, it barely takes up any space on your desk.
Of course, you get more than just speed when you pay for Pro: the entry-level Mac mini with M2 Pro is not only more powerful, but it also has more memory and storage than the entry-level Mac mini, as well as more ports. It’s a great mini PC for Mac fans, one that showcases macOS Ventura to good effect. It also looks great on almost any desk setup. A perfect balance of elegance and power.
Read our full Mac mini M2 review.
The best mini PC for creatives
The Mac Studio can deliver more power than any Apple computer on the market save the Mac Pro, and it packs it all into a quiet, well-designed chassis that looks good on a desk. It’s bigger than the Mac mini, but still discreet enough for any desk setup.
As much as we love seeing Apple silicon put to good use in MacBooks, where its power efficiency helps deliver some of the best battery life in the business, the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra proves that Apple’s chips have the chops to compete with the best desktop PC silicon from Intel and AMD. You’re not sacrificing power with this small computer.
Since this is Apple, you’ll have to pay a premium. The Mac Studio’s $1,999 starting price isn’t too bad for what it offers, and that gets you the entry-level model with the same M1 Max chip that’s in the 2021 MacBook Pros, which means this mini-computer packs a serious punch. To get a Mac Studio with Apple’s top-of-the-line M1 Ultra chip will cost you at least $4k, though it’s worth it if you want one of the fastest, most powerful Macs on the market.
Read our full Mac Studio review.
The best mini PC for gaming
The Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT is larger than a typical mini PC but it has the power to justify that. It’s the first AMD Advantage-certified mini PC thanks to the combination of a Ryzen processor and Radeon graphics. Though it’s not made for 4K gaming, this mini PC truly shines with 1080p gaming. 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD also give this machine decent performance.
Despite the AtomMan G7 PT’s gaming aesthetic, it’s also a powerful work computer thanks to that same AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX processor. That makes it an all-around excellent mini for those who need a dependable work computer that can also double as a solid gaming machine.
Read our full Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT review.
The best mini PC for tinkerers
The Raspberry Pi ushered in a new era of DIY tech, and the latest model, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, pushes that to new heights with a more powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection. This $35 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B offers enormous value for projects ranging from simple to complex, from its enhanced processing and graphics to broad compatibility with older accessories.
If you want to do something different with your technology, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the best mini PC for tinkering and experimenting. Whether you buy it alone or in a kit, the Raspberry Pi is hard to beat.
Since our review, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has been updated with a new model that has 8GB of RAM, significantly improving on the 2GB memory of the base model. If you can, get that model over the one we reviewed since it’ll run significantly faster.
If the Rasberry Pi is sold out, you can buy the Raspberry Pi 400 All-in-One.
Read our full Raspberry Pi 4 Model B review.
The best mini PC for AI
The Acemagic F2A is an elegant mini PC featuring a ton of ports. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, it can handle on-device generative AI. 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD also give it enough power for everyday tasks. That same power also allows you to connect multiple displays. The only drawback is that its dual fans can get very loud after a while. Unfortunately, there is no button or software setting to turn them down.
This mini PC had a higher-than-normal price at launch but has since come down in the months after its release. Because of that, it’s even more enticing for those who want a mini PC that’s AI-ready.
Read our full Acemagic F2A review.
How to choose the best mini PC
Mini PCs range from small project PCs for under $50 (£50/AU$75) to compact desktops that can cost $1,000 or more. Stick PCs are the most versatile, and generally cost between $100 (£100/AU$150) and $200 (£200/$AU300), and will work with most TVs or monitors. Mini PC prices vary considerably based on hardware.
Know what you want: Finding the right mini PC for you starts with knowing what you’re looking for. Do you want something small enough to tuck behind a TV as a dedicated streaming box, or are you looking for something with gaming capability? Do you want a basic internet-browsing machine, or do you need serious processing and graphics capability? Our best picks above do a good job of highlighting the use cases different systems are best suited to.
Find the right size: Then there’s the question of form factor. Mini PCs are all small, but there is a range of options within the category, from stick PCs small enough to slip in your pocket to desktop towers that are still compact enough to stow out of sight. You’ll sacrifice power for a smaller system, but you can still get a capable desktop that’s small enough to carry in a backpack, even if you’re after gaming capability or workstation performance.
Make sure you like your configuration and upgrade options: Finally, you want to look at configuration options and upgradability. Many mini PCs have two or three configuration options, which can change everything from the amount of included storage to the presence of high-end processors and discrete graphics cards. There’s also the question of upgrades. Many of the smallest mini PCs leave no room for future hardware changes, but others are designed to let you add memory or storage, or even outfitted with ports that allow for an external GPU for expanded capability. When in doubt, check our reviews, which include configuration details and will discuss the potential for future upgrades.
How we test the best mini PCs
We put every mini PC we review through a number of benchmark tests and real-world uses to get the clearest picture we can of how well it performs, what uses it’s best suited to and what sort of capability you get for the price.
For performance, we use the Geekbench processor test to measure a system’s overall processing capabilities. We run custom spreadsheets to see how long it takes to handle large data sets and number-crunching tasks. We also test the file transfer speeds, copying large files to see how long a system takes to copy multimedia files, documents and other content.
To test the graphics capability, we run a number of benchmark tests from 3DMark. When a system has the capability, we’ll also run individual game tests and the SteamVR performance test to see how capable a system is at handling the demands of modern gaming.
Most importantly, we spend a ton of time simply using each mini PC for everyday activities. We watch movies, do work, play games, and blast music on the speakers, all to get a better sense of which ones are worth your money.
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