We’ve picked out the best mini PCs and thin clients in a variety of form factors for all kinds of use cases.
When most users seek an alternative to a large PC case they are quick to make the jump to laptops and all-in-one PCs. But down the road they may find themselves disappointed by the screen attached to the machine, as it limits your options. If you want to avoid a full size PC, feel constrained by a laptop or all-in-one and at the same time want to keep your freedom of choice when it comes to monitors, what do you do? You can choose a Mini PC or Mac Mini, that’s where they shine. Mini PCs (also referred to as thin clients) can be integrated with your choice of monitors (usually one at the low end, but up to four in some devices) and peripherals such as a webcam, At the same, Mini PCs can stay hidden out of sight, either under the desk or behind a monitor. Despite their small size, mini PCs are as functional and compatible with software as traditional PCs. If there is one constant rule in electronics is that everything is shrinking, all the time and PCs are no exception. Tasks that some years ago required a bulky tower can be achieved today with a Mini-ITX standard PC case that is one third to a quarter in size of the beige boxes of the past. Yet even Mini-ITX is getting old by today’s standards and you can get ready-made Mini PCs that fit in your pocket or the palm of your hand. 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 range of 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. We have done the research so you won’t have to and here, we present you with a selection of the best Mini PCs in every size and form factor and for every usage scenario. You will find entries from big PC name brands like Dell, Intel, Lenovo, along with Zotac, one of the pioneers in this category. Finally you will find rising stars like MinisForum and Beelink, and less known, niche brands in this contested market segment. This powerful mini PC is square and smaller than a mouse pad, making it perfect for office workers, students and creative professionals who work from home. It looks good sitting on your desk, but thanks to its mounting plate you are able to hide it from view if necessary. Additionally, its small size makes it easy to transport: simply unplug the cables and put the workhorse with its power adaptor into a backpack to take it wherever you go. Thanks to AMD’s fast, quad-core Ryzen 7 CPU and its PCI bus SSD, Windows 10 boots in less than 10 seconds. It includes 16GB of RAM, which is more than adequate for 2022 and beyond. If you want to upgrade your memory or storage, its top plate is easily removed by pressing and sliding, without a screwdriver. It uses standard SO-DIMMs like laptops do and has a 2.5-inch bay for an internal SSD or HDD. The device has one USB-C port on the front as well as two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a power button. There are also more USB ports on its back, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort for hooking up a monitor. With this tiny machine, you can drive three 4K displays with ease, but you will have to use three different cable types for each: USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Early in January, the company announced that a version with Manjaro Linux preloaded would cost $70 less than the Windows version. The dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet port as the basic configuration provide excellent connectivity. Minisforum offers versions of this model in various RAM and storage configurations, and some have two Gigabit Ethernet ports, whereas the Linux preloaded version has a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. Consider that when ordering and check the type and number of Ethernet ports included if wired networking is important to you. Dell has been in the business of Mini-PCs for years. Since launching its Optiplex series many years ago, the company has developed it into full size PCs, SFF (Small Form Factor), and „Micro“ offerings. The Optiplex 3090 Micro came out in late 2021, replacing the 3080 of a year ago, with the main differences being its ability to support 64GB of memory on its two memory slots, and all of its USB ports are 3.2 Gen 1. This unit is designed to sit vertically next to a monitor, leaving the front USB port and power button within easy reach. With microphone and headphones ports, it makes a great video conferencing tool. Windows 10 comes preloaded, but there is an option to have Windows 11 Pro installed. The processor included is a 10th-generation Intel Core i5 10500T with six cores with speeds up to 2.30 GHz, so it’s perfect for office applications. The Intel UHD Graphics 630 shared graphics works well for watching HD videos, working in office applications, and editing graphics. DisplayPort video ports on the back allow you to hook up two monitors at up to 4K resolution (60Hz). The cooler makes little noise despite the power of the CPU. There is a 2.5-inch storage slot for a SATA-based HDD or SSD inside, as well as two M.2-based slots: one holds the bundled PCI SSD, and another holds the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth card. On the front there is one USB 3.2 port and on the back are four USB 3.2 ports, all capable of speeds of up to 5Gbps, along with two video outputs and an RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port. There is a Kensington Lock slot for securing the device to a desk, and if you order directly from Dell there is an option to add an additional video port, which can either be VGA, DisplayPort 1.4, or HDMI. The system can be fine tuned if ordered directly from Dell, with options ranging from a quad-core Intel i3 to an eight-core Intel i7, more RAM or replacing the SSD with a FIPS-certified self-encrypting drive. Dell offers a wired keyboard as part of the base price when ordering directly from the company. An outstanding value for money is made even better by the firm’s trademark three-year warranty. With its M720q, Lenovo screams „professional“ from every angle. This unit has a small footprint, can be used horizontally or vertically, and measures an impressive 7 inches by 1.35 inches. It has rubbed pads to prevent it from sliding on the desk, and a stand can be used to position it vertically. It can also be mounted behind a monitor if you purchase the optional but inexpensive VESA mounting bracket. This sturdy metal enclosure houses a six-core Intel i5-9400T that can reach 3.4GHz. The Mini PC uses a desktop-grade processor instead of a lower-power mobile one, and the graphics are handled by an Intel UHD 630 integrated graphics card. The large air vents at the back keep the CPU and the system cool without creating a lot of noise. There are a wide range of CPU, RAM and storage configurations available of this model, with the highest end version currently being an Intel i7-8700T with a one terabyte SSD and 32GB RAM for 2.5x the price of this mid-level configuration. With one screw removed at the back, you can slide the top and front off to access the inside. After that’s out of the way, you’ll see the empty 2.5″ inch storage bay where you’ll be able to add a SATA SSD or HDD. The bottom panel reveals two RAM slots using SODIMM memory along with the SSD connected via a M.2 PCI express slot. Since it is a business device, it comes with many perks IT managers will love, like the Lenovo Vantage software that allows them to do everything from perform hardware scans to update software and check warranty status. Security is another strength that makes it suitable for business environments: its „Smart USB Protection“ allows network administrators to control what USB devices (besides a mouse and keyboard) can be allowed to connect to its USB ports. With the Beelink GTR7 Mini PC, Beelink has produced a workstation -class desktop in a small, shiny package that makes it a strong PC competitor to the Mac Mini with some extra perks and functionality that raises eyebrows. Its fingerprint reader at the top of the case is one of its biggest advantages over almost any other Mini PC, making it a good choice for the security conscious and well suited for both business settings and your home working space. Its two Gigabit Ethernet ports also make it an excellent firewall, for running an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) like Suricata, or for other edge-of-network functions. Its connectivity is one of its strongest points, thanks to its six USB 3.0 ports and its one USB Type C port that supports video. With the USB-C in addition to the DisplayPort and HDMI ports, you can use four monitors at once if you need an amazingly large work surface. The device supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard as well as Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.0. Inside you’ll find an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H CPU inside, which clocks at up to 4GHz, and 16GB of DDR4 memory (eight gigabytes per memory slot) which can be expanded to 64GB with two 32GB modules. Due to the Radeon Vega 10 included, don’t expect the same graphics performance as a discrete GPU, but it can still drive several monitors at full resolution. With its support for up to four displays it is great for image editing, video monitoring, digital signage, or just the news junkie that wants to watch live news TV on one display and work on three others. The 2020 Mac Mini, which can only support two displays, cannot match this level of flexibility. Even if you ignore the extra perks, such as dual-Gigabit Ethernet and a fingerprint reader, it can also be a very good entertainment system hooked to a living room TV.
