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The Best Mini PCs In 2023
Best mini PCs: Quick Menu
The best mini PCs might be small compared to standard-sized rigs but they pack enough power to perform a wide range of tasks — including web browsing, content creation and gaming. Not only are these tiny computers more convenient than enormous PC towers, but they're also super quiet. For some folks, mini PCs could be the perfect personal computer.
In terms of design, mini PCs range from smaller desktops to stick PCs you can slip into your pocket. Mini PCs leverage the small, energy-efficient components of 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.
Tony Polanco
Computing WriterTony is a computing 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 quick listHere'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.
Best overall
1. Mac mini M2
The best mini PC overall
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.
Best for creatives
2. Mac Studio M2
The best mini PC for creatives
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.
Best for gaming
3. Minisforum Neptune HX99G
The best gaming mini PC
The Minisforum Neptune HX99G is a pint-sized gaming PC that delivers great performance for the price. For less than a comparable gaming laptop you get this little box with plenty of ports and enough power to run many games well, thanks to its Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6600M.
Read more below.
Best for projects
4. Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
The best mini PC for tinkerers
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 for projects ranging from simple to complex, from its enhanced processing and graphics to offering broad compatibility with older accessories.
Read more below.
Best for office
5. Dell OptiPlex 7070
The best mini PC for the office
Packing plenty of capability into its tiny size and offering a modular solution for offices that want to upgrade often, the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra is a cool twist on the mini PC in the workplace. The mini PC itself is so slim it might get mistaken for a laptop battery pack or a desktop dock.
Read more below.
The best mini PC overall
Size (Inches): 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4
Weight: 2.6-2.8 pounds
CPU: Apple M2/M2 Pro
Storage: 256GB - 8TB SSD
Geekbench 5 Score: 15,038
Reasons to buy +Powerful, especially with M2 Pro
+Small, quiet and looks good on a desk
+$100 cheaper than predecessor
Reasons to avoid -Not user-repairable or upgradable
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
Size (Inches): 7.7 x 7.7 x 3.7 inches
Weight: 5.9/7.9 pounds (M1 Max/M1 Ultra)
CPU: Apple M1 Max - M1 Ultra
Storage: 256GB - 2TB
Geekbench 5 Score: 23,931
Reasons to buy +Blazing-fast performance from M1 Ultra
+Great design
+Plenty of ports
+Whisper-quiet
Reasons to avoid -Expensive for what you get, especially at the high end
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 gaming mini PC
Size: 8.1 x 8 x 2.7 inches
Weight: 2.7 pounds
CPU: Ryzen 9 6900HX
Storage: Up to 2TB NVMe SSD x 2
Geekbench 5 score: 9607
Reasons to buy +Incredible performance
+Upgradeable storage and RAM
+Small footprint
+Super quiet
The Minisforum Neptune HX99G is a pint-sized gaming PC that delivers great performance for the price.
For less than a comparable gaming laptop, you get this little box with plenty of ports and enough power to run many games well, thanks to its Ryzen 9 6900HX and Radeon RX 6600M. You can also crack it open and upgrade it with up to 64GB of RAM and terabytes of storage, though the process of getting around inside the case is a little annoying.
Nevertheless, it's a great mini PC for gaming and one of our top recommendations. And like all the computers on this list, it's won't take up much space on your desk.
Read our full Minisforum Neptune HX99G review.
The best mini PC for tinkerers
Size (Inches): 3.4 x 2.2 x 0.4
Weight: 1.6 ounces
CPU : ARM Cortex A72
Storage: No onboard storage
Geekbench 3 Score: N/A
Reasons to buy +Significantly more powerful than past models
+Supports dual 4K video output, USB 3.0 and USB Type-C for power
Reasons to avoid -Not compatible with older Raspberry Pi cases
-Software compatibility is hit or miss
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 the office
Size (Inches): 10.08 x 3.78 by 1.1
Weight: 1.16 pounds
CPU: Intel Core i7-8665U
Storage: 512GB SSD
Geekbench 4 Score: 16,684
Reasons to buy +Great performance
+Mini PC meets All-in-One desktop
+Excellent port selection
+Dizzying number of configurations and coverage plans
Reasons to avoid -Locks you into a new, untried ecosystem
-Setup is a pain
Our new favorite office desktop does a cool disappearing trick, with a funky design that hides the powerful mini PC inside a specially designed monitor stand that turns it into a low-profile all-in-one PC. Packing plenty of capability into its tiny size and offering a modular solution for offices that want to upgrade often, the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra is a cool twist on the mini PC in the workplace.
The mini PC itself is so slim it might get mistaken for a laptop battery pack or a desktop dock, but inside it boasts an Intel Core processor, up to 64GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of storage. It has plenty of ports and performance that puts it squarely among the best productivity-focused mini PCs you can buy.
If the OptiPlex 7070 is sold out, you can purchase the 7090 for $889 at Dell.
Read our full Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra review.
How to choose the best mini PCMini 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 PCsWe 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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IPad Mini (2023): What We Want To See
Will there actually be an iPad mini (2023) model, or will we have to wait until 2024 to see a new compact tablet from Apple?
That's the main question we have right now, as it's been around two years since the iPad mini (2021) launched, so a new model should be due, but there's disagreement over exactly when we'll see it.
The iPad mini (2023) or (2024) will be the seventh model in the range, so the iPad mini 7 in other words, though one leak suggests it could land as the iPad mini Pro.
Whatever name you call it though and whenever it lands, we're starting to hear some rumors about it, and you'll find those below, along with our thoughts on the likely release date and price.
Then further down we've included a list of things we want from Apple's next compact slate, in order to make it even better than the iPad mini (2021).
Cut to the chaseWhether the iPad mini (2023) will land in 2023 or 2024 is currently unclear, though some recent leaks suggest we might see the iPad mini (2023) before October 23. Then again, other sources have countered that, saying the iPad mini (2023) won't launch in October.
Another recent iPad mini 7 release date rumor points to a launch somewhere between now (that being October 2023), and July 2024.
That's broadly in line with other leaks, as we recently heard from another source that the iPad mini (2023) might land before the end of 2023, while another leaker claimed slightly earlier in the year that the next iPad mini would arrive alongside the Apple Watch 9. That of course didn't happen, but Apple's latest wearable didn't launch long ago at the time of writing, so we could still see the iPad mini (2023) soon.
Prior to that, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the iPad mini (2023) would land in late 2023 or in the first half of 2024, following that up later with a claim that early 2024 was most likely, and that it might land alongside a foldable iPad.
With 2023 now almost over and there not being many iPad mini (2023) leaks yet, we'd say 2024 is looking most likely.
As for the price, one source claims that the iPad mini (2022) will be slightly more expensive than the iPad mini (2021), which starts at $499 / £479 / AU$749. But we wouldn't think Apple would push the price up by much.
One very early iPad mini (2023) leak detailed many of the possible specs. Apparently, the tablet will have an 8.3-inch 120Hz screen, an A15 Bionic chipset (like the current model, though with a slightly higher 3.23GHz clock speed), 4GB of RAM, and a starting capacity of 128GB, up from 64GB on the current model.
However, as the source doesn't yet have a track record and as this is now quite an old leak, we'd take this with a pinch of salt.
More recently we've heard that the iPad mini (2023) might have a new chipset but a similar design to the current model, so it may not be a huge upgrade.
Reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously made a similar claim about the iPad mini (2023), and we've also heard elsewhere that the iPad mini (2023) will simply have a spec bump.
Finally, one source claims that the 'jelly scrolling' effect that's sometimes present when scrolling the current iPad mini's screen won't be as noticeable on the next model.
iPad mini (2023): what we want to seeThe iPad mini (2021) is a great slate, but with the following changes the iPad mini (2023) would be far better still.
1. Better battery lifeIn our review we found that the iPad mini (2021)'s battery life was solid but not special. It would last around 8 hours with intensive use, and potentially even less when the Apple Pencil was added to the equation.
The size of the slate may be a limiting factor here as there might simply not be space for a much bigger battery, but the fact is that the likes of the iPad Pro 11 (2021) offer better life, so we'd like Apple to try and make some improvements here for the iPad mini (2023).
2. More powerThe iPad mini (2021) isn't exactly lacking in power. After all, it has the same chipset as the iPhone 13. But it only has 4GB of RAM, and while its chipset is good, it's no match for the M1 in the latest iPad Pro models.
This is of course a balance for Apple – supercharge the iPad mini too much and the price will inevitably go up, but we imagine there must be a market for a powerful slate with a small screen, so we'd like to see Apple lean into that for the next model, even if it also launches a less powerful version.
3. A stylus in the box
The Apple Pencil is an important accessory for the iPad mini, with the 2021 model even having a connector and charger for it on the right edge of the slate, yet the Apple Pencil doesn't actually come with the tablet.
Instead, you have to buy it separately, and at quite a high cost. This isn't so surprising when you consider that none of Apple's tablets come with a stylus in the box, but the need to buy one makes the overall price of the iPad mini (2021) much less appealing.
Plus, some rival slates such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 do come with a stylus included, so we'd love to see Apple do the same for the iPad mini (2023).
4. Face IDDespite sporting a reasonably modern design (with no home button) the iPad mini (2021) still relies on a fingerprint scanner – one built into the power button on the top edge.
This isn't a terrible option, but we'd love to see Apple add Face ID for the iPad mini (2023). If it can keep the fingerprint scanner as well so users have options then all the better, but that's unlikely to happen.
5. MmWave supportThe iPad mini (2021) optionally comes with 5G support, but what it doesn't have is mmWave support. This is a high frequency form of 5G that offers far higher download speeds, and it's perhaps not that surprising that it isn't supported, as most countries have little to no mmWave infrastructure, and even in the US it's very limited.
But support for it would be handy for those areas that do have it, and it would help future-proof the slate, as mmWave coverage is likely to improve over time. So we want to see this offered by the iPad mini (2023).
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