The 6 Best Mini PCs of 2022 - Available on The Market
For consumers who do not play AAA games and do not have mobile office needs, the mini-PC is a very good home computer solution. Not only do they not take up too much desktop space, but they also consume relatively little power and noise. In the past two years, major brands have launched many great small PCs. In today's article, Jupit3r has compiled a few of the most worthwhile products for you.
1. Apple MAC Mini
The 2021 Apple MAC Mini is powered by the incredibly powerful Apple M1 processor, which, while based on the ARM architecture, outperforms even many desktop-class CPUs of its generation. The MAC Mini can run all kinds of big productivity software and play big 3D games on medium settings. For Apple iPhone users, MAC OS can also provide better support than Windows and Linux.
In addition to two USB-A ports, the MAC Mini also provides two Thunderbolt 3 ports with powerful expansion capabilities, and can even run large-scale 3A games with an external graphics docking station. However, there are still some unresolved compatibility issues between some old applications and the M1 processor, and because the body is too thin, there is no room for upgrades inside.
At present, the 8GB/256GB version of the Apple MAC Mini is priced at $800 on the e-commerce platform. Friends who are interested in MAC OS can learn about it.
Pros:
Fast Running Speed
Dual Thunderbolt 3 Interfaces
Good Support For Other products in the Apple Ecological Chain
Cons:
High Price
Inconvenient Aubsequent Upgrades
Compatibility Issues with Some Software
2. Intel NUC 11 Series
Intel's NUC 11 series has a variety of different processor configurations, of which the i7-1165G7 version has the most powerful performance and can meet the daily work, social, audio-visual and lightweight gaming needs of ordinary consumers. At the same time, NUC 11 Pro has quite a lot of interfaces, including 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports, 1 Mini DP1.4 port, 1 HDMI port, 3 USB 3.0 ports and 1 Thunderbolt 4 port, which can be connected to an external graphics card docking station , and can achieve up to four screen output.
At present, the i5 version and i7 version of the barebones are priced at $500 and $600 respectively. Users need to buy memory, hard disk and operating system by themselves. It is difficult to control the cost of the whole set within 4500 yuan.
Pros:
Dual Thunderbolt 3 Interfaces
Four-screen output
Fast Running Speed
Low noise.
Cons:
The cost is too high after adding hard disk, memory and system.
3. ASUS PN51
ASUS PN51 also provides a variety of different processor configurations, of which the R7-5700U version has the strongest performance. Of course, the computing power of the R5-5500U can also meet the needs of most users. This PC can expand up to 64GB 3200MHz memory, and can install NVMe M.2 solid state drive and a 2.5-inch SSD/HDD, and the quick-release design is very convenient for later maintenance and upgrades.
At the same time, PN51 provides a very rich interface, including two USB3.2 Gen2 Type-C interfaces, one HDMI interface, one DP interface, three USB3.0 interfaces, and even a TF slot. Due to the use of AMD processors, it does not support the Thunderbolt interface, which is a little regrettable. However, the Type-C of the USB3.2 Gen2 specification is also compatible with DP1.4 to achieve 8K output, so the performance in other aspects will not be discounted except for the external graphics dock.
The PN51 is currently equipped with 16GB of memory, and the 512GB solid-state drive version is priced at 4299 yuan (680USD). Compared with the NUC series, the price has certain advantages, but the performance is stronger, and the genuine Windows operating system is pre-installed, which is very worth buying.
Pros:
Rich Interfaces
Four-Screen Output
Fast Running Speed
Reasonable Price
Easy Subsequent Upgrades.
Cons:
No Lightning Interface.
4. Lenovo Tianyi 510S Mini
Lenovo Tianyi 510S Mini can be said to be the mini PC with the strongest sense of design at present. It adopts the aesthetic style of Nordic, the outer layer of the top cover is made of fabric material, and the side uses the color matching of sandstone gray. The overall look is very unique. Although the body capacity is only 1L, it is equipped with a desktop-class i5-10400 processor. This chip adopts a 6-core 12-thread architecture, and the CPU performance has certain advantages compared with the mobile processor of the same generation. The multi-core performance exceeds that of the 11th generation i5-1135G7. However, the performance of the integrated UHD630 graphics card is relatively weak, and it is basically unable to run any large-scale games except LOL.
In addition to the genuine Windows operating system, Tianyi 510S Mini is also pre-installed with the permanently authorized MS Office office suite, which is very practical for ordinary consumers. After all, it will cost a lot of bucks to buy it alone.
Unfortunately, although Tianyi 510S uses an Intel processor compatible with Thunderbolt interface, the body is not equipped with Thunderbolt interface. Instead, it is replaced by a USB 3.2 Gen1 specification Type-C, which is compatible with DP1.2 to achieve 4K video output. , plus HDMI and DP interfaces, up to 3 screens can be output.
At present, the 16GB/512GB version is priced at 4199 yuan (665USD) on the e-commerce platform. Considering the bonus of the genuine MS Office, its price still has certain advantages compared to the NUC system. Interested friends can consider it.
Pros:
Strong Design Sense
Permanently Licensed MS Office
Desktop-Class Processor.
Cons:
Graphics Card Performance is Weak
No Lightning Interface.
5. Beelink GTR5
Beelink GTR5 is equipped with AMD R9-5900HX processor, which has 8 cores, 16 threads, and runs at a frequency of 3.3GHz-4.6GHz. The R9-5900HX processor is also the most powerful of the SoCs used in the mini-PC. The CPU multi-core performance is almost twice that of the Intel i7-1165G7, and it also surpasses many desktop-class processors of the same generation.
In addition, Beelink GTR5 provides very powerful scalability. It not only carries 5 USB-A ports (3*USB3.0+2*USB2.0), but also a USB 3.2 Gen1 specification multi-function Type-C port, It is also equipped with dual 2.5Gbps network ports, as well as HDMI and DP interfaces. At the same time, GTR5 supports the installation of two 32GB-3200MHz memory sticks, two m2.2280 hard drives (one of which is NVMe protocol) and a 2.5-inch HDD/SSD. In terms of wireless network, GTR5 is also one of the few mini-PCs in the world that supports WiFi 6E, and it also supports Bluetooth 5.2.
However, because AMD is currently not compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4, the Beelink GTR5 is not equipped with a Thunderbolt interface and cannot be connected to an external graphics dock. But the integrated octa-core Radeon RX Vega 8 runs at 2100MHz for an overall performance equivalent to the MX350 and can run most 3D games at reasonable resolutions and effects settings.
Beelink GTR5 is currently available on Minixpc.com with 32GB/500GB version is priced at $949, and 64GB+1TB version at $1,199.
Pros:
Powerful Performance
Supports Three Hard Drives
Dual 2.5Gbps Network Ports
WiFi 6E.
Cons:
No Lightning Interface.
6. Minisforum HX90
Like Beelink GTR5, Minisforum HX90 also uses the super powerful AMD R9-5900HX processor, but its body size is twice as large as the former, and the shell is made of carbon fiber material, which will theoretically dissipate heat better. Just take up more desktop space.
In terms of scalability, the HX90 is equipped with 5 USB 3.0 ports, 1 Type-C port (video output is not supported), 2 HDMI ports and 2 DP ports. There are 3.5mm microphone and 3.5mm headphone ports on the front and rear sides of the fuselage, which can be connected to speakers and headphones at the same time. In addition, HX90 supports one NVMe hard drive with m2. interface and two 2.5-inch HDD/SSD. In terms of network, HX90 also supports WiFi 6E and can access the 6GHz wireless network frequency band.
Minisforum HX90 is currently available on Minixpc.com at $924.99 with 16GB+512GB, and $994.99 with 32GB of memory and 512GB NVMe hard disk. The price is much higher than that of the same-configured GTR5. .
For users who have no special requirements for space saving, a DIY desktop computer will naturally have a higher cost performance, but if you want the smallest computer to handle the most tasks, the above should be the most capable mini-PCs on the market
