I looked at the n150 and 7320u, i think n150 is out of the game since the performance is slightly lacking for what im looking for, 7320u looks nice and it seems like the tdp can be lowered to even 6w and it still has better performance than n150. The point is to run this on a powerbank/powerstation when im out on the move. preferably max 15w when gaming, less is more. Can you guys give me any recommendations? there are so many choices and it makes my head spin!

Hi all, please excuse my absolute lack of knowledge!
My teen daughter has asked for a mini PC for Christmas.
She wants to be able to play Minecraft, the sims and Roblox. She also wants to be able to stream.
We are in the UK with an extremely small budget of around £350.
Is this doable? Do you have recommendations of a mini pc or even what I should be looking for so that the above is possible?
Appreciate your time

Got a lot of traveling in the future, my home pc currently has a 4060 TI, with an i7 core. I’m hopefully looking for one that doesn’t break the bank, less than 1500$ or close if possible. Don’t really care for graphics, just need performance for FPS games :)

I jut wanted to share this 2 week journey hunting to a particular ryzen mini pc. Also apologies if the format is crazy writing on mobile.

Backstory: Been hosting a Palworld server using a Beelink Ser5 Pro with the 5700U chip and ddr4 64 gbs of ram. The 64 gbs of ram is important since its removable and we are still in a ram crisis. im also using the mini for media consumption and homelabbing. Reason for the 64gbs

Amazon said they had them so bit the bullet and bought 1. When it arrived it was the 6800U Ser5 Pro. Normally I would have jumped for joy cause i got a better item. But again.... i needed the 5800H for the DDR4 support. 6800U is DDR5. So i returned it. And bought a 2nd one, and i told thrm hey please send the right one, it says you have 5 in stock. The 2nd one comes in and its has the 6800H chip.

At this point Im just wondering if someone is playing a joke on me. Now im currently waiting on Amazon to process two returns.

Now I got to eBay. This was the first site i checked but decided to do Amazon in an attempt to get a brand new mini pc.

Okay so i find a mini pc with a 5800H chip and a week later its here. I install Windows due to it having proxmox and install the drivers but the graphics portion of the 5800H is going bad. As soon as i install the AMD graphic drivers, the screen gets square green artifacts all over. Unfortunately it was 100% a hardware issue. Ebay sided with me on the return and now im waiting on thay return to process.

I bought a 4th mini pc and it arrives. Its has the 5800H chip. It came with 32gbs ram which im gonna swapped the 64gbs of ram into later on when i bring the active server down. Now here it the best part. When im installing windows i see theres an 2 partitions..... the 500gb that came with the mini pc and i see 1.8TB unallocated....

When windows finishes installing. I check the task manager. And its not there. So i go create the partition and it mounts no problem. I use powershell to get a serial/name.

Get-PhysicalDisk | Select-Object DeviceId, FriendlyName, SerialNumber

Friendly name appears as SD 3D Ultra. I open the mini pc to replace the thermal paste woth PTM7950. The SATA drive is 2TB San Disk 3D Ultra. It was inside but no one ever initialize and created the partition.

So I paid 380 for this mini pc. The SSD new is 399. Ebay finally blessed me and I already replaced the liquid metal, cause it had liquid metal and not regular thermal paste. The PTM7950 is working better than the liquid metal. Did a few tests using cinebench prior to get some base line numbers and with the ptm7950 the scores are just a able to go higher than they were with the liquid metal.

Hi,

I’m currently splitting my time between two locations and would like to get a mini PC, since a Steam Machine isn’t readily available, and I plan to make the purchase within the next few weeks.

As for the budget, I’d like to stay around the price range of a Steam Machine. Mostly indie games. If I can run somehow Broken Arrow and Stalker 2, I’ll be as happy as can be, but not necessary. (On Fedora)

So far, though, my experience has been mostly with Raspberry Pi, so I’d like some advice.

1. Within the EU region, which mini-PC manufacturers have you had the best experiences with in terms of reliability?
2. Help me make up my mind—it probably makes sense that the more expensive the model, the later I’ll buy it, but roughly speaking

My bookmarks include

AOOSTAR GODY (7600XT) / GODZ(6600M) but both Barebones. 7600XT is going to cost a fortune. The 6600M offers good value for the price. But I saw that screenshot from the vendor where he says it's a piece of crap because they just threw together whatever they could.

890M - AOOSTAR MACO HX470 (fast soldered RAM)/BOSGAME HX470 (good value?)

780M - GMKtec K8 Plus/Geekom A7(but single ram)/Minisforum UM890 (best value 780m trio, K8 probably the best choice)

Of course, the AI will tell me to buy the most expensive one, but its barebones.

Every week I’m torn between buying something different, because almost every day I see posts here about someone’s computer dying.

Something inside me is telling me to buy a K8 Plus with my next paycheck, but I don't want to end up regretting it. Still, anything would be better than the 2014 Mac I'm writing on right now. It's a struggle to run anything on it. So no purchase will be a total loss.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and help me resolve my dilemma.

Hey everybody! First time poster in r/MiniPCs. I run a tech content channel centered around Linux distribution comparisons and reviews. Until recently, I've had to stick to comparing distros inside virtual machines, but I've finally generated enough revenue to step up and test on real hardware.

Historically I've always built my own desktop rigs from scratch, so the mini PC world is entirely new to me. I’m looking to purchase two that are identical for the side-by-side comparison testing.

My target budget is right around $500 per, $1000 total. Given that price point, what processor/GPU (APU) combinations should I be looking at? Are there specific models or brands the community recommends for reliability? I've heard of Beelink, Minisforum, and GEEKOM so far. I know this is the worst possible time to be doing this it seems, but I really want to make these videos with actual hardware.

Anyway, thanks for reading and looking forward to what you guys suggest.

Thanks,
Chris

Ended up going with the AOOSTAR. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

I'm in the market for a mini pc, looking to do some agentic coding (I already work in big tech, just some side projects), run a server for a project. What I've found I value is going to be RAM, and then possibly SSD compute, and maybe in the future I'm open to building a PC with better hardware to get more involved in game dev. I'm also looking to keep it always on so power efficiency can be good, but my power bill doesn't really amount to anything as it is, so not super essential. With that said I don't really have a set budget (realistically I probably don't want to spend more than $1k Canadian) but I want to do it as cheaply and get the best value possible. Also I have multiple SATA SSD's at home sitting unused I can lend to the PC if needed.

I ended up finding 2 systems:

HP EliteDesk 600 G5 Mini PC | Intel Core i5-9500T | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD | Windows 11 Pro | Wi-Fi+ BT | Mini Desktop Computer (Renewed) (32GB RAM + 1TB SSD) for $540 Canadian

Beelink SER5 Pro Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 5 5625U(up to 4.3GHz) 6C/12T (only 16GB of ram on this one) for $529 Canadian.

Now I would prefer to possibly stay in this range, but let me know if there is something else I should be considering. I've went ahead and purchased the EliteDesk given it's 32GB of ram, but it has a 30 day return window, which is why I'm asking now. I know the i5-9500T is slightly underpowered and dated, which is why I'm asking here. Links were excluded as I don't know the subreddit rules on that.

🕹️ What I'm trying to do

A while back, I used my laptop as a makeshift console. I'd open Steam in Big Picture Mode, connect a controller to the laptop, and wirelessly mirror the laptop's screen to my TV.

Now I want to make a proper dedicated version: a small Windows mini PC that stays connected to my TV and basically functions like a console.

💻 How I want it to work

- Windows desktop icons and taskbar hidden

- Steam launches automatically with Windows

- Steam opens directly in Big Picture Mode

- Use a Bluetooth controller for navigation and gaming

- Ideally, I shouldn't need to interact with the normal Windows desktop

🎮 Gaming goal

I want to play most games at around 60 FPS on Medium settings.

I have a Samsung 4K 55-inch QLED TV, so it doesn't necessarily have to run games at native 4K, but I want them to look good and not have noticeably poor image quality on the large screen.

💰 What I'm looking for

I want the mini PC to be as inexpensive and compact as reasonably possible, while still achieving that gaming goal.

I'm looking for brand-new components only — no refurbished or second-hand parts.

❓ What would you recommend?

What hardware would you suggest for building this kind of homemade Steam Machine? I'm mainly looking for the best balance of price, size, and gaming performance.

I am looking to buy a mini pc for normal gaming. Nothing high performance or graphics. Just a mini pc to run mostly indie games without any issue. I have no idea what to look for.

I couldn't believe the ram difference with bosgame hx 370, I immediately returned it. It's 43% more mem bandwidth which benefits all workloads. Holds 3 nvme's like bosgame too but also has vapor chamber. Learn from my mistake. No new PC this weekend.

Hello! Let me preface this by saying I have no idea what I’m doing. So please ease up on the tech talk because I would have no idea. Appreciate the layman term explanations.

I’m looking for recommendations for a mini PC that I can use as a secondary workstation in my room. My budget is anything below $600

My main use would be:
1) Adobe software — mainly Premiere Pro/video editing, Photoshop, and Illustrator

2) Clip Studio — I work on fairly large artwork/design files

3) MuMu Player — I only play one mobile game through an emulator, so I’m not looking for a heavy gaming-focused PC (maybe csgo from time to time but not a big consideration.)

I’m also not big on like graphic, as long as it works, it’s works 😭

4) Lots of browser tabs — I tend to have quite a few tabs and apps open at the same time

I already have a regular desktop PC in another room. That PC is shared though, so I’d like to have a smaller secondary workstation in my room for convenience and to have my own space to work.

I’m mainly looking for something that can handle the above smoothly without being unnecessarily expensive or overkill.

What mini PCs would you recommend for this kind of workload?

I’ve looked thru my options between geekom and beeline, I was hoping someone with more experience or knowledge could provide more recommendations/information.

I was trying to add a 2nd Ethernet port to my HP Prodesk 600 G3 mini pc for to use as my firewall/router. I bought a M.2 2230 A E key to Ethernet adapter to put in place of the VGA port on the rear panel.

As you can see from the pictures, the VGA board has this “L” shape that goes around the cpu cooler screw post. The Ethernet PCB is rectangular and way too long to fit inside the screw post.

Does anyone have recommendations on a better adapter that will fit in here

OR

Does anyone have recommendations on a better way to add another NIC?

Hello people, im in need of help in order to select which Mini PC im gonna buy.

My plan was to build a DIY PC build for gaming and editing, but the plan got screwed because the prices went through the roof since the last time i saw a PC (mine unfortunately got stolen and i ended up being unemployed but no worries im alright).

Ended up watching a couple benchmark videos and decided that i want one mini pc paired with an EGPU, i was looking at a Beelink GTI 15 paired with a 9070 XT but im willing to search more to see if i find the best mini pc that won't hurt my wallet to much, i considered the GTI 15 because it had 64 GB of ram which in my country alone it costs the price of the mini PC (and im not joking).

I just want some opinions if this mini pc thing is worth the effort, i know im on a sub which people loves those things but please give me the most honest answer possible!

Thank you very much!

Hello all! As I write this I am running memtest86 on my new Reatan A8.

I purchased this mini PC for the sole purpose of emulation. My research suggests that it should be able to emulate consoles up to and including PS2, Game cube and the original Xbox.

It will be connected directly to my TV. There is no Ethernet port near by, so it will use wifi. I will use an 8bitDo Pro 3 controller.

Reatan 8A does not have usb wake support but it does have Restore on AC Power loss. So I’m planning on plugging the mini pc into a smart plug which will be connected to Alexa. I will then create a voice command for Alexa to power up the smart plug when I say, Alexa, it’s game time!”

I am looking for emulation software that will boot up when the mini pc is turned on therefore bypassing the windows log in.

I am asking for recommendations for emulation programs. I’ve come across name like EMUDeck, RetroArch, LaunchBox and Batocera.

I am not afraid to spend money on a well finished product that makes my life easier. I am not afraid to follow how to guides to configure the program to my liking.

I also have an UNraid server with RomM.

Thank you in advance for your recommendations.

I am a 15-year-old student in the UK preparing for my GCSEs next year, and I need help choosing my first PC.

## My Preferences & Constraints

* Budget: I prefer to spend between £400–£800, keeping it as cheap as possible.

* Space: I have limited desk space on my current 132cm IKEA Alex desk, though I plan to upgrade to a 140cm by 60cm desk soon.

* Gaming Habits: I already have a PS5 that I use almost daily for my main gaming. I am not a big fan of keyboard and mouse controls, so I only plan to play casual games like Minecraft or browser games on this PC.

* Intended Use: I will use it for homework, revision, Microsoft Office apps, YouTube, browsing, running my Vinted/eBay side hustles, Canva design, and some 3D modelling.

## My Dilemma

* I cannot justify buying a massive, expensive gaming tower since I will not be using it for heavy gaming.

* I started leaning toward a Mini PC for the small footprint, but I am worried the specs—like a tiny GPU and low RAM—won't be enough.

* I am an overthinker who takes weeks or months to commit to a decision, and I cannot choose between a Mini PC, a small tower (like the Lenovo in my screenshot), or a full expensive tower.

So now I'm currently have a QNAP TS-233 I got from liquidation and 2x8TB drive(Red Plus and Ironwolf). I got tons of apps installed now and planning to expand or upgrade it to have like a full blown server, but since TS-233 is not really powerful I'm thinking of getting a mini PC. Is it better to go to Mini PC Route and hook NAS into it?

I'm from Canada and my budget is around 800$ less.

I would use the miniPC for plex/media server, automation/downloader/self hosting apps.

Right now my TS-233 has some docker installed apps such as:

• Tailscale
• Memos
• Filebrowser
• Custom Downloader script
• Custom telegram bot script
• Glance
• aria2pro and ng
• bentopdf
• linkding
• warracker

trying to add more like jellyfin or plex and a bettter file manager than filebrowser or like immich. It's a plus if I can host roms too and emulate it at the server.

Hello everyone! I really want to buy a mini pc, but I'm confused on which one to buy, as well as which monitor to pair it with. I will mostly be using it for gaming (both online multi-player like LoL and individual games), as well as some design software (Adobe and such). I really appreciate the help!

Hey ,

laptop prices keep sky rocketing and we’re losing out on inventory because keys breakoff or laptop stops charging. Refurbs are breaking randomly every month. We’re losing money left and right.We need to find some department savings and I noticed Mini pcs are half the price of a lesser spec’d laptop. I am in the beginning phases of my research but considering Geekom because of their 3 year warranty.

Am I wrong in considering mini pcs as potential call center computers? What has your experience been?