PCs no longer have to be the big, ugly beige boxes that devour desk real estate. These giant machines have given way to the mini PC -- a computer no bigger than a hardback book, but capable of handling demanding workloads.
The mini PC market can be somewhat bewildering, so I've done a considerable amount of legwork to distill things down to a handful of choices, from the Intel NUC 13 workhorse to the AceMagician AMD Ryzen 9 Mini gaming PC, to the oftentimes overlooked Apple Mac Mini.
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What is the best mini PC right now?
I've tested and researched the current mini PC offerings on the market, examining specs and paying close attention to user reviews, and my top pick for the best mini PC is the Intel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon, and it comes in at under $900. Whether you want a mini PC for the home, office, or meeting room, this is a solid choice and a dependable workhorse.
There's also never been a better time to buy, because at the time of update, prices have come down dramatically pretty much across the board.
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The best mini PCs of 2025
Show less View now at Amazon Why we like it: When it comes to mini PCs, it's hard to beat a machine built to the Intel NUC specs. I've owned and tested a number of them myself and have been very happy with all of them. With this model, we have a system running a 16-core Core i7 chip that can power up to 3.7 GHz with a built-in Iris Xe GPU. Backing that is 32GB of RAM and 1TB M.2 SSD -- that's quite a spec for a system you can hold in the palm of your hand. As for ports, this system has a multitude of USB ports, along with Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and Ethernet. It's a real powerhouse in a compact space. Who it's for: This is a no-frills workhorse. No LED lights, no fancy design, just a powerful computer in a box. Who should look elsewhere: As mini PCs go, this one is likely overkill for most, and that s reflected in the price. There are definitely cheaper mini PCs out there. Intel NUC 13 Pro Arena Canyon tech specs: 12th Generation Intel Core i7-1360P | Intel Iris Xe Graphics 96EU | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD | 3x USB 3.2 type A, 1x USB-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x HDMI, Ethernet, audio jack | Windows 11 Pro | Price: $859 Pros Powerful
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