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It depends how you intend to use your mini computer. While both are highly portable, mini PCs are more so, with a far smaller surface area. If you’re working on the go, be aware of the sometimes limited battery life on laptops - if you’re usually running off the mains, a mini PC may be the better choice. Ports and connectivity are another area where we look at what's on offer - and how it compares with rival devices. Not everyone will need Thunderbolt 4, but we expect to see adequate slots on a mini PC to increase functionality and flexibility. Please refer to Wikipedia for more information about RAID0 and RAID1. We do not recommend that customers who are new to this function set it up by themselves without proper assistance. We will also post instructions on our social media channels later. Gaming mini PC’s can also be upgraded with more memory and storage. And Intel based models with a thunderbolt port can also take advantage of being able to connect an eGPU (external graphics) to it, and use that instead of the integrated graphics. You are then limited by the power of the eGPU on the graphics settings and resolution. For example a Geforce 4080 can play games at 4K on High or Ultra graphics settings.
USB 3.0 and USB Type-C are the golden standards of connectivity. They are the most flexible and provide good transfer speeds. Video Output Most desktop workstation buyers want tons of expandability and upgradeability. HP's Z2 Mini G9 doesn't have those, but it has awesome performance, impressive connectivity, and surprising serviceability for a PC only 2.7 by 8.3 by 8.6 inches big. Though it can hide under a desk or behind a monitor with an optional VESA mount, the Z2 Mini accommodates the 125-watt processors you'll find in full-size towers, such as our test unit's flagship Intel Core i9-12900K, and an industry-standard graphics card. The latter must be a half-length, half-height GPU powered by the PCI Express slot, but the 12GB Nvidia RTX A2000 in our review system is certainly no slouch. Who It's For The MinisForum Elitemini B550 mini PC for gaming is equipped with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G processor and Radeon Graphics, delivering high-performance video and 3D rendering capabilities. It supports up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM and offers storage options of up to 2TB M.2 SSD, with additional slots for extra storage including a 2.5″ HDD or SSD.Storage is an important point of consideration for any PC. Not just mini PCs, and especially not just Ryzen mini PCs. Regardless, we’ll go over the storage factor briefly. What could have been better was the USB ports that are all blue in colour, though one is a USB 2.0, and both USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports are on the front and both Type-A ports. That the only USB-C port is Gen 1 was a definite oversight. Mini PCs, sometimes known as think clients or NUCs, are ideal for light use, such as web browsing and video streaming. Some can even handle casual gaming sessions. But you won't find the raw power offered by the likes of the best mobile workstations. In my early career, I worked as an editor of scholarly science books, and as an editor of "Dummies"-style computer guidebooks for Brady Books (now, BradyGames). I'm a lifetime New Yorker, a graduate of New York University's journalism program, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. For your day to day work and home office tasks, using a Ryzen mini PC can offer amazing price versus performance than Intel based processors. Beelink are a popular choice for AMD based devices, Their models such as the Ryzen 9 5900HX found in the Beelink GTR5 scored 6262 versus 5176 on an equivalent Intel 11th generation i7 processor in our PCMark benchmarks.
Companies such as Beelink and MinisForum are among the main innovators in gaming mini PC’s. Their popular GTR series feature high performance AMD Ryzen based processors with integrated graphics. They are great for gaming as many games are optimised for AMD chipsets. You can for example play Call of Duty Modern Warfare II at good graphics settings at high resolution with ease. If you prefer wired connections, ensure that your mini PC has an Ethernet (RJ45) port. Just about every model will have at least one, with a rare few having two – allowing for slightly more complex networking setups. Overall, the power in this small system is daunting, with an impressive selection of ports that include two USB 4.0/Thunderbolt and dual 2.5GbE LAN. These give the NPB7 remarkable flexibility for a wide range of applications and plenty of scope for external enhancements to storage and networking. A brilliantly effective design which isn’t expensive for what is inside it. Each piece of hardware has passed a strict quality inspection and met the factory's standards before it is delivered to Minisforum. In addition, there is no difference in the warranty policies of these hardware suppliers. This gaming mini PC ’s performance is further bolstered by the respectable dual-channel SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM running at speeds of up to 3200mHz. There is also an M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD to provide lightning-fast loading speeds for all your apps and games.
Performance — Zen 3+ Upgrade
We explore the internal specs of each device, and how they compare with some of the other best mini PCs on the market. As part of this process, we also assess the upgradability of the device - from the options on offer to the ease of creating your perfect mini PC. This includes benchmarking performance of the CPU, GPU, and RAM. We're not necessarily looking for the most powerful mini PC. But we want to see suitable performance relative to a range of uses and budgets. Most mini PCs you’ll find on the market will not feature a discrete graphics card. Barring exceptions such as the DroiX Stheno series.
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