Os melhores mini PCs em 2021

O Intel NUC 9 Pro é uma estação de trabalho mini PC que oferece enorme poder e uma quantidade surpreendente de capacidade de atualização. Um desktop de estação de trabalho não é uma oferta incomum no mundo dos PCs, já que eles são o padrão para muitos usos que demandam computação, desde arquitetura a animação. O que é incomum é ver esse nível de desempenho embalado em um design minúsculo que é menor do que um desktop SFF de 5 litros.

Crie espaço para enormes quantidades de RAM, drives adicionais e uma placa de vídeo de até 8 polegadas, e o Intel NUC 9 Pro é uma besta rara. E isso antes de discutirmos a inovadora placa-mãe Compute Element da Intel, que une a modularidade da placa-mãe com o resfriamento integrado e o design independente de uma GPU para criar uma base única para um PC verdadeiramente potente. Adicione tudo isso e é definitivamente a melhor estação de trabalho disponível em mini PCs hoje.

Leia nosso Análise do Intel NUC 9 Pro .

Our new favorite office de sktop 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.

Read our full Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra review.

The Acer Chromebox CXI3 may be the best desktop version of Chrome OS available. Made for use in the classroom or in the office, the Chromebox CXI3 delivers everything that’s great about Chrome – ease of use, simple security, and all the online capability you want – in a mini PC that boasts great features and performance.

The compact Chromebox can be mounted almost anywhere, and boasts plenty of ports, including several USB 3.0 ports, HDMI output and a USB-C port. Our model was outfitted with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD, combining to offer speedy performance and easy multitasking. Plus, it’s cheaper than any similarly equipped Windows machine. For one of the best mini PC designs without the bloat of Windows, there’s no beating the Acer Chromebox CXI3.

Read our full Acer Chromebox CXI3 review.

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. The latest model, the $35 Raspberry Pi 4 Model B offers enormous value for projects ranging from simple to complex, from its enhanced processing and graphics to offering 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.

Read our full Raspberry Pi 4 Model B review.

How to choose the best mini PC for you

Mini 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 within the category there are a range of options, 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.

And keep an eye on new and upcoming products, like the recently announced Zotac Magnus One gaming mini PC or the Raspberry Pi 400, which puts a Pi 4 mini PC inside a keyboard.

How we test mini PCs

We test every mini PC we review goes 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.

Check out all of our desktop computer coverage:

Best computers | Best all-in-one computers | Best gaming PCs