For years, desktop has been synonymous with big towers. Obviously a large case that serves as the central unit – CPU for short – and is set up vertically – hence the name Tower – to which all the classic peripherals are connected: keyboard, mouse, screen(s), webcam, speakers, Microphone, external hard drive, printer, etc. Admittedly, there have long been other fixed PC formats, such as the “all-in-one” in which all the electronics are integrated into the screen – like Apple’s iMacs – or the “pizza box”. – a flat, horizontally positioned box – which has now fallen out of use. But it is clearly the towers, whether small, medium or large, that have dominated the sector.
Real computers in an ultra-compact format
Luckily that time is over. Because in most cases you can easily replace a bulky tower with a mini PC. In other words, through a tiny box that offers the same features without taking up as much space. Thanks to the standardized VESA mounting system, a mini PC can be placed much more discreetly in the office or living room and even placed behind a screen. A very noticeable gain in space, which is associated with other advantages.
The mini PC is not a new concept. Ultra-compact computers have long been found in industrial environments and even in PLCs. Apple released its Mac mini in 2005 – the smallest in its lineup – and Intel followed a few years later with its NUCs – Next Unit of Computing – miniature PCs that are mostly sold as barebones, i.e. computers that come with RAM and a storage device to be equipped . But the market has grown significantly in recent times and there are now a variety of mini PCs that are not only ready to use out of the box, but apart from the mass, are really on par with the classic towers.
Because contrary to popular belief, mini PCs are not cheap computers. Their incredible compactness is explained by the fact that they use components originally designed for laptops. In other words, circuits designed to operate at reduced volumes. And their designers are redoubling their ingenuity to optimize the use of their interior space. Not to mention that they are usually powered by an external adapter, like laptops.
And the term miniature is really not an exaggeration when we talk about mini PCs: most models currently on the market are around 13 cm wide, 12 cm deep and 4 or 5 cm high. Apparently, they’re almost half the size of an ATX-sized power supply found in a traditional tower, and even four times less bulky than a Mac mini! They easily fit in the palm of a hand. And since they typically weigh a few hundred grams, most of them 500 grams, they can easily be taken on trips – even if they don’t offer the comfort and functions of a laptop PC due to the lack of a keyboard, touchpad and screen. But what a step up compared to the towers of yesteryear!
Many more interfaces than a laptop
Especially since, despite their small size, they usually have a good range of sockets for connecting peripheral devices: Many offer three or four ports in USB-A format – for external drives, keyboard, mouse etc. -, two or three USB-C Ports – sometimes Thunderbolt compatible -, an Ethernet port for a wired connection to a local area network, a memory card reader, as well as multiple video outputs – in HMDI and.or in DisplayPort – for connecting screens! In addition, there are of course Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces for wireless connections. In short, the connectivity is similar to towers and much more extensive than laptops!
Because they are also equipped with energy-saving components for laptops, they are both quieter and less energy-consuming than classic tower PCs. Many are satisfied with around ten watts in basic operation: That is significantly less than towers equipped with power supplies that deliver several hundred watts – if they do not exceed 1000 W … A considerable advantage in times of rising energy costs, especially when using a PC all day…
Performance worthy of big PCs
When it comes to computing power, mini PCs perform similarly to laptops – and with good reason! Given the tremendous advances made by processor designers, they can compete with traditional towers. Equipped with the latest chips from Intel and AMD, the best models can easily run demanding applications with high computing power, be it photo editing, video compression, audio mixing, DTP, CAD, etc. And even the most modest devices are sufficient for the most common applications (office automation, surfing the internet, audio and video playback, etc.).
The only area where they are currently showing their limitations is in gaming. Admittedly, like laptops, they can run old, not too demanding titles in 3D. And the most advanced gaming models are able to “motorize” demanding games very correctly. However, due to their limited internal space, they cannot accommodate very high-end graphics cards from AMD or Nvidia. This is also the reason why gamers still prefer to rely on individually assembled tower PCs with carefully selected components and accessories, which are the only ones that can accommodate the huge graphics cards of the latest generation. In general, applications that require the installation of expansion cards in PCIe format – especially professional applications that require powerful graphics processors (GPUs) – are not suitable for mini PCs.
Therefore, current Mini-PCs, apart from a few very special models, have to make do with GPUs designed for laptops, which are usually integrated directly into the main processor (CPU). Less efficient circuitry than dedicated graphics cards. But this limitation does not last forever: in AMD in particular, we are already seeing the emergence of new generation chips that integrate excellent GPUs. Without a doubt, the time is not far off when even demanding gamers will be able to give up their big towers in favor of mini PCs…
Partly scalable PCs
The other advantage of mini PCs compared to laptops is their scalability. Due to its compactness, you can of course not change everything like you can with a lathe. In principle, however, it is possible to easily replace or supplement certain elements. This applies to the RAM, housed on standard removable modules – in the SODIMM format as in laptops – but also to the storage, which is generally entrusted to SSDs in the NVMe-M2 format – small flash memory chips. In most cases, removing four screws is enough to access the inside of the device and replace these components, which is not the case with laptops. Better still, some models even have a special slot for installing an additional storage device in standard 2.5-inch SATA format – HDD or SSD. In fact, mini PCs are proving to be more durable than laptops, which are mostly doomed to stay in their original configuration. An advantage that brings them closer to traditional fixed PCs.
The criteria for choosing a mini PC
Curiously, apart from Asus, which has some models in its extensive catalog, and Intel, which continues to develop its NUC family, the mini PC market is mainly occupied by specialized manufacturers, most of them from Asia, such as Beelink, Geekom, Minis Forum or NiPoGi. And their offer is much more extensive than one might think at first glance, ranging from minimalist – and very economical – devices for simple office automation to high-performance models suitable for running all kinds of professional applications, such as classic ” Big PC’s. “. If you want to replace your old tower with one of these miniature computers, you must consider the following criteria to find the model that suits your needs.
The processor. Mini PC manufacturers offer quite a wide range of chips to animate their models.
interfaces. While they’re all more generous than laptops when it comes to connectivity options, mini PCs differ from each other in their ports. We still find USB-A and now also USB-C, but not always in the same standards (USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 4, Thunderbolt, etc.) and also not in the same quantity, the same goes for the other types of ports and interfaces, with supported standards varying by model (HMDI 2.0, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1, Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5G Ethernet, etc). Make a full inventory of available jacks and interfaces to verify that they meet your needs. In doing so, you know that it is always possible to use USB-C hubs to add additional ports. This is clearly a very differentiating chapter on mini PCs.
scalability. Even if they remain limited, you should not neglect the possibilities to upgrade a mini PC, whether for memory – for example from 8 to 16, 32 or even 64 GB of RAM – or for storage – by replacing the original SSD or add to have more space. This is the sine qua non for being able to keep the computer for a long time, adapting it to your needs and to changes in operating systems (Windows or Linux).
The format. Although mini PCs are inherently compact, they don’t all have exactly the same dimensions. Many adopt the format of Intel NUCs, accurate to within a few millimeters. The thicker models usually have a slot for installing an additional hard drive.