Mini PCs are a great option for traditional desktop computers, especially when you don’t need very powerful equipment. They are a fun choice for people who want to use the Internet, do basic office work, and, most importantly, have an entertainment center. This is why it’s not strange that these devices are in the catalogs of most computer companies.
To make sure you’re getting the best mini PC, we spent a lot of time trying and comparing each of the items in the table below. We will tell you everything you need to know about these cheap computers in this help.
What Is A Mini PC?
They are small computers that are much smaller than standard desktop models. They are sometimes called “nettops.” They usually only include the most important metal parts. Mini PCs stand out because they have a lot of ways to join, but they usually don’t have many ways to grow.
They have many of the same features as desktop computers, but because they aren’t as powerful, they are better for less demanding jobs. Because of this, a lot of people use them as multimedia hubs or to do work or browse the web.
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Advantages And Disadvantages of A Mini PC
These small computers offer a wide range of benefits that more than make up for the limitations linked to their compact size.
Advantage:
They are cheaper than regular desktop computers.
You can save room on your desk
They let you turn your TV into a fully-stocked video center.
You can move them around a lot easier than with regular computers.
They use very little energy.
They tend to be less noisy.
Disadvantage:
Rarely do they work as well as other desktop models.
Most do not come with a graphics card.
Their chances of growing are lessened.
Some types don’t have built-in cooling.
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Shopping Criteria For The Best Mini PC
Our only goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to buy something. To do this, we’ve looked into the most important things you should consider when looking for a new mini PC. In the part that follows, you can find out more about these important points.
We Promise that If You Look at The Following Things, You Will Be on The Right Track to Finding the Best Model for You:
- Personal Use
- Operating System
- Processor
- RAM
- Storage Capacity
- Connectivity Options
Personal Use
Do you want to use a small PC to turn your TV into a multimedia center? Then you should choose a model that has a good graphics card and a good sound card. If, on the other hand, you want to use a Nettop as a general but a smaller computer, we suggest you buy one with a good processor and enough RAM.
In this way, jobs related to office automation don’t need very high technical standards. Businesses and shops rarely need programs that are hard to use.
If you want to play video games on a mini PC, we highly suggest you choose a more specialized device. In our guide to gaming PCs, you can find out more about them.
Operating System
If you want to use your mini PC as an entertainment center, you should choose the Android operating system. For everything else, you should focus on Windows or Mac OS models. In this way, your choice will be based on whether you like the Microsoft or Apple environment better.
Since these computers are so small, the ways they can connect to other devices are very important. You will want as many as you can get. Check first to see how many and what kind of USB ports your gadget has. The USB Type-C is the newest and fastest one.
But the number isn’t everything; where they are is also important. A small PC will be more useful if it has a couple of ports on the front. If you want to play material with resolutions higher than Full HD, you will need HDMI and/or DisplayPort connections. Last but not least, your nettop should have a Wi-Fi or an Ethernet port that you can use to link to the Internet.
Even though this is already a key piece of hardware in regular computers, it becomes even more important in tiny PCs. The market is dominated by Intel and AMD. Both of these companies make a wide variety of processor chips, so don’t be afraid to learn more about them before you buy.
Nettops usually have either single-core or dual-core processors. But that amount isn’t the only thing to think about. You should also think about how often they work and if they have multithreaded technology. This lets them run two tasks on each core at the same time.
RAM
As you may know, the RAM and the processor are the two most important pieces of hardware in a computer. You shouldn’t have anything less than 2GB today. But if you don’t want to run into problems when doing certain jobs, you should get a mini PC with at least 4GB of RAM. You might also want to check to see if the device can be added on in the future to make it bigger.
Storage Capacity
On laptops, the amount of storage space isn’t as important as it is on desktops. But we still want to talk about the two choices you have. Traditional metal hard drives (HDDs) are on one side, and solid-state drives are on the other. (SSDs). Most of the time, you can also add SD cards to them.
Check to see if the gadget you’re interested in has an SD card slot and what its maximum capacity is. This could be a deciding factor in your purchase.
Depending on how you plan to use it, a 64GB hard drive may be enough if it does. In any case, keep in mind that SSDs let the small PC start up faster.
Connectivity Options
Since these computers are so small, the ways they can connect to other devices are very important. You will want as many as you can get. Check first to see how many and what kind of USB ports your gadget has. The USB Type-C is the newest and fastest one.
But the number isn’t everything; where they are is also important. A small PC will be more useful if it has a couple of ports on the front. If you want to play material with resolutions higher than Full HD, you will need HDMI and/or DisplayPort connections. Last but not least, your nettop should have Wi-Fi or an Ethernet port that you can use to link to the Internet.
