In this video we’re breaking down the five best minicomputers in 2021. I’ve included options for every type of consumer. Whether you’re looking for a super portable stick PC, a MAC mini with Apple’s new m1 chip or a full workstation that professionals can use at work, I’ll have the product for you.
The fifth product on our list is the Terryza Mini Computer Stick. Stick this is our best stick PC. The Terryza Mini Computer Stick is a fast streaming stick that also works well as a mobile workstation. Letting you carry the power of a PC in your pocket for only about 170 dollars. Running on a four-core intel atom Z8350 processor and eight gigabytes of ram I think this is one of the best stick pcs you can get.
The processor has a base frequency of 1.44 gigahertz and up to 1.92 gigahertz in burst mode to help you get everyday tasks done quickly and efficiently. It has 4k support for streaming thanks to the intel HD graphics card and dual band wi-fi utilizing both 2.4 g and 5g signals to provide a stronger and more stable wi-fi signal.
The strength of the dual signal is that it helps future-proof this stick to meet the needs of larger download sizes and faster wireless data transmission. Unfortunately, there’s no ethernet port for a wired connection, but I think you’ll like all the connection options this PC stick does give you including one USB 3.0, one USB 2.0, HDMI support and a micro-SD card slot so you can expand the onboard 120 gigabyte EMMC storage further.
It also has Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. You can connect even more of your wireless accessories to suit your work setup. The OS is the full version of windows 10 pro which i think is great because that gives you admin features like bitlock encryption and remote access to your files.
You can also configure the stick to automatically turn back on after a power failure which is a quality-of-life feature, I think you’ll find useful. The Terryza Mini Computer Stick is the best stick PC. It’s perfect for streaming video, up to 4k surfing, doing your homework, online research, writing ecommerce or even for casual work. It’s also a great option if you want to be able to take a portable workstation with you on the go.
The fourth product on our list is the Acer Chromebox CXI3. This is our best chrome OS minicomputer. The Acer Chromebox CXI3 is an excellent chrome OS desktop experience made for both classroom or office use to suit a variety of work needs. For about 240 dollars it combines ease of use, great online capabilities and powerful performance into a portable design.
Under the hood you’ll find an intel Celeron dual core processor 3867u with 4 gigabytes of ddr4 memory and 32 gigabytes of SSD storage which will give you smooth multitasking performance. The unit measures just 5.9 by 5.9 by 1.6 inches and weighs under 2 pounds small and light enough to fit easily within any desk area.
It can lie flat be used with its vertical stand or you can mount it on the back of a monitor to keep your workspace clutter free. I like that it comes with a mouse and keyboard included cutting down on the number of accessories you need to buy and making setup easy.
You can use it with a monitor or a tv and it’s easy to connect to your preferred display using the 802.11 ac wi-fi. It also includes Bluetooth 4.2 and a gigabit ethernet LAN port for more connectivity options. You’ll also like the plethora of ports like HDMI, USB type c, 3 USB 3.1 2, USB 2.0 ports, a headphone jack and more. This versatility makes it perfect for a home office setup and the microSD card slot lets you expand storage or view photos in other media.
The Chromebox is web-based making it easy to control users devices and apps remotely and updates are done automatically. The remote desktop feature lets you easily access and retrieve files from a windows system directly. Plus, you get virus protection built in meeting stringent antivirus standards to keep your files and information safe.
The Acer Chromebox CXI3 is the best chrome OS minicomputer providing a smooth desktop experience with solid performance automatic updates and on-board anti-virus. This is a great choice as a desktop substitute for everyday browsing media consumption and work.
The third product on our list is the Intel NUC 10. This is our best Intel minicomputer. If you’re looking for the best Intel minicomputer option, the 800 Intel NUC 10 offers a lot of versatility and excellent performance.
it’s a mini-PC that feels like an entire entertainment unit. This compact unit measures 4.61 by 4.41 by 1.5 inches and weighs only 3 pounds. It runs on a 10th gen intel core i7 processor with 16 gigabytes ddr4 but you can also opt for a core i5 processor if you want to save some money while still having a minicomputer that’s great for work and watching movies when you want to relax.
The included Intel U HD graphics makes all your content look great and clock speed of 1.1 gigahertz to 4.7 gigahertz ensures everything runs smoothly. The 500-gigabyte m.2 NVME SSD offers plenty of storage for all your work plus movies, music and games.
Like the Tereza minicomputer stick the Intel NUC 10 also comes with windows 10 pro so you get all the same benefits and administrative control. I like that it has the ability to support up to three displays thanks to the HDMI ports thunderbolt 3 USB C and multiple USB ports on the front and back letting you multitask and stay productive. There’s also a three-and-a-half-millimeter audio jack for listening to shows or music privately or to use if you edit audio files.
It has enough performance to handle casual gaming and you can stream videos in 4k, making this a solid all-around entertainment unit as well as a PC for work. If you’re creative I think you’ll like the ability to add optional Intel Optane memory to help give a boost to performance as you work on larger files more efficiently like design worker editing.
The Intel NUC 10 is the best intel minicomputer. Whether you get the core i7 processor or i5 it’s great for work in other daily tasks with support for up to three displays and plenty of ports for connectivity. It should be able to handle all your needs.
The second product on our list is the Apple Mac mini with M1. This is our best overall minicomputer. The Apple Mac mini with M1 chip offers seriously fast performance and is compatible with virtually all programs that run on either MAC OS or IOS giving you a lot of options for software and apps for a fairly affordable price of about 660 dollars.
To keep up with other mac hardware this mini is equipped with Apple’s custom m1 processor combining an 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU for faster seamless performance. On top of that there’s also a 16-core neural engine for advanced machine learning integrated in the m1 chip to increase the speed and intelligence of tasks like video analysis, voice recognition image processing and more.
I really like the efficiency of the m1 chip, and the size of the minicomputer allows it to use up to 60 less energy than the previous generation of minicomputers. With a square frame that’s only 7.7 inches it’s a super versatile unit that can be easily moved from place to place or to set up as a desktop without the usual bulk.
It has good connectivity selections too. With two thunderbolt USB 4, ports HDMI 2.0, two USB type, a wi-fi six, and a gigabit ethernet port for wired connection. It also supports connections across two displays simultaneously one up to 6k and the other up to 4k to help you multitask.
The thunderbolt ports will let you charge and power external devices as well as transfer data at speeds of up to 40 gigabytes per second. All your data and information will be protected with advanced privacy and security features thanks to the M1 chip and MAC OS big sur working together. Big sur also lets you use your iPhone and iPad apps on your desktop and Rosetta 2 ensures all your existing apps work too. Giving you the largest selection of apps to date.
The Apple Mac mini with M1 is the best overall minicomputer thanks to the power and efficiency of the M1 chip. It gives the best performance across all your apps and programs and if you want cutting edge mac experiences tucked neatly in a minicomputer this is it.
The first product on our list is the HP Z2 Mini G4. This is our best minicomputer workstation. The HP Z2 Mini G4 is an amazing PC with all the power of a workstation and is well worth its price tag of about 1170 and it’s perfect for professionals.
The pc comes with a 9th gen intel core i7 processor 16 gigabytes of ram and starts at 256 gigabytes of SSD storage. The core i7 allows you to run several CPU-intensive programs simultaneously without sacrificing performance which I think is essential for running any professional level software.
It also packs integrated Intel UHD graphics 630 to handle professional level graphics processing for different kinds of design work. It comes with windows 10 pro for workstations which offers advanced performance over other versions of windows 10 and is the most powerful windows yet. The Mini G4 boasts faster data handling and a new file system that finds and repairs faults and can handle PCS with up to six terabytes of memory so the OS will keep up with your professional software needs.
You get a keyboard, and optical mouse, and it comes with multiple USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 on the front, and back two DisplayPort 1.2, a headphone and microphone combo jack, rj45 port and more. I really like the versatility of this machine and HP even lets you custom order your configuration to match your workload type.
You can customize the selection of in-out ports so you can be sure your mini pc can support new legacy and specialized equipment. You’ll really appreciate the advanced security features including system safeguards, like HP client security suite gen 3 and HP surestart gen 4 which is a self-healing bios, so your device data and identity are unbelievably secure.
The Z2 mini is also energy star certified for energy efficiency. You get a high-quality build in performance without using a lot of power to complete tasks. The HP Z2 mini G4 is the best minicomputer workstation. Capable of taking on 3d design projects and other resource heavy programs and comes with the most powerful feature-rich version of windows making it perfect for professionals like architects and engineers.
