The mini PC form factor has actually always existed.The earliest mini PCs can be traced back over a decade, when semiconductor processes began to improve, chip performance started to echo Moore’s law, and heat generation was effectively controlled.This is how mini PCs came into being.They are a small branch in the development of semiconductors, a little twig on the technology tree; as long as the technology points are in place, a few engineers can come together and brainstorm to create one.Initially, mini PCs were positioned as HTPCs (Home Theater PCs), mini office platforms, simple gaming machines, and home servers.The first systematic product was Intel’s NUC Canyon series, which has a standard version measuring only 10cm x 10cm.So far, there have been 13 generations of NUC products, from the first generation Deep Canyon, with various names, to the latest 13th generation Raptor Canyon, leading to a wide variety of NUC products.The smallest ones are about the size of a block of tofu, while the largest can rival ITX machines with discrete graphics cards, about the size of three or four red bricks.Since the design of mini PCs, the purpose has always been to facilitate office work, not to play games.Currently, many media outlets (especially on Bilibili) have numerous creators recommending mini PCs, claiming they can play AAA titles smoothly at low settings.To put it bluntly, before AMD launches the AI MAX 300 in January next year, anyone claiming that a mini PC can run games is definitely being paid.The strongest integrated graphics currently available in mini PCs is the Radeon 890M, which can handle games like Genshin Impact and Xianjian World without issues, but playing games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Black Monkey remains very difficult.Just because you can enter a game doesn’t mean you can play it; running dynamic scenes versus combat scenes are two completely different matters. When a boss unleashes a special move, frame drops can be severe, leaving you with no chance to react, let alone counterattack.Another type of mini PC is a variant of a laptop, which removes the screen and keyboard, increases cooling molds, and fan airflow, resulting in a mini PC with a 13900H and even a 4060 or 4070.However, some are priced at seven, eight, or even ten thousand yuan.It would be better to just buy a laptop, as the performance is quite similar.
The market for mini PCs may seem small to many.But in reality, its market size has been maintaining considerable growth every year:
Seeing this situation, you can understand why many manufacturers, both large and small, have started to get involved in the mini PC market.When performance is sufficient, everyone hopes that the size of the device can be as small as possible, especially with AMD’s excellent processes at TSMC, where chip performance and power consumption can be optimized, making the rise of mini PCs expected.Let’s set aside the modified laptops and the closed ecosystem of Apple MACs, and see which brands currently produce decent mini PCs.Major brands include: ASUS.To be fair, although I’ve criticized ASUS before, I really have to mention them in the mini PC space; ASUS has struggled to make an impact here due to its deep ties with Intel.Those who frequently follow the tech scene know that ASUS is primarily associated with Intel machines, and even if they want to support them, they have to consider Intel’s current situation.As for those who are not very tech-savvy, it doesn’t matter what they use, as long as it works.Then there’s Lenovo.Lenovo’s reputation tends to be negative, but it is indeed a major player, being the top seller in the mini PC market, offering both Intel and AMD chip options.
However, things are not so simple.If you’re sensitive enough, you’ll notice that none of Lenovo’s mini PCs are selling Intel’s ultra chips.Have they had a falling out?“Brother, you are not worthy to sit at my table anymore.”So with an extremely practical mindset, I immediately searched for Lenovo’s laptops and found that they can still obtain the chips.Upon reflection, it becomes clear!It’s a mini PC exclusive period for ASUS.Actually, I think it’s unnecessary, as not many people want to buy it, especially those in the know.
Companies with strong research capabilities, like ASRock, have mini PCs that even dare to include desktop APU chips, such as AMD’s 8700G.They are slightly larger in size.This is to leave some space for cooling, but the performance is incredibly strong; the strongest integrated graphics I just mentioned comes from ASRock.Brands with good cost performance include the classic brands that are reinventing themselves, like Thunderobot, Mechanic, and Mechanical Revolution, some of which are quite dedicated, willing to use quality materials to refine their products, while others rush to keep up with competitors, producing hurriedly, leading to a confusing product system and pricing.Don’t ask which brands, these things can’t be named.There are also new forces in the market, like Jimo, Zero刻, and Mingfan, which many who are not paying attention may not have heard of, but in the mini PC space, these names are quite well-known.I personally like these new brands; they are full of vitality, have high corporate cohesion, and can focus on product development, unlike older companies that spread their energy too thin across too many products, leading to delays in details and user feedback.Mini PCs primarily target individuals who need them for office and study purposes, particularly white-collar workers and students who require performance enhancements to improve their efficiency.
Students who do not want a laptop but still need a computer can get a mini PC, monitor, and keyboard/mouse setup for under 3000 yuan, which is far more cost-effective than an average laptop, and offers a much better experience.The purchasing methods for mini PCs mainly cater to two different groups of people.One group consists of those with some technical skills and hardware inventory, such as memory or solid-state drives, who want to utilize them and have a need; they can purchase a “barebones” mini PC.A barebones mini PC does not come with memory or solid-state drives, which you need to buy and install yourself; the system also requires installation, making it ideal for people like me who can easily set it up with two 16GB sticks and a 1TB SSD.
For those who lack technical skills and prefer convenience, they can directly order a pre-built machine, which will arrive ready to plug in and use.Generally, for non-productive needs (like graphics rendering and multi-tasking), 16GB of memory is sufficient.If your needs require 32GB, 64GB, or if you are very clear that even that capacity is insufficient, you may need to increase your budget.Currently, the highest capacity for DDR4 memory mini PCs is 64GB of memory plus 4TB SSD, while DDR5 memory mini PCs can go up to 96GB of memory plus 8TB SSD.This capacity can handle 99.99999% of scenarios; if it can’t, you may need to build a server.As for performance selection, mini PCs typically have one chip, so you can easily find it on the laptop tier list; it’s very simple. Now, a host with the 8845HS chip costs just over 3000 yuan, and with the monitor and keyboard/mouse combined, you can get it for under 4000 yuan, which is very nice.Alright, I’ll end today’s discussion here.Remember to collect this article!———————
“Chuanzi will officially take over on January 20”
“At that time, the trade war will continue to escalate”
“So I suggest everyone to quickly assemble a machine in these two months”
