5 Mini PCs That Outshine The Mac Mini In Price And Features

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For more than 20 years, the Apple Mac mini has been one of the best value Macs in the lineup. While mostly a consumer-minded Mac, it has held up well against its mini PC competition as well. It's compact, powerful, and gives users access to the Apple software ecosystem without the premium pricing of a MacBook or iMac. Newer iterations have even incorporated Apple Silicon for better performance and efficiency.

But Apple hasn't been able to keep up with demand, and it recently killed off the base model Mac mini. While it now includes better hardware, the entry-level option has jumped in price from $599 to $799. That's a hefty price jump for many users, but you don't need to pay this premium if you are open to other options. Apple isn't the only brand making compact desktop computers, and many other mini PCs also come with better specs, better pricing, and more hardware configurations to choose from.

If you've been thinking of buying a Mac mini, or if you're simply looking for the right compact desktop computing option for your needs, we've handpicked some mini PCs that compare favorably to Apple's offering in one way or another. Some of them undercut the Mac mini's new starting price significantly, others provide powerful hardware configurations that can outperform base model options, and some of them even manage to do both.

GMKtec makes a number of different mini PC models. The GMKtec M6 Ultra is one of its mid-range options, with its cheapest configuration priced at $500. That build includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor that clocks at 4.3GHz with a turbo boost up to 5.0GHz. It's configurable with a number of different processors, with build prices maxing out at $738. The base model also includes a 512GB solid state drive.

Some of the M6 Ultra's specs outcompete what the entry-level Mac mini offers. For $799, Apple includes 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid state drive. For comparison, the M6 Ultra offers twice as much RAM at 32GB for a substantially lower price. With the versatility available among its hardware configuration options, the M6 Ultra can be built for a number of different uses that range from everyday productivity to moderate gaming.

The GMKtec M6 Ultra runs on Windows, so those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem will have trouble integrating this mini PC with their other devices. But that will be the case with every mini PC without the Apple logo on it. Apple users ready to make a switch, or PC users in search of a small desktop PC, should find a lot of value in the M6 Ultra, as its high-end builds are far less expensive than those of the Mac mini.

Acemagician is another computer brand that has a full lineup of mini PC options. If you like the aesthetic style of Apple's Mac mini computer, the Acemagician M1 is the model for you. The base model is priced at $439 and comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor with a base clock speed of 3.2GHz and a turbo boost of up to 4.75GHz. The processor also comes with Radeon 680M integrated graphics that should handle basic tasks well.

The base model Acemagician M1 is significantly less expensive than the base model Mac mini, and it comes with 24GB of RAM, as opposed to the Mac mini's 16GB. They each come with a 512GB solid state drive, but you don't have to go up in price very much to start getting some serious hardware upgrades with the Acemagician M1. An upgrade to 1TB of internal storage goes for $489, and if you want to max out an M1 with 1TB of storage and 32GB of RAM, the price only jumps to $599.

Of course, lesser-known brands like these won't stack up next to Apple when it comes to user base. That may cause some hesitation when it comes to actually purchasing the Acemagician M1, but it has more than 200 customer reviews at Amazon, and more than 80% of them rate the mini PC favorably. Overall, Amazon customers give the M1 a 4.4-out-of-5 star rating.

One mini PC that can keep up with the Mac mini and also deliver some big-name brand recognition is the Asus NUC 13 Pro. ASUS is one of the most reliable laptop brands, and that reputation can extend to its PCs across the board. The base model NUC 13 Pro costs $600 and comes with an Intel Core i5-13420H processor with a base clock speed of 2.1GHz that reaches 4.6GHz with the turbo boost. The mini PC also includes two HDMI 2.1 and two Thunderbolt ports that allow for multi-monitor setups and connecting external SSDs and hard drives. You also get Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E for high-speed networking.

With Apple pulling the original base model Mac mini from the market, there's a gap for mini PC shoppers who just need entry-level specs. The base model NUC 13 Pro comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid state storage capacity, which matches the former base model Mac mini. For professional users, a number of mid-range configurations are available, and a maxed out version with 64GB of RAM and a 2TB solid state drive goes for $1,400.

The Asus NUC 13 Pro, however, is one of the more expensive mini PC options. While its entry-level specs match the original Mac mini's, its $600 price point is higher than you'll find among other mini PCs on the market. Moreover, many of the other options even include more RAM and more SSD capacity. But the NUC 13 Pro offers a number of configurations and price points and comes with the backing of a widely recognized brand.

The Kamrui Pinova P2 is a mini PC that has a somewhat industrial look to it, which may spark thoughts of it being intended for high-end professional use. But it's one of the more affordable mini PCs on the market, with its entry-level configuration priced at $329. That includes an AMD Ryzen 4300U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive.

The AMD Ryzen 4300U isn't going to compete with the Apple M4 or M4 Pro chips that the Mac mini comes configured with, but the RAM and internal storage capacity match what you get with the $799 Mac mini. The Pinova P2 also comes in a number of different configurations, with the $660 model utilizing an Intel Core i5 processor with a turbo clock speed of 4.5GHz. 

Kamrui is another name that may not be recognized by the masses, but Amazon reviewers have plenty of positive feedback for the Pinova P2. It's received 87% favorable reviews and an overall rating of 4.4-out-of-5 stars, and 76% of the reviews are 5-star reviews. Reliability and having a slow Wi-Fi receiver are recurring issues among those reviewing this mini PC unfavorably, though they are few and far between relative to its overall rating.

We mentioned previously that the GMKtec M6 Ultra offers good performance per dollar, but the GMKtec Nucbox G10 is a mini PC that puts affordability front and center. It's only available in one configuration, which consists of a 2.1GHz AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid state drive. This is going to be plenty of hardware for most casual users, and at $320, it's less than half the price of Apple's base model Mac mini.

The Nucbox G10 utilizes an integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 GPU, which can handle the connection of up to three external displays simultaneously. The Nucbox G10 can also manage basic video editing and even casual gaming. While others offer more complex hardware configurations and high-end price points, this mini PC keeps everything simple.

But simplicity can often come with compromises, and the Nucbox G10 may not have the connectivity some users are looking for. It has two USB-C connections, but one of them cannot transfer data. Two USB-A ports are on the front of the machine, which may not be ideal for users who prefer an easy-to-access SD card slot or more USB-C ports.

We think the Apple Mac mini is a great overall device, but the mini PC market is competitive. There is a lot of overlap from one model to another, so here we looked for machines that presented a favorable case relative to what the Mac mini has to offer. That could be through lower pricing, more generous base configurations, or a combination of the two that presented solid value to users.

We also wanted to ensure as much reliability as possible in the mini PCs we've selected. Because the mini PC market is home to a lot of smaller computer brands, we turned to Amazon customer reviews and the hands-on experience of purchasers to better evaluate each product.