The best mini pcs, according to hackers
18 mini pcs recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedApple Mac mini390 people recommend it
- Built to lastBeelink mini PCowners report a median of 5 years
All mini pcs
- Apple Mac miniA small, fast, power-efficient Mac whose unified memory suits local AI models and always-on macOS work, though storage upgrades are costly and it struggles with big LLMs.390recommend
- NVIDIA DGX SparkA quiet, compact 128GB box with fast prompt processing for running large models locally, fine-tuning and keeping data private, though its low memory bandwidth slows token generation.170recommend
- AMD Strix HaloA normal x86 PC with up to 128GB of unified memory for running fairly large local models, though memory bandwidth limits speed, ROCm is fiddly and prices have climbed.130recommend
- Framework DesktopA compact, low-power mini PC with up to 128GB of shared memory for running large local AI models on Linux, though critics say memory bandwidth limits LLM speed.93recommend
- Intel NUCSmall, quiet, cheap mini PC people use for home servers and basic desktop work, with replaceable RAM and storage. Critics say some models overheat.42recommend
- Beelink mini PCSmall mini PCs that run Linux or Windows well, stay quiet and cool, and last for years. People also praise the support and the value for the money.24recommend
- Asus Ascent GX10Recommended as a compact 128GB CUDA box for local AI development and learning; critics say it is slow for inference and expensive.21recommend
- Lenovo ThinkCentreCheap used mini PCs that run home servers, NAS, and routers on low power. Critics note quality varies between machines.20recommend
- NVIDIA GB10Recommended for running local AI models and Linux development in a small box; the most common caveat is high price and slow memory bandwidth.16recommend
- HP EliteDeskPeople recommend it as a quiet, low-power home server for self-hosted apps, and it is cheap used. Critics say it can only run basic AI models, not worth using.15recommend
- Apple Mac mini M4 ProRecommended for its quiet, durable build, low power draw and solid performance with smaller local models; the most common caveat is slow token speed for large models.15recommend
- Minisforum MS-R1Liked for PCIe lanes, dual 10G networking and ECC-capable memory in an ARM homelab box; critics cite high idle power and no storage or RAM upgrades.12recommend
- Dell OptiPlex MicroTiny, low-power desktop PC that people use as a quiet home server and experimenting box, sold cheaply in bulk. The one caveat raised is the lack of GPIO pins.9recommend
- Bosgame M5Owners find this mini PC solid for running large local AI models, with low idle power draw. Critics note weak memory bandwidth and no Thunderbolt or USB4.8recommend
- GMKtec EVO-X2People recommend it as a mini PC that runs large mixture-of-experts LLMs locally well and offers strong value for the money. Critics note lower memory bandwidth than comparable Macs.8recommend
- ASUS NUCSmall, low-power x86 mini PC that people run as an always-on home server; critics say it is pricey and can hard lock.6recommend
- Dell Wyse 5070People recommend it as a cheap, quiet, low-power mini PC that runs home services well and is easy to upgrade, usually bought used.6recommend
- ASUS GB10Owners who are fairly happy with it say it works well day to day, and one commenter argues it pays off for always-on AI agents at a $3k-$4k price.5recommend