- Mini PCs are still very interesting for some users with specific needs
- They save a lot of space, whether they come from the factory with a screen or without it
- What are the issues that you should look at when deciding on one or the other?
The Mini PC’s heyday may have passed, but it’s still very interesting for some users with specific needs who aren’t entirely comfortable with their laptops or who can’t decide between these products. Next, we propose review in which specific cases you should replace your laptop with a Mini PC and what are the advantages of each of them.
Of course, there is no doubt that laptops are still the preferred option for the majority, although again taking a look at the features of Mini PCs might make you wonder if you are in the minority.
Mini PCs continue to offer great value for money
These little gadgets reduce the typical computer experience to a much smaller CPU. Basically, they allow you to save a lot of space, whether they come from the factory with a screen or without it.
They include few or no peripherals, and their performance is as variable as the power you need.
You get the processing center for a number of simple and complex operations in a minimalist box. You’re probably giving up a few things, but far less than you’d think based on their size.
If the comparison is with a laptop and no longer with a desktop PC, we will see that they coincide in almost everything. They bring processors of a more moderate performance and integrated graphics sufficient for normal use.
We’re talking in general, of course, because none of this applies to the best Mini PCs or the latest MacBooks. Referring to Apple, its catalog can serve as an example, since the Mac Mini and the entry-level MacBook Air share many of their technical specifications and, nevertheless, the first costs half as much as the second. We could affirm, without fear of being wrong, that the relation between price and quality is superior in the Mac Mini.
Portable, not as comfortable and not as productive
No matter how happy you are with your laptop, there will surely come a point where you will demand more of it than it is giving you. You will think that there must be more comfortable and more productive solutions out there, or you will have understood that it is necessary to buy various accessories to make the user experience rewarding. At least keyboard and speaker.
In fact, it’s rare for laptops to have mechanical keyboards, which are better if you use them a lot. They are also much more customizable, by the way. And something similar happens with the mouse and trackpads.
As comfort is conditioned, this also negatively influences the potential level of productivity. Also, in terms of fun there are limitations that have to do with the dimensions of the screen.
On the other hand, a Mini PC can allow you to control larger monitors or multiple monitors simultaneously. These can be adjusted in terms of height and inclination, and that is something that laptops do not allow us.
If you’re gamerMany Mini PCs have a wider range of available ports than their laptop counterparts.
A Mini PC might be better for gaming
Perhaps the best case to replace a laptop with a Mini PC is this, that of the gamers amateurs. As long as gaming is your priority, there are families like Intel’s NUC Extreme that pack powerful components like you’d expect to find in a PC. gamer desktop, and they are not as expensive as those.
At the same time, if you’re looking for something to run a multi-system emulator like RetroArch or MAME, you might be satisfied with the not-so-high investment of a Raspberry Pi and its configuration features.
After all, most laptops aren’t upgradable like a classic computer either. Models like Apple Macs can’t be updated at all, forcing you to point out your inconvenience for launching games on them. So, gamer dear, maybe a Mini PC is something you should look into.
conclusions
We have reviewed all the issues that we consider positive about a Mini PC and, even so, we understand that practically everyone will continue to opt for a laptop. This does not necessarily mean that they are better, but that they are designed for a very limited audience. And, why not, that some of those who would feel satisfied with them do not consider them because of their lesser popularity. In the end, there are issues such as offers or the look of others.
Now, if you are going to buy a laptop because you do not have much space to spare at home or only to play video games and most of the time at home, then consider opting for a Mini PC very well.
Under what circumstances do you think it would be a very good idea to replace your laptop with a Mini PC?
