The best mini Gaming PCs of 2025: Expert recommended – ZDNet
‘ZDNET Recommends’: What exactly does it mean?ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.ZDNET’s editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.PCs have been through a number of evolutions in terms of form factor, transforming from big, heavy, and quite ugly beige boxes that took up a lot of desk space to something no bigger than a hardback book that packs enough power to handle all but the most demanding of workloads. And when gaming PCs came along, with increased power and cooling demand, they were even bigger and bulkier.Also: The best cheap gaming PCs you can buyBut it doesn’t have to be that way. Mini gaming PCs are now very much a thing, so your gaming rig need not be a huge, noisy box.I’ve researched the current mini PC offerings on the market, examining specs, and paying close attention to user reviews, and my top pick for the best mini gaming PC is the TOPGRO T1-Pro. This is the closest to a full-sized gamig PC that you can get, but in mini form, and on top of that it’s been built with expansion in mind.The TOPGRO T1-Pro mini gaming PC has it all. It features a 13th-gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor, a high-performance GeForce RTX 4060 mobile graphics card, 32GB of fast DDR5-5200 RAM, and 1TB of M.2 NVMe storage. There’s also Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. There’s loads of room for expansion, too, with the system taking up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage. All this hardware needs space to breathe, and the system is equipped with fans that can go from whisper quiet when workload is low to full-on maximum cooling when needed.Mini gaming PCs don’t get much better than this one. Yes, it commands a serious price tag, but this is a system that delivers.TOPGRO T1-Pro tech specs: 13th Gen Core i9-13900H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 mobile | 32GB DDR5-5200 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe4.0 SSD | 4 x USB 3.0 and 2 x USB2.0 | Windows 11 ProThe TOPGRO T1-Pro mini gaming PC has it all. It features a 13th-gen Intel Core i9-13900H processor, a high-performance GeForce RTX 4060 mobile graphics card, 32GB of fast DDR5-5200 RAM, and 1TB of M.2 NVMe storage. There’s also Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. There’s loads of room for expansion, too, with the system taking up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage. All this hardware needs space to breathe, and the system is equipped with fans that can go from whisper quiet when workload is low to full-on maximum cooling when needed.Mini gaming PCs don’t get much better than this one. Yes, it commands a serious price tag, but this is a system that delivers.TOPGRO T1-Pro tech specs: 13th Gen Core i9-13900H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 mobile | 32GB DDR5-5200 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe4.0 SSD | 4 x USB 3.0 and 2 x USB2.0 | Windows 11 ProThe MINISFORUM Neptune HX99G mini PC is proof that performance can be packed into a tiny package. This mini gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, AMD Radeon RX 6600M GPU, 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe4.0 SSD–this is a system built on performance.A lot of effort has been put into cooling this system: there are dual fans and as many as seven heat pipes (three for CPU and the remaining four for GPU), liquid metal is used as a thermal compound due to its high performance, and there are dual air outlets.There’s also no shortage of ports, from USB-A and USB-C to 2.5 Ethernet and mic/headphone ports. Everything you need to game – and win. MINISFORUM Neptune HX99G tech specs: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor | 64GB RAM | 1TB M.2 2280 storage | USB-A and USB-C, 2.5 Ethernet and mic/headphone ports | OSThe MINISFORUM Neptune HX99G mini PC is proof that performance can be packed into a tiny package. This mini gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, AMD Radeon RX 6600M GPU, 64GB of RAM, and a 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe4.0 SSD–this is a system built on performance.A lot of effort has been put into cooling this system: there are dual fans and as many as seven heat pipes (three for CPU and the remaining four for GPU), liquid metal is used as a thermal compound due to its high performance, and there are dual air outlets.There’s also no shortage of ports, from USB-A and USB-C to 2.5 Ethernet and mic/headphone ports. Everything you need to game – and win. MINISFORUM Neptune HX99G tech specs: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor | 64GB RAM | 1TB M.2 2280 storage | USB-A and USB-C, 2.5 Ethernet and mic/headphone ports | OSFor $600, you get this mini gaming PC that has an Intel Core i9-11900H processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 32GB of DDR4, and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe3.0 SSD–that’s a lot of hardware packed into a small footprint. There’s also room for upgrades—the side panel is held in place using magnetic latches, allowing access to the RAM slots (which supports 64GB), the M.2 slow (which supports 2TB), and space for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD up to 2TB.The system features a control dial that allows the user to choose between three different performance settings, a handy touch because this way power consumption and noise can be kept to a minimum.ACEMAGIC i9 11900H AD03 tech specs: Intel Core i9-11900H | Intel UHD Graphics | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe3.0 SSD | 4 x USB 3.2 Type-A and 1x USB 3.2 Type-C | Windows 11For $600, you get this mini gaming PC that has an Intel Core i9-11900H processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 32GB of DDR4, and a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe3.0 SSD–that’s a lot of hardware packed into a small footprint. There’s also room for upgrades—the side panel is held in place using magnetic latches, allowing access to the RAM slots (which supports 64GB), the M.2 slow (which supports 2TB), and space for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD up to 2TB.The system features a control dial that allows the user to choose between three different performance settings, a handy touch because this way power consumption and noise can be kept to a minimum.ACEMAGIC i9 11900H AD03 tech specs: Intel Core i9-11900H | Intel UHD Graphics | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe3.0 SSD | 4 x USB 3.2 Type-A and 1x USB 3.2 Type-C | Windows 11The GMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro is built around the Intel Nuc form factor – a 7.6 x 7.4 x 4.9-inch box packed with high tech components. There’s an AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H with built-in AMD Radeon 680M GPU. There’s also 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD.Multiple displays are no problem for this gaming PC, and it’s capable of support quad displays (one over HDMI and DisplayPort, and two on the USB 4 ports). There’s also a built-in OCuLink port, a connector system that allows users to connect PCIe devices to a system using an external cable, and this would allow an external graphics card to be added to the mini gaming PC, giving it a great deal of expandability.GMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro tech specs: AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H | MD Radeon 680M GPU | 32GB DDR5 RAM | 2TB PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD | 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 2 x USB 2.0 | Windows 11 ProThe GMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro is built around the Intel Nuc form factor – a 7.6 x 7.4 x 4.9-inch box packed with high tech components. There’s an AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H with built-in AMD Radeon 680M GPU. There’s also 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD.Multiple displays are no problem for this gaming PC, and it’s capable of support quad displays (one over HDMI and DisplayPort, and two on the USB 4 ports). There’s also a built-in OCuLink port, a connector system that allows users to connect PCIe devices to a system using an external cable, and this would allow an external graphics card to be added to the mini gaming PC, giving it a great deal of expandability.GMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro tech specs: AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H | MD Radeon 680M GPU | 32GB DDR5 RAM | 2TB PCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD | 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 2 x USB 2.0 | Windows 11 ProPriceProcessorGraphicsRAMStorageTOPGRO T1-Pro$1,500Intel Core i9-13900HNvidia GeForce RTX 4060 mobile32GB DDR5-52001TB M.2 SSDMINISFORUM Neptune HX99G$800AMD Ryzen 9 6900HXAMD Radeon RX 6600M64GB DDR5-48001TB M.2 SSDACEMAGIC i9 11900H AD03$600Intel Core i9 11900HIntel UHD Graphics32GB DDR41TB M.2 SSDGMKtec Nucbox M7 Pro$550AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HAMD Radeon 680M32GB DDR52TB M.2 SSD Choose this mini gaming PC…If you want…TOPGRO T1-ProThe best of the best. This is the closest you’re going to get to a full-size desktop PC in mini PC format. MINISFORUM Neptune HX99GA mini gamin PC for under $1,000. ACEMAGIC i9 11900H AD03A good middle-of-the-road system. And if you want more, the unique magnetic latch system makes upgrading the system a snap.GMKtec Nucbox M7 ProA budget system with a twist. The built-in OCuLink port allows the use of external PCIe devices, such as a graphics card.In many ways, choosing a mini PC is much like a regular PC. There are all the usual performance, price, and support for all your peripherals to keep in mind. But if you are after a mini PC, then the mini part does come into play, so there is a size issue to bear in mind. The good news is that mini PCs come in a range of sizes, from systems that can fit in the palm of your hand to systems so small you could fit several of them in the palm of your hand.There are a lot of mini PCs on the market from a variety of different vendors, and I’ve tested and used mini gaming PCs from all the vendors listed here, I’ve based my selections on my experience using these brands, as well as current model user reviews. Product specs and price also come into play, but being able to draw on dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of other people’s views allows me to get a broad sense of how well-received a selected mini gaming PC is. I’ve paid particular attention to reports of performance, stability, how quiet or noisy the PC is, and weeded out many that seemed to have a poor lifespan.What we’re left with is the best of the best, in a broad selection of categories that are applicable to mini gaming PCs.A mini PC is a compact yet fully functional computer that offers many, if not all of, the capabilities of a desktop PC, but is packaged into a smaller form factor. Mini PCs are designed to save space and can be used for a variety of tasks, from basic computing to more demanding applications such as programming or even gaming. A mini gaming PC takes this one step further, and is a system that’s built with gaming in mind.People often choose to invest in a mini gaming PC for these reasons:It depends on the model. Most mini gaming PCs allow for upgrades — sometimes very easy upgrades — to components like RAM and storage. There’s also a system with an OCuLink port that allows the use of an external graphics card.On the whole however, like laptops, mini PCs are better aimed at those situations where you buy the PC with the spec that you need rather than relying on an upgrade down the line. So if you want the maximum upgradability possible, a regular desktop gaming PC might be better for you.Don’t let the $370 price tag fool you into thinking this isn’t a gaming PC. Packed into this is an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with Radeon RX Vega8 Graphics, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD.
