If you’re looking to get a computer for your home and already have a fixed place for it, it’s better to get a desktop PC instead of a laptop. Desktops are more easily upgradable and handle heat output better since they have more volume inside for the air to move, as opposed to a laptop’s chassis. You don’t have to get a massive, ugly eyesore of a PC cabinet either, as there are many good mini-PC options available. You could always build yourself a mini-PC, but getting the right components and the cabinet itself can be an expensive affair, since it’s more of a niche hobby.
Today, you can find a decent number of pre-built mini-PCs from big and small brands. While there are plenty of small form factor Windows PCs on Amazon from startups and lesser known brands, I’d recommend sticking to options from some of the more well-known PC makers simply because of better after sales support and warranty. You can get a mini-PC as a barebones option, where you’ll need to buy your own RAM, storage, and a copy of Windows. These are cheaper and are a good option if you already have spare RAM and SSD lying around. You can also get it with Windows preinstalled, and these usually come with RAM and storage.
Not sure which
laptop to buy?
ZOTAC has been dabbling with the mini-PC concept for well over a decade, and was one of the first to introduce its line of mini-PCs in India. The ZOTAC ZBOX line has grown to multiple series and form factors, so it ultimately depends on what you’re looking for. The ZBOX C-series of mini-PCs features a compact 1.8L chassis, and features Intel 13th Gen Core series laptop CPUs, built-in Wi-Fi, and a tonne of ports. It’s great for basic office work, email, and web browsing. The PC is also VESA compatible, so you can simply mount it on the back of your monitor and keep it out of sight.
The Magnus One series has a larger 8.3L chassis, but it’s still compact enough to keep it out of sight. You can get this with up to a 14th Gen Intel Core i7-14700 CPU and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super GPU. Since these are desktop parts, the components are easily upgradable. The chassis comes in white or black so you can match it as per the styling of your work setup. If you want something more compact without losing much performance, the Magnus EN series features a 2.7L chassis, and can be configured with up to a laptop class 14th Gen Core i7 CPU and RTX 4070 GPU. These two components won’t be upgradeable though like the One series.
Asus officially took over Intel’s NUC product lines in 2023 and will now be selling NUC mini-PCs under its own brand. Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing) was a promising concept but didn’t get the widespread love that it deserved. All of that changes now that Asus is in charge of product development and distribution. The Asus NUC 14 Performance is a stylish mini-PC targeted at SMBs, education, and multimedia use cases. The specs and design should also appeal to gamers. It’s powered by Intel’s Core Ultra (Series 1) processors and can accommodate up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. This makes it great for work and handling AI tasks.
The Asus NUC 14 Pro AI is one of the first Copilot+ PCs that we’ve come across in India, that isn’t a laptop. Its compact design looks uncannily like the Mac Mini, but with plenty of physical ports. It’s powered by Intel’s latest Core Ultra (Series 2) ‘Lunar Lake’ processors that packs an improved AI processor, CPU cores, and a more powerful onboard GPU. It also has the latest wireless standards like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and is MIL-STD-810H certified for toughness. Among the plethora of I/O connectivity are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing you to further expand connectivity and do high-speed data transfers.
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo Ultra resembles Apple’s Mac Studio desktop computer, and is packed with the latest specs. This 3.6L chassis can be kitted with up to an Intel Core i9 14th Gen processor, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 4TB of PCIe SSDs. It has a built-in 350W power supply unit, so there’s no unsightly adapter to deal with. There are a tonne of ports on the back for Ethernet, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and optional expansion card slots for the 35W model. The sleek aluminium finish for the chassis should blend well with your other tech.
If you want a basic mini-PC for a POS machine or running accounting software, the Acer Veriton E220 should fit the bill nicely. For under Rs. 25,000, you get Windows 11 Home, an Intel quad-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. There’s built-in Wi-Fi and you get a decent set of ports like Ethernet, HDMI, and four USB 3.0 (Type-A).
