The Best Budget Mini PC

Best Budget Mini PC in 2023

If you would like to take a look at least years best budget mini PC we have listed them below.

Best Budget Mini PC 2023: GMKTec NucBox7

The GMKTec NucBox5 was our 2022 winner for best budget mini PC and its sucessor the GMKTec NucBox7 proudly takes the position for 2023.

The GMKTec NucBox7 is a compact and high-performance Intel mini PC designed for budget-conscious users. Powered by the 11th generation Intel Pentium Silver N6005 processor, it offers 4 cores and 4 threads, running at up to 3.30GHz with an energy-efficient 10W TDP. This mini PC is suitable for both home and office use, providing reliable performance for everyday tasks.

With 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB m.2 SATA 2242 SSD (upgradeable to 1TB), the NucBox7 offers sufficient memory and storage capacity. It features two USB 3.2 Generation 2 ports and one Generation 1 port, as well as three HDMI 2.0 ports for triple-monitor support at 4K 60Hz. The mini PC also includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports for fast and stable wired connections.

Measuring only 3.4 x 3.4 x 1.5 inches (8.7 x 8.7 x 3.9 cm) and weighing 214g, the GMKTec NucBox7 is incredibly compact and portable. It easily fits in the palm of your hand and occupies minimal space on your desk or TV stand. The device is equipped with fast WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 for reliable wireless connectivity. Additionally, the built-in smart fan ensures efficient cooling with a maximum noise level of 46dB and a peak temperature of 43°C.

Despite its very small size, the GMKTec NucBox7 cheap mini PC handles daily workloads smoothly and can also be utilized as a media center, cloud gaming device, or for retro gaming. It operates at a remarkably low power consumption of just 18.9W, offering excellent value for money and energy efficiency compared to traditional desktop PCs.

Overall, the GMKTec NucBox7 is a powerful and cost-effective mini PC that delivers reliable performance, extensive connectivity options, and impressive portability.

You can read our in-depth GMKTec NucBox7 review here.

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Lowest cost budget mini PC: Beelink T4 PRO

The Beelink T4 Pro is an incredibly thin and lightweight best budget mini PC for price at under $100 when on sale.. Measuring only 18 millimeters thick, making it the world’s thinnest in its category. Powered by the Intel Apollo Lake N3350 processor, it offers dual cores and threads, running at up to 2.40GHz with an energy-saving 6W TDP. With 4GB LPDDR3 1,600MHz RAM and 64GB eMMC storage, it is well-suited for lighter workloads such as browsing, email, office work, remote learning, and entertainment.

The Beelink T4 Pro provides three USB 3.0 ports for connecting peripherals like keyboards, mice, and external hard drives. It features two HDMI ports on the back, enabling dual 4K monitor display. The mini PC comes pre-installed with Windows 10 for a seamless user experience.

For communication, the T4 Pro offers gigabit Ethernet for fast and secure wired data transfer. It also supports dual-frequency 2.4G and 5.8G Wi-Fi 5, as well as Bluetooth 4, allowing for wireless connectivity with peripherals. Despite its compact size of 4.17 x 4.17 x 0.70 inches (10.6 x 10.6 x 1.8 cm) and weighing only 232g, the Beelink T4 Pro occupies minimal space on your work surface and is highly portable, fitting easily into a small bag or even some jacket pockets.

With a low power consumption of just 6W TDP, the Beelink T4 Pro is highly energy-efficient. Compared to desktop processors that can consume up to 150W TDP, this mini PC not only helps save on energy bills but also reduces its environmental footprint.

In summary, the Beelink T4 Pro is an impressively slim and lightweight best budget mini PC for students, offering adequate performance for lighter tasks. At $94.95 (sale price), with its versatile connectivity options, compact design, and energy efficiency, it provides a convenient and efficient computing solution for various work and entertainment needs.

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Other 2023 best budget Mini PC to consider: Beelink Mini S12

The Beelink Mini S12 misses out on a best budget mini PC category. It is a compact and powerful mini PC designed for efficient work in both home and office settings. Equipped with an Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake N95 processor, it offers impressive performance with clock speeds of up to 3.4GHz at 25W TDP. This mini PC can effortlessly handle demanding workloads, whether it’s multitasking, graphic design, or running resource-intensive software applications.

With 8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM (upgradeable to 16GB) and a 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD (upgradeable to 2TB), the Mini S12 provides ample storage space for all your files and programs. You can also expand the storage further with an internal 2.5″ HDD/SSD. The SSD drive ensures fast data access and improved overall performance, enabling you to complete your work quickly and efficiently.

The Beelink Mini S12 comes preloaded with Windows 11 Pro, offering a sleek and user-friendly interface for enhanced productivity. It features multiple ports, including two HDMI 2.0 ports for connecting multiple displays at up to 4K 60Hz, a Gigabit Ethernet port for reliable internet connectivity, and four USB 3.2 ports for connecting peripherals. The mini PC is compact, measuring only 4.01 x 4.52 x 1.54 inches (10.1 x 11.4 x 3.9 cm), and lightweight at 280g, making it highly portable for on-the-go use.

In summary, the Beelink Mini S12 is the best budget mini PC for home office, it combines powerful performance, ample storage capacity, and a range of connectivity options. With its Windows 11 Pro operating system, multiple ports, and lightweight design, it is the ideal choice for users who require productivity on the go or in limited office spaces.

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2023 Best Budget Mini PC Technical Specifications

	GMKTEC NUCBOX7	BEELINK MINI S12	BEELINK T4 PRO	BEELINK MINI S
CPU	Intel Pentium Silver N6005 @ 3.30 GHz, TDP: 10W	Intel N95 – @ 3.40GHz, TDP: 15W	Intel Apollo Lake N3350 @ 2.4 GHz	Intel N5095 @ 2.0Ghz
GPU	Intel UHD Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics	Intel HD Graphics 500	Intel UHD Graphics
RAM	16GB DDR4	Up to 16GB DDR4	4GB	8GB DDR4
STORAGE	Up to 1TB m.2 SATA	Up to 500GB m2 NVMe	64GB eMMC	Up to 256GB m.2 SATA
DISPLAY	3x HDMI 4K 60Hz	2x HDMI 4K 60Hz	2x HDMI 4K 60Hz	2x HDMI 4K 60Hz
COMMS	2x Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6, BT 5.2	Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5	Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5, Bluetooth,
PRICE	$280.95	$200.95	$94.95	$121.95
BUY	HERE	HERE	HERE	HERE

2023 Best Budget Mini PC Benchmark results

	GMKTEC NUCBOX7	BEELINK MINI S12	BEELINK T4 PRO	BEELINK MINI S
PASSMARK	1,828			1,457
PCMARK	2,648			2,312
3DMARK	409			204
CINEBENCH	1,824

The Best Budget Mini PC’s 2022 with video comparison

Below you can find our comprehensive video covering the budget range of mini PC ‘s we originally made in 2022 which you can use for reference. We compare the technical specifications and features, then run a series of benchmarks and tests to see each models performance. Tests include system performance, SSD drive and WiFi speeds and fan noise and temperatures.

2022 Best Budget Mini PC Technical Specifications

	CPU	RAM	STORAGE	DISPLAY	COMMUNICATIONS	WINDOWS 11 UPGRADEABLE
Beelink U59	Intel Celeron N5095	8GB Upgradeable	256GB upgradeable	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	YES
Beelink GKMini	Intel Celeron K4125	8GB Upgradeable	256GB upgradeable	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet x2, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	YES
Beelink GK35 Pro	Intel Celeron J4105	8GB Non-upgradeable	128GB/256GB upgradeable	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	YES
Beelink GK35	Intel Celeron N3350	4GB Upgradeable	64GB eMMC + m.2 2280	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	NO
Beelink GK35 (4GB)	Intel Celeron J3455	8GB Upgradeable	256GB upgradeable	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	NO
Minisforum GK50 (8GB)	Intel Pentium Silver N5030	8GB Non-upgradable	256GB upgradeable	DisplayPort, HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 4.0	YES
Minisforum JB95	Intel Celeron N5095	8GB Upgradeable	256GB upgradeable	DisplayPort, HDMI, USB	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 5, BT 5.0	YES
GMKtec NucBox5	Intel Celeron N5105	8GB Upgradeable	256GB upgradeable	2x HDMI	1Gb Ethernet, WiFi 6, BT 5.2	YES

2022 Best Budget Mini PC Benchmark Results

		PASSMARK	PCMARK	DISKMARK R/W (Mbps)	DEFAULT TDP (W)	FAN NOISE	HIGH LOAD TEMPERATURE	WIFI UP/DOWN (Mbps)	4K PLAYBACK
Beelink U59		1455	2349	540 / 401	15	50 dB	35°C / 95°F	288 / 223	YES
Beelink GKMini		912	1852	515 / 491	6	54 dB	31°C / 88°F	259 / 219	YES
Beelink GK35 Pro		852	1738	501 / 505 MB/s	10	N/A	N/A
Beelink GK35 (4GB)		590	1071	244 / 130	6	53 dB	27°C / 80°F	272 / 203	YES
Beelink GK35 (8GB)		765	1345	559 / 487	10	53 dB	28°C / 82°F	282 / 223	YES
Minisforum GK50		618	1973	544 / 454	6	FANLESS	49°C / 120°F	192 / 170	YES
Minisforum JB95		1387	2292	535 / 493	15	49 dB	35°C / 95°F	287 / 234	YES
GMKtec NucBox5		1749	2522	555 / 409	10	49 dB	37°C / 99°F	440 / 433	YES

Best Budget Mini PC 2022: GMKTec NucBox5

The NucBox5 is the best budget mini PC from a new manufacturer here at DroiX — GMKTEC!

Powered by one of the latest Intel Celeron Processors, the Intel Celeron N5105, the NucBox5 combines an affordable price with incredible performance! Not to mention, it features 8GB of lightning-fast DDR4 RAM, and a choice of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of M.2 SSD storage. It is overall the highest performing mini PC in the budget range. It’s not only excellent for your day to tasks, but also for retro gaming up to PSP era consoles!

The most outstanding part of the NucBox5 is it’s SIZE. However, even among mini PCs, this budget mini PC is absolutely tiny and can literally fit in the palm of your hand! Making it basically suitable enough to fit anywhere on a desk or shelf, or even in a small bag while travelling!

Best Budget Mini PC for price vs performance 2022: Beelink GK35

The Beelink GK35 is a versatile budget mini PC from Beelink – popular manufacturers of a variety of small form factor computers.

This model, like most other budget mini computers, features an Intel Celeron processor — the Intel Celeron J4105, to be exact. This quad-core processor runs at speeds of up to 2.50GHz, and features an excellent level of power efficiency for the price. Making the the GK35 well suited for low-intensity tasks like online shopping, streaming, and answering emails.

Other 2022 bests budget Mini PC’s to consider

Beelink GK Mini S

The Beelink Mini S narrowly misses out on our best price vs performance best budget mini PC as it was a little expensive in comparison. But for the small amount of extra cost, you do get a nice increase in performance.

The Beelink Mini S features the Intel Celeron N5095 processor which runs up to 2.9Ghz at 15W TDP. You can find 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB m.2 SSD. There is also space inside for a 2.5” hard drive or SSD. For data communications there is a gigabit Ethernet for wired transfer, and there is WiFi and Bluetooth for wireless.

You can learn more and buy the Beelink Mini S here.

Beelink GK Mini

The Beelink GK Mini is another celeron-powered budget mini PC from Beelink.

Featuring an Intel Celeron J4125, the Beelink GK Mini is an excellent option for the user who is looking for a cheap mini PC for the home or office.

It also features a respectable number of USB ports (4 in total!), dual monitor support, and even the ability to expand your storage further with a 2.5-inch SATA HDD or SSD!

MinisForum JB95

The MinisForum JB95 is one of the latest budget offerings from popular mini PC manufacturer MinisForum.

Like many other budget models, it too features a Celeron processor. This time however, it’s the Intel Celeron N5095, a fairly recent quad-core processor that was released in early 2021 (and with CPUs, generally they only begin to make their way into the market some time after their “release date”).

This CPU runs at up to 2.9GHz under load. Making it excellent for basic tasks such as web browsing, keeping up on social media, online shopping, and more! Whether you need a cheap, reliable core for your home media centre, or if you’re looking to use it as a point-of-service system, the MinisForum JB95 is an excellent pick whatever the situation.

Unlike many other budget models however, the JB95 is one of the few that can slot in dual-channel RAM – drastically upping its performance and stability.

MinisForum GK50 Intel NUC Mini PC

Powered by an Intel Pentium processor, the GK50 makes the perfect mini PC for those looking for a low-profile budget option, with its unique entirely front-facing USB port layout making it easy to connect a variety of peripherals simultaneously, and the dual-Ethernet setup allowing it to function in a variety of nonstandard networking configurations.

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Beelink T34-M Windows Mini PC

The T34-M is an updated version of the T34, offering a similar set of hardware features, but with a an approximately 20% lighter weight, and featuring a VGA port instead of a second HDMI port. The T34-M makes a great lighter-weight alternative to the T34 for those with different equipment setups (such as older monitors). It’s a great budget PC option all-around, featuring the same energy efficient Intel Celeron processor, and low-profile design.

Beelink U59 Quad-Core Mini PC

The U59 rounds out the upper end of our budget mini PC range, being the first to feature an 11th generation Intel Pentium processor. Combined with the ability to install an additional 2.5-inch SSD or HDD inside the device, and you’ll find that the Beelink U59 makes the perfect budget mini desktop for the office and/or home. Among the budget models, it is also unique in that it features a USB-C port for high-speed connection of various peripherals.