The mini PC market is constantly evolving with new, sometimes wacky, designs or more importantly new hardware for more performance. Whether it be in the home or office and of course for gaming, a shiny new mini PC is always good to have. We take a look at the top 5 upcoming mini PC’s that may bring something new to your desktop in 2022.
Top 5 Upcoming Mini PC’s Video
Minisforum Neptune HX90G Mini PC
Minisforum are very well known for pushing the boundaries with their Mini PC’s. Their B550 mini PC allowed for an external graphics card (eGPU) to be connected with a frame type stand to hold it in place.
However, the Minisforum HX90G goes back to a more common design of a mini PC based on the HX90 model we reviewed last year. There appears to be three models in this range. The first will feature the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, the second will have the Ryzen 9 6900HX, and the third will feature an Intel Alder Lake processor. All three will have the Radeon RX 6650M graphics.
Minisforum HX90G Technical Specifications
CPU | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 8 cores 16 threads up to 4.6GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX 8 cores 16 threads up to 4.96GHz Intel Alder Lake Model Processor (Unknown) |
GPU | Radeon RX 6650M @ 2100Mhz Radeon RX 6650M @ 2400Mhz Intel graphics (Unknown) |
RAM | Up to 32GB DDR4 |
STORAGE | Up to 1TB NVMe SSD |
COMMUNICATIONS | WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 |
It will support up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB NVMe SSD, with WiFI 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and the usual assortment of USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPorts.
What we like about the Minisforum HX90G?
This mini PC will be great for gaming, going by benchmarks we will easily see games running at 1080p at high settings.
When does the Minisforum HX90G launch?
There is no release date announced just yet, but keep an eye for an update as soon as we find out.
Minisforum NUCXi5 and NUCXi7 Mini PC
Our next pick for upcoming mini PCs is another from Minisforum and the newly announced NUCX series which will be available in two models.
MINISFORUM NUCXi5 & NUCXi7 Technical Specifications
MINISFORUM NUCI5 | MINISFORUM NUCI7 | |
CPU | 11th generation Intel i5-11400H 6 cores 12 threads @ 4.50GHz | 11th generation Intel i7-11800H 8 cores 16 threads @ 4.60GHz |
GPU | NVIDIA Geforce 3060 | NVIDIA Geforce 3070 |
RAM | 16GB or 32GB DDR4 | 16GB or 32GB DDR4 |
STORAGE | Up to 2TB m.2 NVMe SSD | Up to 2TB m.2 NVMe SSD |
THUNDERBOLT 4 | YES | YES |
The NUCXi5 will feature the 11th generation Intel i5-11400H processor with NVIDIA Geforce 3060 graphics. The NUCXi7 will have the 11th generation Intel i7-11800H with NVIDIA Geforce 3070 graphics.
There will be a choice of 16 or 32GB DDR4 RAM and storage configurations up to 2TB m.2 NVMe SSD. They will also feature Thunderbolt 4 so you could connect an even faster eGPU if you really wanted to.
What we like about the Minisforum NUCXi5 & NUCXi7?
For us this is one of the more interesting mini PCs as it’s aimed towards gamers. An 11th generation Intel i7 with 3070 graphics is nothing to complain about if you want to enjoy gaming at high resolution and graphics settings.
When is the Minisforum NUCXi5 & NUCXi7 released?
The release date is expected towards the end of September. We will have a review unit before launch so stay tuned for our full review of it!
HIGOLE PC 2022 Mini PC
The Higole PC 2022 is quite a bit different to the usual mini PC, it’s a pocketable mini PC with integrated touchscreen display and deserves a place on our top 5 mini PC’s list.
Higole PC 2022 Technical Specifications
GOLE 1 PRO (J4125) | GOLE 1 PRO (N4000) | |
CPU | Intel Celeron J4125 4 cores 4 threads up to 2.70GHz | Intel Celeron N4000 2 cores 2 threads up to 2.6GHz |
GPU | Intel® UHD Graphics 600 up to 750MHz | Intel UHD Graphics 600 up to 650MHz |
RAM | 8GB LPDDR4x | 8GB LPDDR4x |
STORAGE | 128GB SSD | 128GB SSD |
COMMINICATIONS | WiFi 6.0 and Bluetooth 5.2 | WiFi 5.0 and Bluetooth 5.0 |
With it being small and pocketable it can run on its own rechargeable battery or you can connect it to the mains for longer use. There looks to be two models available with the Intel Celeron J4125 and Celeron N4000 processors. These are lower performing processors suited towards mobile devices running on battery.
Despite its small size of 5.59 x 3.5 x 0.69 inches, it will have two HDMI ports, four USB 3 ports and a Micro SD card slot. There is a 5.5” touch screen which is not the largest but it does keep it pocketable and quite unique as a mini PC.
What we like about the Higole PC 2022?
We like that it is a very portable mini PC with a touchscreen display. While it is not very high powered, it can be used as your portable daily use device for tasks such as note taking, messaging etc. It is something quite unique falling between a mini PC and a tablet.
When does the Higole PC 2022 launch?
The release date is expected to be around September according to their IndieGoGo campaign. We will definitely be keeping an eye on this one!
Intel NUC Extreme Raptor Lake
The Intel NUC Extreme codenamed “Raptor Lake” is next in our top 5 upcoming mini PC’s picks. Not a great deal is known about this mini PC yet, but it will feature the 13th Generation Intel Core Raptor Lake processor. It will be around 42% larger at 13.9 litres than its Dragon Canyon predecessor which means more hardware will be packed inside.
Intel NUC Extreme „Raptor Lake” Technical Specifications
CPU | 13th generation Intel i5 13th generation Intel i7 13th generation Intel i9 |
GPU | TBA Integrated graphics 16x PCIe Discreet graphics |
RAM | TBA |
STORAGE | TBA |
It’s been confirmed that the CPU will come in i5, i7 and i9 processors with K models which allow for overclocking. It will have a PCIe x16 slot for discrete graphics which is good news for gamers as we should get some great performance from this NUC.
When will the Intel NUC Extreme „Raptor Lake” launch?
The expected launch date is Q4 2022, around the same time that Intel launches the 13th generation processors.
Minisforum A4DLA Mini PC
The Minisforum A4DLA rounds up our picks for top 5 upcoming mini PC’s. The A4DLA will have two models; the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G processor with Nvidia Geforce 3060M mobile graphics and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X with Nvidia Geforce 6600M. Both support DDR4 RAM and m.2 PCIe SSD.
Minisforum A4DLA Technical Specifications
Minisforum A4DLA 5600G | Minisforum A4DLA 5600X | |
CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6 cores 12 threads up to 4.4GHz | AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6 cores 12 threads up to 4.6GHz |
GPU | Nvidia Geforce 3060M | Nvidia Geforce 6660M |
RAM | DDR4 3200MHz | DDR4 3200MHz |
STORAGE | m.2 PCIe SSD | m.2 PCIe SSD |
While not as powerful as the Minisforum NUCX range of mini PCs, it will be shorter although a fair bit wider. It should be around the same CPU performance as the HX90G but of course better performing graphics thanks to the Nvidia 3060M and 6660M GPU.
What we like about the Minisforum A4DLA?
This mini PC is best suited for gaming, and with it you will have no issues with 1080P high settings, even some 4K lower end graphics settings if you wanted.
When does the Minisforum A4DLA launch?
We do not have a release date for it just yet, but it will be sooner rather than later.
What’s in your top 5 upcoming mini PC’s?
That’s our pick of the top 5 upcoming mini PC’s, what one would be your choice(s) or is there one we missed out? Let us know in the comments.
Where to buy the latest Mini PC’s?
DroiX are the best place to buy the latest mini PC’s. They stock a wide range of mini PC for all requirements ranging from home and work office environment, gaming mini PC and portable for on the go.