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PCs person been done a fig of evolutions successful presumption of size. They person transformed from hulking machines to thing astir the size of a hardback publication that inactive packs capable powerfulness to grip demanding workloads. The aforesaid has happened with gaming PCs. With their accrued powerfulness and cooling demand, it's astonishing conscionable however overmuch tin acceptable into specified a tiny package.
Also: The champion gaming PCs you tin buy
If you don't person the abstraction successful your beingness for a immense gaming rig, a mini gaming PC tin inactive present the powerfulness you need. For April, I replaced each of the entries with mini PCs from well-known brands including HP, Dell, and Raspberry Pi.
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What is the champion mini gaming PC close now?
I chose the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 arsenic the champion mini gaming PC you tin bargain for it's unthinkable versatility, genuinely micro signifier factor, and progressive modding community. But if you're looking for thing little DIY, brands similar HP, Dell, and Lenovo each connection large micro PCs.
Keep speechmaking beneath to find retired much astir the Raspberry Pi CM5 and my different picks for the champion mini gaming PC.
The champion mini gaming PCs of 2026
Raspberry Pi
Why we similar it: The Raspberry Pi is the eventual DIY gaming rig, with astir endless configuration options and an impressively compact design. You tin acquisition partially pre-built configurations with up to 16GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, letting you get a jumpstart connected your customized build. You tin besides opt for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity modules to circular retired your rig.
Who it's for: More precocious DIY PC builders volition emotion the versatility of the Raspberry Pi. It allows you to physique customized emulation machines for retro games arsenic good arsenic ultra-portable rigs for casual gaming on-the-go. There are plentifulness of configuration options arsenic good arsenic a robust hobbyist assemblage to assistance beginners looking to chopped their teeth.
Also: Your Raspberry Pi 5 conscionable got a large functionality upgrade
Who should look elsewhere: The Raspberry Pi tin conscionable astir bash it each erstwhile it comes to retro gaming and emulation, but it requires rather a spot of method know-how to get started. Especially if you're wanting to physique a customized rig. Thankfully, determination are plentifulness of pre-built mini PC configurations from HP, Dell, and much that don't consciousness similar they necessitate a machine engineering grade use.
Raspberry Pi tech specs CPU: Custom 2.4GHz ARM processor | RAM: Up to 16GB | Storage: Up to 64GB | Graphics: User added
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HP/ZDNET
Why we similar it: The HP EliteDesk 8 Mini manages to battalion a ton of powerfulness and show into an ultra-tiny build. Measuring conscionable 7 x7 x 1 inches, you tin easy tuck the PC down your show oregon equine it to your desk, making it cleanable for ace tiny spaces. Built with an AMD Ryzen AI 5 Pro CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD, you get a coagulated rig without the bulk of a full-size tower.
Who it's for: This ultra-compact AMD physique is cleanable for anyone who needs a desktop that tin propulsion treble work arsenic a workstation and gaming rig. With 4 M.2 SSD slots, you'll person plentifulness of country to turn arsenic your needs change, portion Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 enactment springiness you blazing accelerated wireless net and much unchangeable connections to wireless peripherals.
More: The champion HP laptops you tin buy
Who should look elsewhere: The HP EliteDesk 8 doesn't person a configuration enactment to see a dedicated graphics paper from AMD, Intel, oregon Nvidia. The integrated AMD Radeon graphics motor is almighty capable to grip casual games and older titles. If you privation to play triple-A releases, you'll person to put successful a GPU and outer housing.
HP EliteDesk 8 Mini G1a tech specs CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 5 Pro 340 | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon 840M
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Lenovo/ZDNET
Why we similar it: The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90s doesn't skimp retired connected representation and storage, offering 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. If your needs alteration down the line, it supports up to 64GB of representation and up to 10TB of SSD drives. A dedicated Intel Arc graphics paper means you'll beryllium capable to grip everything from casual pixel creation games to the latest triple-A titles.
Who it's for: If you similar Intel builds, the ThinkCentre M90s is simply a coagulated setup that pushes into the higher extremity of mid-range. You'll get tons of retention and show for everything from bureau enactment and streaming to contented instauration and gaming. With Wi-Fi 6E enactment and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, you'll get faster wireless net and much unchangeable connections to peripherals similar headsets and mice.
Read more: The champion Lenovo laptops you tin buy
Who should look elsewhere: Even though the Lenovo ThinkCentre M90s is simply a coagulated physique with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, the Intel Arc graphics paper whitethorn not enactment good with each crippled titles. You tin take to configure your ThinkCentre M90s with an RTX 3050, but it volition rise the terms rather a bit.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90s tech specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 225 | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Graphics: Intel Arc
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Asus/ZDNET
Why we similar it: The Asus ROG GR70 is simply a micro PC tailor-made for gaming, with an RTX 5070 laptop variation graphics paper for high-end gaming. It's built with 16GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD but tin enactment up to 96GB of representation and up to 4 SSD drives.
Who it's for: Serious gamers and contented creators who request a batch of powerfulness successful a precise tiny bundle tin instrumentality afloat vantage of the high-end components included. With enactment for high-capacity RAM and SSDs, you'll person country to turn arsenic your needs change.
More: The champion mini PCs you tin buy
Who should look elsewhere: The high-end components and inclusion of a discrete graphics paper means that the GR70 has a premium terms to match. If you're looking for thing much modestly priced, determination are mid-range options from HP, Dell, and Lenovo, but they each necessitate a abstracted GPU lodging for much demanding crippled titles.
Asus ROG GR70 tech specs CPU: AMD Ryzen 9955HX | RAM: Up to 96GB | Storage: 2TB SSD included, supports up to 4 SSD drives | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 laptop edition
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Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET
Why we similar it: The MSI Claw 8 AI Plus is 1 of our favourite alternatives to the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Built with an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an Intel Arc graphics card, you'll person plentifulness of powerfulness for playing your favourite games on-the-go.
Who it's for: If you're looking for a Steam Deck rival that's worthy the elevated retail price, the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus is simply a large option. With an 8-inch show susceptible of 1080p solution and a 120Hz refresh rate, you'll get a cleanable representation portion playing fast-paced enactment oregon sports titles. And the 1TB SSD gives you plentifulness of retention abstraction for ample downloads, prevention files, and apps.
Also: MSI Claw 8 AI Plus
Who should look elsewhere: The MSI Claw 8 AI Plus is different unfortunate of rising prices owed to RAM and SSD shortages, seeing retail prices supra $1,000. With specified a precocious terms tag, a stationary micro desktop offers much show for astir the aforesaid cost. It besides gives you galore much customization options for storage, operating systems, and your display.
MSI Claw 8 AI Plus tech specs CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Graphics: Intel Arc
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I chose the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 arsenic the champion mini gaming PC you tin buy. It's an incredibly versatile portion of tech, with astir infinite customization options for moving ROMs and Linux-compatible games. Its utmost signifier origin means you tin acceptable it into conscionable astir immoderate lodging you tin imagination up, and its precise affordable terms means that adjacent beginner DIY PC builders tin instrumentality a accidental connected one.
Best mini gaming PC | Price | CPU | RAM/Storage |
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 | $68 | N/A | N/A |
HP EliteDesk 8 Mini G1a | $1,609 | AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 | 32GB, 1TB SSD |
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90s | $1,529 | Intel Core Ultra 5 225 | 32GB, 1TB SSD |
Asus ROG GR70 | $3,349 | AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX | Up to 96GB, 2TB |
MSI Claw 8 AI Plus | $1,162 | Intel Core Ultra 7 258V | 32GB, 1TB SSD |
*MSRP astatine the clip of writing.
A micro gaming PC physique limits your options erstwhile it comes to graphics cards, memory, and cooling systems. Carefully see the recommended components for your favourite games to marque definite your caller mini PC is capable to grip them. If you're looking for thing you tin marque wholly your own, you can't spell incorrect with the Raspberry Pi CM5.
Buy this mini gaming PC... | If you need... |
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 | A customizable and versatile mini gaming PC that's besides affordable. |
HP EliteDesk 8 Mini G1a | An AMD-based mini gaming PC. |
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90s | An Intel-based mini gaming PC. |
Asus ROG GR70 | A almighty mini gaming PC with a discrete graphics card. |
MSI Claw 8 AI Plus | A handheld gaming PC for playing your favourite titles connected the go. |
In galore ways, choosing a mini PC is similar a regular PC. There are each the accustomed performance, price, and enactment for each your peripherals to support successful mind. If you are aft a mini PC, past size does travel into play. The bully quality is these machines travel successful a scope of sizes, from systems that tin acceptable successful the thenar of your manus to systems truthful tiny you could clasp several.
- Do you request a mini gaming PC? This is the apical question erstwhile choosing a mini gaming PC. Do you really request one, oregon would a full-size gaming PC beryllium much apt for you?
- Performance: Pretty modular PC information here. This is usually a lawsuit of much speed, much spend.
- Budget: Small doesn't ever mean cheap, but you tin prevention wealth by choosing a mini PC that suits your needs.
- Upgradability: How overmuch upgradability bash you privation your mini gaming PC to have?
There are a batch of mini PCs connected the marketplace from a assortment of antithetic vendors, and I've tested and utilized mini gaming PCs from each the vendors listed here, I've based my selections connected my acquisition utilizing these brands arsenic good arsenic existent exemplary idiosyncratic reviews.
Product specs and terms besides travel into play, but being capable to gully connected dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of different people's views allows maine to get a wide consciousness of however well-received a selected mini gaming PC is. I've paid peculiar attraction to reports of performance, stability, however quiescent oregon noisy the PC is, and weeded retired galore that seemed to person a mediocre lifespan.
What we're near with is the champion of the best, successful a wide enactment of categories that are applicable to mini gaming PCs.
Latest quality connected mini gaming PCs successful 2026
January 2026: Right present RAM prices are going done the roof. This is hiking the prices of everything that has representation chips, similar mini PCs. We are already seeing this person an effect connected prices, and this is apt to proceed passim 2026.
October 2025: Already proceeding things from immoderate of the large names successful mini gaming PCs astir immoderate chill caller merchandise coming retired successful 2026. Stay tuned for mini PCs that tin beryllium upgraded, and immoderate superior show enhancements.
A mini PC is simply a compact yet afloat functional machine that offers many, if not each of, the capabilities of a desktop PC, but is packaged into a smaller size. Mini PCs are designed to prevention abstraction and tin beryllium utilized for a assortment of tasks, from basal computing to much demanding applications specified arsenic programming oregon adjacent gaming.
A mini gaming PC takes this 1 measurement further and is simply a strategy that's built with gaming successful mind.
People often take to put successful a mini gaming PC for these reasons:
- Space-saving: The apical payment of going for a mini gaming PC is that it takes up importantly little abstraction than accepted desktop PCs.
- Portable: Mini gaming PCs are lightweight and casual to move, making them perfect for users who request computing powerfulness connected the go.
- Energy efficiency: Most mini gaming PCs devour importantly little powerfulness than a similarly-specced desktop system, which tin pb to outgo savings connected electricity.
- Quiet: While a mini gaming PC isn't going to beryllium fanless, these systems are acold quieter than a modular desktop system.
It depends connected the model. Most mini gaming PCs let for casual upgrades to components similar RAM and storage. There's besides a strategy with an OCuLink larboard that allows the usage of an outer graphics card.
Like laptops, mini PCs are amended aimed astatine those situations wherever you bargain the PC with the spec that you request alternatively than relying connected an upgrade down the line. If you privation the maximum upgradability possible, a regular desktop gaming PC mightiness beryllium amended for you.
Latest updates
April 2026: I replaced each of the entries with mini PCs from well-known brands including HP, Dell, and Raspberry Pi.
More mini gaming PCs to consider
Dell/ZDNET
The Dell Pro Max Micro offers dozens of configurations for CPUs, graphics cards, memory, storage, and adjacent operating systems for a genuinely customized build. While the discrete GPU options are optimized for workstations and animation, they inactive battalion plentifulness of punch for high-end gaming.
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Sonnet/ZDNET
While not a implicit mini PC build, the Sonnet eGPU enclosure is an indispensable accessory for adding a dedicated graphics paper to your micro build. With capable abstraction to acceptable full-size cards, you tin rapidly link your favourite AMD, Intel, oregon Nvidia graphics paper erstwhile you request a powerfulness boost for high-end gaming erstwhile the integrated graphics aren't enough.
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For more, cheque retired our favourite laptops, all-in-one computers, and gaming PCs of 2026.
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