For most people, a laptop is the default option when shopping for a new computer. It can be used at home or on the go, and has everything built in: screen, keyboard, trackpad, speakers, webcam, and the computer itself.
But as convenient as that might be, a laptop might not be the best choice depending on how you’re going to use it. You may not need the whole kit and kaboodle. Plus, there’s a good bit of engineering that goes into laptop designs — and that adds to the cost.
Mini PCs are easier to upgrade
Mini PCs have better performance
Mini PCs save more room
Mini PCs have better price
Mini PCs have more ports
Processor parameter for referance only
| Processors | Cores & Threads | Cache | Max Turbo Frequency | TDP | Graphics |
| Intel N100 | 4 cores, 4 threads | 6M | 3.40 GHz | 6W | Intel UHD Graphics 750MHz 24EUS |
| Intel Core i3-N305 | 8 cores, 8 threads | 6M | 3.80 GHz | 15W | Intel UHD Graphics 1250MHz 32EUS |
Product Highlight
-4xIntel i226-V 2.5G RJ45 LANs, 2xUSB3.0, 4xUSB2.0, 1xCOM1 RS232, 1xCOM2 RS232/RS485, 2xHDMI2.0.
-1xDDR5 SODIMM non-ecc ram slot, support 4800MHz.
-Support two storage: 1xM.2 NVMe/PCIe3.0x2 2280 SSD+1×2.5”SATA3.0 7mm SSD/HDD.
-1xSIM slot, 1xM.2 2230 WiFi slot, 1xMPCIE slot, support WiFi/4G/3G(3 choose 1) connection.
-Support AES-NI, ESXI, PVE, Watchdog, Auto power on, RTC, PXE boot, Wake-on-LAN etc.
-Innovation:
It is flexible to change between fanless system and fan system for i3-N305 model. A fan built in solid aluminum case with longer cooling fins and copper pad gets much better heat dissipation to improve CPU performance significantly, sound of the fan is low. You can unplug fan pin off motherboard to make it fanless system if you want silence totally.
-It is fanless system for N100 model. Solid aluminum shell with longer fins as heat-sink, copper pad for faster heat conduction, gets much more efficient cooling performance. It is silent totally.
-Low consumption TDP and can be mounted back of monitor by VESA bracket(optional).
In short, mini PCs offer more bang for your buck than laptops, able to wring out more performance from equivalent hardware and costing less than laptops on the same tier.
Of course, you’re giving up the innate portability of a laptop by opting for a mini PC, but that’s fine if you’re always at home anyway. You’ll also have to provide your own keyboard, mouse, and monitor, but you can get them for cheap and still pay less than you would for a laptop.
If you’re in the market for a new device and you think your only choices are laptop, desktop, or tablet, think again. The mini PC might be exactly the thing that serves you best for the price. We regularly highlight mini PC deals in our editorial coverage, so hit that link and poke around if you want to save even more money.