The Five Best Small Form Factor PCs
If you’re looking for a computer that fits anywhere and does almost anything you want, a small form factor PC is your best bet. The best ones offer power and portability, make the right compromises, and are well worth the price. This week we’ll be taking a look at the top five based on your nominations and suggestions.
Earlier this week, we asked you what are the best small form factor PCs . We’re talking full x86 systems here, so while (as you’ll see in our venerable mentions) there has been a lot of love for other platforms, there has also been a lot of tiny PCs nominated that would be ideal for home theater PCs. , children’s computers, office computers, compact build platforms or even modest gaming rigs that don’t take up much space but are still designed to be used with your favorite peripherals.
Here are five of your most popular nominees in no particular order:
HP Stream Mini
The HP Stream Mini earned a lot of accolades when it turned out to be a surprisingly capable tiny little engine. It fits in the palm of your hand, and our friends at Gizmodo gave it high marks for packing powerful components in a tiny package. The Stream Mini packs an Intel Celeron processor under the hood with 2GB of RAM (upgradeable to 16GB), 32GB SSD storage, Windows 8.1, Gigabit Ethernet and Wi-Fi, Intel HD graphics and more in a round flat computer that fits in the palm of your hand. Sure, you can already see the tradeoffs: memory and RAM are some of the biggest, but the Stream Mini also has a front-facing card reader for more storage, four USB 3.0 ports on the front and rear of the case, and HDMI and DisplayPort outputs to keep you could be connected to a monitor or TV, whichever you like best. It all costs $ 180 direct from HP, and you’ve got a great little machine for a home theater PC, kids’ computer (or parent’s computer, depending on), or the PC you need for light tasks. wherever you traditionally do not need a desktop computer or do not want to take a laptop with you.
Those of you who have nominated the HP Stream Mini have noted that while it is a tiny system, it can be easily upgraded and that memory and storage shortages can be easily remedied either before purchase or after a long time. Some of you have mentioned that its size and shape make it the perfect HTPC, and despite its Celeron processor, some of you have pointed out that it can be quite fast and fast, especially if it has something like Kodi Media Center or if you prefer, your favorite Linux distro. Read more in the nomination thread here .
Intel NUC
Intel NUC Mini PC Series (or Next Unit of Computing ) is more of a form factor than a specific product, mainly because you can order NUCs configured in different ways and in different shapes, depending on what you want. need to. However, the NUC series have one thing in common – they are all small boxes (like in the image above), small enough to take with you wherever you go, packed with Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processors, and they ship as “barebones”. kits ”, which means they are the ideal platform for adding the storage and memory you need. They’re more expensive than some of the more affordable models, even without disks and memory, but you can choose the processor, size, ports, and other features you need before purchasing. You can check out the different models here and compare them here . Some are all glossy black, perfect for HTPCs, others are gray with removable covers, perfect for upgrades, repairs, testing machines or additional computers. If you really need to save some money, there are models with Intel Celeron or Atom processors. Almost all of them have a built-in USB 3.0 port, many have card readers for additional storage, and most of them use HDMI, mini-HDMI or DisplayPort outputs, so you can connect them to just about any type of display possible. Costs range from $ 200 to $ 400 depending on which kit you need, but remember, these are often discounted .
Those of you who have nominated and supported NUCs noted that this is a typical kit for PC builders who want something less than they could probably build themselves, but also want the flexibility to open them, customize them, replace them. storage and upgrade memory, and really make the system fit for them. If you want your NUC to be an HTPC, you can add huge hard drives for storing music or movies, or skip the storage and choose to stream everything. If you want it to be a portable workstation, you can add more RAM and a little less storage and rely on cloud storage. Just keep in mind that you are indeed getting the kit – this means that all of your peripherals are not included. You even have to bring your own power cord. Plus, the possibilities are endless. You can check the nominations thread here .
Gigabyte BRIX
Gigabyte’s BRIX Series is another basic PC kit that you can pick and then customize with your own storage and memory preference. BRIX is available in workstation, gaming and budget models, all in high-gloss black (with select gaming models in black with bright yellow or red accents). Many of you have pointed out that they are a bit like higher-end NUCs, with most models coming with either low-cost Intel Celeron processors or higher-end Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, HDMI and mini-DisplayPort video outputs, four USB 3.0 ports. , support for up to 16GB (or more) memory, Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, and integrated Intel HD or HD Pro graphics. Almost all higher end models support discrete graphics, which means if the card isn’t physically too big for the case, you can install your own graphics card for more powerful games or more graphics-intensive tasks. Again, how much you spend depends on which model you choose, but you are looking at between $ 300 and $ 500 depending on the model , with more expensive and gaming models closer to $ 500.
Those of you who have nominated for BRIX said that you liked the look and that even the inexpensive options are great as workstations or home theater computers. You praised them for offering great in-stock components, affordable models, and ease of use and expansion – not to mention that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are pre-installed on BRIX models (while other small form factors make you add it on. You can read more in this nomination thread here or in this nomination thread for one of BRIX’s high-performance quad-core models (shown in the image above).
Alienware alpha
The Alienware Alpha is a line of gaming PCs that work like consoles, meaning they are small and flat, designed to be connected to an HDTV and controlled with a game controller rather than a keyboard and mouse (although this is certainly possible. Also.) The Alpha comes in four different models, each with your choice of an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M + 2GB graphics cards, and your choice of 500GB, 1TB or SATA hard drives with a capacity of 2 TB. Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an Xbox 360 Wireless Controller come standard on every model, and every model comes preinstalled with Windows 8.1. The Alpha design is typical of Alienware, with a glowing alien head logo on the front, sleek glossy black bezels and red accent notches carved into one side – it’s small enough to slide where your HTPC will fit, and it’s powerful enough to play lots of PC games on the big screen with good performance. Speaking of games, it’s a lot a gaming system (although you can certainly use it as an HTPC or even as a workstation if you like), and it comes with a number of games installed and pre-installed, ready to play. The Alienware user interface on the system is designed to work with the controller and can do everything from launching Steam in Big Picture mode to switching to the rear HDMI input, which can be used to daisy-chain other input devices or consoles. The Alpha also has USB ports for additional storage or wired controllers. The Alpha starts at $ 499, but you can buy some of the models on Amazon .
Those of you who have nominated the Alienware Alpha have praised it for being a powerful gaming PC in an incredibly small living room-friendly chassis, powerful graphics and a fast processor in a nice little box. Alienware (also known as Dell if unclear) also lets you tweak the Alpha to some degree, so if you don’t want to stick to the base specs, you can add more RAM, replace a larger hard drive, and make a few more changes when you order. your Alphas – which is what you’ll want to do, as they are terribly uncomfortable to update when you hold them in your hands and set them up next to your TV (or on your desk connected to it.a nice huge monitor that you also use for work.) For some of you, sheer value for money made him a winner, but you can read all about it in his nominations thread .
ASUS Chromebox
The ASUS Chromebox wasn’t easy to include in our review, but the fact that it comes with Chrome OS built-in doesn’t make it any less feature-rich small form factor PC. Depending on the model you choose, you’re looking at between $ 160 and $ 200 for standard models with Intel Celeron processors, 16GB SSDs, and 2GB of RAM, but if you look a little closer, you might find a Core i3, i5, or i7. powerful versions priced around $ 300. The standard models don’t come with tons of storage or storage anyway, but they’re exceptionally affordable, come with Chrome OS, and include things like card readers for additional storage, built-in Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0. HDMI and DisplayPort ports and outputs so you can connect them to your TV or monitor. Chrome OS works great as an HTPC (and the Chromebox can even be installed on the back of a TV if you want) and it provides a great and accessible working environment, especially if everything you do is on the Internet anyway and you are like the idea behind the system. Instant On, which uses your Google account as the only key to everything you need to do.
Those of you who have nominated Chromebox have explained that despite using Chrome OS, you can just as easily install Linux on it if you want , but if you want Linux, you don’t really need to replace Chrome OS to get it . You also noted that upgrading RAM in ASUS Chromebox models is a fairly straightforward process, and while there is no disk to upgrade, it’s such a small, power-hungry and beautiful case that you don’t mind installing it on the back of your TV or looking at you. from a home entertainment center. Read more in the nomination thread here .
Now that you’ve seen the top 5, it’s time to put them to a vote to determine the community favorite:
Honorable mentions
The most obvious honorable mention this week comes from the Raspberry Pi and Pi 2 , which are more than capable of running Linux (or Windows 10 if you’re interested in preview ) and functions as a complete desktop system in the palm of your hand. package. Granted, the Pi is an ARM-based system, and we looked for x86 machines in our review, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Pi can do a lot of the things that make the rest of those machines great options, and it’s even smaller and more affordable to download. Of course, you can’t really customize your build, but you have a choice of Pi model, you can choose your case and, if you like, you can build your own laptop , semi-desktop , car computer. , a game console , even a smartphone . It’s no exaggeration to say that the possibilities are endless.
Our second honorable mention goes to a repurposed laptop , or “laptop with a broken screen,” as it was called, which is a great DIY project and a way to repurpose any old laptop you may already have. After all, we proposed this particular project not too long ago , so while it wasn’t exactly the type of nomination we were aiming for, it was still nice to see it in the nominations. We’ve always loved how it could be positioned on a slider behind your HDTV so that you could slide it out when you needed to access it and then slide it back into place when you no longer need to see it.
Do you have anything to say about one of the applicants? Want to substantiate your personal favorite even if it wasn’t on the list? Remember, the Top 5 is based on your most popular nominations from the Call for Applicants thread earlier this week . Don’t just complain about the top 5, let us know which option you like best and justify it in the discussions below.