I’ve hand-picked my 12 favorite Mac mini alternatives for Windows, ranging from budget office boxes to high-end content-creation stations. Apple’s newly unveiled Mac mini with the M6 chip is a seriously impressive piece of hardware, but its fixed memory and limited port selection mean it’s not the right fit for everyone. If you want upgradable RAM and extra connectivity—such as USB4 support for an external GPU—these are the Windows Mac mini alternatives I recommend.
Why I chose these Mac mini alternatives
I focused on three priorities when assembling the list: performance, connectivity and value for money. Performance led me to include mini PCs powered by capable AMD Ryzen and Intel Core processors. I also emphasized memory and storage capacity, while noting that upgradeability varies considerably between models. Connectivity was a major factor: some choices offer extensive ports and high-speed links for external hardware.
Standout points from the selection include the Beelink SER9 Pro, which ranked as our best mini PC for business, and the Minisforum UM890 Pro, which provides two USB4 ports, OCuLink for high-speed external devices, dual 2.5GbE ports and enough display outputs to drive four screens simultaneously. The GMKtec EVO X1 similarly combines USB4 and OCuLink with dual 2.5GbE networking plus HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.
Price range was also important. I included options for different budgets rather than only flagship machines: Acemagic’s K1 is rated as our best mid-range mini PC, and the GMKtec G10 Mini PC is noted as a very affordable choice at under $290. The list also features top-tier compact machines from brands we’ve reviewed highly during our mini PC testing, including Beelink, Geekom, GMKtec, Minisforum and Asus.
If you want more options beyond these 12 picks, see the broader round-up of the best mini PCs we’ve tested; for savings, consult the round-up of this week’s best mini PC deals.
