12 Mac mini alternatives for Windows I'd actually buy

Date:
Fri, 28 Aug 2026 19:05:00 +0000

Description:
With Apple unveiling the new M6-powered Mac mini, I've hand-picked 12 Windows mini PCs that offer a serious alternatives to Apple's machine.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter I've hand-picked my 12 favorite Mac mini alternatives for Windows, from budget picks to high-end content creation stations. There's no denying Apple 's newly unveiled Mac mini with
M6 chip is a seriously cool piece of hardware, but fixed memory and limited port selection mean it's definitely not for everyone.

If you want upgradable RAM and additional connectivity like USB4 for hooking up an external GPU, these are the Windows Mac mini alternatives I really
like. I've included top-tier compact machines from brands we've reviewed highly during our mini PC testing, including Beelink, Geekom, GMKtec, Minisforum, and Asus. Whether you need a cheap mini PC for the office or a high-performance powerhouse for heavier workloads, these are the machines I recommend. My top 12 Windows mini PCs Geekom A8 Max Geekom UK 675 Shop Now View Details GMKtec EVO-X1 Amazon 1,918.19 Shop Now View Details 6% OFF
Geekom A8 Amazon 599 635.55 Shop Now Minisforum UM890 Pro Amazon 889 Shop Now Kamrui E3B Amazon 613.37 Shop Now Beelink SER9 Pro Amazon 589 Shop Now View Details 12% OFF AceMagic K1 Amazon 264.99 299.99 Shop Now View Details Peladn HO5 Amazon US $1,199.99 Shop Now 16% OFF Bosgame P3 Lite Amazon US $569.99 $679.99 Shop Now GMKtec NucBox G10 Amazon 239.96 Shop Now View Details 33%
OFF Acemagic X3 Amazon US $599 $899.99 Shop Now Asus Nuc 15 Pro ASUS 429.99 Shop Now Why I chose these mini PCs I had three key areas of focus when selecting these mini PCs performance, connectivity and value for money.

Performance was obviously high on my list, which is why I've included mini
PCs powered by some seriously capable AMD Ryzen and Intel Core processors.
The Beelink SER9 Pro ranked as our best mini PC for business.

I also wanted plenty of memory and storage, although upgradeability obviously varies considerably between these machines.

There are some particularly well-connected choices among my top 12, too. The Minisforum UM890 Pro has two USB4 ports, OCuLink for connecting high-speed external hardware, dual 2.5GbE ports and enough display connections to drive four screens simultaneously.

The GMKtec EVO X1 also combines USB4 and OCuLink with dual 2.5GbE networking, alongside HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.

Price was important as well, so I tried to include options for different budgets rather than filling the list with flagship machines. We rate Acemagic's K1 as our best mid-range mini PC, and at under $290, GMKtec's G10 Mini PC is a very affordable choice.

For more options, check out the best mini PCs we've tested, and for more savings, see our round-up of this week's best mini PC deals .



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/12-mac-mini-alternatives-for-windows-id-actually -buy


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