5 best mini PCs for gaming: tested and reviewed by experts

Over the past couple of years, we've seen a surge of mini gaming PCs, most of which come from brands that, especially in the U.S., most enthusiasts haven't heard of. It's a Herculean task to scroll through Amazon and find the best mini gaming PCs with so few reviews and little in the way of brand recognition, but we've done the hard work for you.

No, we didn't just scroll Amazon. We bring in loads of gaming PCs each year to thoroughly test and review, and that includes all of the options here we've rounded up for the best mini gaming PCs. Regardless of if you want a console-like experience on the couch, or you're just trying to save some precious desk space, we've pushed each of these mini gaming PCs to their limits to prove they're the best of the best.

Want to scale up? We have a roundup of the best gaming desktops that have gone through the same rigorous testing process, as well as a list of the best gaming laptops.

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The best mini gaming PC

Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti

I'm shocked the Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti is as good as it is. Like most mini gaming PCs, the AtomMan G7 Ti is using mobile components, but it's using some of the most powerful mobile components money can buy, including the 24-core Intel Core i9-14900HX and Nvidia RTX 4070 with a full 140 watts dedicated to the GPU.

The performance is off the charts. In my testing, the AtomMan G7 Ti managed to outclass full-on desktop hardware, and it shot past some of the other options on this very list, including the Asus ROG NUC 970. There's some performance wizardry going on here, allowing you to easily max-out games like Cyberpunk 2077 without breaking a sweat.

Performance is one thing, but the reason I really love the AtomMan G7 Ti is that it doesn't succumb to all of the issues that normally plague mini gaming PCs. It barely whispers, even under full load, and I never encountered any thermal throttling on the monstrous 24-core CPU, even when doing intense work like video encoding in Premiere Pro.

Given the performance, price, and size of the AtomMan G7 Ti, I was tempted it to give it a perfect score in my review. However, the PC only comes with two USB-A ports, and limited port selection in general, so you'll need a USB hub if you want to plug all of your peripherals in.

Kunal Khullar/Digital Trends

The best value mini gaming PC

Ayaneo Retro Mini AM01

Designed to look like a tiny version of an early Mac, the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 is as adorable as it is nostalgic, but this mini PC goes far beyond looks. As our contributor Kunal Khullar wrote in his review, "the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 is more than just cute, it's downright clever."

Clever is really the best word to use, too. The AM01 doesn't aim too high as far as performance goes, relying on integrated graphics and an older AMD mobile CPU. That allows it to clock in for as little as $200 based on your configuration, which is an insane price considering what this PC is capable of.

No, you aren't going to be playing Cyberpunk 2077 — Kunal tried and failed — but the integrated graphics are capable of playing games like Counter-Strike 2 and Apex Legends without issue. Kunal even managed to get 60 frames per second (fps) out of Grand Theft Auto V on the PC with the lowest graphics setting, which is very impressive.

Older games and lighter indie titles are a breeze on the AM01, but the mini PC really shines with emulation. It's a powerhouse emulator, which is made all the more easy to pull off with the included AyaSpace app.

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The best mini gaming PC with water cooling

Tecno Megamini G1

You only need to look at the Tecno Megamini G1 once to see that it's a unique PC. Littered with RGB lighting and crossed with water-cooling tubes, the Megamini G1 is unlike anything else on the market. And, much to my surprise, it managed to offer performance to match its insane look when I went to test the PC.

The custom liquid cooling loop quite literally takes center stage here. Not only is it framed in RGB lighting in the center of the 5.6-liter chassis, it also leads to some exceptional performance. Mini PCs are always battling heat, and due to the fight the Megamini G1 puts up, it's able to offer desktop-level performance with mobile-class components.

That's what I found in my testing. In games, the Megamini G1 was able to basically match the performance of a full-size Lenovo Legion Tower 5i with identical components, which is mighty impressive. Not only does the Megamini G1 deliver the performance its specs would suggest, it vastly exceeds that mark.

You really need to fall in love with the look to pick up the Megamini G1, though. It's an impressive mini gaming PC, no doubt, but it's also expensive due to its exotic cooling solution. Thankfully, it's an expensive mini PC with legs, allowing you to further the performance through the included Oculink port.

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The most upgradable mini gaming PC

Asus ROG NUC 970

There aren't a ton of mini gaming PCs from mainstream brands, but Asus is trying to carry that mantle forward. It overtook the NUC brand from Intel over the past two years, and the most powerful version of the NUC Asus has released yet is the ROG NUC 970.

It's more expensive than the other options on this list, but in my testing, the ROG NUC 970 earns its asking price. It offers blistering performance in both productivity and gaming applications. It can even leverage DLSS 3 thanks to the Nvidia RTX 4070, unlocking high performance in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong.

Moreover, it's an upgradable option. You won't be swapping out the CPU or GPU, but Asus still gives you access to the memory and storage, allowing you to bump up the performance of the PC down the line. Upgrades are easy to do, too. There's a single screw holding the PC together, and I was able to swap out the SSD in the matter of a few minutes.

The main downside here is the price. I love what the ROG NUC 970 is capable of, but it takes a backseat to PCs like the AtomMan G7 Ti due to its price.

Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

The best mini gaming PC for external GPUs

Asus ROG Ally X

OK, the Asus ROG Ally X isn't technically a mini gaming PC, but follow me here. This is easily the best handheld gaming PC on the market due to its performance, form factor, and battery life. But for this roundup, the ROG Ally X really earns its stripes with dual USB 4 ports.

You can take one of the USB ports and hook the ROG Ally X up to a TV or monitor, and you'll have a fairly solid gaming experience. The real power lies in utilizing the second USB 4 port, though. With it, you can connect just about any external GPU to the ROG Ally X and transform a portable powerhouse into a full-fledged gaming PC.

It takes a bit more work — and certainly more money due to the fact that you need to invest in an external GPU — but the ROG Ally X provides an excellent gaming experience with this setup. You can really take this setup as far as you want, hooking up something as powerful as a desktop RTX 4090. Few other mini PCs boast that level of compatibility.

I've been using the ROG Ally X on nearly a daily basis, and it's fantastic across both a handheld and desktop experience. It may be expensive, but it's worth the money.

What to consider

Mini gaming PCs are unique items in that you need to balance raw power with proper thermal management. Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping.

How much should you spend on a mini gaming PC?

Mini gaming PCs are usually more expensive than full-sized desktops, and usually with lower performance. However, how much you spend on one really depends on how much power you need. Lighter indie titles play just fine on the $200 Ayaneo Retro Mini AM01, but you'll need something like the AtomMan G7 Ti if you want to play Black Myth: Wukong maxed out.

Is a mini PC enough for gaming?

Mini PCs leverage laptop components in most cases, so they aren't as powerful or upgradable as a full desktop. However, you can still get great gaming performance by focusing on a mini PC with a discrete graphics card. If your preferred mini PC only uses integrated graphics, I recommend investing in an external GPU to boost your gaming performance — just double just support for the eGPU with your PC.

Can you build a mini PC for gaming?

You can certainly build a small form factor PC for gaming — that's what I did with an RTX 4090, in fact. However, if you're looking for the smallest possible PC, you should buy a prebuilt mini gaming PC. These rigs can leverage unique cooling solutions and laptop components, leading to a much smaller size.

How we tested

I've tested literally hundreds of PCs and components over the years, but mini PCs require a unique approach. As with any PC, I approach take a look at performance in a variety of games and applications, port selection, software, pricing, and design, but mini PCs throw in the wrench of heat and noise.

Although heat and noise are important for any PC, they can make or break a mini PC. Evaluating a mini PC from this perspective takes both an objective look at data through performance benchmarks, but also a subjective look at the overall design of the PC to see if the thermal and noise trade-offs are worth the performance on offer.

Why trust us

Most mini gaming PCs are reviewed by our lead reporter Jacob Roach, who also handles testing of full-sized desktop and PC gaming components like graphics cards. Jacob has close to a decade of experience testing PC hardware and writing reviews, and he's seen just about everything mini gaming PCs have to offer.

Jacob has the spreadsheets and benchmark settings to provide loads of objective data. But his experience reviewing the latest and great PC gaming tech provides a perspective that data alone can't offer. This balance between objective data and subjective product experience allows us to deliver a curated list of products that we whole-heartedly stand behind, not just what's most popular at any given moment.