You don't need a massive gaming rig to play the latest video games on ultra-settings. You can purchase a mini gaming PC instead, packed with the same high-spec hardware as a regular gaming desktop.
So, if the size is a concern or you demand portability from your gaming PC, you should check out the best mini PCs for gaming.
The Corsair ONE i164 is an impressive tiny gaming system. The Corsair One i164's Intel Core i9-9900K is an eight-core 3.6GHz CPU, one of the best consumer CPUs on the market at the time of writing.
Working with the 9900K is an 11GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, backed up with a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM. One of the things that sets the Corsair ONE i164 aside from other mini PCs is the integrated liquid cooling system.
Corsair builds the ONE series of mini PCs with high and ultra-level quality gaming leading the design, and it shows. The ONE i164 packs in the external connections too. It features three DisplayPort, one VR-ready HDMI, two USB 2.0, four USB 3.1 Gen 1, and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-A and Type-C).
While this computer's physical size is in line with other mini PCs, it uses the more familiar desktop PC format. So, rather than a compact box on your table, you can put the smaller desktop tower instead.
- Intel Core i9 CPU
- Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti GPU
- Compact Mini-ITX
- RGB lighting
- Brand: Corsair
- Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K
- Storage: 960GB M.2, 2TB HDD
- Ports: 1x VR-Ready HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.1 G1, 2x USB 3.1 G2, 2x USB 2.0
- Powerful hardware
- Excellent gaming benchmarks
- Heaps of ports
- Liquid cooling system makes a small audible noise
The Zotac Gaming Mek Mini is a VR-ready mini gaming PC that'll fit nicely on any desk. It'll look sharp, too, with dual programmable Spectra 2.0 RGB lighting strips on the front of the case, bringing some extra style to the package.
Inside, the Mek Mini hosts a decent Intel Core i5-9400F, a 2.9GHz six-core processor with up to 4.1GHz boost. There's also 16GB DDR4 RAM, along with a 240GB NVMe SSD and 1TB HDD. The dual drive combination is handy for keeping your operating system on the SSD and your games on the HDD.
In terms of ports, the Mek Mini finds space for one HDMI port, three DisplayPort, four USB 3.1, one USB 3.0 Type-C, one USB 3.0, an SD Card slot. There are also two Ethernet ports for extra networking and connectivity.
One thing the Zotac Gaming Mek Mini does well is ventilation. With all that tech packed into a small case, hardware can become hot. However, the Mek Mini uses a 360-degree ventilation system to keep cool, drawing in and circulating air from each side of the case.
- Intel Core i5 CPU
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 GPU
- 16GB RAM
- SSD & HDD
- RGB lighting
- Brand: Zotac
- Memory: 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9400F
- Storage: 240GB NVME SSD, 1TB HDD
- Ports: 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.1, 1x USB 3.0 Type-C, 1x USB 3.0, SD Card
- Includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Lots of hardware cooling
- Two types of storage
- Excellent gaming performance to price
The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon is a powerful mini PC for gaming—although you should note that it is not the latest generation of Intel NUC. However, the CPU and GPU combination make the NUC 8 Hades Canyon worth your consideration.
The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon uses an Intel Core i7-8809G, a quad-core 3.1GHz CPU, with onboard Intel HD Graphics 630. However, you don't have to use the onboard graphics for gaming, as the NUC 8 Hades Canyon also packs in an AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH discrete graphics card.
The RX Vega M GH offers similar performance to the Nvidia GeForce 1060, allowing for some decent gaming at 1080p. The NUC 8 Hades Canyon also features one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, two Mini DisplayPort, and two HDMI ports.
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU
- Brand: Intel
- Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Radeon RX Vega M GL
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8705G
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Ports: 2x HDMI, 2x DisplayPort1x USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, 4x USB 3.1 G1 Type-A
- Powerful CPU
- Slimline design
- GPU specifications are the PC's weak point
As far as aesthetics go, the MSI Trident X is up there with the best looking mini gaming PCs. The Trident X looks similar to a modern gaming console, standing tall on your desktop or next to your TV. Throw in some RGB lighting effects and a nicely crafted case, and you have a visual winner.
But gaming is about what's on the inside of the case. And in the MSI Trident X setup, you'll find a top of the line Intel Core i7-10700KF, an eight-core 3.6GHz beast. Working alongside the CPU is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super, which comes with 8GB GDDR6 RAM.
Finally, the Trident X has a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM, future-proofing your mini gaming PC for the medium-to-long term. In terms of connectivity, you'll find a Thunderbolt 3 port, three DisplayPorts, one HDMI, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and three USB 2.0 Type-A ports.
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super GPU
- RGB lighting
- Brand: MSI
- Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10700KF
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD, 2TB SSHD
- Ports: 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort, 1x Thunderbolt 3, 1x USB 3.2 G1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.2 G1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 G2 Type-A, 3x USB 2.0 Type-A
- Powerful CPU from Intel 10th gen
- VR-Ready
- Awesome case
- Tall case
- Console-style design won't please everyone
The HP Pavilion 690-0073w is a capable mini gaming PC with VR potential. It doesn't cost the moon, which is a great start. The case is decent, too, with a striking green highlight to offset the brushed metal effect, with the same green tone featuring throughout.
Onto the hardware, the bits you want know about. Powering the 690-0073w is an Intel Core i5-9400F, a 2.9GHz six-core processor with up to 4.1GHz boost—the same as the Zotac Gaming Mek Mini. However, there is only 8GB DDR4 RAM in the 690-0073w, leaving it a little under-powered for resource-intensive applications, such as VR or 3D design work.
Connectivity-wise, the 690-0073w is decent enough. There is one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, one DVI-D port, two USB 3.1 ports, and 4 USB 2.0 ports.
All in all, the HP Pavilion 690-0073w isn't a world-beater, but you'll undoubtedly play most of the latest games towards the top end of the graphics spectrum.
- Intel Core i5 CPU
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU
- Brand: HP
- Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9400F
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x DVI-D, 2x USB 3.1 G1, 4x USB 2.0
- Nice case
- Decent GPU
- Not much RAM
The HP ProDesk 405 is an AMD-powered mini gaming PC with a similar style to a set-top cable box. Okay, it is slightly more appealing than your old cable box, but it certainly won't win any awards, with the black and silver design fitting in with HP's range of off-the-shelf PC designs.
Powering the ProDesk 405 is an AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE, a quad-core 3.2GHz CPU, which is decent enough. The AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE comes bundled with the AMD Radeon Vega 11 onboard graphics.
Again, the Radeon Vega 11 is decent enough but not world-beating, allowing some 1080p gaming at reasonable specs for games that are a few years old. Still, this is one of the more affordable options out there if you're looking for a space-saving mini PC but still want to jump into more than a few PC gaming sessions.
- AMD Ryzen 5 CPU
- AMD Radeon Vega 11 GPU
- Brand: HP
- Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 11
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Ports: 2x DisplayPort, 5x USB 3.1
- Decent gaming performance to price point
- Compact, space-saving design
- Not much RAM
The Zotac Magnus Mini Creatora is a mini gaming PC powerhouse. Under the hood, the Mini Creator packs a mighty six-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H, along with the 8GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Out of the box, the Mini Creator comes with 8GB RAM, although this is upgradeable up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.
The Intel Core i7-9750H is a power-efficient CPU with a thermal design power rating of 45W. The 9750H also features integrated UHD Graphics 630, which you can use to take the load off of the discrete GPU for further power savings. The Zotac Magnus Mini Creator includes two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port, and a handy SD card slot.
This mini PC is ideal for gaming, but it is well-suited to other creative tasks as well. The high-performance processor allows you to perform intensive functions like photo and video editing, 3D animation, and you can even use it to stream your gaming sessions. That's not to mention that it's capable of handling home theater media centers, too.
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
- Up to 32GB of RAM
- Brand: Zotac
- Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
- Storage: 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD
- Ports: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type-C, 1x SD Card
- Powerful hardware combination
- Excellent GPU
- Not much RAM for this price point
FAQ
Q: Is a Mini PC Good for Gaming?
Of course! The size of the case doesn't matter—it's what inside that counts. The mini gaming PC options on this list include powerful CPU and GPU combinations, with some including up to 32GB RAM.
Q: Is a Mini Gaming PC Portable?
Yes, definitely. As most mini gaming PCs are small in stature, you can easily pop one in a backpack to take elsewhere. You still need a monitor, mouse and keyboard, and power outlet, but a mini gaming PC is infinitely more portable than a regular desktop computer.
Q: Are Mini PCs Upgradable?
That depends on the model. Some mini PCs for gaming come in a sealed case and are not designed with upgrades in mind. That said, that doesn't mean you cannot upgrade them. Finding the right components for an upgrade is another issue.
The most significant indicator as to the ease of upgrading comes from the case. A mini gaming PC such as the Corsair ONE i164 comes in a Mini-ITX case that you can open. Therefore, you can theoretically switch out the hardware (depending on the terms of your warranty).
Q: Can I Build a Mini Gaming PC?
Absolutely. There are various form factors when it comes to PC building. Mini-ITX is the smallest size viable for gaming at the time of writing. There are smaller options, such as the Nano- and Pico-ITX, but both restrict the hardware you can use, particularly the GPU and case size.
If you search for Mini-ITX builds on a PC building site such as PCPartPicker, you'll find many excellent mini gaming PC examples.
