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Top 3 Mini PCs Reviewed

It may sound weird, but some of today’s mini PCs can make yesterday’s tiny laptops look huge. Still, this is not a surprise, when we take into account the recent technological advances in the IT industry. CPU makers strive to create the most energy efficient processors these days, and it looks like their strategies are working fine for them and for us.

You can purchase tiny computers that are powerful enough to run standard office applications, let you browse the web and open several tabs at the same time, and even provide a lightweight gaming experience.

And the good news doesn’t stop here: these PCs are often times inexpensive and will easily fit into your pocket. Here are some of the best options that your hard-earned money can buy.

 

Raspberry Pi

This tiny computer has earned its place into the hall of fame, and for a good reason: it is cheap, and yet it allows you to build hundreds of different systems. It’s been built to help electronic engineers around the world implement various automatizations, but it can also run several Linux distributions.

raspberry-pi

Its price is around the $35 mark. Of course, you can also purchase various accessories like touchscreens, tiny power supplies, and more. The UK government will start giving these computers away to schools, with the goal of teaching children to create software applications and see them run live.

 

Chip

If you thought that $35 is a lot of money, you will be glad to discover Chip, the computer that only costs nine dollars. It’s a new product and it runs using an ARM CPU, the type of processor that is usually found in smartphones. Chip runs a Linux distribution that’s actually built-in.

chip-cpu

The 1 GHz CPU coupled with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of storage is accompanied by a built-in Wi-Fi chip and a Bluetooth chip.

 

Intel NUC

Sure, some of you may have more money in your pockets. If this is the case, you can buy Mac Mini-sized PCs that are produced by Intel itself. Named NUCs, next units of computing, these computers provide a full-blown desktop experience.

intel-nuc

The price isn’t that small, though. You can expect to pay from $300 to $800 for a NUC. The good news is that you can actually choose the desired CPU, memory and storage space. The same goes for the operating system, of course.

So there you have them: three mini PCs, with prices ranging from $9 to about $400, all of which are able to run powerful operating systems. If price is an issue, go for a Chip or (even better) for a new generation Raspberry Pi. Of course, if you want to get a powerful computer that still fits in your jacket pocket, Intel NUC may be the perfect option.

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