Can you upgrade a mini gaming PC?

Yes, you can upgrade certain parts of a mini gaming PC just like any other desktop, but you'll need to pay particular attention to the size of the components you're using. Some parts, such as graphics cards, may not fit the compact case. It's also important to note that some mini PCs might use something other than conventional components.

What's the difference between a mini gaming PC and a conventional desktop?

As the name might suggest, a mini gaming PC will be far more compact than your typical desktop, allowing you to fit it into spaces that a regular PC might struggle with. Sometimes, you can make it disappear almost entirely by mounting it on a wall or under a desk.

The Best Mini PCs for Gaming in 2024

Don't be fooled by size; these PCs can pack a powerful productivity and gaming punch

Andy Zahn

Updated on February 27, 2024

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Mini PCs are smaller than full-sized desktop PCs but powerful enough to enjoy snappy productivity and gaming performance. If you need a capable machine to carry with you that can fit into a backpack, briefcase, or even your pocket, or just something that won’t dominate your work or personal space, then a mini PC is a great purchase option.

These are the best mini-gaming PCs you can buy.

Best Budget

HP Pavilion TG01-1020

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop, Compact Tower Design

PHOTO: Amazon

$702 at Amazon $734 at Walmart

Pros

Excellent price
Handles most games at solid framerates
Easy to upgrade

Cons

Not the most powerful
Will require new parts to stay up to date

It's not the smallest or the most powerful mini PC out there, but the HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop is affordable and powerful enough to play most modern games, albeit not at the highest settings. While it's a fundamental system, it's good enough to make a reasonable entry into PC gaming.

It's essential to remember that you can upgrade this system with more RAM, a more powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), or more storage. It's also an excellent photo or video editing system and other creative tasks. Despite the low price, it has a pleasing appearance with a cool edge without being too blatant about its gaming-focused design.

_{CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD}

Best Super Compact

Valve Steam Deck

PHOTO: Valve

$444 at Amazon $360 at Walmart $399 at Steampowered.com

Pros

Desktop performance in a small package
Expandable storage
Built in battery
Desktop/portable hybrid
Great value for money

Cons

Long waiting list to get one
If you want Windows OS, you’ll have to install it
Only 64GB of storage in base model

On the surface, the Valve Steam Deck is a handheld gaming console, much like the Nintendo Switch. Underneath, however, it's also a full-powered desktop PC crammed into a device not much larger than a smartphone.

Though intended primarily as a mobile device, it can be attached to a USB-C hub, which grants it all the functionality you’d get in a traditional desktop.

In addition to being compact and powerful, the Steam Deck is also remarkably affordable. The base model outclasses any other PC or laptop at that price point in terms of sheer processing and graphical horsepower. The Steam Deck is one of the first systems to ditch older DDR4 memory entirely in favor of a single shared pool of DDR5 RAM utilized for processing and graphics.

However, the base model only has 64GB of onboard storage on a relatively slow drive. If you want faster storage, you must pay extra for the faster 256GB and 512GB models. The storage is expandable with a microSD card slot, and if you’re using it as a desktop, you can easily add as much external storage as you want.

_{CPU: Custom AMD | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 64GB to 512GB SSD}

What to Look for in a Mini Gaming PC

When you purchase any device, there are a few things to check. For a mini gaming PC, be sure you have enough storage, a great graphics card that can move seamlessly between productivity and gaming, and plenty of memory (RAM) to handle power-hungry tasks.

A solid-state drive (SSD) is preferable to a hard disk drive (HDD). An SSD's much higher read and write speeds will make more difference to your computer's performance over an HDD than almost any other upgrade. However, SSDs tend to have less capacity and be more expensive than HDDs. A common compromise is to have an SSD for your operating system and commonly used programs, with photos, games, and other high-volume data stored on a secondary HDD.

A dedicated graphics card (GPU) is crucial for video games or graphics-heavy productivity tasks. Graphics cards are typically less beefy in smaller PCs and laptops than in full-sized desktops. If you’re mainly going to be browsing the web, editing text documents, and performing other tasks that don’t necessitate a high-powered GPU, then you can save money on a system with an integrated GPU that is part of the processor.

Most modern PCs utilize DDR4 RAM; you should consider 8GB as the minimum. If you plan to undertake more power-hungry tasks, 16GB is typically enough for most people. For video editors and other creative types running programs that store a lot of information in the RAM, 32GB can be handy. Having a lot of RAM can also help if you’re in the habit of leaving a lot of tabs open in your internet browser.

FAQ

Can you upgrade a mini gaming PC?

Yes, you can upgrade certain parts of a mini gaming PC just like any other desktop, but you'll need to pay particular attention to the size of the components you're using. Some parts, such as graphics cards, may not fit the compact case. It's also important to note that some mini PCs might use something other than conventional components.
What's the difference between a mini gaming PC and a conventional desktop?

As the name might suggest, a mini gaming PC will be far more compact than your typical desktop, allowing you to fit it into spaces that a regular PC might struggle with. Sometimes, you can make it disappear almost entirely by mounting it on a wall or under a desk.