The 11 top-performing mini PCs that actually impressed us in 2025

As hardware editor for TechRadar Pro, I've hand-picked the most impressive performers as benchmarked by me and my team

· TechRadar

Features By Steve Clark published 30 December 2025

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My team and I have tested so many good machines this year that I ended up overhauling my guide to the best mini PC units - and I expect even more to make the grade in 2026.

We're absolutely past the point of these machines being underpowered curiosities, ideal for basic web browsing and office tasks and little more. As hardware editor here at TechRadar Pro, this year, it really feels like mini PCs are coming into their own now. I'm seeing Geekom, GMKtec, Minisforum, and more delivering exceptional engineering, packing serious processing power into compact chassis that don't just sit neatly on your desk - they threaten to entirely replace your desktop. All with performance that far outweighs the price.

So, having reviewed over 30 devices in 2025, I've picked out the top-performing mini PCs based on extensive benchmarking and real-world testing. These are the standout mini PCs that impressed me most across every budget.

Best value: GMKtec NucBox M5 Plus

Unbeatable value for a mini PC

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

This is one of my favorite mini PCs we reviewed all year. It's a real all-rounder machine and when it comes to value, there's not much to beat the mid-range GMKtec M5 Plus. Considering its low-ish price, it comes with very respectable specs including a AMD Ryzen 7 5825U chip and 16GB RAM that can be expanded up to 64GB, delivering way better performance than you might expect.

Read our full GMKtec M5 Plus review

High-performance: Geekom A9 Max

Exceptionally high-performance Windows machine

(Image credit: Alastair Jennnings)

Once we reviewed the Geekom A9 Max, it immediately became my top choice Windows 11 mini PC - displacing the already impressive Geekom AX8 Pro. It's stylish, compact, and packs a AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a very powerful NPU, and 32GB DDR5 RAM that's expandable up to 128GB. If it's top performance you're after, this one ticks every box.

Read our full Geekom A9 Max review

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