Buying Guide
The Best Barebones Mini PCs for Everyday Desk Work
We looked at 4 barebones mini PCs side by side, with the trade-offs that separate them and who each one suits.
By Jamie Cole, Lead Product Researcher
9 min read4 products evaluated
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A barebones mini PC's low sticker price excludes RAM, storage, and sometimes an operating system, worth calculating the true configured cost including these components before comparing the price directly against a complete, fully configured system.
Barebone kits vary in exactly what's included, some come with a case and cooling but no RAM or SSD, others are closer to a component kit requiring more assembly, worth checking exactly what's included and what installation difficulty to expect before buying.
Quick Picks
Our 4 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Best High-Performance Barebone Overall
MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon
Buyers wanting flagship-tier barebone performance who want to choose their own RAM and SSD
Our take Check price for MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon (opens in a new tab)
Best Value Barebone Pick
Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS), Barebone Mini PC(NO RAM)
Buyers wanting OCuLink EGPU expansion flexibility at a reasonable barebone price
Our take Check price for Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS), Barebone Mini PC(NO RAM) (opens in a new tab)
Best Budget Barebone Pick
Barebone Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (up to 3.7GHz), Without RAM/SSD/OS
Budget-conscious buyers wanting the lowest entry price to build their own configuration
Our take Check price for Barebone Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (up to 3.7GHz), Without RAM/SSD/OS (opens in a new tab)
Best Compact Value Barebone Pick
GMKtec G3 Pro Mini PC Barebone Intel Core i3-10110U (Beats 4300U/N150)
Buyers wanting an Intel-based barebone build with Quick Sync platform benefits
Our take Check price for GMKtec G3 Pro Mini PC Barebone Intel Core i3-10110U (Beats 4300U/N150) (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Best High-Performance Barebone Overall1 of 4
MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
A powerful Ryzen AI 9 HX370 barebone with 12 cores and 24 threads, appropriate for buyers wanting flagship-tier performance who don't mind adding their own RAM and storage.
Best for
- Buyers wanting flagship-tier barebone performance who want to choose their own RAM and SSD
Why we like it
Flagship-tier processor performance in a barebone kit. On price, it's actually priced above Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS), which is worth weighing if cost is your deciding factor between the two.
On the other side, Requires separate OS purchase and installation.
Key dimensions & specs
- AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370, 12C/24T
- AMD Radeon integrated graphics
- Barebone, no RAM/SSD/OS included
- High review rating
Pros
- flagship-tier processor performance in a barebone kit
- Strong integrated graphics included
- Flexibility to choose your own fast RAM and SSD
Cons
- Total configured cost adds up significantly with fast RAM and SSD
- Requires separate OS purchase and installation
Best Value Barebone Pick2 of 4
Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS), Barebone Mini PC(NO RAM) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
A capable Ryzen 7 255 barebone with OCuLink connectivity, appropriate for buyers wanting EGPU expansion flexibility alongside a lower base price.
Best for
- Buyers wanting OCuLink EGPU expansion flexibility at a reasonable barebone price
Why we like it
On the other side, OCuLink EGPU expansion adds further cost if pursued.
Key dimensions & specs
- AMD Ryzen 7 255 (upgraded 8745HS)
- OCuLink connectivity for EGPU expansion
- Barebone, no RAM included
Pros
- OCuLink connectivity useful for future EGPU expansion
- Reasonable base price for the capability offered
- Good balance of performance and value in barebone form
Cons
- Requires separate RAM, SSD, and OS purchase
- Verify total configured cost against complete systems before buying
- OCuLink EGPU expansion adds further cost if pursued
Best Budget Barebone Pick3 of 4
Barebone Mini PC, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (up to 3.7GHz), Without RAM/SSD/OS on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
The most low-cost barebone in this guide, appropriate for buyers wanting a low entry price and willing to source their own components.
Best for
- Budget-conscious buyers wanting the lowest entry price to build their own configuration
Why we like it
On the other side, Verify true total configured cost against complete budget systems.
Key dimensions & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (up to 3.7GHz)
- No RAM, SSD, or OS included
- Very low-cost base price
Pros
- Very low-cost base price for the barebone chassis
- Genuine flexibility to choose your own components
- Good entry point for a first barebone build
Cons
- Requires separate RAM, SSD, and OS purchase, adding significant total cost
- Older chip generation than the premium barebone picks
- Verify true total configured cost against complete budget systems
Best Compact Value Barebone Pick4 of 4
GMKtec G3 Pro Mini PC Barebone Intel Core i3-10110U (Beats 4300U/N150) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
A genuine Intel Core i3-10110U barebone, appropriate for buyers wanting Intel's platform benefits (like Quick Sync) in a barebone configuration.
Best for
- Buyers wanting an Intel-based barebone build with Quick Sync platform benefits
Why we like it
The real tradeoff against that pick: Requires separate RAM, SSD, and OS purchase.
On the other side, Older chip generation, verify this suits your performance needs.
Key dimensions & specs
- Intel Core i3-10110U
- No RAM, SSD, or OS included
- low-cost base price
- Intel platform benefits
Pros
- Genuine Intel Core i3 processor with platform benefits like Quick Sync
- low-cost base price for the barebone chassis
- Compact form factor
- Good entry point for an Intel-based barebone build
Cons
- Requires separate RAM, SSD, and OS purchase
- Verify current reviews given limited review data
- Older chip generation, verify this suits your performance needs
How We Chose These Barebones Mini PCs
Each pick was assessed across 4 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- True configured cost calculated including RAM, SSD, and OS
- Calculated the true configured cost including RAM, storage, and operating system, rather than comparing bare sticker prices against complete systems.
- Exactly what's included in each barebone kit verified
- Verified exactly what's included in each barebone kit, since this varies from a case-and-cooling-only kit to something closer to a component kit.
- Chip performance tier weighted for matching component investment
- Weighted chip performance tier to help buyers match their RAM and SSD investment appropriately, avoiding pairing a flagship chip with budget components or vice versa.
- Expansion capability like OCuLink valued for barebone flexibility
- Valued genuine expansion capability like OCuLink for EGPU support, since barebone buyers often prioritize future flexibility.
What to Look for in a Barebones Mini PC
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Match RAM and storage to your actual workload, not just the headline spec
Mini PC listings often lead with a large RAM number like 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, but the amount you actually need depends heavily on what you're running: basic web browsing and office work is comfortable at 8 to 16GB, while running multiple virtual machines, a Plex transcoding server, or memory-hungry emulation benefits from 32GB or more.
Buying far more RAM than your workload needs is simply wasted money, while buying too little means the system will lean on slower disk-based swap memory under load, causing real stuttering that a spec sheet number won't warn you about.
Check whether the RAM is soldered (fixed at purchase) or user-upgradeable via SO-DIMM slots, since a soldered configuration means you're locked into whatever capacity you buy today with no future upgrade path.
Understand what the CPU generation and core count actually mean for your use case
A mini PC's processor model number (like an Intel N100, N150, or a specific AMD Ryzen model) tells you its generation and general performance tier, but raw core count and clock speed matter less than how well that specific chip handles your actual workload, since a low-power efficiency chip like the N100 is fine for a home server or media player but will bottleneck video editing or modern gaming badly.
This distinction matters because two mini PCs can list similar-sounding specs while being built around completely different design goals, one optimized for low power draw and silence, the other for sustained performance under load.
Look up independent benchmark results for the exact CPU model rather than trusting a generic "powerful" or "fast" marketing description, since chip model numbers are the one spec that translates directly to comparable real-world performance data.
Check whether the mini PC includes dedicated graphics or relies on integrated graphics alone
Most mini PCs rely on integrated graphics built into the CPU itself, which handles everyday desktop use, video playback, and light gaming fine, but a genuine dedicated GPU or officially supported external GPU (EGPU) connection is a meaningfully different tier needed for serious gaming or GPU-accelerated video editing work.
This is a real distinguishing feature worth checking specifically, since "mini PC" as a category spans everything from a fanless office box with no gaming capability at all to a compact system that can be paired with an external GPU enclosure for near-desktop gaming performance.
If your use case involves gaming or GPU-accelerated tasks, check explicitly for a dedicated GPU or a confirmed Oculink/Thunderbolt EGPU connection rather than assuming any mini PC can be upgraded that way.
Confirm the exact port selection matches your real peripherals, not just the port count
A mini PC's small size means its port selection is fixed at purchase with essentially no room for internal expansion the way a desktop tower allows, so the specific mix of USB versions, display outputs, and networking ports listed matters far more here than on a full-size computer.
Check specifically for the number and type of display outputs if you run multiple monitors, since some budget mini PCs only support two displays despite having enough physical ports to suggest otherwise, and check for dual Ethernet ports specifically if you're planning a home server, router, or NAS build that benefits from network redundancy or link aggregation.
Count your actual peripherals and required display outputs against the listed ports before buying, since there's no expansion card slot to add what's missing later on most mini PC designs.
Weigh fanless passive cooling against active cooling for your noise and thermal tolerance
Mini PCs use either active cooling (an internal fan that spins up under load) or fully passive fanless cooling (relying entirely on the metal chassis itself to dissipate heat), and this choice is a genuine tradeoff rather than one being strictly better: fanless designs run completely silent and have no moving parts to fail, but they also throttle performance under sustained heavy load once the passive heatsink reaches its thermal limit, something an actively cooled system with a fan can sustain longer.
This matters concretely for anyone running a 24/7 home server or media server in a bedroom or living room, where fan noise is a real annoyance, versus anyone running sustained CPU-heavy workloads like video transcoding, where a fanless design may throttle noticeably during long jobs.
Check whether cooling is explicitly described as fanless/passive or fan-cooled/active, and match that to whether silence or sustained performance matters more for where this mini PC will actually live.
How to Choose a Barebones Mini PC
| Recommended pick in this comparison | |
|---|---|
| Light everyday or office use | |
| MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon |
| Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS) | |
| No firm budget ceiling, prioritizing CPU or RAM | MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon |
Fanless (Passive) vs Actively Cooled
- Completely silent with no moving parts, at the cost of throttling under sustained heavy load. In this comparison: check each listing's cooling design directly.
- Sustains heavier workloads longer without throttling, at the cost of some fan noise under load. In this comparison: MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon, Reatan X7 AI AMD Ryzen 7 255 Oculink Gaming Mini PC(Upgraded 8745HS), Barebone Mini PC.
Default to a fanless pick like MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon for a quiet home office or media setup, and step up to active cooling if you're running sustained CPU-heavy work.
By RAM and Storage Headroom
| Maximum RAM and storage headroom | MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon |
|---|
For GPU-Accelerated Work or Gaming Specifically
- A dedicated GPU or a confirmed Oculink/Thunderbolt EGPU connection explicitly stated in the listing, not just a generic "gaming capable" claim.
- MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon fits this specifically: flagship-tier processor performance in a barebone kit.
- You want what MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon offers: flagship-tier processor performance in a barebone kit. That's a real functional upgrade over the budget picks here, not just a brand markup.
- Barebone Mini PC already covers the essentials: Very low-cost base price for the barebone chassis. The main thing you'd be paying extra for elsewhere in this list is headroom you may not need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a barebone mini PC actually cheaper than a complete system?
Not always, factor in RAM, storage, and OS costs, the true configured cost can approach or exceed a complete system's price.
What's included in a barebone mini PC kit?
This varies, some include a case and cooling but no RAM or SSD, others are closer to component kits, verify the specific listing.
Do I need to buy Windows separately for a barebone mini PC?
Usually yes, most barebone kits don't include an OS, factor this cost into your total budget.
Is OCuLink worth having on a barebone mini PC?
If you might want to add an external GPU later, yes, this gives genuine future expansion flexibility.
Bottom Line
Best overall: MINISFORUM Mini PC AI X1 Pro Barebone with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX370(12Cores/24 Threads)&AMD Radeon — best high-performance barebone overall pick in this roundup. See the full verdicts above for every pick, with pros, cons and who each one suits.
Browse all barebones mini pcs on Amazon — Prime-eligible options with current pricing.