Flagship laptops and powerhouse desktops attract a lot of attention in the tech world, but another form factor is growing in popularity and influence—mini desktops. Mini desktops are all around us, quietly facilitating our economy and infrastructure. We often encounter these compact computers via point-of-sale systems, media hubs, information kiosks, and specialized applications in health care, transportation, and security. In office environments, they can free up much-needed space, save electricity, and eliminate distracting noise while handling everyday tasks. They can also support a variety of connections, allowing users to easily link peripherals and accessories. For buyers who see the benefits of mini desktops for their organization, the number of options on the market can be overwhelming. Objective mini desktop performance comparisons can provide buyers with confidence that they’re getting capable and responsive systems for their money.
We used web-browsing and productivity benchmarks to compare the performance of two mini desktop systems: an HP Elite Mini 800 G9 Desktop PC powered by an Intel Core i7-13700T processor and an Apple Mac mini powered by an Apple M2 Pro processor (the fastest available at the time of our test). In our browser performance comparisons, the Elite Mini 800 achieved seven percent higher scores than the Mac mini when we tested both systems with the Chrome browser and 16 percent higher scores when we tested with each system’s native browser. The Elite Mini also delivered comparable performance to the Mac mini on two productivity benchmark subtests. These results suggest that the Elite Mini is a responsive system that could be well-suited for online work and everyday office tasks.
In addition to the performance test results, our comparison revealed that the Elite Mini was 20 percent more compact than the Mac mini and offered a greater number and variety of ports for connecting to common business accessories. It also included integrated manageability and security capabilities from HP and Intel—technologies not available on the Mac mini.
The HP Elite Mini 800 we tested provides users with a 13th generation Intel processor, web-browsing advantages, solid productivity performance, and more business-class features than the Apple Mac mini—all with a 28 percent lower price tag. For mini desktop buyers in the market for responsive systems that can provide a productivity boost while conserving budget, the HP Elite Mini 800 G9 Desktop PC may check all the boxes.
To learn more about our mini desktop comparison tests, check out the report and infographic below.
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