Best mini PCs with the lowest running costs (2026)
A home server runs around the clock. These draw the least at idle, cheapest to run first. Running costs assume 24/7 at idle, at 26.32p/kWh. Where we don't have today's price, we use the typical UK price we found when researching it.
Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›
- #1
Apple Mac mini (M6)
6.2/10verdict: wait for dealThe Mac mini (M6) is for buyers who want a fast desktop with strong networking options and are happy with fixed memory. It suits people who can pick the right memory size at purchase and want 2.5Gb or 10Gb Ethernet plus Thunderbolt 4. It is a poor match for anyone who expects to upgrade RAM later.
Apple M6, 12 cores (2 super, 4 performance, 6 efficiency), 12-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine16GB unified memory256GB SSDApple N1 chip, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 6, Thread, 2.5Gb Ethernet configurable to 10Gb Ethernet2.7W idle · £6.23/year to run · £842.68 over three years, all in
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- #2
A6 AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (GEEKOM A6 Mini PC)
6.7/10verdict: wait for dealThe GEEKOM A6 is for people who want an 8-core Ryzen mini PC for desktop work, light server duties or a small development box. It suits buyers who value a RAM ceiling of 64GB and a second M.2 slot. It is less suited to anyone planning sustained heavy rendering or gaming.
AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, 8 cores / 16 threads, up to 4.7 GHz, Radeon 680M integrated graphics, 45W TDP16GB DDR5 default; 32GB configuration also offered1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.24.2W idle · £9.68/year to run · £578.05 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ549typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
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- #3
GEEKOM A5 2027 Edition
6.8/10verdict: wait for dealThe GEEKOM A5 2027 Edition suits homelabbers and office users who want a quiet, low-power small desktop with an eight-core CPU. It fits container hosting, light virtual machines and multi-monitor desk setups. It is a weaker choice for anyone who needs fast external devices or strong integrated graphics.
AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 8 cores / 16 threads, 2–4.5 GHz, integrated Radeon Vega 816GB DDR4-3200, dual channel, two SO-DIMM slots512GB NVMe M.2 2280 (listing conflict: 256GB stated in one source)Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE; Realtek RTL8852BE Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.46W idle · £13.83/year to run · £510.50 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ469typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details
- #4
GMKtec NucBox M6 Ultra Mini PC AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS
6.4/10verdict: wait for dealThe M6 Ultra is for buyers who want a compact Ryzen 5 mini PC with room to grow on memory and storage. Dual 2.5GbE and two M.2 slots make it a fit for homelab duties and Linux or Windows desktop use. It suits people who value expandability over the lowest idle power draw.
AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS: 6 cores, 12 threads, up to 5.0GHz, Radeon 760M integrated graphics2x SO-DIMM DDR5 slots, DDR5-4800, 16GB or 32GB configurationsPCIe 3.0 M.2 2280 SSD, 512GB or 1TB optionsWi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, dual 2.5GbE Ethernet10W idle · £23.06/year to run · £619.13 over three years, all in
Read the full review ݣ549.96typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)
Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details