Q&A: Can you recommend a really small, yet powerful desktop PC?

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Question from Stanley: A while back I spent some time shopping around for a small brick-sized desktop computer, and as I recall they all seemed to be fairly under-powered.

I’d love to find a really small desktop PC that will fit on the bookshelf above my desk, but I’d like for it to be as powerful as a mid-range desktop computer.

I live in a comfy, but small 520 square foot “tiny house” and my desk folds out from the wall. Needless to say, there isn’t much room there.

To keep me from having to do all that “shopping” again, can you recommend a computer that has a really small footprint but plenty of computing power? If possible I’d like to keep it in the $500-$600 price range.

Rick’s answer: I’m familiar with the modern “tiny houses” that are on the market now Stanley, and I think they’re pretty neat. But I can certainly understand how you need to make the maximum effective use of every square inch of living space.

In times past most ultra-portable desktop PCs were indeed fairly anemic in terms of CPU power, RAM and mass storage, but luckily that’s no longer the case.

I’ve check out quite a few of these mini-PCs and I can recommend one that I believe to be the perfect computer for your tiny home (and it falls neatly within your budget).

This GMKtec Mini Gaming PC is about as small as they come, yet they have managed to pack plenty of computing power into its tiny case. Just check out these specs:

AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU
32GB 32GB DDR5 RAM
1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
AMD Radeon 780M 12 Core Graphics
Triple Display Output, HDMI 2.0 (4K@60Hz), DP (4K@144Hz), Type-C (USB 4.0)
WiFi 6E
Dual 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet LAN RJ-45 ports
Bluetooth 5.2
2 USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) Ports
1 USB 3.2 Gen1 (5Gbps) Port
1 – USB 2.0 Port
Windows 11 Pro
Physical size: 4 x 4 x 2 inches

Pretty impressive, don’t you agree? This mini PC is literally 4 inches square and 2 inches tall, yet it’s packed with more powerful hardware than most full-sized desktop computers in its price range.

I’ve been using an earlier version of this very same computer as my primary work PC since 2022 and I love it.

This is what you will find when you open the box:

GMKtec Mini Gaming PC
Power Supply & Cable
VESA Mount with Screws
HDMI Cable
User Manual

In case you’re wondering, even though this is designated as a “gaming PC”, it’s actually a fantastic general-purpose machine as well. Gaming PCs actually tend to be more powerful than general-purpose machines, and that’s a good thing for those of us who need a bit extra computing power and speed.

You can easily place this mini computer on a shelf and mount your monitor to the wall behind your desk. That arrangement will help you maximize the small space that you have available to you.

And here’s a bonus: If you mount your monitor to the wall you won’t have to compromise on the size of the monitor. You can choose a screen that’s as large as the wall area behind your desk will allow.

For example, I have a 32 inch ViewSonic VS3225-2K monitor mounted to my wall and it takes up zero desk space. That gives me plenty of screen real estate that perfectly compliments my mini PC while still letting me use all of my desk space for work-related items.

Bottom line: I think this just might be the perfect “tiny computer” to compliment your “tiny house”.

Click here to check out the GMKtec Mini Gaming PC at Amazon.

Update from Stanley: Perfect! I just ordered it. Thanks for your help.