The term "microcomputer" has its origins in the 1970s—the "micro" of the personal computers emerging then lay in stark contrast to the room-size mainframe beasts of the day. But fast-forward half a century or so, and oh, micro, how you've changed!

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Rule of thumb? For light office work, you can get by with a mobile or desktop Core i3- or Pentium-based mini PC, but you'll want to err on the side of a higher-end, desktop-strength Core chip if you'll need extra pep for serious multitasking, file conversions, heavy calculations, or multimedia content manipulation. Celeron chips, meanwhile, are okay for only the very lightest of tasks, or undemanding digital display/signage use.

The models next up in size are a bit more dynamic, a bunch we might term the "NUC class." NUC stands for "Next Unit of Computing," a longtime initiative by Intel to spur the development of very small Windows-based desktop PCs using its mobile-centric processors. The chip giant has released a series of NUC-branded mini PC kits in its own line, and several of the traditional PC-component makers have followed suit with similar models (Asus with its VivoMini line, and Gigabyte with its Brix models, for example). (Credit: Kyle Cobian) That’s these chips use the same “Gracemont” architecture as the Efficiency cores in Intel’s 12th-gen Core processor family. There are no Performance cores and no support for hyperthreading, but most Alder Lake-N chips have at least four CPU cores (the only model that doesn’t is the rarely-used Intel Processor N50). Provides an insulating layer, substantially reducing the effects of ground freezing and over-heating during extreme weather conditionsGamers who want something compact (albeit too big for VESA mounting behind a monitor) will find the NUC 12 Enthusiast fills a nifty niche between Intel's miniature NUCs and the all-out Extreme models. The system also has plenty of ports, room for up to three storage drives, and requires less assembly than most bare-bones kits—you must install your own RAM and solid-state drive, but a Windows 11 Home license is included. Conserves soil moisture, minimising drought stress and plant death and eliminating the need for excessive plant watering.

In particular, some of the larger, newer Intel NUC models have begun including, or at least offering the option, for GPU support. The 2018 "Kaby Lake-G" Intel NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK "Hades Canyon" (since out of support) included AMD's peppy Radeon RX Vega M graphics acceleration on the same die as processor. (Earlier Intel NUCs relied solely on Intel's own integrated HD Graphics or Iris solutions.) That means well-above-average graphics performance in a system this size. You're welcome to use the Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra for Microsoft Word and Excel, but it's really overkill for office apps—in fact, it stands close to HP's Z2 Mini G9 as a potent mini workstation. Measuring 8.7 by 3.4 by 7.9 inches (HWD), it weighs less than four pounds but its slide-out internal frame holds up to a Core i9-12900 CPU, 64GB of RAM, two M.2 solid-state drives plus a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, and an Nvidia RTX A5000 graphics card. Who It's For If you’ve got little ones that love to play outdoors, play bark offers a more durable surface that doesn’t suffer from wear and tear. Our range includes playground bark that’s ideal for activity areas and the bottom of your garden slide where a softer, more cushioned surface comes in handy. For larger areas, our range of garden bark includes cost-effective bulk bags that can cover huge spaces. Lay Melcourt Mini Chips evenly onto freshly cultivated moist soil, after planting has been completed. Separate from those is a host of PCs that are undeniably small but follow their own shape and size rules. Zotac, a major player in small PCs (and one of the category's unsung innovators), offers a huge range of Zbox PCs that range in size from a fat smartphone to a bulky Discman. Shuttle, too, is another small-PC pioneer, offering machines in a host of shapes. On the macOS side of things, the venerable Apple Mac mini is a sleek, square silver box with rounded edges that saw a big update in in January 2023. Like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it received Apple's homegrown M1 and M2 processors, greatly increasing its performance.Most desktop workstation buyers want tons of expandability and upgradeability. HP's Z2 Mini G9 doesn't have those, but it has awesome performance, impressive connectivity, and surprising serviceability for a PC only 2.7 by 8.3 by 8.6 inches big. Though it can hide under a desk or behind a monitor with an optional VESA mount, the Z2 Mini accommodates the 125-watt processors you'll find in full-size towers, such as our test unit's flagship Intel Core i9-12900K, and an industry-standard graphics card. The latter must be a half-length, half-height GPU powered by the PCI Express slot, but the 12GB Nvidia RTX A2000 in our review system is certainly no slouch. Who It's For A big reason why? Graphics acceleration and other essential features, handled in the past by separate chips or bulky cards, have been subsumed under the CPU. Nowadays, miniaturization is getting to the point where you can't go all that much smaller. You need to leave some space for ports to plug in a thing or two. The Beelink is tailor-made for use as a kiosk PC or digital signage station. The company's claims for the GK Mini as a general-purpose PC for office or schoolwork are undercut by its extremely weak processor—it can't muster half of the 4,000 points in our PCMark 10 benchmark that we consider the sign of acceptable productivity. But it's fine for streaming video or a static or animated display. The NUC PCs and their ilk tend to be around 5 or 6 inches square, though Intel's 2020 NUC 9 Extreme (followed by NUC 11, 12, and 13 Extreme versions) changes this somewhat. The NUC 9 Extreme was a new mini PC platform that Intel is encouraging partner manufacturers to utilize for many different types of PCs, based on a core-computing module called the Compute Element. While it's technically a mini PC, full retail models from partners, such as the Razer Tomahawk, can be much larger than the small square boxes we're used to associating with NUCs. (Credit: Kyle Cobian) Since then, larger NUC models have even offered support for full-size GPUs, but in a notably larger form factor. Some of the Extreme Kit NUCs make room for a dual-slot graphics card up to 12 inches long. That opens up some serious productivity and gaming power, but the NUC Extremes really take you out of the true "mini" size category. It's all relative.