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  • 2025 is the year of the AI mini PC — Here are the 6 CES devices I'm most excited about


    Karlston

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    • 82 views
    • 7 minutes

    More OEMs unveiled new mini PCs at CES 2025 than in previous years. Here are the compact computers that stood out from the crowd.

    While at CES 2025, I was able to check out the latest hardware from various OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Usually, at these shows, you'll see a range of laptops, some powerful desktops, graphics cards, and monitors. But nestled between these more common devices, I also came across more mini PCs than usual — and just about all of them featured AI processors.

     

    Mini PCs have obviously been around for a while now, but this increase got me thinking about the newest technologies and SoC (system on a chip) offerings. Because of these latest advances, companies have finally gotten to a place where they can put a greater deal of power within a small form factor, which results in more balanced yet inexpensive computing alternatives to desktops.

     

    So, which devices were shown at CES? Let's dive in and discuss the mini PCs I'm most excited about and what makes them stand out from the crowd.

    Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini X and ThinkCentre Neo 50q — The first Snapdragon X SoC mini PCs

    The new Lenovo mini PCs with Snapdragon X

    These Windows on ARM AI mini PCs offer up to 45 NUC TOPS.

    (Image credit: Windows Central)

     

    First off, Lenovo announced the world's first mini PCs that feature Snapdragon X chips in the form of the IdeaCentre Mini X and ThinkCentre Neo 50q. Both devices feature AI-boosting (neural processing units) and can output 45 TOPS, which makes them AI PCs ready to handle Copilot+ capabilities. Additionally, since Snapdragon uses Arm architecture and these mini PCs run Windows 11, these are also both Windows on Arm devices.

     

    At this point, neither Lenovo AI mini PC offers a Snapdragon X Elite SoC. But it's possible that such a configuration could launch in the future.

     

    The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini X releases in April 2025 and will have a starting price of $659.99. Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Tower launches this June and should start at a $699.99 MSRP.

    Geekom QS1 — The first Snapdragon X Elite mini PC

    Geekom QS1 mini PC on a table.

    Lenovo might technically be releasing the world's first mini PCs with Snapdragon X chips, but Geekom has

    the first mini PC with a Snapdragon X Elite chip.

    (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

     

    Now, we already discussed that Lenovo officially has the world's first mini PC with a Snapdragon X SoC. That said (as noted in our CES 2025 awards,) Geekom has revealed that it will later release the world's first-known Snapdragon X Elite-powered mini PC that runs Windows 11 Pro. This, of course, makes it another Windows on Arm AI mini PC.

     

    According to Geekom, this upcoming device reaches up to 45 NUC TOPS, comes with the expected integrated Qualcomm Adreno GPU (graphics processing unit), offers a dual-channel LPDDR5x with up to 64GB, and storage for up to 2 NVME Gen 4 SSDs. As with most Geekom mini PCs, it also features a slew of ports to meet your various connection needs.

     

    The price and expected release date for the Geekom QS1 is currently unknown.

    HP Z2 Mini G1a — An extremely powerful mini PC

    Front view of the HP Z2 Mini G1a on a desk.

    The HP Z2 Mini G1a is small compared to a desktop but beefy compared to many other mini PCs.

    (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)

     


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