6 Mini PCs mit Apple M6, Intel, AMD

Overview

The video compares six mini PCs across connectivity, performance, AI, power consumption, noise, price, and upgradeability:

• Acer Revo RB102
• Apple Mac mini with M6
• ASRock NUC Box 358H
• Asus NUC 16 Pro
• Lenovo ThinkCentre M70Q
• MSI Cubi NUC AI Plus

Connectivity and Features

Most models offer 2.5 GbE, while the Lenovo is limited to 1 GbE. The MSI, Asus, and ASRock have two Ethernet ports, although the MSI achieved only about two-thirds of its expected network speed in testing. Most models support Wi-Fi 7; the Acer has Wi-Fi 6E, and the tested Lenovo configuration has no Wi-Fi. The ASRock stood out for its Wi-Fi speeds.

The Asus, MSI, and ASRock can drive four monitors. The Mac, Acer, and Lenovo support three. None of the models has a memory-card reader, and all except the Mac provide front USB-A ports without an adapter.

Performance

Everyday, CPU, and GPU Performance

The Mac mini led most CPU and GPU benchmarks, including video encoding and several Cinebench and Blender tests. It did not win CPU rendering in Blender or the 3DMark Steel Nomad test. For a Windows system focused on performance, the video recommends the Asus NUC.

Gaming

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the Mac mini and Asus reached about 75 fps, with the Mac delivering steadier low-percentile frame rates. The ASRock averaged around 60 fps, while the Acer and Lenovo were considered unsuitable for the game.

The presenters caution that mini PCs are not substitutes for powerful gaming graphics cards.

AI Performance

TOPS figures offer only a rough measure of NPU capability and are not a reliable predictor of real-world performance. The Acer, Asus, MSI, and ASRock have NPUs rated at 50 TOPS. The Lenovo’s NPU is rated at 13 TOPS and performed poorly in testing. Microsoft’s Copilot+ threshold is 40 TOPS.

Despite an estimated 37 TOPS, the Mac mini performed strongly in local image recognition and text generation, and kept pace with leading Windows systems in image generation. The presenters attribute this to Apple’s close integration of the NPU, CPU, and GPU. The MSI also performed better than other systems using essentially the same Intel chip.

For running local language models, memory capacity and bandwidth matter. The test reports the following bandwidth figures:

• Acer: about 38 GB/s
• Lenovo: about 43 GB/s
• ASRock and MSI: about 82 GB/s
• Asus: about 108 GB/s
• Mac mini: 170 GB/s claimed by Apple; not measured comparably

The Mac’s and Asus’s memory is soldered, so buyers should choose capacity carefully.

Power Consumption and Noise

The Mac mini was the most efficient overall, using 1.7 W at idle while remaining quiet and delivering strong performance per watt. The Acer used 5.1 W at idle. The Asus and ASRock each used 8.7 W under Windows, dropping to 4.4 W under Linux.

Under full load, reported power consumption was:

• Acer and MSI: about 50 W
• Lenovo: 57 W
• Mac mini: 64 W
• Asus: 116 W in its default balanced mode

The Lenovo was the loudest under load at 4.8 sone. The MSI drew 3 W while shut down by default; enabling the BIOS ERP option reduced this to 0.5 W.

Price, Upgrades, and Recommendations

Prices ranged from €680 to €1,380. The Acer was the cheapest and suitable for basic office use, but the review noted its low-cost construction, single RAM stick, and slow SSD.

At €1,270, the Mac mini offered the strongest performance per euro in the test. However, the tested configuration had limited storage and memory, a one-year manufacturer warranty, and no upgradeable components.

The Lenovo won the upgradeability and serviceability category. It has a socketed processor, expansion slots, and room for additional RAM and storage. It also comes with three years of on-site service, although its benchmark performance was comparatively weak and it was especially loud.

The Asus has soldered RAM but a replaceable SSD. MSI and Asus offer three-year warranties, compared with two years for Acer and ASRock and one year for Apple. The video also notes that buyers in Germany have statutory consumer rights in addition to manufacturer warranties.

Overall Recommendations

• Mac mini: Best performance per watt if macOS is acceptable and future upgrades are not needed.
• Acer: Budget choice for basic tasks.
• Lenovo: Best for flexibility, maintenance, and serviceability.
• Asus: Fast, but power-hungry and loud.
• ASRock, Asus, and MSI: Otherwise offer broadly similar hardware and prices.

Guides, Tips, and Related Content

• The video directs viewers to a Heise Plus article for detailed specifications.
• Upgrade tip: The Acer and Lenovo ship with one RAM stick and have a free slot. Adding a second stick can enable dual-channel memory.
• Power tip: Enable ERP in the MSI’s BIOS to reduce off-state power consumption.
• A sponsored segment promotes Ugreen’s two-bay DH2300 NAS, describing RAID 1, up to 60 TB of storage, and uses such as backups and media streaming.
• The closing mentions a separate video about a mini PC with weaker-than-expected driver support.

Credits

The review is presented by the video’s narrator. The metadata credits Gordon Hof for editorial work and Carine Kinarian for video. Detailed specifications are attributed to colleague Carsten’s Heise Plus article.