Mac Mini Alternatives (2026): 5 Windows and AI Picks

Header image: a Mac mini on a working desk. Image: Apple.

Disclosure: some links below are Amazon affiliate links (tag cao04-20). Costs you nothing; the picks are the same either way. The Microsoft Store link is a plain link.

Note: This Mac mini alternative guide was refreshed October 9, 2026. The M6 Mac mini went on sale September 22, 2026 (17 days ago), and Microsoft opened Surface RTX Spark Dev Box pre-orders on October 7 (two days ago). Amazon prices below were checked on October 9 and have been moving weekly all year, so tap through for the live number.

When we first ran this list of Mac mini alternatives in June, the base Mac mini was the cheap one. That’s no longer true. Apple’s M6 Mac mini starts at $899 for 16GB of memory and a 256GB SSD, and the M5 Pro model starts at $1,699 (Apple). Whatever you pick at checkout is what that box has for life, because Apple silicon memory and storage can’t be upgraded later.

The M6 is a good chip. The problem is everyone who wanted a small, quiet box for files, a few screens, a Windows-only accounting app, or a local model, and just watched the entry price jump. We covered why (memory prices) in the M6 Mac mini back-office guide. This is the shopping list.

US pricing throughout. Five picks, one clear winner, and a section on when to just buy the Mac.

Best Mac mini alternatives 2026 at a glance

Amazon prices are from the listings linked in each section, checked October 9, 2026. Apple and Microsoft prices are list prices from their announcements.

What changed since the last version of this list

The Mac mini got more expensive. In June the comparison was against a cheaper M4 model. Now it’s $899 for the M6 at 16GB/256GB, configurable to 32GB, with 170GB/s of memory bandwidth, Wi-Fi 7, and 2.5Gb Ethernet (Apple). Amazon had it at $779.99 when I checked.

Mini PCs got more expensive too, just less. The memory shortage hit everyone. ServeTheHome reviewed the Minisforum UM890 Pro with 32GB and 1TB when it cost “around $649” (ServeTheHome); the same configuration was $989 on Amazon today.

Two picks fell off. The GMKtec K8 Plus (32GB/512GB) was $899.99 on Amazon today, the same as an M6 Mac mini, which kills its “most spec per dollar” argument. The ASUS NUC 14 Pro (32GB/1TB) was $1,299, too much for this list.

In their place: an AMD Strix Halo box for local AI, and Microsoft’s new RTX Spark Dev Box for people who need CUDA.

The M6 Mac mini is still a tidy desk machine. It’s just not the cheap one anymore. Image: Apple.

These ratings are for one job: replacing a Mac mini with a Windows or AMD mini PC for desk, home-lab, or local-AI work. They’re based on the manufacturers’ spec pages, the Amazon listings, and the reporting cited in this article, weighed against the October 9 price. We haven’t tested these units ourselves, so treat them as a buyer’s read of the specs, not lab results.

1. Beelink SER8: the top pick for most people

Beelink SER8 (16GB / 500GB) on Amazon: $619 when checked · Beelink SER8 (32GB / 1TB) on Amazon: $859 when checked

This was our top pick in June and it’s still the one. The reason got stronger, not weaker: the gap to the Mac mini widened.

The SER8 runs an 8-core, 16-thread Ryzen 7 8745HS that boosts to 4.9GHz, with Radeon 780M graphics. Memory is DDR5-5600 in slots, which Beelink rates up to 256GB, and there are two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 slots for up to 8TB of storage. You get HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and a full-featured USB4 port for three displays, plus 2.5Gb Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and a three-year warranty (Beelink). Beelink’s own store had it at $619 as well, so Amazon isn’t marking it up.

Put it next to the Mac mini:

The M6 is the faster chip; Apple claims 40% more CPU performance than the M4 (Apple). But a back-office box spends its life on file shares, backups, browser tabs, and the accounting app that refuses to be a web app. That work runs out of disk and memory long before it runs out of CPU, and the SER8 lets you fix both later with a screwdriver.

Which configuration? Here’s where the memory market changes my old advice. In June I’d have said buy 16GB and add RAM later. With DDR5 kits as expensive as they are now, the $859 32GB/1TB model is the better buy if you already know you need 32GB. Paying $240 more today for double the memory and storage beats buying a kit at retail next year. If 16GB covers you, the $619 box is the value play on this list.

The warts: Wi-Fi 6, not Wi-Fi 7 like the M6. Only one USB4 port. And Beelink isn’t Apple when it comes to walk-in support: you’re emailing support and mailing the box back under the three-year warranty.

• Buy it if: you want the Mac mini’s size and quiet on Windows or Linux, for less money, with parts you can upgrade.
• Skip it if: you need macOS, or you want local AI with models bigger than about 8B (see picks 4 and 5).

Our take: Beelink SER8 — 4.5/5

The clear winner for most people replacing a Mac mini: cheaper than the base M6, with RAM and storage you can fix later.

• Pro: Ryzen 7 8745HS with Radeon 780M, DDR5 slots Beelink rates to 256GB, and two M.2 slots to 8TB
• Pro: Three displays (HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, USB4), 2.5Gb Ethernet, and a three-year warranty
• Pro: $619 for 16GB/500GB, or $859 for 32GB/1TB — both under the $899 M6 list price
• Con: Wi-Fi 6 only (the M6 has Wi-Fi 7), one USB4 port, and support is mail-in rather than walk-in

Price: $619 (16GB / 500GB) and $859 (32GB / 1TB) on Amazon, checked October 9, 2026 (Beelink’s store showed the same $619).

2. GEEKOM A6: the cheapest box worth buying

GEEKOM A6 (16GB / 1TB) on Amazon: $599 when checked

If the budget is the budget, the A6 is $300 under the base Mac mini and ships with four times the storage. The listing linked is a Ryzen 7 6800H with 16GB of upgradeable DDR5 and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

The 6800H is an older chip than the SER8’s, so for gaming or video editing, spend the extra $20 on the SER8. For spreadsheets, a POS back office, or a file share, you won’t feel the difference, and you get double the SER8’s base storage.

• Buy it if: you want the lowest price on this list with enough storage that you won’t run out in year two.
• Skip it if: you game, edit video, or want the newest silicon. Get the SER8.

Our take: GEEKOM A6 — 4/5

The lowest price on this list that still ships with 1TB, on older silicon that is only about $20 under the SER8.

• Pro: $599 with 16GB of upgradeable DDR5 and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD — about $300 under the base Mac mini, with four times the storage
• Pro: Fine for spreadsheets, a POS back office, or a file share, where you will not feel the older chip
• Con: Ryzen 7 6800H is a generation behind the SER8; for gaming or video editing, spend the extra $20 on the SER8

Price: $599 on Amazon, checked October 9, 2026.

3. Minisforum UM890 Pro: for screens, servers, and two network ports

Minisforum UM890 Pro (32GB / 1TB) on Amazon: $989 when checked

This is the box for people with opinions about ports. It runs a Ryzen 9 8945HS with Radeon 780M graphics. ServeTheHome’s review counts two USB4 ports (one front, one rear), four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, and two 2.5GbE ports, with up to four displays when you run both USB4 ports in DisplayPort mode. There’s also an OCuLink option for an external GPU (ServeTheHome).

That second network port is the point: it makes the UM890 Pro a natural Proxmox host or OPNsense firewall. The Mac mini has one Ethernet port.

The warts: $989 is now above the Mac mini’s list price, and you’re paying for ports, not speed; the CPU is in the SER8’s class.

• Buy it if: you’ll actually use four displays, two NICs, or an eGPU.
• Skip it if: “dual LAN” made your eyes glaze over. Get the SER8.

Our take: Minisforum UM890 Pro — 3.5/5

The port box for four displays, dual NICs, or a home lab — but at $989 you are paying for I/O, not a faster class of CPU than the SER8.

• Pro: Two USB4 ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, and up to four displays, plus an OCuLink option for an eGPU, per ServeTheHome
• Pro: Dual 2.5GbE ports make it a natural Proxmox host or OPNsense firewall
• Con: $989 is above the Mac mini’s $899 list price, and the Ryzen 9 8945HS is in the SER8’s performance class

Price: $989 (32GB / 1TB) on Amazon, checked October 9, 2026 (ServeTheHome had the same config around $649 when it reviewed the box).

Mac mini alternatives for Windows and AMD: what Strix Halo changes

Where each box lands on price. Amazon prices checked October 9, 2026; Apple and Microsoft at list. Chart: Ctrl Alt Orion.

Picks 1 to 3 are ordinary Windows mini PCs: upgradeable and cheap. Picks 4 and 5 are a different class.

AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395, code-named Strix Halo, puts 16 Zen 5 cores, a 40-compute-unit Radeon 8060S GPU, and up to 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 on one package, with the memory shared between CPU and GPU. On Linux, roughly 96GB of a 128GB pool can be handed to the GPU, and about 48GB of a 64GB pool (ComputingForGeeks). That’s the Windows-world answer to Apple’s unified memory, and it’s the reason these boxes exist.

Every Strix Halo mini PC uses the same chip, so the brand decides the ports, the noise, and the price, not the speed. What they cost on Amazon today, or direct where noted:

Framework pricing and stock are from ComputingForGeeks’s October 2 check; it also recorded the Bosgame M5 at $3,324.04 on September 28, so that one has already moved (ComputingForGeeks). The same comparison found 128GB configurations that sat near $2,000 in June now run $3,324 to $4,349, and puts that down to DRAM prices. If you’d budgeted from a spring review, re-budget.

4. GMKtec EVO-X2: the local AI pick

GMKtec EVO-X2 (64GB / 2TB) on Amazon: $2,399.99 when checked · GMKtec EVO-X2 (128GB / 2TB) on Amazon: $3,649.99 when checked

If the reason you looked at a Mac mini was “run a local model,” this is the Windows answer. The EVO-X2 has the full Ryzen AI Max+ 395, two USB4 ports, dual M.2 slots, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and an SD reader. GMKtec’s Amazon listing is sold by GMKtec’s own storefront at the same price as its own store (ComputingForGeeks).

Why it beats the Mac mini for this job is simple arithmetic. The M6 Mac mini tops out at 32GB, shared with macOS and every app you have open. The M5 Pro Mac mini goes to 64GB starting at $1,699 before upgrades (Apple). A 128GB EVO-X2 gives a model about 96GB to live in.

The warts, which are real:

• Memory is soldered. Buy the capacity you’ll need in two years, today. A 64GB box stays a 64GB box.

• It’s loud under load. Per ComputingForGeeks’s summary of Tom’s Hardware’s review, the fans are audible across a room. Closet, not counter.

• One 2.5GbE port. If you want 10GbE for moving model files, the MS-S1 Max has two for $200 more at 64GB.

• Capacity, not speed. More on that below.

• Buy it if: you want to run 32B to 120B-class models locally for less than any Mac that can hold them.

• Skip it if: your models are 8B or smaller (the SER8 is fine), or you need CUDA (pick 5).

Our take: GMKtec EVO-X2 — 4/5

The Windows answer when the point of the Mac mini was local models: Strix Halo capacity the M6 cannot match, with soldered RAM and audible fans as the trade.

• Pro: Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 64GB or 128GB shared memory; on Linux, about 96GB of a 128GB pool can go to the GPU
• Pro: Two USB4 ports, dual M.2 slots, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and an SD reader; sold by GMKtec’s own Amazon storefront
• Con: Memory is soldered, so the capacity you buy is the capacity you keep
• Con: Fans are audible across a room under load, per ComputingForGeeks’s summary of Tom’s Hardware’s review; only one 2.5GbE port

Price: $2,399.99 (64GB / 2TB) and $3,649.99 (128GB / 2TB) on Amazon, checked October 9, 2026.

Choosing a mini PC for local LLMs: what actually runs

Memory decides which models fit; bandwidth decides how fast they talk. Chart: Ctrl Alt Orion, from Apple, Microsoft, and ComputingForGeeks figures.

Here’s the part most “AI PC” marketing skips. Local LLM speed is mostly a memory-bandwidth problem, and capacity and bandwidth are different things.

Strix Halo’s theoretical peak bandwidth is about 256GB/s. ComputingForGeeks collected these generation rates at 4-bit quantization, cited from ServeTheHome, CraftRigs, and community llama.cpp runs (ComputingForGeeks):

The same source notes ServeTheHome measured 31.41 tokens/sec on gpt-oss-120b using LM Studio’s defaults on a Beelink GTR9 Pro, so your runtime matters about as much as your box does. Pick the inference engine before you blame the hardware.

In a small shop: tagging products and drafting short replies is 8B work, so try it on a cheap box before spending $2,400. Summarizing long documents while someone waits is a 32B job for a 64GB Strix Halo box. Overnight 70B runs, or a 120B mixture-of-experts, need the 128GB box.

Two setup notes. On Linux, the GPU’s share of the memory pool is set by kernel parameters, so confirm you can actually reach about 96GB before assuming a big model fits. And the Mac’s advantage is bandwidth: the M5 Pro Mac mini has 307GB/s (Apple), more than Strix Halo’s, but caps out at 64GB. If you need both capacity and speed, you’re into Mac Studio money, which we priced in our RTX 5090 alternatives for local AI.

5. Surface RTX Spark Dev Box: for CUDA on your desk

Surface RTX Spark Dev Box at Microsoft.com: $5,999 (US only, ships in November)

The Surface RTX Spark Dev Box: NVIDIA’s RTX Spark chip and up to 128GB of unified memory in a small desktop. Image: Microsoft.

This is the expensive one, and it’s here for one reason: CUDA. Microsoft’s Dev Box uses the same NVIDIA RTX Spark superchip as the new Surface Laptop Ultra, with up to 1 petaflop of AI performance and up to 128GB of unified memory, and Microsoft says it supports models over 120B parameters with large context windows. It ships with VS Code, Git, GitHub CLI, GitHub Copilot, WSL, Python, and Node preinstalled. It’s $5,999, sold only on Microsoft.com in the US, and ships in November (Microsoft).

Read Microsoft’s footnotes before you read the headline. The petaflop is theoretical FP4 throughput using sparsity, and the GPU can’t address the full 128GB; the maximum “is less than the total” and depends on configuration and workload. No independent reviews exist yet.

It’s worth roughly $2,350 more than a 128GB EVO-X2 only when your stack assumes NVIDIA: PyTorch on CUDA, CUDA-only inference engines, fine-tuning scripts written for a GeForce card. Strix Halo isn’t CUDA. If you don’t know whether you need CUDA, you probably don’t.

The laptop version. If the model has to leave the desk, the Surface Laptop Ultra puts the same RTX Spark chip in a 15-inch laptop from $2,599, shipping October 16 (Microsoft). Surface Laptop Ultra on Amazon: $2,599.99 when checked. It runs Windows on Arm, so x86-only tools go through emulation. We went through what that means for developers, plus battery life, Xcode, and the $1,000 MacBook Pro trade-in, in Surface Laptop Ultra vs MacBook Pro.

• Buy it if: you need CUDA and lots of unified memory, and $5,999 is a business expense with a named workload behind it.
• Skip it if: you just want to run local models. A Strix Halo box does that for a little over half the price.

Our take: Surface RTX Spark Dev Box — 3/5

The CUDA desk box with up to 128GB of unified memory — worth the jump past a 128GB EVO-X2 only when your stack assumes NVIDIA, and nobody outside Microsoft has reviewed it yet.

• Pro: NVIDIA RTX Spark with up to 128GB unified memory and CUDA; Microsoft says it supports models over 120B parameters with large context windows
• Pro: Ships with VS Code, Git, GitHub CLI, GitHub Copilot, WSL, Python, and Node preinstalled
• Con: $5,999, Microsoft.com-only in the US, ships in November; about $2,350 more than a 128GB EVO-X2
• Con: No independent reviews yet; the petaflop figure is theoretical FP4-with-sparsity, and the GPU cannot address the full 128GB

Price: $5,999 list at Microsoft.com, checked October 9, 2026 (pre-orders opened October 7, 2026).

When to just buy the Mac mini

We’re not here to talk you out of a good computer. Buy the M6 Mac mini if:

• Your work is Mac-only. Final Cut, Logic, Xcode, or a POS or design tool that only ships for macOS. Nothing on this list fixes that.
• Silence and efficiency are the job. Apple’s chips are hard to beat on performance per watt, and none of these boxes is quieter than a Mac mini under load.
• You can get it at $779.99. At that Amazon price, the gap to the SER8 is about $160. Mac mini M6 (16GB / 256GB) on Amazon: $779.99 when checked. Students get $799 education pricing from Apple.

If you do, buy the memory you’ll need on day one, and put bulk storage on an external drive.

Which Mac mini alternative should you buy?

• Just tell me what to buy: Beelink SER8. Get the $859 32GB/1TB model if you can, the $619 base if you can’t.
• Lowest price with 1TB: GEEKOM A6 at $599.
• Four monitors or a home lab: Minisforum UM890 Pro.
• Local LLMs without paying Apple for memory: GMKtec EVO-X2, 128GB if you want 70B and up.
• CUDA on a desk: Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, after the reviews land.
• macOS-only software: the Mac mini. That decision is already made.

If you want the long argument for why a Windows mini PC beats the base Mac mini for most people, it’s in Mac Minis Are Flying Off the Shelves. Buy This Instead.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Mac mini alternative in 2026?

For most people, the Beelink SER8. It was $619 on Amazon on October 9, 2026, against $899 for the base M6 Mac mini, with upgradeable DDR5 memory, two M.2 slots, and three-display output.

What is the best Mac mini alternative for Windows?

The Beelink SER8, which runs Windows 11 Pro (or Linux). If you want the lowest price that still has 1TB of storage, the GEEKOM A6 was $599. If you need four displays or two 2.5GbE ports, get the Minisforum UM890 Pro.

What is the cheapest Mac mini alternative worth buying?

The GEEKOM A6 at $599 when checked: $300 under the base Mac mini, with 16GB of upgradeable DDR5 and a 1TB SSD, four times the Mac’s base storage. Its Ryzen 7 6800H is an older chip, so for gaming or video editing, spend the extra $20 on the SER8.

Should I buy the 16GB or 32GB Beelink SER8?

With DDR5 kits as expensive as they are now, the $859 32GB/1TB model is the better buy if you already know you need 32GB. If 16GB covers you, the $619 base model is the value pick.

Can a mini PC run local LLMs like a Mac?

Yes, if it has enough memory. Strix Halo boxes run 32B models interactively and fit 70B and 120B-class models. Ordinary mini PCs like the SER8 are best kept to small models.

What is the best mini PC for local LLMs?

The GMKtec EVO-X2, an AMD Strix Halo box: $2,399.99 for 64GB/2TB or $3,649.99 for 128GB/2TB when checked. On Linux, the 128GB model can give a model about 96GB, versus a 32GB ceiling on the M6 Mac mini. Get 128GB if you want 70B and up; the memory is soldered, so buy the capacity up front. If your stack needs CUDA, look at the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box instead.

Is the M6 Mac mini upgradeable?

No. Memory and storage are chosen at purchase. The M6 model tops out at 32GB, and the M5 Pro model at 64GB.

When should I just buy the Mac mini instead?

When your work is Mac-only (Final Cut, Logic, Xcode, or a macOS-only POS or design tool), when silence and efficiency are the job, or when you can get it at the $779.99 Amazon price. If you do, buy the memory you’ll need on day one and put bulk storage on an external drive.

The bottom line

The Mac mini stopped being the default cheap desktop the day Apple priced the M6 at $899. For most people, the Beelink SER8 does the same small-box job for $619 and lets you add memory and storage later. If local AI is the plan, a Strix Halo box gives you about three times the model memory of the biggest M6 Mac mini. And if your code assumes NVIDIA, the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is the first small desktop built for that, once someone other than Microsoft has tested it.

Sources

5 refs

1. The new Mac mini and Mac Studio are available today — Apple Newsroom: September 22, 2026 availability; M6 Mac mini $899 and M5 Pro $1,699 starting prices, $799 education price; 12-core CPU and GPU, 16GB configurable to 32GB, 170GB/s; M5 Pro up to 64GB at 307GB/s; Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5Gb Ethernet; 40% CPU claim vs M4.apple.com
2. Pre-order our most powerful Surface devices ever — Microsoft Devices Blog: Surface RTX Spark Dev Box $5,999, Microsoft.com-only in the US, November shipping, up to 128GB unified memory, 1 petaflop FP4-with-sparsity footnote, GPU-addressable-memory footnote, 120B-parameter claim, preinstalled tools; Surface Laptop Ultra $2,599 and October 16 availability.blogs.windows.com
3. Best Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Mini PC (2026) — ComputingForGeeks: Strix Halo specs and ~256GB/s bandwidth; ~96GB (128GB box) and ~48GB (64GB box) GPU-addressable on Linux; cited tokens/sec table and the ServeTheHome LM Studio figure; Framework Desktop pricing and stock; June-to-October price history; EVO-X2 networking, noise, and storefront notes.computingforgeeks.com
4. Beelink SER8 AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS — Beelink: SER8 CPU, Radeon 780M, DDR5-5600 up to 256GB, dual M.2 to 8TB, triple-display ports, 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6, three-year warranty, $619 direct price.bee-link.com
5. Minisforum UM890 Pro Review — ServeTheHome: UM890 Pro port layout (two USB4, dual 2.5GbE, HDMI, DP, four-display support), OCuLink option, and the ~$649 review-time price for 32GB/1TB.servethehome.com