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5 reasons a desktop tower is still better than a mini-PC
A mini PC is technically a type of desktop, but there's a massive gap in performance between a mini PC and a full-sized ATX desktop tower. While there are clear benefits to going the mini PC route with your desktop setup, like serious space savings. Mini PCs can also be more portable, which is great for students, and you can even find gaming mini PCs these days, offering stronger performance than the standard ultra-slim mini PC.
Unfortunately, even gaming mini PCs have about the same power as a standard laptop. So, for power users, desktops still have a few key advantages.
Performance
Desktop PCs are still the end-all, be-all for power.
Not all desktops are designed to break records, but desktops will still get the most power out of individual components. Due to the increased space inside the desktop case, you get better airflow, and can opt for liquid cooling instead of fan cooling or vapor chambers, which means you can operate your CPU and GPU at higher speeds. Plus, the larger size of a mid-tower or full-sized desktop means you can put full-sized components into a tower instead of the mobile CPU and GPUs often used in mini PCs.
Because of the higher power threshold of a desktop tower, power users like animators, video editors, and gamers tend to prefer mid or full-size towers, or even mini-towers, over the ultra-small mini PC.
Gaming and graphics
Even gaming mini PCs can only be as powerful as a mobile GPU.
Because of their small form factor, mini PCs can't fit full desktop-class GPUs. Many mini PCs opt for integrated graphics instead due to the thermal constraints of the mini PC format. Some mini PCs will have discrete graphics cards, but those are usually the laptop mobile variant, and not the desktop version of the GPU. Which means mini PCs will have less gaming performance than a desktop tower, even if you go for a mini-ITX case.
While some gamers can use a mini PC with integrated graphics performance or mobile GPU performance for their particular games and gaming needs, if you want to run the latest titles at their highest graphics settings, on high resolutions, you're going to want to go for a full tower for the extra GPU strength of a desktop class graphics card. But if you mostly utilize cloud gaming or play mostly low-impact titles, a mini PC could be a great option instead.
Cleaning
Easier to get dust out of a PC you can actually take apart.
Cleaning your PC on occasion is pretty necessary maintenance. While mini PCs give you fewer fans to clean and less surface area, not all mini PCs are designed to be easily taken apart and cleaned, which can make the cleaning process something of a nightmare. You'll have to open your mini PC case without cracking anything or breaking any safety latches.
Tower PCs are built to be opened and worked on, so cleaning them takes a bit more time since you've got extra space and more fans to clean, but they're easier to take apart for cleaning purposes. Some towers are also built with convenient dust catches, which can help simplify the process.
Design choice
There are more options for desktop tower designs.
Whether you're looking for a water-cooled monster tower with custom artwork or a sleek, minimal RGB case, there are more design choices available on a traditional ATX or ITX platform. Most mini PCs are on the minimal RGB side of the line, with only a few gaming-focused mini PCs venturing into the full RGB territory. There's a bit more variety now on the mid-tower front, with recent additions like HP's Omen 35L Stealth.
Unfortunately, most mini PCs and towers are still rather box-shaped. But there are exceptions, like the CoolerMaster Shark X, which is basically a custom mini-ITX PC designed to look like a cyberpunk shark.
Upgradability
Mini PCs are like laptops; you're very limited in upgrades
One of the key differences between a desktop tower and a mini PC is size. And while that can impact the amount of free space you have on or near your desk, the larger ATX and ITX desktop cases make it possible to upgrade your components. This is one way to recycle your tech and keep it going for extra years, by swapping out your GPU, adding additional RAM kits, or upgrading your PSU. If you've got to swap your motherboard, that's a little more involved in the upgrade process, but it's still generally cheaper and easier than getting a whole new machine.
Some mini PCs are a bit modular, and others offer opportunities to swap out some components, but most upgrades you can do to a mini PC are limited to upgrading your RAM and maybe your SSD.
Mini PCs still have their benefits.
Mini PCs will always have their place and offer benefits over traditional desktops. Mini PCs are more efficient than desktops, take up less space, and create less fan noise than desktop towers. If you don't need the full power and gaming potential of a desktop PC, and you don't mind the limited upgrade options for a mini PC, it's likely the more cost-effective route to take.
But for folks who need the full power of a desktop tower, a mini PC isn't going to be a great compromise. The key to deciding whether or not a mini PC or a desktop is best for you is determining what kind of computing power you need, and then working from there. If you need a lot of power and performance for high-intensity tasks, a desktop is absolutely the way to go.