Mini PC Buying Guide: White Friday Deals and Mistakes to Avoid

Why You Should Avoid the $99 AMD Ryzen 3 3250U Mini PC

In the world of mini PCs, the offer of an AMD Ryzen 3 for $99 on Newegg might seem tempting, especially with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. However, it is not recommended to buy this mini PC; instead, it is preferable to look for other White Friday deals for computers under $170. The reason is that the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor is a basic dual-core CPU, ranked as one of the slowest Ryzen processors on the market. This processor offers modest performance compared to competing Intel N97 and N100 processors, making its computational capabilities very low. This limits its use to very basic applications such as digital signage or karaoke machines, and it is not suitable for general use. Therefore, this device is a classic example of a false economy.

To elaborate, performance tests showed that the Intel N100 processor, launched in Q1 2023, outperforms the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor (released in Q2 2020) by 44% in multi-core tasks and 10% in single-core performance, with lower power consumption. The Intel N97 processor also offers 46.8% higher overall performance compared to the Ryzen 3 3250U. For more details on these comparisons, you can visit Intel N100 vs. AMD Ryzen 3 3250U comparison and Intel N97 vs. AMD Ryzen 3 3250U comparison.

Better Alternatives: Recommended Mini PCs Under $170

Alternatively, when looking for the best mini PCs available within White Friday mini PC deals, we recommend considering the following options that offer better performance and real value:

Morefine M8S Mini PC

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Morefine M8S Mini PC: This balanced mini PC is an excellent option, available for $122.99 (after a $37 discount from its original price of $159.99) on Amazon. It is powered by an Intel N95 processor, which offers nearly double the performance of the Ryzen 3 3250U, ensuring better performance for light office tasks and daily use. It also features 50% more RAM and double the storage compared to the previously mentioned device, enhancing its value as the best budget mini PC.

wo-we Mini PC

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wo-we Mini PC: This mini PC offers excellent value at $132.04 on Amazon (after a 5% discount from its original price of $139). It features a quad-core AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor clocked up to 3.7 GHz, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and 256GB of upgradeable NVMe SSD storage. The device supports connecting three 4K displays via USB-C and two HDMI ports, making it ideal for office tasks, entertainment, and versatile home use. It also provides fast and stable connectivity thanks to dual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0, making it one of the recommended mini PCs.

Genmachine Ryzen 7 2700U Mini PC

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Genmachine Ryzen 7 2700U Mini PC: Available for $149.99 (after a $39.01 discount from its original price of $189) on Newegg. This mini PC offers powerful performance for most tasks thanks to its Ryzen 7 2700U processor. Although relatively old, it is still capable of competing with newer processors. The device comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, making it an effective choice for daily use. It supports dual 4K display output, providing a good viewing experience.

wo-we P6 Mini PC

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wo-we P6 Mini PC: Priced at $159 on Amazon (after a 33% discount from its original price of $239). This high-performance mini PC offers significant power for its small size. It runs on an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H quad-core, eight-thread processor at speeds up to 3.7 GHz, with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and high responsiveness. The device supports connecting three 4K displays via HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C ports, making it ideal for professionals and productive tasks. It also provides reliable and high-speed connectivity thanks to dual LAN, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0, making it one of the best mini PCs for work and entertainment.