For most people, a laptop is the default option when you buy a new computer. It can work at home, it can work on the go, and it has everything built in: a screen, a keyboard, a trackpad, speakers, a webcam, and the computer itself.

But as convenient as it is, a laptop might not be the best choice depending on how you’ll be using it. You may not need the entire kit and kaboodle. Plus, there’s a fair bit of engineering that goes into laptop design — and that adds to the cost.

If your laptop will be used at home all the time, tethered to the desk with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, and you’re only choosing a laptop because you don’t want to spend tons on a prebuilt bulky desktop PC… then consider a mini PC.

Mini PCs offer several advantages over laptops that are well worth it if you don’t need the innate portability that laptops offer.

Related: Why you shouldn’t buy a laptop based on its specs alone

Mini PCs are more economical

Jared Newman / Foundry

Although there is no guarantee that a mini PC will always be cheaper than an equivalent laptop, it’s usually true that you can get a solid mini PC for less than you’d pay for a laptop with similar hardware.

That’s because the mini PC can waive the costs of other items that aren’t included: display, keyboard, mouse, speakers, battery, etc. If you already have all those things or if you plan to equip your laptop with many external devices. peripherals, then you lose money with a laptop.

For an extreme example that drives home the point, compare the M2 Mac Mini to the M2 MacBook Air. Omitting all the other “laptop” stuff, the Mac Mini costs just $599 — much less than the MacBook Air’s $999 price tag.

Which means that if you’re in the market for a certain range (eg entry-level, mid-tier, high-end), then you’ll likely pay less for the same options if you choose a mini PC instead of a laptop.

Mini PCs have better performance

Matthias Inghe

Mini PCs have an advantage that allows for even greater performance than you’d get with similar laptops: they’re not constrained by the size limitations that laptops require, so mini PCs have more freedom when it comes to of their internal components.

The physical design of a laptop determines how air flows through the laptop, which affects cooling. Laptops need to balance heat management with performance. Meanwhile, mini PCs can shape themselves however they want – and with more efficient cooling, they can push their components further and get more performance.

Mini PCs do not have batteries

Panos Sakalakis / Unsplash

Ignoring the cost and performance factors that push mini PCs ahead of laptops, here’s another big one to consider: Because mini PCs aren’t portable, they don’t have batteries.

Batteries can be problematic, not only in laptops, but also inside any portable device. Constant charging and discharging generates extra heat that can damage other internal components if pushed too hard and also wears down battery life.

Mini PCs have fewer parts to worry about in terms of longevity, which means they generally last longer.

Related: I traded my $1000 desktop for a $300 mini PC and have no regrets

Mini PCs are easier to upgrade

Jared Newman / Foundry

Most laptops do not have enough internal space for upgrades. Maybe you can change a part here and there, but generally you’re stuck with whatever setup you buy.

Mini PCs are a different story. Beelink SER5 (Amazon link) might be a mini PC, but it’s roomy enough for an M.2 slot, a 2.5-inch SATA slot, and two SO-DIMM slots. So, despite the fact that it comes with an M.2 drive, you can upgrade with an additional SATA drive if you want – and you can upgrade the RAM modules beyond the initial configuration.

In fact, a quick search for “mini PC” on Newegg shows that most mini PCs available explicitly offer user-accessible RAM and support multiple storage drives (ie, both SATA and M.2 slots).

Meanwhile, modern laptops usually come with a single M.2 slot, no room for an additional drive, and usually come with RAM modules that are soldered on. This means you can only upgrade your data drive via substituting and you can’t upgrade your RAM at all.

Further reading: Killer PC upgrades that are shockingly cheap

Mini PCs have more ports

Matthias Inghe

As laptops got thinner and smaller, certain aspects had to be sacrificed to get there – like ports and connectivity.

These days, you’d be lucky to get two USB ports and a headphone jack. Bonus points if you also get an HDMI port. High-end laptops in particular have ditched the ports, such as the Dell XPS 13, which only offers two USB-C ports. This means a heavy reliance on hubs and docks.

Mini PCs play to a different tune. The first mini PC in my Newegg search it includes four USB-A ports on one side and then two HDMI 2.0 ports, two Ethernet ports and a headphone jack on the other side.

And this is not even one of the most impressive mini PCs. The Miniforum UM690S it has four 10Gbps USB-A ports, two 4K@60Hz-capable HDMI ports, a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, and a Kensington lock slot — and all of that is just on the back. The front additionally has a 10 Gbps USB-C port, a USB4 port and a headphone jack.

Mini PCs might be what you need

In short, mini PCs offer more bang for the buck than laptops, able to squeeze more performance out of equivalent hardware and it costs less than laptops in the same tier.

Of course, you’re giving up the inherent portability of a laptop by opting for a mini PC, but that’s fine if you’re always at home anyway. You’ll also need to provide your own keyboard, mouse and monitor, but you can get them cheaply and still pay less than you would for a laptop.

If you’re in the market for a new device and think your only options are your laptop, desktop, or tablet, think again. The Mini PC might just be the thing that serves you best for the price.

Related: I went from a $1,000 desktop PC to a $300 mini PC and have absolutely no regrets