Best Budget Mini PC for Gaming

So, what's the best budget or cheap mini PC for gaming?

Let's cover the requirements for a mini PC for gaming and then I will recommend one.

Mini PC for Gaming Requirements

1. CPU speed - the faster the CPU clock speed the better a video game will run. Don't worry about cores or threads, although they do have an impact but not a big one. The fastest CPU right now runs at 5.7 GHz and it the AMD Ryzen R9. But it's not a budget or cheap CPU by any means. Look for a CPU with a minimum clock speed of 3.0 GHz. There are some AMD Ryzen's in the 4.0 - 4.9 GHz range that are pretty reasonable in price.
2. RAM or Random Access Memory - get 16 GB of RAM. This will run all video games really well. You don't need more and don't get less. It's fairly inexpensive.
3. GPU - graphics processing unit. You don't have much choice with a GPU. Most are built onto the CPU. The AMD Radeons are very good and fast.
4. Storage - not too many options here but the best is M.2 2280 SSD Drive. It's super-fast and big. Depending on how many games you want to load and play, look for around 512 GB or 1 TB. That should be enough for lots of games.

OK, so that's what to look for in a budget mini PC for gaming. Here's my recommendation.

GMKtec NucBox M5 Plus Mini PC for Gaming

This is an awesome mini PC with the AMD Ryzen 7 5825U CPU. The R7 5825U runs at 4.50 GHz and has 8 Cores and 16 Threads. It's the perfect "Bang for the Buck" processor. Let's look at the Specs.

NucBox M5 Plus Mini PC Features

• AMD Ryzen R7 5825U CPU - 4.50 GHZ, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache
• RAM - 16 GB DDR4 3200 MHz
• Triple Monitor Support
• 512 GB M.2 2614 SSD Drive
• AMD Radeon Vega 8 GPU
• Dual LAN Ports
• Wi-Fi 6 and BT 5.2
• Price $399.99

You get a lot of performance of $399. This is a great price just for a desktop PC let alone a gaming PC. Check out the GMKtec M5 Plus Mini PC - On Sale Now