Not everyone needs a portable computer like a laptop, but not everyone might want a hulking tower on or below their desk. The Apple Mac Mini has long proven that there is a very lucrative market for computers stuffed in small boxes that can still offer some of the performance of desktop towers while leaving plenty of room to move it around your desk or even the house. Mini PCs have become a bit more popular in recent years, but most of them are literal black boxes that seem to be designed to be hidden from sight. While that does help keep things tidy and clean, it can also be a lost opportunity to make a positive visual impact on your desk. The new Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8, in contrast, is meant to be seen, and it will look stylish on any desk, whether it’s lying down or standing up.
Designer: Lenovo
Mini PCs like the Mac Mini almost have the same problem as laptops in how much power they’re able to cram in a small box. Their size problem might even be bigger because they don’t have the excuse of having to include a keyboard and a monitor to explain away the size. Fortunately, technology has come to a point where even a box that can sit on your hand can have enough power to match a high-end laptop but with more flexibility in the things you can connect to it.
The eighth-gen IdeaCentre Mini, for example, supports processors up to the next-gen Intel Core i7, which is plenty of power for such a small box. It has two memory slots, so you can have up to 16GB of RAM if you want. You can also cram in as much as 1TB of storage, but you can always connect an external hard drive easily to expand that space. The box has its built-in power supply unit (PSU), which means that its power cable won’t have a large black block hanging from it. All this power is kept cool with two vortex fans inside, allowing it to run at its maximum power without becoming a safety hazard.
What really sets the upcoming Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 apart from its kind, however, is its design. Eschewing even the stereotypical black color, this white box looks elegant and aesthetic, placing as much emphasis on appearance as on its performance. The top of the box has stylistic diagonal ridges that catch your eye, while round corners give the cold technology a slightly softer look. Although it’s primarily built to lie flat, it can also be made to stand on its side to save space without looking awkward or unappealing.
Lenovo makes no mention of the mini computer’s use of recycled materials, but, being a desktop computer at heart, it has the advantage of having a longer life thanks to modular parts. Opening up that beautiful chassis is also made easy so that you can upgrade or swap out components without too much effort. The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2023, carrying a price tag of $649.99.
