Buying guides
Buy a used mini PC without the surprises
Off-lease mini PCs are some of the best value in computing, and some of the easiest to get wrong: a locked BIOS, the wrong power brick, a CPU that Windows 11 won’t accept. These guides are checked against manufacturer spec sheets and vendor documentation.
Used Mini PC Buying Checklist: What to Check on Off-Lease Tiny PCs
Power brick wattage, BIOS locks, Absolute/Computrace, vPro, RAM limits, M.2 types and missing parts: the checks that matter on a used 1-liter PC.
Windows 11 on Used Mini PCs: Which CPU Generations Are Supported
Intel 8th gen and newer is in; 6th and 7th gen are out. On AMD, Ryzen 2000 GE APUs and A-series are out, but 3000 GE and newer are in.
ThinkCentre Tiny vs OptiPlex Micro vs EliteDesk Mini: Used Guide
Generation map, vPro tiers, expansion slots, dual-NVMe models, NICs and noise for the big three 1-liter business PCs on the used market.
Quick Sync Transcoding by Intel Generation for Plex and Jellyfin
Intel 6th gen through Core Ultra and N-series: what each Quick Sync generation decodes and encodes, HDR tone mapping, Plex vs Jellyfin, and AMD.
Intel N100 vs N150 vs N305: Which N-Series Mini PC to Buy
Spec-sheet comparison of Intel's N-series chips, what the 16 GB RAM limit really means, and which one fits a router, NAS or media box.
Beelink vs GMKtec vs Minisforum: Buying a Used Mini PC
The three big Shenzhen mini PC brands compared on product lines, RAM, support downloads, Linux and Proxmox results, and used-buying checks.
What will you run on it?
Frequently asked
Will a used 6th or 7th-gen mini PC run Windows 11?
Not officially. Microsoft's supported lists start at 8th-gen Intel Core (plus Pentium Gold G5000 and Celeron G4000), so units like the ThinkCentre M710q, OptiPlex 7050 Micro and EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini are out. Windows 11 can be forced on, but Microsoft says those PCs aren't entitled to updates. They run Linux, Proxmox and Home Assistant fine.
Which AMD mini PC CPUs support Windows 11?
Ryzen 3000-series GE APUs (3200GE, 3350GE, 3400GE) and newer are on Microsoft's lists. Raven Ridge 2200GE/2400GE, Athlon PRO 200GE, A-series PRO and Ryzen Embedded R1000/V1000 chips are not.
What is vPro, and do I need it?
vPro includes Intel AMT, which allows remote power control and remote KVM below the operating system. It needs a vPro-eligible CPU, a Q-series chipset and the Intel I219-LM NIC, and it's only on the top tiers (ThinkCentre M9x0q, OptiPlex 7000, EliteDesk 800). Most home users don't need it. If a unit has it, set a strong MEBx password or disable AMT, and update the firmware.
The listing says the BIOS is password-locked. Can I clear it?
Don't count on it. Lenovo tells owners to contact an authorized service provider for forgotten passwords, and Dell's manuals say its RTC reset leaves the admin password in place. Ask for a BIOS photo showing no admin password, or skip the unit.
Do I need an NVMe or a SATA M.2 drive?
Check the slot. NVMe (PCIe) drives are M-keyed and SATA M.2 drives are typically B-keyed. Some slots take both, such as the OptiPlex 5050 Micro; Lenovo lists only PCIe NVMe drives for the M720q and M920q. Length matters too: most take 2280, and some also take 2230 or 2242.
Is a used Tiny PC good for Home Assistant or Proxmox?
Yes. Home Assistant OS needs a 64-bit PC that boots in UEFI mode with Secure Boot disabled. Proxmox needs a CPU with VT-x or AMD-V and 2 GB for itself plus memory for guests, and its ZFS docs say to start at 8 GB. An 8th-gen or newer unit with 16 to 32 GB and an NVMe SSD covers both.
How much power does a 1-liter business PC use at idle?
ServeTheHome measured roughly 10 to 15 W at idle (120 V) across 35 W units such as the OptiPlex 3070 Micro, ThinkCentre M920q and EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini. A 65 W-CPU OptiPlex 7060 Micro idled just over 18 W, and a ThinkCentre M920x with a discrete GPU idled at 29 to 34 W.
What does Absolute or Computrace in the BIOS mean?
It's theft-recovery firmware that stays dormant until an organization activates it. Once active, the agent reinstalls itself even after a disk wipe. A default, deactivated or permanently disabled state is fine. If it shows as activated, ask the seller to confirm the unit was released from the previous owner's account.