HP 260 G9 2025, Core i3-1315U, 16GB, 512GB SSD, Black

The HP 260 G9 is a compact mini desktop built for business and home office use. It offers Windows 11 Pro, dual 4K monitor support, and plenty of ports in a tiny package. Performance is modest, so it's best for everyday office tasks, not gaming or heavy creative work.

The Core i3-1315U is a 6-core chip with two performance cores and four efficiency cores. In our database, it lands in the 24th percentile for CPU performance among desktops, which is modest. For everyday office work, it's perfectly adequate. Chrome with a dozen tabs, Outlook, Excel, and a video call running at once won't bring it to its knees. But anything heavier, like 4K video editing or large data crunching, will feel slow.

The Intel UHD Graphics are even less exciting, sitting in the 14th percentile. This is integrated graphics meant for displaying desktops and streaming video, not for gaming or GPU-accelerated work. The 512GB NVMe SSD is middle of the pack at the 42nd percentile, but it's fast enough that boot times and app launches feel snappy. The 16GB of RAM is a bit below average for the category, but it's enough for typical business multitasking. Just don't expect to run virtual machines or huge photo libraries without some patience.

Stacked against the Lenovo Legion 90YA003GUS or the MSI Codex R2, the HP 260 G9 looks like a different species. Those are gaming desktops with dedicated GPUs and much faster processors. The HP will lose every benchmark against them, but it also uses a fraction of the power and fits behind a monitor. The Dell Desktop ECT1250 is a closer rival in the business space, and it's worth checking specs side by side if you're buying for an office.

The Apple iMac M4 is another story entirely. It's far more expensive and far more powerful, with a gorgeous built-in display. But it's not a mini PC, and it runs macOS. If you need Windows 11 Pro for legacy business software or domain management, the HP is the more practical choice. The iBUYPOWER Slate is a budget gaming desktop that will crush the HP in graphics, but it's bigger, louder, and less office-friendly. The HP 260 G9 wins on size and simplicity, not on speed.

At $530, the HP 260 G9 is priced like a budget business desktop, and that's exactly what it is. You're paying for the small footprint, Windows 11 Pro, and solid connectivity, not for raw power. For comparison, you can find larger desktops with faster CPUs and dedicated graphics for similar money, but they'll take up more space and often ship with Windows Home. If your priority is a tidy desk and reliable office work, the value is reasonable. If you need performance per dollar, look elsewhere.

The HP 260 G9 is a mini desktop aimed squarely at offices, front desks, and anyone who wants a small Windows 11 Pro machine that stays out of the way. At around $530, it's not trying to be a gaming rig or a creative workstation. It's a compact business PC with an Intel Core i3-1315U, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. That combo is fine for spreadsheets, email, video calls, and light multitasking, but it won't impress anyone running heavy software.

People searching for a small form factor desktop for business or home office use will find a lot to like here. The port selection is genuinely useful, with HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, six USB-A ports, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6E. Dual 4K monitor support is a nice touch for productivity. But the CPU and GPU sit well below average for this category, so expectations need to stay realistic.

HP includes a mouse and keyboard, which is a small but real convenience for a business deployment. Windows 11 Pro is also standard, not the Home edition you often see at this price. That matters for domain join, BitLocker, and remote management. It's a sensible package, just not a thrilling one.

Skip the HP 260 G9 if you want to play games, edit 4K video, run CAD software, or do anything that needs a real GPU. The integrated graphics are a weak spot, and the CPU will bottleneck demanding apps. Creative professionals should look at a Mac mini or a mini PC with a Ryzen 7 or Core i7. Gamers should check out budget gaming desktops like the iBUYPOWER Slate or MSI Codex R2. And if you need lots of internal storage, the single 512GB drive will feel cramped fast, so a larger desktop with room for multiple drives might be a better call.

Should you buy the HP 260 G9? If you need a small, quiet Windows 11 Pro desktop for office work, front desk duty, or a home office where space is tight, yes. It's a competent little machine with good ports and dual monitor support. The included keyboard and mouse make setup easy, and Wi-Fi 6E means you can put it anywhere without running Ethernet.

But if you want to play games, edit video, or run demanding software, this is not the machine for you. The integrated graphics and modest CPU will frustrate you quickly. For those tasks, a budget gaming desktop or a more powerful mini PC with a Ryzen chip would be a better fit. The HP 260 G9 is a tool for getting work done, not a toy for having fun.