HP Elite Mini 800 G9 2024, Core i9-14900T, 32GB, 1TB SSD

The HP Elite Mini 800 G9 delivers CPU performance in the 86th percentile from a chassis smaller than a shoebox. It's a multitasking monster with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, backed by near-perfect user reviews. Just don't expect to game on it, the integrated graphics are a real letdown, scoring a 14.6 out of 100 for gaming.

The star of the show is that 14th-gen i9-14900T. With 8 performance cores and 16 efficiency cores, it chews through data analysis, code compilation, and music production without breaking a sweat. In our benchmarks, it's a standout for CPU-heavy tasks, outpacing the vast majority of mini PCs and even some full-sized towers. The 32GB of DDR5 RAM is solid, landing in the 74th percentile, which means it handles heavy multitasking well. Storage is also in that same 74th percentile, so the 1TB NVMe drive is quick but won't set any speed records. The real bottleneck is the integrated graphics. It's fine for driving up to three 4K displays, but any 3D work or gaming is a non-starter. This machine is a computational sledgehammer with a graphics peashooter.

Stacked against the Apple Mac Studio M4 Max, the HP wins on raw x86 compatibility and port variety, but gets absolutely demolished in GPU performance and energy efficiency. The Mac Studio is a content creation beast, while the HP is a pure CPU compute node. Compared to a traditional tower like the Dell Tower ECT1250, the HP sacrifices internal expansion and GPU options for its vanishingly small size. The Lenovo Legion 90Y6003JUS is a gaming-focused machine that will run circles around the HP in any 3D task, but it's a much larger box. If your workflow is all about CPU threads and you value a clean desk, the HP is the clear choice among these competitors.

At $1,649, you're paying a premium for the engineering feat of cramming a near top-of-the-line i9 into a 1.4-liter box. You can absolutely get more raw performance per dollar from a mid-tower, but you'd lose the desk real estate and portability. For a professional who needs serious CPU horsepower in a discreet, mountable package, the price feels justified. The included keyboard and mouse are basic but functional, so you're truly ready to work out of the box.

The HP Elite Mini 800 G9 packs a desktop-grade Intel Core i9-14900T into a chassis you can hold in one hand. That 24-core chip lands in the 86th percentile for CPU performance among all desktops in our database, which is frankly absurd for something this small. You're getting 32GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD, so it's ready for serious multitasking and local storage right out of the box. Just don't expect to game on it. The integrated Intel UHD 770 graphics sit at a mediocre 44th percentile, making this strictly a workhorse, not a plaything.

Gamers and creative pros who rely on a GPU should look elsewhere immediately. The gaming score of 14.6 out of 100 is one of the worst we've seen for a modern desktop, and the integrated graphics simply can't handle modern titles or GPU-accelerated rendering. If you need to do any 3D modeling, video effects work, or gaming, a bulkier machine with a dedicated graphics card like the MSI Aegis ZS2 will serve you infinitely better, even if it takes up more space on your desk.

The HP Elite Mini 800 G9 is a niche masterpiece. It's for the person who needs a mountain of CPU cores in a molehill of a chassis. The user reviews back this up with a stellar 95/100 sentiment score, and multiple owners report it's been trouble-free for months. Just know what you're signing up for. This is a computational engine for spreadsheets, code, and audio, not a machine for rendering 3D models or unwinding with games. If your workload matches its strengths, you'll be thrilled.