HP Elite Mini A98XPUT#ABA 2024, Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE, 16GB, 256GB SSD

A quiet, tiny office worker that handles the daily grind well. Just budget for more storage, because 256GB won't last long.

The Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE is a 6-core chip that handles everyday office work with ease. Our database puts its CPU performance right around average for this category, which sounds boring until you remember this thing sips power at 65W and stays whisper quiet. The 16GB of RAM is enough for heavy multitasking, though it lands in the lower third of our rankings. The real bottleneck is storage. 256GB fills up fast, and it sits near the bottom of our charts. The integrated Radeon Graphics are fine for HD video and light photo editing, but they're middle of the pack at best. For AI workloads, this machine is a non-starter, scoring near the bottom of our database.

The Apple Mac mini M4 Pro absolutely destroys this HP in raw performance, but it costs significantly more and locks you into macOS. If you're in a Windows shop, the Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 offers more expandability and better specs for similar money, though it's a full tower, not a mini. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 is a gaming machine that will run circles around the Elite Mini in graphics, but it's huge and loud by comparison. For pure office work in a tiny package, the HP holds its own. For anything else, look elsewhere.

At USD 649 to 711 in the US, this is a fair deal for a business mini PC with Windows 11 Pro and HP's security suite. But that 256GB SSD is a real compromise. You'll likely spend extra on an external drive or a storage upgrade within a year. If you can find it closer to the lower end of that range, it's worth considering. At the top end, you're paying a premium for the small form factor.

The HP Elite Mini 805 G8 is a tiny desktop that knows exactly what it is: a quiet, no-nonsense office machine. The Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE with 16GB of RAM will chew through spreadsheets, browser tabs, and video calls without breaking a sweat. But that 256GB SSD is tight, and the integrated Radeon Graphics won't be winning any awards. If you need a compact business PC that disappears under a monitor, this one's a solid pick. Just don't expect it to moonlight as a gaming rig.

If you're looking for a gaming PC or anything that needs real graphics horsepower, this isn't it. Go grab a Lenovo Legion Tower or an Acer Nitro instead. And if you need lots of local storage, the 256GB SSD here will drive you nuts. A Dell Tower Plus with a bigger drive is the better call.

The HP Elite Mini 805 G8 is a competent, quiet office PC that nails the basics. It's easy to upgrade, runs cool, and includes Windows 11 Pro with HP's security tools. But the 256GB SSD is a glaring weakness, and the integrated graphics limit its usefulness. If you need a small, reliable business machine and don't mind adding external storage, this is a decent buy. If you want more performance per dollar, a compact tower from Dell or Lenovo will serve you better.