Not everyone needs a gaming tower. Mini-PCs are ideal for always-on, low-power local AI inference — especially when paired with fast RAM and an external GPU via Thunderbolt/OCuLink.
Best Overall — Minisforum EliteMini UM790 Pro
AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS with 780M integrated graphics (up to 16 GB shared VRAM from 64 GB RAM). Runs 7B and 13B models at a solid clip — completely silent under load. OCuLink port for eGPU expansion.
Minisforum UM790 Pro
Ryzen 9 7940HS · 780M iGPU · OCuLink eGPU · 2× USB4/TB4 · 2× M.2 NVMe
Apple Silicon — Mac Mini M4 Pro
If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, the M4 Pro Mac Mini is genuinely outstanding for local AI. Unified memory means the GPU shares 48–64 GB — running 34B and 70B models at impressive speeds with llama.cpp Metal backend.
Apple Mac Mini M4 Pro
M4 Pro chip · Up to 64 GB unified memory · Metal GPU · Silent · 30W idle
Budget Entry — Beelink SER5 Max
Ryzen 7 5800H with Vega 8 iGPU. CPU-only inference for 7B models, very quiet, under $250. A solid first step into local AI on a tight budget.
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