The Corsair ONE i164 is an impressive tiny gaming system. The Corsair One i164's Intel Core i9-9900K is an eight-core 3.6GHz CPU, one of the best consumer CPUs on the market at the time of writing.

Working with the 9900K is an 11GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, backed up with a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM. One of the things that sets the Corsair ONE i164 aside from other mini PCs is the integrated liquid cooling system.

Corsair builds the ONE series of mini PCs with high and ultra-level quality gaming leading the design, and it shows. The ONE i164 packs in the external connections too. It features three DisplayPort, one VR-ready HDMI, two USB 2.0, four USB 3.1 Gen 1, and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-A and Type-C).

While this computer's physical size is in line with other mini PCs, it uses the more familiar desktop PC format. So, rather than a compact box on your table, you can put the smaller desktop tower instead.

The Zotac Gaming Mek Mini is a VR-ready mini gaming PC that'll fit nicely on any desk. It'll look sharp, too, with dual programmable Spectra 2.0 RGB lighting strips on the front of the case, bringing some extra style to the package.

Inside, the Mek Mini hosts a decent Intel Core i5-9400F, a 2.9GHz six-core processor with up to 4.1GHz boost. There's also 16GB DDR4 RAM, along with a 240GB NVMe SSD and 1TB HDD. The dual drive combination is handy for keeping your operating system on the SSD and your games on the HDD.

In terms of ports, the Mek Mini finds space for one HDMI port, three DisplayPort, four USB 3.1, one USB 3.0 Type-C, one USB 3.0, an SD Card slot. There are also two Ethernet ports for extra networking and connectivity.

One thing the Zotac Gaming Mek Mini does well is ventilation. With all that tech packed into a small case, hardware can become hot. However, the Mek Mini uses a 360-degree ventilation system to keep cool, drawing in and circulating air from each side of the case.

The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon is a powerful mini PC for gaming—although you should note that it is not the latest generation of Intel NUC. However, the CPU and GPU combination make the NUC 8 Hades Canyon worth your consideration.

The Intel NUC 8 Hades Canyon uses an Intel Core i7-8809G, a quad-core 3.1GHz CPU, with onboard Intel HD Graphics 630. However, you don't have to use the onboard graphics for gaming, as the NUC 8 Hades Canyon also packs in an AMD Radeon RX Vega M GH discrete graphics card.

The RX Vega M GH offers similar performance to the Nvidia GeForce 1060, allowing for some decent gaming at 1080p. The NUC 8 Hades Canyon also features one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, two Mini DisplayPort, and two HDMI ports.

As far as aesthetics go, the MSI Trident X is up there with the best looking mini gaming PCs. The Trident X looks similar to a modern gaming console, standing tall on your desktop or next to your TV. Throw in some RGB lighting effects and a nicely crafted case, and you have a visual winner.

But gaming is about what's on the inside of the case. And in the MSI Trident X setup, you'll find a top of the line Intel Core i7-10700KF, an eight-core 3.6GHz beast. Working alongside the CPU is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super, which comes with 8GB GDDR6 RAM.

Finally, the Trident X has a whopping 32GB DDR4 RAM, future-proofing your mini gaming PC for the medium-to-long term. In terms of connectivity, you'll find a Thunderbolt 3 port, three DisplayPorts, one HDMI, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and three USB 2.0 Type-A ports.

The HP Pavilion 690-0073w is a capable mini gaming PC with VR potential. It doesn't cost the moon, which is a great start. The case is decent, too, with a striking green highlight to offset the brushed metal effect, with the same green tone featuring throughout.

Onto the hardware, the bits you want know about. Powering the 690-0073w is an Intel Core i5-9400F, a 2.9GHz six-core processor with up to 4.1GHz boost—the same as the Zotac Gaming Mek Mini. However, there is only 8GB DDR4 RAM in the 690-0073w, leaving it a little under-powered for resource-intensive applications, such as VR or 3D design work.

Connectivity-wise, the 690-0073w is decent enough. There is one HDMI port, one DisplayPort, one DVI-D port, two USB 3.1 ports, and 4 USB 2.0 ports.

All in all, the HP Pavilion 690-0073w isn't a world-beater, but you'll undoubtedly play most of the latest games towards the top end of the graphics spectrum.

The HP ProDesk 405 is an AMD-powered mini gaming PC with a similar style to a set-top cable box. Okay, it is slightly more appealing than your old cable box, but it certainly won't win any awards, with the black and silver design fitting in with HP's range of off-the-shelf PC designs.

Powering the ProDesk 405 is an AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE, a quad-core 3.2GHz CPU, which is decent enough. The AMD Ryzen 5 2400GE comes bundled with the AMD Radeon Vega 11 onboard graphics.

Again, the Radeon Vega 11 is decent enough but not world-beating, allowing some 1080p gaming at reasonable specs for games that are a few years old. Still, this is one of the more affordable options out there if you're looking for a space-saving mini PC but still want to jump into more than a few PC gaming sessions.

The Zotac Magnus Mini Creatora is a mini gaming PC powerhouse. Under the hood, the Mini Creator packs a mighty six-core 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-9750H, along with the 8GB GDDR6 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. Out of the box, the Mini Creator comes with 8GB RAM, although this is upgradeable up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.

The Intel Core i7-9750H is a power-efficient CPU with a thermal design power rating of 45W. The 9750H also features integrated UHD Graphics 630, which you can use to take the load off of the discrete GPU for further power savings. The Zotac Magnus Mini Creator includes two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 ports, one USB Type-C port, and a handy SD card slot.

This mini PC is ideal for gaming, but it is well-suited to other creative tasks as well. The high-performance processor allows you to perform intensive functions like photo and video editing, 3D animation, and you can even use it to stream your gaming sessions. That's not to mention that it's capable of handling home theater media centers, too.