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This $300 Windows PC gives the Mac mini a run for its money
Mini PCs have been a mainstay in my home for well over a decade now and for good reason: they’re affordable, they don’t take up much space, and they pack a surprising amount of power in a compact package.
That makes them an excellent choice for most people, whether you’re a first-time computer owner or looking to upgrade your office. For years, the Mac mini has been my go-to recommendation for the best mini PC, but as a long-time user, I’ve found cracks in my pick.
For starters, Apple doesn’t allow you to upgrade your Mac mini’s storage down the line, so unless you’re willing to pay close to $1,000 up front, you will stumble into space issues later.
In addition, the absence of USB-A on the latest model is puzzling, as though the majority of devices and appliances have embraced USB-C, there are still a couple at my work desk that feature the traditional port—like my monitor’s light bar and my webcam.
Blackview’s new MP60 mini PC offers a compelling alternative. For about $300, the M60 comes equipped with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD that’s easily expandable, plenty of ports, including a pair of HDMIs for a dual-monitor setup, and a four-core Intel N150 chip.
Best of all, though, is that the MP60 can fit in the palm of a (large) hand or even a loose pant pocket and weighs under a pound. I’ve been putting the MP60 through its paces for a few weeks now—does it have the potential to be the next default mini PC?
Pulling the MP60 out of its box reveals an all-black, mostly plastic and unassuming shell. However, don’t let it fool you: it hides a bunch of practical, exciting elements.
The MP60’s five-inch square footprint places it in the same league as the new Mac mini, but half of its two-inch height comprises a detachable storage extension. Unlock the pair of switches on its base, and a USB-C-powered expansion bay comes loose, leaving behind a mini PC that’s just a hair over an inch tall.
The one element of the MP60’s design that does stand out right away is the gap running along the case’s perimeter. It houses an open copper heat sink that allows the internal fan to dissipate heat and keep the PC from overheating at all times.
That’s not all: the gap lights up and gives an otherwise functional design an eye-catching trim. It beams blue when the PC’s awake and turns red when you put it to sleep. What’s more practical is the bundled VESA mount you can use to attach the MP60, say, to the back of your monitor or even under your desk out of sight.
The MP60 also makes the most out of whatever compact real estate it’s working with. There are a total of eight ports around it: a pair of USB-A 2.0 and USB-A 3.0 each, two HDMI slots, a standard headphone jack and another for gigabit Ethernet. I also found it handy that three of those USB ports are on its side rather than the back.
The MP60 model I tested runs on an Intel N150 processor, an entry-level chipset with four efficiency cores. In day-to-day activities, however, I hardly felt the absence of any performance cores. The Windows 11 Pro OS it ships with flies on it, and I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it boots up from sleep. Essential tasks, like multitasking between numerous browser windows and work apps like Slack and Zoom, were smooth as well, and rarely did I notice it heat up.
Another highlight of the MP60 is the detachable expansion module. All you need is a run-of-the-mill screwdriver, and you can slot in a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD to boost its storage to up to 2TB. I do wish, though, that the USB-C port the module uses could be repurposed for other jobs, since the PC doesn’t have other USB-C slots.
While it supports Bluetooth connections, Blackview has omitted speakers entirely to keep the price low. Though not unusual for mini PCs, it would have been nice to have at least a set of basic speakers for notification sounds.
Of course, the MP60’s N150 is no match for its premium counterparts packing Apple silicon. On Geekbench, for example, it scored just 1151 in the single-core tests and 2279 in the multi-core one. Though I didn’t face any stutters in most of my workflows, its performance struggles to keep up in more resource-intensive operations, such as editing an HD video. Similarly, the built-in Intel GPU isn’t meant for gaming at all, and titles like Counter-Strike 2 failed to launch altogether.
That said, for most people, the Blackview MP60 is a value-for-money mini PC, particularly thanks to its ultra-compact design and user-friendly storage expansion abilities. As long as your use is chiefly limited to office tasks and web browsing, the $300 MP60 is hard to beat.
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