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Lenovo has dipped in and out of the market for desktop mini PCs over the years, with IdeaCentre models for consumers and ThinkCentres for space-strapped businesses. The 2023 edition of the IdeaCentre Mini (starts at $649.99; $909.99 as tested) actually serves both, with a low-profile compact chassis that’s suited for homes and small business alike. With a gap in the market left by Intel’s now-defunct NUC (Next Unit of Computing) program, PC vendors like Lenovo, Asus, HP, and MSI are filling it with ready-made solutions. Unlike some mini-models that use a DIY approach to buying and building (you supply the RAM, the boot drive, and the OS), the IdeaCentre Mini is ready to use out of the box, with memory, storage, and Windows 11 Home already installed. Just plug in a monitor (or several, thanks to a host of outputs including Thunderbolt 4), a keyboard, and a mouse to get started. Consider this a smart, lower-slung alternative to the slightly more compelling Geekom AS6 we reviewed just before this model, if you’re unable to find one of those in its Ryzen 9 trim.
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Configuration: Joining the H BrigadeOur IdeaCentre Mini review unit is powered by an Intel 13th Gen Core i7-13700H CPU with integrated Iris Xe Graphics. The i7-1300H has a maximum turbo clock speed of 5.0GHz and 14 cores (six Performance; eight Efficient). Like those in most mini PCs, this processor is actually a mobile chip made mainly for use in laptops. The H-series chips, though, tend to be used in power-user and gaming notebooks, as opposed to the lower-power P and U series designed for thinner, lower-impact models.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The IdeaCentre Mini has two slots for DDR4 SO-DIMM RAM. In our review machine, both of these slots were populated with 8GB modules, for a total of 16GB. To bump up the memory, you would have to disassemble the case, take out one or both SO-DIMMs, and replace them with higher-capacity 16GB modules. Lenovo cites a maximum RAM capacity of 32GB, which should be enough for arduous tasks like video editing or intense multitasking. For storage, the boot drive in our review unit was a 1TB M.2 SSD. (Lower-end configurations of the Mini come with a 512GB M.2 SSD.) The IdeaCentre Mini has two full-size M.2 slots that take up to 80mm-length SSDs, though Lenovo cites a peak capacity of 1TB per slot. The boot drive occupies one.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Physically upgrading the IdeaCentre Mini is pretty simple once you figure out how to get to the components that you are upgrading. You’ll find a detailed hardware maintenance manual online, though it took some searching to find it. Once you get the top cover removed, you’ll see an additional bottom cover held by four screws that also have to be removed. None of this is terribly complex, but if you don’t feel comfortable with some DIY screwdriver work, you might want to order a Mini with the configuration you want, preconfigured.As noted up top, the IdeaCentre Mini’s starting configuration is priced at $649.99. That includes an Intel Core i5 processor, just 8GB of memory, and the halved (512GB) SSD, with all else the same as our test model. At the time of writing, all IdeaCentre Mini configurations were on sale, but Lenovo system pricing fluctuates by the day, so check the site periodically if you’re shopping for one and prices are on the high side.Design: Plenty of PortsLenovo describes the IdeaCentre Mini as a 1L, or 1-liter, PC. And while a 1L PC is small, our model’s test configuration is similar to that of a beefy laptop. Measuring 1.5 by 7.5 by 7.7 inches (HWD), the IdeaCentre is close in size to some of the NUC clones we’ve reviewed. One minor complaint about the frame is that the standard configuration reviewed here does not include a VESA mount. This would allow the IdeaCentre Mini to be mounted on the rear of a desktop monitor, freeing space on your desk. Lenovo does include in the box a small vertical stand, which allows the IdeaCentre Mini to operate perched on edge, reducing its desktop footprint.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
One thing you’ll appreciate about the IdeaCentre Mini is the sheer number of ports. Up front, the IdeaCentre Mini has Type-A and Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and an audio jack next to its power button. The rear is where the lion’s share is, though. In addition to an Ethernet RJ-45 jack, you’ll find both HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, as well as more USB ports: one USB 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, and one Thunderbolt 4.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Testing the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini: H-Powered and PortableWe submitted the IdeaCentre Mini to our battery of benchmarks and compared the results with several other recommended mini PCs we have recently tested. The comparison PCs are the Acer Veriton Vero Mini, the Asus ExpertCenter PN52, the Geekom AS6, and the MSI Pro DP21. The CPUs in these PCs vary widely: Intel Core i7 and Core i3 in the Acer and MSI models, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 8 in the Asus and Geekom. The Core i7-13700H CPU in the IdeaCentre Mini is a 13th Gen Intel processor from the company’s H series, which as mentioned is the grade of mobile chip used in most power-user or gaming laptops. The others here are also H-class or are low-power desktop (Core i7-12700T) or true desktop (the Core i3-12100).
Productivity TestsWe run the same general productivity benchmarks across both mobile and desktop systems. Our first test is UL’s PCMark 10, which simulates a variety of real-world productivity and office workflows to measure overall system performance. PCMark 10 also includes a storage subtest for the primary drive. Our other three benchmarks focus on the CPU, using all available cores and threads, to rate a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 uses that company’s Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene, while Geekbench 5.4 Pro from Primate Labs simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning. We also use the open-source video transcoder HandBrake 1.4 to convert a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p resolution. (Lower times are better on that test.)Last, we run PugetBench for Photoshop by workstation maker Puget Systems, which uses the Creative Cloud version 22 of Adobe’s famous image editor to rate a PC’s performance for content creation and multimedia applications. It’s an automated extension that executes a variety of general and GPU-accelerated Photoshop tasks ranging from opening, rotating, resizing, and saving an image to applying masks, gradient fills, and filters.
In the first benchmark, the IdeaCentre Mini topped the leaderboard, thanks in no small part to its 13th Gen Core i7. The IdeaCentre Mini also topped the PCMark 10 Storage benchmark. The Geekom model nipped at the Lenovo’s heels the whole way.In the HandBrake test, the IdeaCentre Mini tied the Geekom for second place, with the MSI at the lead. As for Cinebench and Geekbench, the IdeaCentre Mini took the lead, only to fall to the Geekom AS6 in the Photoshop test by a small margin.Overall, the IdeaCentre Mini did quite well in our performance and productivity tests, placing at the top in many of the benchmarks among this set of PCs and doing well enough for itself on the others. This bodes well for office-oriented tasks, from document manipulation to spreadsheet work and communications, all cases where a tiny PC is most applicable.Graphics TestsWe use two benchmark suites to determine graphics capability: 3DMark and GFXBench 5.0. 3DMark is a graphics test suite that contains a number of benchmarks for different GPU functions and software APIs. We run two DirectX 12 tests on all PCs: Night Raid, appropriate for PCs with integrated graphics (such as the ones benchmarked here), and Time Spy, which is much more demanding and more suitable for higher-end PCs with discrete graphics.As for the GFXBench 5.0 benchmark suite, these tests are performed in Offscreen mode to level the display resolutions while carrying out different operations. We ran into a bump with GFXBench’s Aztec Ruins subtest, which dumped us out to Windows every time we tried to run it.
The IdeaCentre Mini impressed on the 3DMark benchmarks, topping most of this group but outpaced by the Radeon integrated graphics of the Geekom AS6’s Ryzen 9 chip. Likewise, on the GFXBench Car Chase test, the IdeaCentre Mini was almost the top scorer but bested by the Geekom.While no one will mistake the IdeaCentre Mini as a full-blown graphics machine, its performance on our suite of graphics-oriented benchmarks does indicate that it could be used for basic photo and graphics editing. It could also make for a fine home theater PC. It is not, of course, an all-out gaming system, as most of today’s most popular games require a discrete graphics card, but you could enjoy some casual play at low resolutions and detail settings with older or undemanding games.Verdict: A Decent All-Rounder With Versatility and StyleWe sincerely like the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini and would recommend it as a solid counterpart to the more affordable and just-as-performant Geekom AS6. It’s loaded with ports, and while it’s a touch larger than some of the mini PCs we’ve reviewed, it’s not much bigger than a CD jewel case and won’t take much room on your desk, especially if used with the included vertical stand. It doesn’t come standard with a VESA mount to put it on the rear of your monitor, but with all the ports the Mini provides, you probably wouldn’t want a scraggly ponytail of cables running off your display, anyway.The IdeaCentre Mini was the top performer of our test set in some of our benchmarks, and in second place on the ones it didn’t ace. While we would have liked more USB-C ports, a tad more graphics power, and easier-to-find documentation, none of this is a deal-breaker—nor is the limited expandability, common in PCs of this size. If you can’t get hold of one of our top mini-PC picks, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini is a fine alternative.
Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (2023)
Pros
Decent performance for a low-profile mini PC
Well-balanced configuration for office use
Plenty of ports, including a Thunderbolt 4
Multi-monitor support
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The Bottom Line
Our test model is a little pricey for the specs, but Lenovo’s IdeaCentre Mini delivers build quality, connectivity, and performance that make this compact PC a contender for your limited desk space.
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