A somewhat cheaper version with 4 GB of memory is available (and you can upgrade the memory later, if you want), but we think most people are likely to be happier with the extra speed and responsiveness that 8 GB of memory offers.Ī “bare-bones” mini PC comes without memory, storage, or an operating system, so it’s not ready to use out of the box. The CTL Chromebox CBX2 includes twice as much memory as other similarly priced budget Chromeboxes we considered, and it has plenty of ports. In fact, the app you use for almost everything on a Chrome OS device is the Chrome web browser, and your device has to be connected to the internet for most tasks. But unlike a Windows or Mac computer, a Chrome OS device (mostly) can’t use desktop apps.

Thanks to Google’s Chrome OS, the CTL Chromebox CBX2 is faster than a similarly priced, $300 Windows PC at browsing the web, handling basic word processing, and playing movies. And for easy upgrades later on, you need to remove only one screw to access its M.2 storage and two memory slots. Its fan is nearly silent in everyday use and tolerable under more intensive workloads.

On the back, it has one DisplayPort and one HDMI port so you can easily use multiple monitors (if you order a custom configuration, you can add more USB-C, DisplayPort, or HDMI ports). The front panel has one USB Type-C port for newer accessories as well as a Type-A port for older cables and USB drives. Lenovo sells several ThinkCentre mini PCs with the same basic design, including the M80q Tiny and M90q Tiny, but the M70q Tiny offers the best combination of price and features.

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