Cheap Mini PC Windows 11 2026 — Best Picks That Actually Qualify
Not all cheap mini PCs can run Windows 11. The requirement is TPM 2.0 plus a compatible CPU — and older Intel Celeron and Atom chips fail this test. The good news: any cheap mini PC with an Intel N100, N150, or AMD Ryzen 5000 series chip meets the requirements without workarounds.
The Beelink EQ12 Pro (Intel N100, ~£170) and GMKtec NucBox G3 (~£130) are the best cheap mini PCs that include genuine Windows 11 Pro licences in 2026. Avoid units listed as “Windows 11 compatible” — they ship with Home or require a separate licence purchase. Both EQ12 Pro and NucBox G3 include Pro out of the box.
Which Cheap Mini PCs Run Windows 11 Natively?
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The official Windows 11 CPU list includes Intel 8th generation and newer Core processors, Intel N95/N100/N150 (Alder Lake-N), and AMD Ryzen 5000 series and newer. Every mini PC we recommend on this site — the Beelink EQ12 Pro (N100), GMKtec NucBox G3, and Beelink SER5 Pro (Ryzen 5 5500U) — ships with Windows 11 Pro pre-installed and qualifies natively.What to Avoid: Cheap Mini PCs That Cannot Run Windows 11
Avoid: Intel Celeron J4125, J4005, N4020, N5095, N5105, and older Atom-series chips. These lack TPM 2.0 or fail the CPU compatibility check. You can install Windows 11 via workaround on some, but Microsoft will not provide updates, and security patches stop. It is not worth it. If Windows 11 matters, spend the extra £20 on a current-generation chip.
Best Cheap Windows 11 Mini PCs 2026
Best Budget: Beelink EQ12 Pro (Intel N100) — ~£170
Ships with Windows 11 Pro. N100 qualifies natively. 16GB LPDDR5, 500GB NVMe, 2.5GbE. This is the baseline recommendation for anyone wanting a cheap Windows 11 mini PC that just works out of the box.
For more capable Windows 11 mini PCs, see our best mini PC roundup. For a comparison of mini PCs vs laptops, read our mini PC vs laptop guide.
