Disclaimer:This review was made possible by a review unit provided by Lenovo.
The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
All three options include built-in wireless networking with theWi-Fi 6 standardand Bluetooth 5.1 support for peripherals.
An internal 150W PSU makes for a much slimmer power cable.
Storage can be easily upgraded, and even RAM can expand with some tinkering.
The implied ridges aren’t physical indents, but a pattern laid underneath a thick layer of clear plastic.
Opposite those, a double pairing of extra USB-A ports alongside Ethernet RJ45 for 2.5G LAN networking.
Both sticks of RAM are the sameM471A1G44BB0-CWEmodels, and the SSD is anMZVL4512HBLU-00B07, all manufactured by Samsung.
Manual upgrades shouldn’t be too challenging if you keep a tidy workspace and carefully store the removed screws.
Not a big deal, and overall, a surprisingly low count for bloatware.
An internal 150W PSU makes for a much slimmer power cable.
Past that, you’re just getting a standard Windows machine.
The default IdeaCentre wallpaper is painfully low resolution, though, crushed by JPG compression.
Find a new one onBing.
I doubt dropping to the i5-13500H mid-range option would affect any benchmarks significantly.
However,our Legion 5i Pro reviewdescribes thermal control improvements, which helps explain its admirable performance.
CrystalDiskMark shows no surprises for rapid read/write speeds on an internal PCIe Gen4 solid-state drive.
It might resemble a particular console from 2006, but Lenovo pulls off the vertical aesthetic.
The iGPU will manage 4K monitor outputs and multimedia, but real-time 3D rendering is out of the question.
At least, I can say that the top-spec i7-13700H model isn’t necessarily worth the extra spending.
Besides, I couldn’t honestly recommend such an unknown wildcard.
Plenty of ports at the rear, with 2.5G Ethernet making a welcome appearance.
IdeaCentre Mini: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if …
You shouldn’t buy this if …
Teardowns are straightforward if you’re willing to keep track of tiny screws and their appropriate positions.
I can’t believe I actually like a bundled companion app, but I do.
It’s almost unnecessary to need the Settings app on Windows, for the most part.
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
(Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)
Apple’s Mac mini offers excellent value for macOS fans but is a poor choice for Windows users.
The Beelink SER5 Pro 5800H is a cheaper AMD alternative.
The design remains mostly the same, but its benefits are as clear as ever.
