Buying desktop computers can be complicated, especially if you’re on a budget and aren’t ready to spend thousands of dollars on expensive equipment that may or may not even fit your needs and tasks. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With the Ibuypower Element Mini 9300 Desktop PC, you get all the power and performance you need in a sleek case that won’t take up an inordinate amount of space in your home or office. Here are the pros and cons of this unit from Ibuypower.
The appearance of Element Mini 9300
The Ibuypower Element Mini 9300 has a sleek appearance. It is a mini-sized desktop, but it still has an attractive design. The black chassis and silver bezel give it a modern look, and it blends well with many different decors. There are no distinguishing marks or logos, which means that you can place it almost anywhere without drawing attention to itself. This is an attractive option for those who have a lot of gadgets that take up visual space on their desk already. It will fit in nicely with most professional settings as well as home offices and bedrooms, although some people might not want to keep something so small out in plain view all of the time.
Performance
While they’re not as powerful or well-known as other companies like MSI, Asus, or Alienware, Ibuypower Element Mini is an affordable and reliable choice for a gaming desktop. The company manufactures some of its PCs in Taiwan and also designs them in California. We were able to get our hands on one of their new element line computers called the Mini 9300. The computer has all of your standard features, including two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, HDMI out (should you want to use it as a monitor), and an ethernet jack for connecting wirelessly if you need to.
Despite being a mini tower, Ibuypowers Element Mini 9300 has plenty of room for upgrading. The motherboard supports up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM. You can install any 3.5 or 2.5 hard drive you’d like, including solid-state drives (SSDs). If you want extra cooling on your CPU and GPU, there are spaces for two additional fans above and below your components, respectively. There’s even room for an internal DVD-ROM drive in case you need to burn discs when building up your OS or ripping movies.
Value
Great performance in a small package. It’s no secret that a lot of powerful desktop computers are hulking monstrosities. This can be great if you want to intimidate people with your tech, but not so much if you need something small and portable, like a laptop replacement. That’s where desktops like Ibuypower Element Mini come in handy. With all of its internals packed into a tiny package, there’s no need to sacrifice power for portability with these desktops—they’re just as capable as their larger counterparts! The real question is: Can it compete against more conventional offerings? Let’s find out!
Depending on your needs, though, an i7 processor may be overkill; why pay extra for top-of-the-line speed when mid-tier suffices? As always, consider what you’ll use your computer for before making a purchase decision. For example, If you’re planning on editing 4K videos or graphics-intensive games, then having an extra kick may help make things go smoothly; however, don’t expect it to work miracles. You’ll still likely have issues if you have too many files open at once or are trying to edit large files (like RAW photos). Other than high resource usage applications (sometimes), though, it should perform very well overall.
Related Article: How to Improve Gaming Performance on Laptops?
Summary
The Intel Core i7 6700 processor with 8GB DDR4 RAM will ensure that you can perform whatever task you need. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card is VR ready and perfect for gaming. It comes with a 2 TB HDD and a 128 GB SSD, so there’s plenty of space for all your files and games. With two USB 3.0 ports, it’s easy to hook up external drives, printers, or any other peripherals you may need. It also has an Ethernet port, so you can use a wired connection if desired, but WiFi is also built in (802.11ac) as well as Bluetooth 4.0 and HDMI output for connecting to your TV or monitor.
Pros and Cons
When it comes to building a gaming desktop, one of your first considerations should be getting an adequate case. The Ibuypower Element 9300 can hold up to five fans and multiple graphics cards, making it a great fit for performance-minded gamers. That said, you won’t find any modern high-speed USB 3.0 ports on board, so transferring data between your computer and another device will take longer than usual. If you’re looking for a similarly powerful option that supports faster file transfers, check out our runner-up pick from Thermaltake. That unit is a bit bulkier than our top pick, but its fans don’t produce as much noise while running.
Plus, Thermaltake offers a three-year warranty on all products in its Element series—almost double what you get with Ibuypower Element Mini. Keep in mind that both products have similar pricing: In fact, these two units are virtually identical when it comes to specs; what really separates them is their slightly different designs and small upgrades here and there (such as motherboard types). So if none of those differences matter to you or if you simply want to save money, go with our budget pick instead; it has fewer fans and ports compared with our main picks, but it still provides all of the basic components most gamers need.
Conclusion
The Ibuypower Element Mini 9300 is another good option for gamers on a budget. It runs games well and has an impressive display, but it’s lacking some modern features, such as USB 3.0 ports and M.2 SSD slots. If you want a solid desktop gaming PC without breaking your bank account, though, we think it’s worth considering; just be aware of its few shortcomings before making your purchase. You can also visit the Store Vela website for reading more interesting and affordable PCs and laptop product reviews.