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Key Takeaways
- The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) is a compact Windows machine with a design similar to the Apple Mac Mini, offering plenty of power for productivity work.
- It features a compact design that can be placed horizontally or vertically, along with a variety of ports for easy connectivity.
- While it performs well in regular productivity tasks, its laptop-class CPU limits its gaming and graphics-heavy capabilities. Additionally, it comes with some pre-installed bloatware that can be removed.
There are so many compact desktop computers to choose from these days, from the Intel NUC 13 Pro to the Apple Mac Mini. One of Lenovo's most recent attempts is the IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8), a tiny desktop aimed at productivity work that is surprisingly competitive in cost and performance.
We're reviewing the IdeaCentre Mini (01IRH8), one of the recent models sold through retailers like Best Buy in the United States. Specifically, we have the model with 16GB RAM, an Intel Core i7 processor, and 512GB of storage, which retails for $849.99. The base configuration ships with an Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB storage for $629.99.
Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8)
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) is an Apple Mac Mini-sized Windows machine with lots of power.
- Brand
- Lenovo
- Storage
- 256GB/512GB
- CPU
- Intel Core i5/i7
- Memory
- 8GB/16GB
- Operating System
- Windows 11
- Ports
- Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 3.5mm headset connector, Ethernet jack, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4
- Graphics
- Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Dimensions
- 7.68 x 7.52 x 1.54in (19.51 x 19.1 x 3.91cm)
- Weight
- 4lbs (1.81kg)
- Compact design that can sit horizontally or vertically
- Plenty of ports
- Great performance in regular productivity work
- Storage, RAM, and other components can be repaired
- Laptop-class CPU limits performance
- Some pre-installed bloatware
- Integrated graphics not good enough for gaming or other graphics-heavy tasks
Design and Hardware: Tiny With Lots of Ports
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 is a square desktop computer measuring 7.68 inches tall, 7.52 inches wide, and 1.54 inches deep. It also weighs roughly 4 pounds. That's nearly identical to the size of the current Apple Mac Mini (7.75 x 7.75 x 1.41 inches), but that computer is a bit lighter at 2.6 pounds (or 2.8 pounds for the M2 Pro model). Just like the Mac Mini, the power supply is inside the main unit, so there's no giant brick on the power cable.
Even though it may look like a Mac Mini, there are a few differences in the design compared to Apple's compact desktop. The top panel has a striped pattern, and the front side has a power button and a few ports, so you don't need to reach around the back of the computer too often. Lenovo also includes a stand in the box, so you can set the PC flat on a table or position it vertically.
Lenovo designed the IdeaCentre Mini to be at least somewhat repairable. There's a button on the underside of the top panel (near the rear ports) that pops off the top panel, and from there, four Phillips-head screws and some plastic clips are all that stand in the way of accessing the bottom panel. However, accessing most of the system components requires you to first remove the power supply, main system fan, or both---check out the repair manual for details. As annoying as that is, it's much better than Apple's recent Mac Mini desktops, where components like storage and memory cannot be independently replaced.
The IdeaCentre Mini has a decent selection of ports. On the front, there's a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 connector, an "always-on" USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a headset connector. That always-on port can be configured to continue charging the connected device when the PC is asleep, in hibernation, or completely off. If your PC is on your desk, that feature could turn it into a handy charging station for your phone or other USB device.
The back of the PC includes an Ethernet jack, two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (labeled with an "SS" for "SuperSpeed"), one slower UBS Type-A 2.0 port, a Thunderbolt 4 port that also functions as a USB Type-C port, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a DisplayPort 1.4 connector. I would have liked to see more than one Type-C port on the back, but since the single available one is Thunderbolt, at least you have the option of buying a Thunderbolt or USB Type-C hub later if you need more connectivity. There's no built-in microphone or camera.
Software and Performance: A Great Workstation
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 ships with Windows 11 out of the box, so you get all the improved apps and new features that come with the updated operating system, as well as all the annoyances. The company has also added some bloatware on top, including McAfee and a few Lenovo utilities, all of which will spam you with popups and notifications until they are uninstalled. You can remove them from the Apps section of the Settings app, or just do a full reset as soon as you set up the PC.
With that out of the way, the IdeaCentre Mini is just another Windows 11 PC. I had no problems installing apps like Chrome, Discord, Slack, and Steam. As much criticism as Windows 11 gets---almost all of which is justified---I do think it's an overall improvement from Windows 10. Many of the core system features and applications that were not improved at all in Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 (or made worse) are being cleaned up and overhauled to be better than ever. The File Explorer finally has tabs (and more improvements are on the way), Notepad and Paint have a refreshed design with new features, and window snapping is more versatile. I even prefer the new right-click context menu---though switching back to the older design is still an option.
In my typical day-to-day usage of 2-10 Chrome tabs, Slack, Discord, and a few other background applications, the IdeaCentre Mini felt snappy and responsive. The Intel Core i7-13700H CPU in my unit is a laptop chip, so it won't reach the same maximum performance as a high-end desktop Intel or AMD processor, but it still has 20 cores (6 performance cores, 8 efficient cores) and a maximum clock speed of 5 GHz. I also have the 16 GB RAM option, but the base configuration has 8 GB RAM---you shouldn't buy that one; 8 GB isn't really enough for Windows anymore.
Unfortunately, there's no dedicated graphics card, so you're stuck with the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. That's fine for normal PC work and older games, but you're not going to be able to play most modern PC games at an acceptable level of performance. I was able to get a mostly-consistent 60 FPS in "Overwatch 2" at 1080p with graphics quality set to "Low" and V-Sync turned off, and I could only get "Deep Rock Galactic" to around 30-40 FPS after messing with the graphics options for a while---both of those games are more forgiving of low-end hardware than most big new PC titles. The IdeaCentre Mini is perfect for a stroll around the Mojave Wasteland in "Fallout: New Vegas" or hopping onto your favorite "Minecraft" server, but more graphically demanding games are off the table.
If you're interested in benchmark numbers, the IdeaCentre Mini received a single-core score of 2,575 in Geekbench 6 and a multi-core score of 10,402. Again, that's the Core i7 model with 16 GB RAM. That's close in performance to the base 2023 Mac Mini. In the Geekbench 6 compute test, it received an OpenCL score of 14,749 -- about the same level of GPU performance as an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 640. A disk benchmark on the pre-installed 512GB SSD in CrystalDiskMark reported a sequential read speeds of up to 3613 MB/s and sequential writes of 2509 MB/s.
Should You Buy the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8?
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 is a great option for anyone who wants a desktop Windows PC in a smaller form factor. The Core i7 and 16 GB RAM configuration we reviewed is fast and responsive, there are plenty of ports, and many of the internal components can be repaired if necessary. The default Windows installation has some bloatware you need to remove, but besides that, Windows 11 is mostly a great upgrade if you're coming from a Windows 8 or 10 PC.
Surprisingly, the IdeaCentre Mini is competitive with Apple's M2 Mac Mini. The Mac Mini starts at $599 for an M2 chip, 8 GB unified memory (which is a bit different than RAM on regular PCs), and 256GB SSD. If you bump up the memory to 16GB and the SSD to 512GB, it costs $999, but the PC configuration reviewed here with 16GB RAM, an Intel Core i7, and a 512GB SSD costs $849. That config was also on sale for $800 while I was writing this review. The Mac Mini has an extra Thunderbolt 4 port, faster graphics, and a few other differences, but Lenovo's machine is a strong value. Also, not everyone wants a Mac.
An Intel NUC might be a better option if you want more control over the hardware selection, and a regular desktop PC will give you more flexibility and actual desktop-class processors, but the IdeaCentre Mini Gen 8 accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's a compact PC that works well for normal PC tasks, and potentially even some light gaming. Just don't get the 8GB RAM version.
Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8)
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) is an Apple Mac Mini-sized Windows machine with lots of power.