HP's Pavilion and Stream Mini are tiny desktops for everyone

HP’s smallest PCs to date are surprisingly feature-packed

If you thought the EliteDesk 800 G1 small-form-factor desktop was the ideal solution for a clutter-free workspace, wait until you get a load of the Pavilion and Stream Mini.

Granted, these two Lilliputian PCs are nowhere near as business-friendly as the 800 G1. But they tip the scales at a little over 1.4 pounds each, and the measurements almost make them pocket material – 5.73 x 5.7 x 2.06 inches. In contrast, the EliteDesk 800 G1, HP’s smallest pre-CES desktop, weighs over twice as much (2.9 pounds), and sports a chassis that’s 7 inches long and 6.9 wide.

Now, you probably don’t expect a lot from the Pavilion Mini and Stream Mini in terms of performance given the restricted footprint. But the former packs a dual-core fourth-generation 1.7GHz Intel Pentium 3558U processor, and the latter comes with a dual-core 1.4GHz Celeron 2957U inside. Not too shabby for everyday tasks, especially when paired with four gigabytes of RAM, as is Pavilion Mini’s case.

HP Stream Mini Image used with permission by copyright holder

The higher-end mini PC can also accommodate more data locally, on a 500GB hard drive, whereas the Stream Mini relies on a 32GB SSD for “the essentials”, plus 200 GB of OneDrive cloud storage for your first two years of use.

With random-access memory cut in half, at two gigabytes, the colorful Stream Mini should be able of achieving a lower price point than the “minimalistically” designed Pavilion Mini. Don’t hold your breath for an extremely low price though, as both Minis manage to squeeze four USB 3.0 ports on their cramped frames, plus HDMI, a DP connector, and 3-in-1 media card reader.

And let’s not forget Intel HD graphics, pre-loaded Windows 8.1 software, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth 4.0 support. Each comes with a bundled keyboard and mouse and can support up to two displays simultaneously.

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