Lenovo V105q Tiny mini PC Ryzen 3 30 8/256 GB

The V105q weighs 1.13 kg and is built into Lenovo's compact Tiny chassis, so it fits next to the monitor, on a shelf or under the desk without getting in the way. The dark Eclipse Black housing suits an office setting. There is no optical drive, as software and files now come over the network or from a USB stick. The keyboard and mouse are in the box, so setting up a workstation takes a few minutes.

The AMD Ryzen 3 30 is a quad-core processor whose clock rises up to 4.1 GHz under load. That means quick responses in the browser, email, Office and video calls, even with several programs open at once. Integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics display office software and video smoothly and support more than one monitor; they are not intended for gaming or 3D work.

The 8 GB of LPDDR5 memory at 5500 MHz is soldered to the motherboard and cannot be expanded later, so it pays to pick the capacity for your workload up front. For office work, browsing and video calls, 8 GB is sufficient. The 256 GB SSD holds Windows, work applications and a large archive of documents, and boots the system in seconds. If you already know you will need more, choose a configuration with more memory from the start.

The front panel has one 10 Gbps USB-A port (USB 3.2 Gen 2), one USB 2.0 port and a 3.5 mm combo jack for headphones and microphone, keeping a flash drive or headset within reach. At the back you get another 10 Gbps USB-A, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.4a and Ethernet RJ-45. One rear USB 2.0 port supports Smart Power On, which lets you start the computer from the keyboard.

The V105q joins a wired network through its RJ-45 port, or goes wireless over Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which also works with older routers. Bluetooth 5.2 pairs a wireless headset or speaker. Windows 11 Pro supports BitLocker drive encryption and domain join, so the computer fits into company IT management like any other workstation.

Offices where several desks need identical compact, easy-to-manage computers; accountants and customer service staff working with spreadsheets, email and web applications; service counters and reception desks with little room; and home offices where the computer should stay quiet and out of sight. Gaming and video editing call for more powerful models.