As the name suggests, Mini PCs are computers that are much smaller than regular PCs. They are small in size and their performance is also very good. Usually, a Mini PC offers most of the functionality of a desktop PC. As the Mini cases shrink down to extremely tiny, functionality does decline a bit.

The compact size of Mini PCs is possible only because of the compact size of the motherboard, the biggest PC parts. Though being small, a Mini PC motherboard is generally well-suited with desktop PC cards and devices. In certain cases though, specially designed audio and video cards allow further contraction but doesn't allow the general parts to be used.

All main motherboard producers have Mini PC boards, in Intel as well as in AMD flavors. The motherboards of these Mini PCs normally provide all the features that a motherboard for a desktop PC of the same processor provides, though the Minis misses on few PCI slots and features. Obviously, normal home users don’t use these slots in particular.