There's been a small deluge of mini PCs in the past few years following the success of the Mac mini, but HP Inc's new Elite Desk 800 G2 mini is one of the smallest and fastest we've seen yet.
Around the size of a paperback novel, the pre-production unit we saw packed in a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 6700 dual core processor, 16GB of memory and a 7200rpm 2.5in hard disk. It sticks with Skylake integrated graphics, but this is more than powerful enough for running three monitors connected simultaneously via DisplayPort daisy-chaining.
The Elite Desk 800 G2 mini may be small, but getting to the interior is trivial thanks to the screwless slide-off casing. Alternatively, it can be locked tight if you're worried about component theft. This PC is VESA mount-compatible too, so you can attach it to the back of a suitable monitor or to the underside of a desk.
Most intriguingly of all are the optional stackable accessory boxes which sit neatly underneath the mini PC and connect to it via USB3. We saw two units a slimline MDisc-compatible DVD writer and a port replicator that supports legacy connections such as PS/2, serial and USB2.
The Elite Desk 800 G2 mini is similar to the Acer Revo Build consumer mini PC we saw at IFA, with the exception that HP's demonstration units actually worked. As with the Revo Build though, the British pricing and availability of the Elite Desk 800 G2 mini and its stackable accessory boxes remain up in the air. European customers will be able to buy the mini PC in November with prices starting at 399.
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