There’s no shortage of mini desktop PCs on the market, and after seeing far too many pitches for these kinds of machines from relatively unknown companies, it takes a unique concept to get my attention. So you can imagine my surprise when Khadas — a company I had never heard of — reached out to tell me about the Khadas Mind, a mini PC that got my attention from the start.
The Khadas Mind wants to redefine what a mini PC can be, and frankly, from what I’m able to test right now, it delivers on that goal. This is a tiny thing, but it packs solid performance, and the promise of the ecosystem of accessories is really exciting. It does get a bit warm, and I’ve run into an annoying issue with sound, but otherwise, this is a really cool machine. It may be a bit pricey for what you get, but at the same time, it’s hard not to appreciate what’s on offer here.
Khadas Mind
Ultra-compact PC
Portable and versatile thanks to the Mind ecosystem
The Khadas Mind is an extremely compact desktop PC, yet it packs fairly powerful 13th-generation Intel Core processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and plenty of storage. Plus, it has a built-in battery for backup power and an ecosystem of accessories that use the Mind Link interface.
- CPU
- Up to Intel Core i7-1360P
- Graphics
- Intel Iris Xe graphics
- Memory
- Up to 32GB RAM
- Storage
- Up to 1TB SSD, free M.2 2230 slot
- Ports
- 2x USB Type-C, 2x USB Type-A, HDMI
- Networking
- Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 + Bluetooth 5.3
- Dimension
- 5.75 x 4.13 x 0.79 inches (146 x 105 x 20mm)
- Weight
- 0.99 pounds (450g)
- Price
- Starting at $599 (early bird); $799 (MSRP)
- Operating System
- Windows 11
Pros
- Solid performance with 13th-generation Intel Core processors
- Super portable and easy to carry
- Built-in battery means you can unplug it easily
Cons
- Limited ports without a dock
- Sound issue with the Mind Dock
Pricing and availability
Khadas launched a 60-day Kickstarter campaign for the Mind starting on Aug. 24, with shipping expected to start in October, at which point it will also launch on Amazon and other e-commerce platforms. However, only the Khadas Mind itself and the Mind Dock are planned to launch in that initial window. Other accessories, like the Mind Graphics and Mind xPlay, are planned for at least 2024.
During the Kickstarter campaign, the Khadas Mind starts at $599 for the regular model, which includes an Intel Core i5-1340P, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That model will cost $799 once fully launched. If you want the Premium model, which is what I have for review, that will set you back $799 during the Kickstarter campaign or $1,099 after the full launch. This includes an Intel Core i7-1360P, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. As for the Mind Dock, also mentioned in this review, it costs $129 during the early bird period, and it will go for $179 afterward.
Design
Tiny and sleek
One of the most impressive things about the Khadas Mind is just how small it is. This sleek PC comes in a chassis that’s smaller in every dimension compared to the Mac Mini, which makes it surprising that it still packs a 28W P-series processor. Portability is one of the big selling points of this machine, and it does that very well. You can easily take this in your hand or slip it into a relatively large pocket. It also weighs less than a pound.
To keep the tiny chassis running cool, the Khadas Mind has large vents on both sides, allowing air to flow through easily. The chassis still gets quite warm, but the cooling solution seems adequate. The front of the computer only includes a power button with an indicator light.
Most of the ports here are on the back, and they include two USB Type-C ports (supporting USB4), two USB Type-A ports (at 10Gbps speeds), and HDMI. Oddly enough, there’s no headphone jack on the main unit, which is unfortunate, although you can always use Bluetooth.
The Mind Link interface
There’s one port on the bottom, a custom 122-pin connection known as Mind Link. This is what makes this PC so special. It can support power delivery and PCIe 5.0 data to enable an ecosystem of accessories that greatly expand the capabilities of this machine. At launch, the only accessory that will be available is the Mind Dock, which I also have for review, but in the future, you’ll see Mind Graphics — an external Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU — and the Mind xPlay, an external display with a battery that essentially turns this PC into a tablet or 2-in-1 PC.
Using the Mind Link connector is super easy. You just place the Khadas Mind on top of the Mind Dock and push it down to fully connect it. The devices use magnets to make the connection easier and to ensure it doesn’t come apart by accident, and it works quite well. I wish I could test other peripherals right now, but just seeing it with the Mind Dock is cool. The connector is tested for 10,000 cycles of plugging and unplugging, so it should last you a long time.
Also on the underside of this PC is a door that gives you access to an extra PCIe 3.0 SSD slot. The built-in SSD isn’t upgradeable, but if you ever need more storage, you can always pop in another M.2 2230 SSD, which, thanks to devices like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally, is actually fairly easy to find now. We have a list of Steam Deck SSDs you might want to check out if you want an upgrade for this one.
It has a battery, too
Another thing that helps this device stand out is the built-in 5.55Wh battery. Yes, this desktop PC has a battery, and yes, it is very small. But there’s a good reason for that. This battery is actually a standby battery. Basically, you can unplug this PC from the outlet at any time without turning it off first, and it will automatically go into sleep mode, powered by the standby battery.
This all plays into the idea of mobility. Say you work in multiple offices, or you shift between working at home or in the office. With this battery, you can be working at the office and simply unplug the PC, take it home, and plug it into your monitor to continue right where you left off. You don’t need a PC at every workstation, just the surrounding peripherals. This small battery should be able to keep your PC in sleep mode for up to 5 hours, so you should be able to get through your commute with no issues.
Performance
Laptop processors are all most people need
Given the tiny size of the Khadas Mind, it might come as a surprise that it comes with processors you’d find on some of the best laptops on the market, specifically from Intel’s P-series, with a base TDP of 28W and up to 35W on demand. Frankly, for how small it is, even that feels like too much power. The chassis of the machine gets quite hot after a few hours of use, though it doesn’t seem to slow down significantly because of it.
Khadas sent me the Mind Premium, which includes an Intel Core i7-1360P with 12 cores and 16 threads, capable of boosting up to 5GHz. This unit also includes 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, both of which aren’t user-replaceable, which is a potential downside. I’m willing to forgive it for the sake of it being this compact, though, and considering 32GB of RAM is already quite good.
For writing, basic office work, and even light image editing, these specs are all you really need.
In real life, using the Khadas Mind for work, I can’t complain at all. I had it connected to three Full HD monitors (using the Mind Dock), and it’s been serving me perfectly. For writing, basic office work, and even light image editing, these specs are all you really need. Looking at benchmarks, I do notice that the numbers are a bit lower than laptops I’ve reviewed with similar specs, at least in some tests.
| Khadas Mind (Intel Core i7-1360P) | LG Gram SuperSlim (Intel Core i7-1360P) | Lenovo Yoga 9i (2023) (Intel Core i7-1360P) | MacBook Air (2022) (Apple M2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCMark 10 | 5,629 | 5,661 | 6,115 | — |
| 3DMark Time Spy | 1,877 | 1,740 | 1,748 | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single/multi-core) | 2,617 / 9,816 | 2,350 / 10,197 | 2,464 / 10,859 | — |
| Cinebench R23 (single/multi-core) | 1,875 / 9,708 | 1,714 / 8,585 | 1,810 / 7,869 | 1,589 / 7,907 |
| CrossMark | 1,743 / 1,666 / 1,857 / 1,650 | 1,713 / 1,617 / 1,932 / 1,423 | — | 1,499 / 1,382 / 1,825 / 1,059 |
My first thought was that there might be some thermal throttling for demanding workloads, but Geekbench is a fairly short benchmark that doesn’t usually result in throttling. It’s possible the processor is running at a slightly lower power target to prevent throttling, which might explain why benchmarks like Cinebench R23 actually perform better here. As I’ve mentioned, performance is great for most day-to-day tasks, and the lesser benchmark scores haven’t been a problem at all in real life.
The Mind Dock
Rounding out the experience
As I’ve mentioned, the big appeal of the Khadas Mind is the ecosystem of accessories that use the Mind Link interface, which will include external GPUs, displays, and more. Right now, the only one I can test (and the only one available at launch) is the Mind Dock. This is a docking station, giving you more ports and added functionality.
For one thing, the Mind Dock includes a lot more ports. On the back, it has a USB Type-C port for power delivery (and you only need to plug a power cable into either the Mind itself or the Dock), two USB Type-A ports (5Gbps), two HDMI ports, and RJ45 Ethernet (2.5Gbps). On the front, you’ll get another USB Type-A 5Gbps port, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. If the port selection on the Mind itself isn’t impressive, this really gives you a lot of connectivity for anything you need. As I said above, I’ve been using the Mind with three displays at the same time, plus peripherals like a mouse and keyboard, a headset, and a capture card.
That’s not all, though. The Mind Dock also adds an audio system, including two mid-bass speakers and two tweeters that deliver surprisingly powerful sound. I was taken aback when I first played audio out of this setup; it gets pretty loud, and the quality is solid even at max volume. One major issue I noticed was that audio doesn’t actually start playing for the first two seconds after you play audio on your PC. Khadas did share a firmware update that greatly improved the situation, so the delay is only a split second, but it’s still there.
The dock also includes a volume knob, which you can press to mute audio instantly. I do find that it’s a little too easy to press down accidentally when trying to rotate the knob quickly, but it works otherwise. Finally, there’s a fingerprint scanner on the Mind Dock, enabling easy Windows Hello authentication, which makes total sense for a desktop PC that doesn’t have a webcam.
I do feel like the dock is kind of required to get the full experience here because the port setup on the PC is a bit too limited. But the dock itself is a great product. It’s sleek, compact, and adds a lot of functionality for what I’d consider a reasonable price compared to typical USB docks. Even with the dock, the entire package is smaller than a Mac Mini, and the connectivity options here are very extensive. You could have a dock at each of your workstations and make it nearly instantaneous to get set up with all your screens and peripherals while keeping your personal files available everywhere.
Should you buy the Khadas Mind?
You should buy the Khadas Mind if:
- You want a super portable desktop PC
- You have multiple workstations but want to use the same computer across them
- You want to make use of the ecosystem of Mind accessories
You shouldn’t buy the Khadas Mind if:
- You need ports like a headphone jack and don’t want the dock
- You don’t want to invest in an ecosystem of proprietary accessories
As much as I love the Khadas Mind, I do think it’s for a very specific set of users. If you want an ultraportable machine that can easily plug into your peripherals at different office locations, I think this is a phenomenal choice. It’s tiny and light, plus the built-in battery means you don’t have to worry as much about saving your work before unplugging it. The promise of the Mind ecosystem is also incredibly cool, even if most of it can’t be tested yet.
It may be a bit pricey after the Kickstarter campaign, but I’d say the price is justified. At MSRP, you’d be paying roughly $1,278 for the Mind Premium and Mind Dock, and that gets you a really solid experience. Sure, it’s almost the same price as the Mac Mini with the M2 Pro, but it does include double the RAM and storage for that price, plus everything else that makes the Khadas Mind unique.
Khadas Mind
A lot of potential
The Khadas Mind is an extremely compact desktop PC, yet it packs fairly powerful 13th-generation Intel Core processors, up to 32GB of RAM, and plenty of storage. Plus, it has a built-in battery for backup power and an ecosystem of accessories that use the Mind Link interface.