The Neo 50q Tiny doesn’t fully live up to its name, being considerably wider and deeper than some other mini PCs—7.1 inches by 7.2 inches, respectively—while measuring 1.44 inches high. Compare that with the Asus NUC 15 Pro+ at 1.65 by 5.7 by 4.4 inches (HWD). The most iconic mini desktop, Apple’s Mac mini, comes in at 2 by 5 by 5 inches (HWD). Still, even if the ThinkCentre isn’t the tiniest option around, it’s plenty small enough for most deployments. Its 2.45-pound weight also makes it easy enough to tote.
This ThinkCentre has a mostly metal chassis, Lenovo’s dark Eclipse Black in color, with a plastic front cover and I/O plate in a Luna Grey shade. It’s an unobtrusive design overall, and it feels pretty sturdy. You’ll notice plenty of venting along the sides and in the rear, which means a less cohesive look than the Mac mini, but also allowances for airflow that helps the highly efficient Arm processor maintain speeds without firing up a loud fan. That’s often an issue I’ve encountered with Windows-based mini PCs: Stress them, and they get loud.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor also has a neural processing unit (NPU) on board that supports the complete Microsoft Copilot+ PC experience. It will power through Microsoft’s various AI features at reasonable speeds and with higher efficiency than tapping the CPU or GPU. A modest energy appetite is more important in a laptop, where battery life is a concern, but here, it contributes to the silent operation. And for businesses that might use hundreds of mini PCs, the greater overall efficiency promises reduced energy costs.
The final nod to commercial customers is Lenovo’s ThinkShield security suite for enhanced protection, which includes a Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0 built into the hardware for extra hardwired data security.
Sliding off the lid, the Neo 50q Tiny makes storage upgrades and basic diagnostics (for IT pros) super easy. Remove one screw on the back, pull the top cover forward, and then lift it off to get access to the dual M.2 SSD slots. Note that my review unit included a wired keyboard and mouse; they’re basic stuff, and don’t live up to, say, Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptop keyboards. You’ll eventually want to replace them with your own input devices if you’re particular about typing feel.
(Credit: Mark Coppock)
