HP Z2 Mini G9 workstation

Industrial chic matches this mini PC's aspirations, with plenty of power despite its compact size

The HP Z2 Mini workstation may not be quite as miniature as the Chillblast WAP opposite - in fact, it's twice its size - but this is still a beautifully small machine. It's versatile, too. You can stand it vertically where it will consume the same footprint as a hardback book, sit it horizontally - a solid metal chassis means it will easily support a 27in screen - or attach it to the rear of a compatible monitor using a VESA 100 mounting kit.

HP's designers have been T clever enough to ensure that all the ports will remain usable in such a situation, with one USB-A port, two super-fast USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top (or the side if positioned horizontally), plus a further dollop of ports on the left-hand side (or rear). All three USB-A ports support USB 3.2 Gen 2 for speeds of up to 10Gbits/sec, and there's a Gigabit Ethernet port, too. Nor is there any shortage of display outputs, with full-size DisplayPort connectors and four microDisplayPort outputs.