MSI Cubi 5 10M: Peppy, Quiet Mini PC

Call it a tale of two mini PCs. In many ways, the MSI Cubi 5 10M is the opposite of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini 5i we tested just before it.

- MATTHEW ELLIOTT

The Lenovo offers an attractive design complete with fabric top panel; the Cubi 5 looks like an OEM part that MSI grabbed off the shelf. The IdeaCentre uses a Core i5 processor from Intel’s desktop series; the Cubi’s Core i5 is a mobile chip. To keep its CPU cool, the Lenovo relies on a fan that whirs nonstop. With a more efficient laptop processor, the MSI is able to keep its thermals in check with much less fan noise. Unless you need a mini PC for media editing, the Cubi 5 is the better pick for office work. It’s smaller, quieter, and more than capable of providing a smooth Windows 10 experience for basic productivity tasks. Its advantages in size and acoustics also make it the better pick for a living-room media streamer.

A MINI AMONG MINIS

Our Cubi 5 test configuration features a Core i5-10210 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB solid-state drive. If you’re eyeing it as a media streamer only, either of MSI’s $509 models should fit the bill with a Core i3 CPU, the same amount of memory, and either a 1TB hard drive or a 256GB SSD. The top-end model costs $860 and combines a Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM with the 512GB SSD.