ZDNET Highlights
- The Acer Veriton NUC AI PC is currently on sale for $829.
- This mini PC has a very small footprint while offering multi-monitor support, strong cooling, and smooth performance.
- It’s best to buy it on sale, as there are many competing options at the regular price point.
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My world largely revolves around laptops; I have spent most of my personal and professional life using these. As a result, mini PCs have mostly been an afterthought, although I’ve always been curious about their capabilities. Can a smaller desktop provide the same level of satisfaction to pull me away from the notebook form factor?
I faced that question when I tested it recently Acer Veriton NUC AI PCA small CoPilot PC designed for businesses.
Also: The best mini PCs you can buy
I’ll be honest: I have no plans to give up the laptop in the near future. However, Acer’s mini machine made a very attractive case. I can definitely see one of these PCs joining my setup in the near future. If you’re looking for a new computer, there are definite reasons to consider a mini PC. here’s why.
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small but mighty
As you can see, the Veriton PC is small, measuring just 5.16 x 5.16 x 1.69 inches and weighing just about a pound. It’s basically one-tenth the size of my big PC tower. I’ve eaten bigger sandwiches than this.
Even with the included 90W power adapter, this setup won’t demand too much space, and that’s the point here. Acer says the PC is designed for small spaces, especially in business settings where there’s no room for a full office setup. It’s also worth mentioning that the PC is VESA-compliant, so with the right accessories, you can attach it to the back of a monitor for an even cleaner setup.
Acer didn’t waste any valuable surface space, as the device comes with a thoughtful selection of ports. You get four USB-A ports (two USB 3.2 inputs on the front and two USB 2.0 inputs on the back). Veriton also offers three different display ports: HDMI and DisplayPort on the back, as well as DisplayPort over USB-C on the front, supporting up to three external monitors simultaneously.
The good thing about USB-C is that it supports data transfer and can also be used to charge external devices.
One standout detail is the pair of 2.5Gbps LAN ports on the back. Most people won’t touch these (especially since Veriton supports Wi-Fi 6), but they’re useful for professionals working on multiple networks. Speaking of workplace environments, there’s a fingerprint reader for added security above the power button, which can be set through Windows Settings.
The hardware inside this mini PC is on par with a midrange laptop, so heat buildup is likely to be a problem. Acer accounted for this, providing heat vents on every side (except the top and front) to cool the interiors.
to test it
There are two main configurations of the Veriton NUC AI PC, and I tested the higher-end model. My review unit came with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. This kind of configuration moves the PC closer to a midrange Windows laptop than a premium machine, as illustrated in the table below. You’ll notice that it’s more aligned with the Acer Aspire 16 AI than the more powerful Asus ExpertBook P3.
In everyday use, Veriton has its place. My first stress test involved dozens of Chrome tabs, a few 4K livestreams, animated GIFs, and a stack of Black Friday deal pages. Everything ran smoothly until I crossed the 40-tab mark, after which it started slowing down with blank pages and long load times.
Things got worse when I downloaded a game through Steam while browsing the web. The large file resulted in throttling and some temporary freezes.
Being me, I couldn’t resist trying to play some video games on the Veriton. Light indie games like “Hollow Knight: Silksong” ran perfectly, without any stutters or lags. With more graphically demanding titles, things weren’t as smooth. “Resident Evil 3” was another test game, and I had to adjust some settings – the frame rate was a little choppy. But in the end, it went well, even if it looked a little sketchy.
Fans went wild during both games. The surface temperature of the Veriton remained constant, as the chassis heated only slightly.
Also: How much RAM will your PC really need in 2025? A Windows and Mac expert’s view
For my final stress test, I took inspiration from fellow ZDNET writer Jack Wallen. I tried running a local llm that I downloaded OlamaUnfortunately, due to the limited hardware capabilities of the PC, I was unable to do so, A significant portion of Olama LLM requires a good amount of memory to run, with some demanding up to 64GB, I couldn’t install them,
If you plan to use Veriton for AI workloads, the cloud-based model is better for you. I ran the gpt-oss:120b-cloud model as a test, and I asked it to create a 20-year career strategy plan. It presented a highly detailed outline with tables and clean formatting.
ZDNET’s shopping advice
Acer Veriton NUC AI PC Normally sells for $1,050, but is currently on sale for $834.97. If you are looking to save some money, acer veriton pc The Intel Core Ultra 5 is available with a 225V processor for $800. Both listings come with a free mouse and keyboard.
I would recommend this mini PC to professional users who need a compact, secure desktop with modern hardware and that doesn’t take up any space. The dual LAN setup, in particular, emphasizes its role as a business-focused machine. I can’t really recommend it to the average user as it can’t match the same level of usability as a traditional laptop like the Aspire 16.
