If you're a frugal shopper, mini PCs are an intriguing alternative to traditional desktop PCs. They may not be as customizable (due to their small size), but many of them are ideal for school, work, and even light gaming. Mini PCs can even replace laptops--thanks to their small size, you can easily toss them in a backpack with a portable monitor and other gear for a night of gaming on the road.

Anyone interested in mini PCs should check out the sale happening at Amazon right now, which includes a bunch of great mini PCs by hundreds of dollars. Many of these little machines boast a surprising amount of power, too.

One of the best deals is for the GMKtec K1, which features a Ryzen 7 6800H, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD for just $380 (down from $600). Best of all, it benefits from a Radeon 680M to handle a bit of gaming. You'll also find a slew of ports on its side, including two HDMI ports and several USB ports.