For example I don’t know if a cheap mini PC like the GMKtec G5 would be more likely to have firmware/driver related security flaws over a more standard PC like an older Dell Optiplex from Staples.
Maybe there is something else entirely I am overlooking. I’m not sure. Most of the complaints I’ve heard are in regards to mini PCs containing bloat and potentially malicious things installed.
Partitioning does not wipe things.
It rewrites the partition tables, obviously, but no data elsewhere.
That’s why I said “essentially”. The data is no longer accessible by the system, which is all that’s needed to prevent malicious files from being executed.