https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/mini-pcs/fanless-intel-n100-stick-pc-bundles-windows-11-16gb-ram-and-256gb-emmc-into-a-tiny-form-factor
Mele PCG02 Pro Stick PC is meant to provide general-purpose computing
You usually don't need a PC that small. For this price ($250) you can just get a Beelink with a better CPU. Or an older model mini PC for $120.
Don't let these manufacturers convince you that you need their latest and greatest whatever.
I’m still buying the older NUCs on eBay for crazy cheap prices and slapping in new nvme drives which have been cheap along with cheap RAM. I end up with 32gb memory 1tb cluster nodes for like $175. Works great in the KVM, VMW, and HyperV lab deployments I need to test in my home labs. I will say that with the AV1 codec support this is interesting as a Jellyfin server though with connection to my NAS. It’s been tough getting cheaper codec capable CPUs.
But the form factor is gorgeous!
That said, do you mind if I pick your brain as you appear to be quite learned on the subject. What do you think of these? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B096FQGLDK
Compare the stats for the CPU, memory, and hard drive. Every one is slightly different, so I can't tell you what to get.
Form factor usually doesn't matter. You're not going to be looking at it all the time and showing it to people. It's a desktop.
They're trying to trick you into not just comparing the specs and deciding on price. Pick a decent brand so you know the chipset is good and just look at the stats.
They’re not doing anything evil offering another form factor.
These may very likely not be desktops for some people. First thing I thought of is mounting one of these behind TV as a Plex server.
People can buy something they cooose to for the reason they choose to buy that thing.
In my head, I just want something I can leave plugged in for a few years. Something that can run Linux comfortably and can let me check out new cool things and do the occasional photo edit. My phone is very much my primary computing device.
Pick a decent brand so you know the chipset is good and just look at the stats.
Is Minisforum a good brand? Do they use quality parts in their miniPCs?
Thinking of picking up one of those for server duty.
I like the idea of fanless because it's one less thing to fail. With an SSD, it means no moving parts.
I think it’s one of those “the NUC is Dead, Long Live the NUC” type situations. There are so many tiny pc vendors now selling models that just didn’t exist when the NUC was originally released.
NUC was an Intel thing, it's used commonly for any USFF PC but NUC was specifically a line from Intel and, I believe, they sold the name off to Asus. They stopped making them, but other people are still continuing to make USFF PCs with Intel chips.
Dell made something similar about 4 years ago.. I am pretty sure it was called an Optiplex 7070 Ultra. They came in an 8th gen i7 that would idle around 5w
I'm still on the hunt for an affordable mini PC with a decent GPU. Everything I've seen is well into the $1500+ range. I'm not talking about getting a 4090 or anything. Like, if I could find a mini PC with an 8G 2070, I'd be happy.
I just want to play games on my TV for around the same cost of a PlayStation or Xbox.... And be able to do it with a mouse and keyboard if I want. If I wanted to use a controller 100% of the time, I'd just get a console, but I don't.
Because it will be permanently connected to my TV.
It seems silly to buy a handheld that will never be used as a handheld.
I mean it does exactly what you want and has the benefit that if you really feel like it you could take it somewhere, but you don't have to, if you buy it it's up to you exactly how you use it.
I understand your point. I'll examine the option.
I'll need to get a dock for it so I have all the required ports, but that's not a big deal. It just adds cost, so I'll have to factor that in.
I just need the system to be small enough to tuck in behind my TV, so it doesn't end up being an eyesore. I don't think that poses a huge issue for the steam deck.
Do you have any pointers? I've been an Intel and Nvidia guy for a really long time, so I have a hard time making heads or tails of what generation or power I can expect from an AMD CPU/GPU/APU from the model number.
If you could give me any idea what to look for it e avoid, I'd appreciate it. Apparently the APU in the steam deck was not officially released outside of the steamdeck, so it doesn't have an official model number.
id recommend a Ryzen 7 8700G, it has the best integrated graphics out of any cpu ever. (quite a bit better than teh steam deck)
Check out Miniforums HX90G/HX99G. Might be exactly what you're looking for.
I am currently still using my HX90G daily and when travel more than a week
This is one that is on my radar, a bit on the more expensive side, at least compared to the console alternatives, but that's expected. You always get a discount with a console since they're counting on profits from game sales to make up the difference.
Performance is slightly better than the Intel/1070 combo I'm using in the interim. The current system is a huge eyesore, which is why I'm trying to replace it.
Before finding this gem, my front running idea was to pair a framework main board with a thunderbolt eGPU, but buying even a used GPU with the cost of an enclosure was going to add more than $1000 to the cost. It's likely more performant than even the minisforum options and others, with the ability to swap the GPU for upgrades, but I'm not sure how likely that is in the first place.
The current system is older and in a medium tower case, it's a full custom build. Way too big to hide and needs pretty much everything upgraded, so rather than keep the eyesore and spend the money on a new main board/RAM/CPU/SSD etc, getting a smaller and more descreet system is preferable.
The HX-whatevrG definitely will be much better in term of look and size.
I would not go the eGPU way. Interested from the first time it was a thing, and still now, and still no buy. They are stupidly expensive, and tbh, a fucking eyesore. They are size of a normal SFF case, but now you lose all the benefit on performance. And the small one from GPD with a 6600M? Cost nearly the same as my HX90G, and even for oculink, it is still have less bandwidth than my HX90G.
Sounds terrible.
That would be worse than the steam deck, since you're still making the compromise of a mobile/integrated GPU, and most gaming laptops are larger than their non-gaming counterparts. It's going to take up 3-4x as much space compared to the Steamdeck.
I appreciate the idea, but laptops just have a lot of unnecessary components for my use case, making them too large to be practical for the purpose.
I only suggested it because I’ve been using an old 15in laptop to stream from my pc. It easily hides behind my tv. And I could fit a bigger one.
Laptop gpus will give better resolution than a steam deck.
If you are budget conscious, you can’t always pick up something new that’s exactly fit for purpose. Though I understand that you have a different use case
Game streaming is not the ideal. My network is certainly up to it, I just don't prefer it, since it requires that I occupy two systems when I'm playing a game.
If the Mrs wants to play a game then my system would be busy rendering the game, so I would be unable to use it until she's done.
There's a lot of utility in having another system capable of playing games. Both she and I have gaming capable systems, regardless if they're a little dated. In optimal conditions we could have both her, a guest and I can play games at the same time, possibly together. Streaming precludes that, since another system will always be occupied while someone is playing a game on the TV.
I have an 8530 Intel atom, 8gb ram 128gb stick....they're useless(to me). Very fun to toy with.
Idk I don't see the point if I have multiple laptops, multiple desktops, multiple cellphones. Samsung Dex on current phone. Raspberry pis, plenty of stand alone emulators. PSP, PS vita, 3ds, 2ds, NDSL, DS, commodity SOCs, steam streaming boxes, ect....I have them all. I can assure you, it's all the same. It will always be the same. Nothing changes, nothing is new. Arm, x86/x64 has been around for decades almost being able to be counted in multiples of 30. They have all accomplished what they have needed. And stagnated. I don't doubt it's more powerful. I do doubt it's much more useful than anything I've listed.
While it is pre-installed with Windows 11, it is compatible with Linux.
Literally inside the article. Second paragraph...
According to the other person it comes with Linux installed. But you know, the legacy of not being Linux compatible is a big stain. I just don't and will not trust.