Sorry if I’m lost redditor but other subreddit didn’t allow this question. I’m on a very strict budget and need a cheap but capable pc that can also handle casual steam games (older titles < 10yrs) and minecrafr/roblox for the kids.
Mini PC’s seem to be the way to go with the latest CPU and what not. I found the following (per pics) on Ebay and Amazon that fits the budget and the specs I think suits, in your expert advice, would either of these be good for my needs?
No I will not consider laptops as they are very expensive here in Australia. Not used either as I want something minimal and portable. And most used laptops can’t be upgraded etc. And no I can’t afford even the most budget pre built pc whether new or used. They range from
$900 – $2000 AUD.
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This youtube channel he does in depth reviews on mini’s and handheld’s.
https://www.youtube.com/@ETAPRIME/videos
I’m sure you can find a prebuilt that vastly out performs these at that price range
Considering their size they’d be thermal throttled in most tasks
They’re neat, but they’re basically just intended for simple tasks and basic web browsing. Think of it like super-powered WebTV/SmartTV. You mount them behind your set, switch your input, and you have basic PC functionality anywhere you need it. Perfect for people who value aesthetics over horsepower. I’m considering getting one for my mom so she can do basic photo editing, printing, email, and other such tasks since her tablet’s screen is too small to format web pages correctly when zoomed to a level that she can actually read the text displayed.
They do sell higher powered mini PCs that can do a respectable job at gaming given their small form factor – but they’re still typically weaker than even a low end gaming PC unless you’re willing to drop some big money on them. Also, those miniPCs typically have the same upgrade options as a laptop – as in, pretty much none outside of RAM and Storage. If that chaffs you in regards to laptops, you’re going to be dealing with it using a miniPC anyhow. I’d really reconsider your stance on laptops, as you will most likely end up paying more for less capabilities when buying a miniPC over even a potato laptop.
My work has tried a number of different mini-PCs over the years and many do not last but 1-2 years. Likely due to thermal buildup and substandard innards. The dell ones cost more and generally have worse specs but do last longer. All we do on them is typical office work with browser based cloud software.
i have had 3 mini pc. the ones that work the best have higher TDP watt cpu’s. the super low watt ones like 6watt are slow. the ones that or15watts are more are fast enough for internet browsing youtube, netflix.
gaming you need to look at minisforum
Basically a laptop minus the display/keyboard.
How well would a mini PC work as a streaming computer?
I’ve had a Minisforum 5600x mini PC in service as an htpc for a while now. Works awesome.
I have one with four Ethernet ports which I use as a pfsense firewall.
I’m in love with the idea, but I’m disappointed with the reality of it. They’re usually too simple for much more than basic tasks, and they cost way too much to be worth the novelty. If the price were lower or the performance higher, then they could be pretty fantastic.
E-waste
I love that they exist. Probably the most silent PCs.
I like turning old ones into retro gaming rigs.
Great for use as cheap and energy efficient servers.
Mini pcs with Radeon 680m & 780m are great for light 1080p gaming for normies and kids. Helped a friend get one and she loves it.
Browse Beelink on Amazon, some of their mini pcs mount decent CPU
Needs to be cheaper around second hand Ryzen 5 2600 (less than 80 usd) – GTX 1050ti/Radeon RX 570 (around 40 usd from instagram consignment user profile) with similar performance.
I got one for $140 for my parents to check their email and shit since we already have the peripherals, if my budget was 500 I’d just buy an actual computer or laptop
What’s the difference between a mini and a laptop? Neither can be upgraded, but at least the laptop has a monitor and keyboard. How is the price comparison when you factor in the cost of all the peripherals you need to actually *use* the mini?
A godsend alternative to shitty overpriced AIO that manufacturer sells to unsuspecting customers because it “looks clean”.
For the same price of 32″ 1080p Intel i3 AIO with 4gb ram, u can get a Ryzen 7 beelink and good 4k 60fps IPS monitor. They sell special adapter to mount the mini PC behind your monitor, on the VESA mount. U can get a clean looking nice PC for cheap thanks to those nifty little beelink mini PC.
This just seems like a SteamDeck without a screen.
Theyre neat. Low power, small form factor, really nice for basic office work.
12th gen isn’t the latest, it’s the mobile version so not as strong as its desktop counterpart, and there is no dgpu which is what matters the most for gaming. A better mini pc is fine for older titles but I’d look at benchmarks for the cpu before buying
Too basic, CPU is basic, GPU is basic and needed to be plugged in at all times. Not to say, it doesn’t have a screen. Some of them do not have removable storage and once you mess with the bios, you’re doomed.
They make excellent dev servers
A mini pc has essentially all of the downsides of a laptop, with almost none of the upsides. It’s likely going to struggle to run even those 10 year old steam games, without any dedicated graphics card in it. Mini pc’s are good for lightweight tasks: web surfing, email, word processing, YouTube, simple servers, etc. Anything intense, like gaming, likely won’t work well.
They are fantastic for a lot of uses. I’ve got one as a HTPC in the living room. It can play most strategy games quite happily too with an 8C/16T Zen2 CPU and a Vega 8 iGPU. It will also play old games at 1080p.
I’m tempted to set it up as a DNS sinkhole and VPN too.
The fact it said it’s a gaming computer immediately makes me think it’s awful, it’s dishonest marketing
Fine for a home office or htpc, beyond that it’s garbage
i would rather just get an ally or steam deck
Not good enough for gaming
Perfect to make your “smart TV” really smart.
live is full of compromizes, as are these.
It´s notebook hardware cramped in an even small er space, with probably worse or the same noise and cooling issues a notebook has.
Small does not mean cheap. Expansion will be not possible
Depending on your willingnes to compromize, a low budget ssf build with a APU or a cheap used gpu will run blocks around a notebook apu.
ITX is still a premium sector mainboard wise, so the cheap boards might start at matx formfactor, which drives up the volume of the case. If portability is more important than expanidibiilty and price, these mini´s then are suited for you