Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Mini Desktop, Build or buy ?

Options
  • 23-02-2021 12:15am
    #1
    Jay Dee
    Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I got some amazing advise here 2 / 3 years ago.
    I was building a new PC and from a novice point of view, all was well...
    Great info , practical suggestions..

    Then Gravity 2021 called.
    It appears that dropping a PC into a basin of hot water could be problematic...
    I saved the mouse....

    Its back to the drawing board ....
    This time round its a mini computer, nothing top end...
    Ideally with an Intel chip ( Personal preference only )
    SSD 1TB, and whatever you think from there....

    It will be used as a home computer ... ( If that phrase still exists )
    Not a serious gamer... Graphics card not important.

    Decent spec....

    Budget 600.00 / 750.00
    Small leeway ..

    Do not know whether shelf bought or build is the way to go.
    Is there a big difference
    .Looking at mini, due to serious space issue.

    Thanks for having a look..

    Jay


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    minitrue
    Registered Users Posts: 739 ✭✭✭minitrue


    "Not a serious gamer... Graphics card not important" This needs clarity because there is quite the range of possibilities from no graphics card and any old onboard intel graphics to the beefiest of the AMD onboard graphics to actually putting in a graphics card (the hardest choice because they are rare and overpriced now). If you play any games let people know what they are.

    An Intel Nuc is the premium small thing but there are others similar and you can also build itx (or even matx) machines down to relatively small sizes so "space issues" kinda also needs a bit of qualification (the smaller you go the weaker things get or the more of a premium you pay).


  • Options
    #3
    Jay Dee
    Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Jay Dee


    minitrue wrote: »
    "Not a serious gamer... Graphics card not important" .. Not a game player at all

    "space issues" . /QUOTE]

    There is a wall slot, think tissue box size.....

    Hope this will explain in more detail...

    Thanks

    Jay


  • Options
    #4
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,336 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Unless you want to game, I can't see any advantage in building over buying. If you're interested in overclocking then maybe customize for cooling, otherwise it's a lot of hassle for little practical benefit.


  • Options
    #5
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,750 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Have picked up a couple of mini-PCs myself recently, see thread here; https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=116131921


  • Options
    #6
    Jay Dee
    Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Jay Dee


    jimmycrackcorm wrote: »
    Unless you want to game, I can't see any advantage in building over buying. If you're interested in overclocking then maybe customize for cooling, otherwise it's a lot of hassle for little practical benefit.

    HI,
    That's what I thought...

    Jay


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Jay Dee
    Registered Users Posts: 667 ✭✭✭Jay Dee


    smacl wrote: »
    Have picked up a couple of mini-PCs myself recently, see thread here; https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=116131921

    That's what I thought...
    Seems that you just need to shop around ??

    Thanks

    Jay


  • Options
    #8
    greasepalm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,318 ✭✭✭greasepalm


    Like yourself it was space and dont do that much stuff on it and bought this tiny pc.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/MINIX-Pentium-Upgradeable-Industral-application/dp/B07WWSPFHZ/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=minix+mini+pc&qid=1614098772&sr=8-5

    That is sitting on an old external dvd writer and nice to have music as i had to add the Creative X3 to hook up old analogue 5 - 1.

    Only thing i have run out of is usb ports , but i have an externally powered one to add to it.

    Funny when one upgrades old stuff is not dumped and the keyboard has audio control + usb stick for mouse.

    Only thing now is brexit tax from UK.


  • Options
    #9
    smacl
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 15,750 Mod ✭✭✭✭smacl


    Jay Dee wrote: »
    That's what I thought...
    Seems that you just need to shop around ??

    Thanks

    Jay

    Lots of options out there for most budgets, but as minitrue says above, it really comes down to which games. The Ryzen 5 3550H/Vega 8 is a reasonable budget gaming option (€462), the older i5-4590T with Intel HD 4600 wouldn't be (€184). For your budget, I'd look at the Ryzen 7 3750H / Vega 10 version at €639.


  • Options
    #10
    soap1978
    Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭soap1978


    sorry looking for a desktop,monitor for gaming and home pc,youtude and web browsers.Budget is 1100 euro for all any help would be appreciated thanks


  • Options
    #11
    Belfast
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭Belfast


    if games and graphics are not important and you want to keep the budget down, I would go with a AMD ryzen 5 3400g with vega 11

    and a ASUS A320M-K Prime MicroATX AM4 Motherboard with USB 3.0

    small pc case are harder to work on.


  • Advertisement
Advertisement