Are these Mini-PCs any good? If you have one, any advice on which to get?

[theac]

I’m thinking of replacing my 10 yr old Acer Mini-Desktotp (8"x10"x2.5" and have never had a problem) with one of these that are about 5"x5"x2" but with way better specs.

Just thinking my 1 TB HDD could fail in the near future, so maybe time to go with the 500GB (or better 1 TB) SSD? I have plenty of ExHDs with backups, but still.

These are the two I’m considering (but just started my research this morning) and I’m leaning toward the one with the 1 TB SSD even if I’m only using 500 GB of my 1 TB now, and have a lot of redundant stuff, even junk on it!

Both are capable of Gaming, but I don’t do that. All I need is internet, MS Office (Word), Adobe Acrobat, printer + scanner hookups, etc. Nothing fancy.

The only reason I’m considering the more expensive one is the 1 TB SSD, but could go with the 500GB then after some years upgrade (easy to do per the videos shown on both the 500GB and 1 TB Amazon pages). But I may never even need the extra space. And if I did, there appears to be room for a 2nd HD anyway.

Had been considering a laptop, but then was just going to buy a dock and 99% of the time use it as a desktop, so kind of a waste.

The difference between these two is $70, so almost seems like a no-brainer to just get the 1 TB now and avoid the hassle of dealing with it later.

But I look back on my history with buying VHS players, DVD players, microwaves, cameras, etc and I always end up buying more than I actually need, "just in case." Because for a few dollars more I can get these extras, that I often never even used!

But in this case for $70 why not?

Anyway these are the two I'm looking at now, but maybe someone has better recommendations on mini-PCs and even owns one? I did find that Beelink is owned by the same company that makes these, and both brands are made in China.

500 GB for $279
https://www.amazon.com/TRIGKEY-Mini-PC- ... 6ec43&th=1

1 TB for $349
https://www.amazon.com/TRIGKEY-Mini-PC- ... 6ec43&th=1

Here's what I've been using the last 10 years
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/ ... tel/#Specs

[Makefile]

Spinning HDDs reached about 1 TB capacity before they became unmarketable in consumer PCs and disappeared.

When SSDs, like what is in this Mini-PC, first took over, there was a cut in capacity as a cost-cutting move, sometimes to as small as 32GB, because the cost per byte was higher.

Now, the cost has dropped by a lot, as you point out, you can maintain your 1 TB capacity for $70 more than the 500GB.

I would just go for the larger size, personally.

I don't have one, but as tower cases have become nothing but motherboard holders now for non-gaming PCs (no drives and no bays to hold one, and proprietary 12V-only power supplies in many systems so there isn't even the advantage of using standard parts) I could see going for it. They of course have to make some compromises to keep the CPU cool in such as small case.

edit: The more expensive one also has double the RAM, helping future-proof it against the burdensome designs that web and Electron developers are busy planning out for the next decade.

[theac]

Yes I think the $70 upgrade is not being wasted on frivolous stuff.
Those things actually do matter and will add to the useful life of the PC.

Thanks for that reply.

[telemark]

I bought this Beelink with an Intel N100 processor after my previous desktop died last May, and for my modest needs it's been great: very quiet and low power, which is what I was looking for. It did come with a rather curious warning label:

During the system boot process, if you cannot log in to your personal account, please turn off WIFI and LAN, select the skip option, and then log in to your personal account in the system.

All of which make me wonder about the origin of its Windows license. The first thing I did was reformat the drive and install Linux, so not an issue for me, but something to be aware of.

[leland]

My parents bought one of the no-names on my reco and it turned out to be defective. Caveat emptor... That said if you're tech savvy and can get by with one of the N100/Celeron processors it's worth the risk IMHO.

For my parents we went back to a Lenovo mini model and that's been rock solid. That one is an IdeaCentre model, previous was a ThinkCentre.

As long as you don't need dedicated graphics I think minis are the way to go.

[Tubes]

I have had a TrigKey for 3 years now and have had zero problems. I'm pretty happy with it.

It is an Intel Celeron, 500G SSD, 16M DDR. (https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Proce ... 09GK47562/)

BUT, I just looked at the Amazon reviews for my particular model and it has 18% 1-star reviews because the thing died over the years. That's kind of concerning! Most reviewers are complaining of SSD failures. I replaced this one because my previous mini (different brand) had an SSD failure. Surprise! No moving parts doesn't mean these SSDs are robust. I think when it comes time to replace, I'm going to blow some dough on a more robust computer.

[runner3081]

Not a mini, but still a small form-factor computer, I have been using an HP Elitedesk for years without fail!

[bberris]

Another vote for Beelink.
I replaced the SSD, which was kind of slow. Opening the case should have been easy, but the screws were very tight.
I like how quiet it is, and the replacement SSD is much better.

[jebmke]

Another vote for Beelink.
I replaced the SSD, which was kind of slow. Opening the case should have been easy, but the screws were very tight.
I like how quiet it is, and the replacement SSD is much better.

A while ago, I looked at reviews of the minis. Noise was a being variable. Some have loud cooling fans to keep the chips from overheating.

[hudson]

GMKtec Mini PC Intel i7-1195G7(Up to 5.0GHz) 16GB DDR4 1TB SSD Windows 11 Pro, Mini Desktop Computers Dual SSD Slot, WiFi 6, USB3.2, BT 5.2, DP, HDMI, RJ45 2.5G

I got this one for $379 in June. The price is currently higher. I'm not an expert on Amazon price games; I would think it'll go back down?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C96 ... =UTF8&th=1

Running the driver update utility wasn't a slam dunk.
I bought it for a family member who wants a computer but doesn't use it a lot.

It's working well. The family member has made zero complaints.
I'd buy it again.

For my use, I go with Dell because of their excellent support. With Dells I rarely need to call support, maybe once in 5 years. I really warm up to their update software. When Dell updates a driver, I'm advised by their software and can install it easily. I see frequent updates to drivers even with my six-year-old OptiPlex

To update the GMKtec, one has to go to their website, find the specific computers update "utility" and run it. I think most users would find that to be an advanced process.

Security? The virus software that comes with Windows 11 is excellent. I pay for Malwarebytes Premium anyway. It hasn't found any problems.

[Tubes]

The thing is, all these small generic PCs are suspiciously alike. No matter the brand, one gets the feeling that the same factory is pumping out the parts.

[jlyonmn]

I was wondering the same thing. My wife's computer, which I assembled from components, cannot run Windows 11. It will cost about $350 to upgrade the motherboard and processor. I found a couple of those mini PCs on Amazon and thought "why not?"

I ran it by my son who works in IT security. He told me not to buy one of those "cheap Chinese computers", and instead assemble my own. He sent an article saying that some of the mini PCs ship from the factory with pre-installed malware.

https://news.risky.biz/risky-biz-news-a ... mini%20PCs

[bberris]

Another vote for Beelink.
I replaced the SSD, which was kind of slow. Opening the case should have been easy, but the screws were very tight.
I like how quiet it is, and the replacement SSD is much better.

A while ago, I looked at reviews of the minis. Noise was a being variable. Some have loud cooling fans to keep the chips from overheating.

When it starts up, the fan runs for a few seconds, and it makes a noise, similar to a laser printer after it prints. But the fan does not run when I'm using the pc.

[02nz]

For your uses, consider an off-lease Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny, Dell OptiPlex Micro, or the HP ProDesk/EliteDesk Mini. They are cheap ($100-200 gets you a very usable one), last forever, easy to upgrade, and parts are easily available.

[ArtMan]

Just a few thoughts. I have no first-hand experience with mini or SFF (small form factor) PCs. But I've been considering swapping out my venerable home-office laptop, a Dell XPS 15 9560 (2017) for a small desktop.

I've ruled out the Chinese brands with the funny names, though Miniforum and Beelink and some others seem to produce well-respected products with good customer service. My next computer is likely to have an American or Taiwanese brand, which means Dell, HP, Apple, Asus, Acer, or a few others.

If country of origin is important to you, this article may be of some interest, although it is a bit out of date https://techspectacle.com/best-laptops- ... -in-china/

I have a great Dell monitor, and I plan to get a small computer that I can attach to the back of the monitor with a VESA bracket to clear some of the desktop clutter.

You might also consider a refurbished unit. Dell, HP. and Lenovo refurbs are plentiful, sold and refurbished by the manufacturer (best) or others. Many of these are returns from corporate leases.

Good luck!

[tallguy3891]

I have purchased many of these "mini" over the last few years mainly to see how they work and what I got for the money. I have not used them long term. When I have purchased them I always look at the star ratings and comments. I also look at comments about fan noise.

I currently have a Dell all-in-one. It has everything I need including camera and speakers, all built in, so no separate box, cables, etc. I have no tech experience but easily opened it and upgraded the RAM, could do the SSD too if necessary. I see some now in the $400+ to $500+ range for what I need, either an Intel i3 or i5 with 512gb.

[Tabulator]

I’m thinking of replacing my 10 yr old Acer Mini-Desktotp (8"x10"x2.5" and have never had a problem)

How much fan noise does the Acer produce?

[theac]

I’m thinking of replacing my 10 yr old Acer Mini-Desktotp (8"x10"x2.5" and have never had a problem)

How much fan noise does the Acer produce?

Interesting you should ask that because it has seemed louder for a while now and it's been so gradual that I hardly even noticed, but did. So yesterday I finally decided it's time to open it up and clean it out. Been long over due.

It's not real loud, but I don't seem to remember ever hearing it years ago, and now I do. And in the last year or so, there have been times the fan winds up more than others, like it's heating up.

So today's the day I open it up for the first time and I'm sure it's going to be dusty in there. By the online instructions it looks really easy to do, just a few screws.

[Tabulator]

I definitely don't want to be an alarmist here, and I'm sure you already know about electrostatic discharge. My computer repair teacher in high school -- yes, I took that class ages ago -- advised against using vacuum cleaners for computer dust because of electromagnetic fields.

[theac]

I definitely don't want to be an alarmist here, and I'm sure you already know about electrostatic discharge. My computer repair teacher in high school -- yes, I took that class ages ago -- advised against using vacuum cleaners for computer dust because of electromagnetic fields.

Well I'm glad you mentioned that because that was part of the plan!

[Tabulator]

Do you have a can of compressed air?

Well I'm glad you mentioned that because that was part of the plan!

[theac]

Do you have a can of compressed air?

Well I'm glad you mentioned that because that was part of the plan!

Not yet but working on it.
Thanks for that reminder because I've always heard compressed air was the way to go, but was going to take the easier route.

[Tabulator]

Glad to be of service!

If you really want to get detailed, many cooling fans are designed to spin in one direction only. You might pay attention to the way moving air can cause a cooling fan to turn in the opposite direction. One solution is to hold the fan in place with an object, but this practice may cause greater harm if the part underneath the fan is touched by that object.

Thanks for that reminder because I've always heard compressed air was the way to go, but was going to take the easier route.

[like2read]

I bought this Beelink with an Intel N100 processor after my previous desktop died last May, and for my modest needs it's been great: very quiet and low power, which is what I was looking for. It did come with a rather curious warning label:

During the system boot process, if you cannot log in to your personal account, please turn off WIFI and LAN, select the skip option, and then log in to your personal account in the system.

All of which make me wonder about the origin of its Windows license. The first thing I did was reformat the drive and install Linux, so not an issue for me, but something to be aware of.

Is PXE boot still a thing?

Wonder if the error message is related to where the thing should boot from.

https://networkboot.org/fundamentals/

[CFM300]

maybe someone has better recommendations on mini-PCs and even owns one?

I've been using a Dell Optiplex 7060 Micro computer with an i7 chip for over six years. I do fairly heavy data analysis. Zero issues. Works like a charm.

[Tabulator]

Can you hear it with normal usage?

I've been using a Dell Optiplex 7060 Micro computer with an i7 chip for over six years. I do fairly heavy data analysis. Zero issues. Works like a charm.

I bought a new OptiPlex Micro with Core i3 and lower specs about a decade ago. It was great but my only complaint was noise being more than I'm used to.

[CFM300]

Can you hear it with normal usage?

I never hear the fan unless I'm doing some serious number crunching that maxes the CPU for several minutes. I don't even think the fan is running most of the time. But I don't play games on it or even watch videos. 90% of the time, I'm working in Excel and some stats packages. The other 10% is emailing, unfortunately.

[dual]

I bought several of the Chinese micro computers and had bad luck with them. They failed after a few months. For the last three years, I’ve been using a Dell OptiPlex 7060 that I bought new. I have had good results. I did have the CMOS battery fail. With much trepidation I opened the case and replaced the battery. Worked okay.

So from my experience, go with the name brand but of course ymmv.

[LBTRS]

Highly recommend the Geekom A8...a powerful mini PC. I use it exclusively as my desktop PC. I removed windows and installed Fedora Linux but it comes with and ran Windows 11 Pro perfectly.

I ordered it directly from the factory but it had not shipped within 7 days so I cancelled it and ordered it from Amazon and had it the next morning (less than 10 hours later) waiting on me when I woke up. I'd get it from Amazon unless you want the 3 year warranty that you get directly from Geekom.

[gavinsiu]

They have become very popular in the recent years probably due to youtuber showcasing them. They sort of fit between laptop and full size desktops.
The advantage is that they are more expandable than laptop. You can change their memory, storage and wifi, but their size make them less ideal for discrete GPU setups.

I run one as a daily driver running Linux, but the computer is super old and probably not a good representative of the present models. The ones that appear to be good are from Beelink and Miniforum, you can get review on them on youtube. There are a few channel that specializes in those type of computers.

Technically a Mac Mini is also a mini-pc, but because nothing can be upgrade, it feels more like a non-portable laptop.

[theac]

Glad to be of service!

If you really want to get detailed, many cooling fans are designed to spin in one direction only. You might pay attention to the way moving air can cause a cooling fan to turn in the opposite direction. One solution is to hold the fan in place with an object, but this practice may cause greater harm if the part underneath the fan is touched by that object.

Thanks for that reminder because I've always heard compressed air was the way to go, but was going to take the easier route.

OK thanks I'll keep an eye out for that and be careful around the fans.

[theac]

Just a few thoughts. I have no first-hand experience with mini or SFF (small form factor) PCs. But I've been considering swapping out my venerable home-office laptop, a Dell XPS 15 9560 (2017) for a small desktop.

I've ruled out the Chinese brands with the funny names, though Miniforum and Beelink and some others seem to produce well-respected products with good customer service. My next computer is likely to have an American or Taiwanese brand, which means Dell, HP, Apple, Asus, Acer, or a few others.

If country of origin is important to you, this article may be of some interest, although it is a bit out of date https://techspectacle.com/best-laptops- ... -in-china/

I have a great Dell monitor, and I plan to get a small computer that I can attach to the back of the monitor with a VESA bracket to clear some of the desktop clutter.

You might also consider a refurbished unit. Dell, HP. and Lenovo refurbs are plentiful, sold and refurbished by the manufacturer (best) or others. Many of these are returns from corporate leases.

Good luck!

After reading thru some of these posts I'm rethinking my plan.

First I clean out my Acer (with compressed air! ) and see how it's running after that.

Then think I'll spend a little time looking into Acer Mini PCs (this one has been great for 10 years, never a problem).

Or maybe Dell Mini PCs. I'm still using a 22" Dell IPS Monitor I bought in 2009 and for a few years now have been hoping it dies so I can get something newer, but it still looks like when I got it. So maybe a Dell Mini.

But I really do like the idea of these new smaller units. In 2015 when I saw my friend's Acer I was immediately impressed with it's specs and compact size so got one. But time to upgrade now.

P.S. After a quick search it seems Acer and Dell are not in the market with these tiny units, and are more in line with the size of the Acer I have now. Plus they don't seem to have the kind of specs that these new smaller units have.

So looks like it might take a while to find my next PC.
Might still have to go with a Beelink or something like that,
but with a lot of research first.

[rk6]

First I clean out my Acer (with compressed air! ) and see how it's running after that.

You may be amazed at how much dust comes out - unplug the unit and take it outside to do this.
Don't hold the compressed air can upside down when you spray it, or you will get the freeze effect.
Tightly-packed nettops have a lot of nooks and crannies - don't forget to get under the motherboard and clean the squirrel fan also.

[bendix]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

[bertilak]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

[jebmke]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

[telemark]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

The Beelink comes with an M.2 SATA SSD installed and an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive. You could even drop in a magnetic HDD if you had one lying around. No USB needed.

[bertilak]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

The Beelink comes with an M.2 SATA SSD installed and an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive. You could even drop in a magnetic HDD if you had one lying around. No USB needed.

Understood. I just don't know anything about "Mini-PCs" other than what jas been said in this thread.

That leaves me with my question: In what circumstance/application is a mini-PC a better choice than a laptop? I offered up the possibility of cost.

[Wwwdotcom]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

The Beelink comes with an M.2 SATA SSD installed and an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive. You could even drop in a magnetic HDD if you had one lying around. No USB needed.

Understood. I just don't know anything about "Mini-PCs" other than what jas been said in this thread.

That leaves me with my question: In what circumstance/application is a mini-PC a better choice than a laptop? I offered up the possibility of cost.

The only reasons I would ever spend a dime on a mini PC is if I wanted to mount it behind a TV or monitor. I would only do this if I already had a fast laptop and tower already available in my house.

[rockstar]

I picked up an ASUS mini-PC that I'm setting up to replace my APU2 as my router. It has two NICs and a COM port, so it's perfect for my use case. And with the n100, it's pretty energy efficient.

[bertilak]

The only reasons I would ever spend a dime on a mini PC is if I wanted to mount it behind a TV or monitor. I would only do this if I already had a fast laptop and tower already available in my house.

A few years back the company I worked for manufactured a device about the size of a small wine cooler that needed a human interface. We provided that with a laptop mounted in a pull-out drawer. Laptops were quite a bit chunkier in those days! Today we would probably use a tablet, maybe on a slide-out tray.

[bertilak]

The only reasons I would ever spend a dime on a mini PC is if I wanted to mount it behind a TV or monitor. I would only do this if I already had a fast laptop and tower already available in my house.

A few years back the company I worked for manufactured a device about the size of a small wine cooler that needed a human interface. We provided that with a laptop mounted in a pull-out drawer. Laptops were quite a bit chunkier in those days! Today we would probably use a tablet, maybe on a slide-out tray. That "wine cooler" might now be the size of a microwave or even a toaster.

[quantAndHold]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

The Beelink comes with an M.2 SATA SSD installed and an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive. You could even drop in a magnetic HDD if you had one lying around. No USB needed.

Understood. I just don't know anything about "Mini-PCs" other than what jas been said in this thread.

That leaves me with my question: In what circumstance/application is a mini-PC a better choice than a laptop? I offered up the possibility of cost.

Cost, primarily. I watched a YouTube video the other day where a the guy was trying to come up with the cheapest possible setup to run drawing apps. He used a $169 mini, a $200 drawing tablet, and a $30 mouse/keyboard combo. It worked beautifully. For that application, the drawing tablet doubles as the monitor. You might be able to get a laptop for $350, but you’d still need to spend $200 on the drawing tablet.

Most of them also come with VESA mounts, so you can mount them to the back of your existing monitor, and create an all-in-one, if that’s what you want.

[bertilak]

That leaves me with my question: In what circumstance/application is a mini-PC a better choice than a laptop? I offered up the possibility of cost.

Cost, primarily. I watched a YouTube video the other day where a the guy was trying to come up with the cheapest possible setup to run drawing apps. He used a $169 mini, a $200 drawing tablet, and a $30 mouse/keyboard combo. It worked beautifully. For that application, the drawing tablet doubles as the monitor. You might be able to get a laptop for $350, but you’d still need to spend $200 on the drawing tablet.

Most of them also come with VESA mounts, so you can mount them to the back of your existing monitor, and create an all-in-one, if that’s what you want.

I'm getting the picture. Mini-PCs are good for building in to (or adding on to) devices needing compute power. If what you are trying to do is build an actual computer, then perhaps an actual computer (laptop) is what you should get!

[lazydavid]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

That will become increasingly difficult, as Intel exited the market just over a year ago (July 2023). Asus is now the official NUC designer and manufacturer.

[rockstar]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

That will become increasingly difficult, as Intel exited the market just over a year ago (July 2023). Asus is now the official NUC designer and manufacturer.

And it works great. I'm all in for about $300 with 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD. And I can run it headless because it has a com port.

[bendix]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

That will become increasingly difficult, as Intel exited the market just over a year ago (July 2023). Asus is now the official NUC designer and manufacturer.

Who knew! Asus isnt bad either, but I wouldnt go out of my way for it.

[Wwwdotcom]

Isn't a laptop basically a mini-PC with an attached display, a built in SSD and a bunch of useful built in ports? I also think the SSDs in a laptop are more robust/reliable/faster than stand-alone SSDs attached via USB cable. Could be wrong about that.

Is there some advantage, perhaps cost, to the mini-PC route?

Aren't the SSDs built into the minis? Mini is a decent option for someone with existing monitor and keyboard. I was looking at them until I decided to ditch Win next time I change HW. I have an existing screen and KB.

The Beelink comes with an M.2 SATA SSD installed and an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive. You could even drop in a magnetic HDD if you had one lying around. No USB needed.

Understood. I just don't know anything about "Mini-PCs" other than what jas been said in this thread.

That leaves me with my question: In what circumstance/application is a mini-PC a better choice than a laptop? I offered up the possibility of cost.

Cost, primarily. I watched a YouTube video the other day where a the guy was trying to come up with the cheapest possible setup to run drawing apps. He used a $169 mini, a $200 drawing tablet, and a $30 mouse/keyboard combo. It worked beautifully. For that application, the drawing tablet doubles as the monitor. You might be able to get a laptop for $350, but you’d still need to spend $200 on the drawing tablet.

Most of them also come with VESA mounts, so you can mount them to the back of your existing monitor, and create an all-in-one, if that’s what you want.

I think availability is a factor too though. For $200, I can almost always find a reliable and relatively fast used latitude with windows 11, without having to go craigslist / marketplace shopping. I would have to spend hours to get my cost below $200 for an unwarranted mini that's faster than the prior mentioned latitude and a windows license.

[bertilak]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

So I looked up NUC and learned it is "Next Unit of Computing." From https://www.dialogic.com/glossary/next- ... uting-nuc-:

• it might be simplest to think of a NUC as a laptop, minus the built-in screen and battery. Indeed, many of the same technologies that have allowed laptops to shrink in size and increase in performance are leveraged in the design of the NUC.

Ya learn something every day!

[bertilak]

The only mini-pc that I`d buy is an Intel NUC. More costly, sure, but in general I have trust in Intel´s engineering of such products and would spend the extra money without hesitation. Think about how often you use a computer and how much time you´d spend to research and fix any issue the machine has.

So I looked up NUC and learned it is "Next Unit of Computing." From https://www.dialogic.com/glossary/next- ... uting-nuc-:

• it might be simplest to think of a NUC as a laptop, minus the built-in screen and battery. Indeed, many of the same technologies that have allowed laptops to shrink in size and increase in performance are leveraged in the design of the NUC.

I guess you gotta supply a keyboard, too. Ya learn something every day!