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

[yankees60]

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.

I bought a vacuum at amazon That is specifically for cleaning the insides of computers. My highly knowledgeable computer person Told me I should have no concerns using it Though he cautioned that I should do it outside because of how much dust it will generate.

[Wwwdotcom]

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!

NUCs were huge back in the day for low power home entertainment devices. Then NVidia shield cleaned house. A device & chip combo that's still dominating the space for 9 years... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia_Shield_TV

[hudson]

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.

What's its purpose? file server? backup server?

[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.

What's its purpose? file server? backup server?

Router.

I'll run openBSD on it. Packet filter with pf. DNS cache with unbound. NTP with ntpd. I'm already doing this with my APU2. But this will be far more powerful and handle the incremental bumps in speed I get from my ISP over time.

[theac]

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!

That was my original idea, to get a laptop. My 10 yr old Acer semi-mini-PC (which has been great!) is still doing what I need, but it could die at any time now and I don't want to be caught up in an emergency. Plus it's just time to upgrade.

So for a while I was looking at an HP 2in1 (16 or 17") where you can detach the touch screen and use it as a tablet. Then I was going to buy a dock and hook up my components (desktop monitor, scanner, printer, speakers, etc) to this "screen-less laptop." Which would cost a lot more than a Mini-PC, be more complicated, and take up more space on my desk.

So when I stumbled on these Mini-PCs and saw that this will meet my needs better, and cheaper, with far better specs for the price, plus I already have the monitor (which will be replaced some day), printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc., I dropped the laptop idea.

That sort of explains why I wrote this in my OP: 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.

So in my case it's several things that say the Mini-PC is they way to go (for me).

Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid we had a large wooden TV console with a (primitive) built in tuner and turntable, and my brother and I would crank it up with the Beatles and everything else popular at the time.

But then in the 70s it seemed component sound systems became the way to go when you wanted to listen to music. You could get individual components, like giant speakers!

For things like Hendrix, Chicago, Santana, (edit: ooops, can't leave out Led Zepplin! ) etc, and a lot of great Motown too. Was just a lot better than an
all-in-one TV-sound-system combo.

So since I already have all the components I need, all I need is the main brain of it all, a compact PC that I can mount behind my monitor on the wall, out of sight, but easy to access. (Figure it might heat up less on the wall than back of monitor but maybe doesn't matter).

Anyway that's kind of my reasoning for the Mini PC.

But I'm still on the fence with all this. Because, will I get 10 years out of one of these Mini PCs? Like I have with this Acer. I sure don't want to go thru an emergency situation in 3 or 4 years (maybe less?) where the thing blows up and I lose data (even tho I back up to several EX-HDs, still going to lose most recent stuff, plus the hassle involved etc).

So for now I'm at least considering what might be a better brand, Beelink?
I don't know. I just discovered these things so need to look into it further.

Good thing is there's no rush. I've been running software checking my present 1 TB HD in the Acer the last few years, and it says it's good. And everything looks cool on the inside (literally, as in temps).

But no guarantees right. So after the cleaning (when my compressed air gets delivered) will see if it runs quieter, and possibly cooler too. I'll report back, especially if I find Jimmy Hoffa in there! .

Meanwhile I search on for a Mini PC (I think?)

[rockstar]

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!

That was my original idea, to get a laptop. My 10 yr old Acer semi-mini-PC (which has been great!) is still doing what I need, but it could die at any time now and I don't want to be caught up in an emergency. Plus it's just time to upgrade.

So for a while I was looking at an HP 2in1 (16 or 17") where you can detach the touch screen and use it as a tablet. Then I was going to buy a dock and hook up my components (desktop monitor, scanner, printer, speakers, etc) to this "screen-less laptop." Which would cost a lot more than a Mini-PC, be more complicated, and take up more space on my desk.

So when I stumbled on these Mini-PCs and saw that this will meet my needs better, and cheaper, with far better specs for the price, plus I already have the monitor (which will be replaced some day), printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc., I dropped the laptop idea.

That sort of explains why I wrote this in my OP: 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.

So in my case it's several things that say the Mini-PC is they way to go (for me).

Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid we had a large wooden TV console with a (primitive) built in tuner and turntable, and my brother and I would crank it up with the Beatles and everything else popular at the time.

But then in the 70s it seemed component sound systems became the way to go when you wanted to listen to music. You could get individual components, like giant speakers! For things like Hendrix, Chicago, Santana, etc, and a lot of great Motown too. Was just a lot better than an all-in-one TV-sound-system combo.

So since I already have all the components I need, all I need is the main brain of it all, a compact PC that I can mount behind my monitor on the wall, out of sight, but easy to access. (Figure it might heat up less on the wall than back of monitor but maybe doesn't matter).

Anyway that's kind of my reasoning for the Mini PC.

But I'm still on the fence with all this. Because, will I get 10 years out of one of these Mini PCs? Like I have with this Acer. I sure don't want to go thru an emergency situation in 3 or 4 years (maybe less?) where the thing blows up and I lose data (even tho I back up to several EX-HDs, still going to lose most recent stuff, plus the hassle involved etc).

So for now I'm at least considering what might be a better brand, Beelink?
I don't know. I just discovered these things so need to look into it further.

Good thing is there's no rush. I've been running software checking my present 1 TB HD in the Acer the last few years, and it says it's good. And everything looks cool on the inside (literally, as in temps).

But no guarantees right. So after the cleaning (when my compressed air gets delivered) will see if it runs quieter, and possibly cooler too. I'll report back, especially if I find Jimmy Hoffa in there! .

Meanwhile I search on for a Mini PC (I think?)

If you're not gaming, a mini PC should be good enough for most of your use cases. And they're really power efficient.

Here's the ASUS line:

https://www.asus.com/us/displays-deskto ... pn-series/

The one I bought had a lot of different configuration options, so I went with the one with the com port since I can use putty and access it that way before I get SSH up and running. I'm waiting for OpenBSD 7.6 to fully release, and then I'll swap out my APU2 for my specific case.

Otherwise, the alternative is using a tablet. But I am surprised by how powerful the n100 processor is for my use case. And you can get one with Windows 11 already loaded. If you don't mine buying a little bit lower quality, you can find a lot of alternatives on aliexpress.

[theac]

If you're not gaming, a mini PC should be good enough for most of your use cases. And they're really power efficient.

Here's the ASUS line:

https://www.asus.com/us/displays-deskto ... pn-series/

The one I bought had a lot of different configuration options, so I went with the one with the com port since I can use putty and access it that way before I get SSH up and running. I'm waiting for OpenBSD 7.6 to fully release, and then I'll swap out my APU2 for my specific case.

Otherwise, the alternative is using a tablet. But I am surprised by how powerful the n100 processor is for my use case. And you can get one with Windows 11 already loaded. If you don't mine buying a little bit lower quality, you can find a lot of alternatives on aliexpress.

I had to look up "OpenBSD 7.6" and that's way above my level!
But thanks for the Asus recommendation.

About 10 or 12 years ago I gifted an Asus 11" convertible tablet (with detachable keyboard i.e. backup battery, extra ports, etc) that seemed really nice quality.

I'm kind of liking what I've just barely started to research on the Beelinks with about 32 RAM and 1 TB SSD. But my concern is durability and longevity, and from my little experience with Asus I'm sure they can deliver on that (as has my Acer). So will definitely look into their options.

Even though I won't use it for gaming, I still want to have plenty of reserve so I don't strain the system and don't need to worry about upgrades or falling short in some areas like memory, speed, etc. And yeah, the ones I've been looking at use like 65w even when maxed out on gaming etc, so very energy efficient too.

[telemark]

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.

I want a full sized keyboard, a large screen, and a real pointing device so a laptop is useless to me. But I don't need a lot of computing power so a mini is more than good enough. And when one dies I can move the monitor and keyboard to the replacement. (Actually, I'm sharing them between the Beelink and a very old Mac mini).

[ccf]

I have 2 Beelinks, one $400 one and one more expensive w upgraded graphics that is connected to the TV, and would buy another in the future. Good value no complaints.

[stimulacra]

For PCs this model caught my eye and has good reviews. The price point is a bit high but you're paying for the design, material and finish.

Khadas Mind V2
https://www.khadas.com/product-page/mind
Price:
$799 (16 GB RAM / 512 GB SSD)
$1099 (32 GB RAM / 1 TB SSD)

At that price point Apple Mac Mini is worth considering as well. The current batch can be found with discounts since a redesign (with an anticipated smaller form factor) is expected in October/November.

Apple Mac Mini M2 (2023)
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Desktop-Co ... 0BSHGHGXR/
Price: $499 (8 GB / 256 SSD)
Price: $699 (8 GB / 512 SSD)

Apple charges a steep premium for memory and storage and it's soldered on so not user upgradeable after purchase but on average has a much longer support life from Apple. You can reasonably expect 5-8 years of viable use for a machine purchased today.

[rockstar]

For PCs this model caught my eye and has good reviews. The price point is a bit high but you're paying for the design, material and finish.

Khadas Mind V2
https://www.khadas.com/product-page/mind
Price:
$799 (16 GB RAM / 512 GB SSD)
$1099 (32 GB RAM / 1 TB SSD)

At that price point Apple Mac Mini is worth considering as well. The current batch can be found with discounts since a redesign (with an anticipated smaller form factor) is expected in October/November.

Apple Mac Mini M2 (2023)
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Desktop-Co ... 0BSHGHGXR/
Price: $499 (8 GB / 256 SSD)
Price: $699 (8 GB / 512 SSD)

Apple charges a steep premium for memory and storage and it's soldered on so not user upgradeable after purchase but on average has a much longer support life from Apple. You can reasonably expect 5-8 years of viable use for a machine purchased today.

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years? I spent $225 for my ASUS. It’s cheap enough that I can buy a new one in less time. And it’s upgradable. I added my RAM and SSD for about $75.

[stimulacra]

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years?

Minimizing e-waste by extending end-of-life for electronics appeals to me. For me personally that means the device after 5 years might get demoted to a lower priority use, kid's computer, guest bedroom courtesy computer, or an archive station.

If I can get 5 years of business use out of a computer, claim the full depreciation value of that device, and find a meaningful secondary life for that device for a few years before dropping it off at the recycling center, I consider that a small win.

[Tabulator]

I bought a vacuum at amazon That is specifically for cleaning the insides of computers. My highly knowledgeable computer person Told me I should have no concerns using it Though he cautioned that I should do it outside because of how much dust it will generate.

I've never heard of such a thing. It's interesting to know! My question is about the hassle and/or expense of purchasing a specialized vacuum versus a simple can of air.

As an analogy, I've often heard "car people" approve of practices that are harmful to vehicles. In some cases they don't know better. More often, they seem to knowingly err on the side of ease or simplicity. Not saying it's bad, just that it happens. People can make an informed decision to go the easy way.

[jebmke]

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years?

Minimizing e-waste by extending end-of-life for electronics appeals to me. For me personally that means the device after 5 years might get demoted to a lower priority use, kid's computer, guest bedroom courtesy computer, or an archive station.

If I can get 5 years of business use out of a computer, claim the full depreciation value of that device, and find a meaningful secondary life for that device for a few years before dropping it off at the recycling center, I consider that a small win.

I generally keep them until they no longer function sufficiently to meet my needs. My desktop is ~ 2014/15, Win10. It does what I need for now. Eventually I have to replace it or pay for Win10 patches.

[Tabulator]

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years?

Is that a rhetorical question? I know I might be missing your point but upgrading can be too costly in time and money. Let's say I decided my Dell Precision tower is too old for some reason, after being in service over a decade. It's so quiet that it's hard to hear -- quieter than many or most new systems from Dell and others. If I prefer Dell, I have to start scouring for reviews about fan noise. The reviews can contradict each other. It's a hit-and-miss endeavor that can result in getting a machine that's louder than hoped, possibly resulting in returns or warranty service or other time wasting.

[rockstar]

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years?

Is that a rhetorical question? I know I might be missing your point but upgrading can be too costly in time and money. Let's say I decided my Dell Precision tower is too old for some reason, after being in service over a decade. It's so quiet that it's hard to hear -- quieter than many or most new systems from Dell and others. If I prefer Dell, I have to start scouring for reviews about fan noise. The reviews can contradict each other. It's a hit-and-miss endeavor that can result in getting a machine that's louder than hoped, possibly resulting in returns or warranty service or other time wasting.

I tend to replace my gear every five years. The only old pieces of gear I have are keyboards, mouses, printer, and an old switch. And I have one old monitor that I plan to replace. Most of the time technology has moved enough forward that I’ll want new gear. The same is generally true for consoles too. Are you still playing PS3 games?

[Tabulator]

I've personally never been a gamer. My desktop and workstation use is limited to Linux. If I find a fast, quiet, reliable system that takes Pop!_OS, Vanilla or Fedora with zero tweaking, I hang onto it like it's gold because of the possible inconvenience of replacing as explained. It sounds like Windows users may have a slightly harder time because of system requirements.

Are you still playing PS3 games?

[jebmke]

I've personally never been a gamer. My desktop and workstation use is limited to Linux. If I find a fast, quiet, reliable system that takes Pop!_OS, Vanilla or Fedora with zero tweaking, I hang onto it like it's gold because of the possible inconvenience of replacing as explained. It sounds like Windows users may have a slightly harder time because of system requirements.

Are you still playing PS3 games?

Not really. I typically keep a Windows machine about ten years.

[Tabulator]

My assumption is that Windows was historically good at supporting old hardware, but Windows 11 is different because it wants newer hardware.

Not really. I typically keep a Windows machine about ten years.

Is the end of Windows 10 support going to be a problem at all?

I apologize if I'm helping to derail this thread.

[rockstar]

I've personally never been a gamer. My desktop and workstation use is limited to Linux. If I find a fast, quiet, reliable system that takes Pop!_OS, Vanilla or Fedora with zero tweaking, I hang onto it like it's gold because of the possible inconvenience of replacing as explained. It sounds like Windows users may have a slightly harder time because of system requirements.

Are you still playing PS3 games?

I run Linux when I need it in VMWare Player.

The issue with Windows 11 is TPM 2.0. And it’s bloated. It’s a step back from Windows 10. But you need 11 to handle the new processors. They’ve changed a lot.

I can’t imagine running on 2014 gear. So much has changed.

[hudson]

I bought a vacuum at amazon That is specifically for cleaning the insides of computers. My highly knowledgeable computer person Told me I should have no concerns using it Though he cautioned that I should do it outside because of how much dust it will generate.

I've never heard of such a thing. It's interesting to know! My question is about the hassle and/or expense of purchasing a specialized vacuum versus a simple can of air.

As an analogy, I've often heard "car people" approve of practices that are harmful to vehicles. In some cases they don't know better. More often, they seem to knowingly err on the side of ease or simplicity. Not saying it's bad, just that it happens. People can make an informed decision to go the easy way.

I have used pro-computer/printer vacs on computers, servers, and printers for years with no damage...at work.
At home, I use a Dyson cordless vac...again with no issues.
I also keep canned air and use it if needed.
I try to touch a ground before doing anything inside a case. (I did have a drawer with grounding straps, but I rarely used any.)
Is the above by the book? no, but it's common. I never had time to take a computer, printer, server, or whatever outside of the facility to blow it out. I always used a vac as I didn't want to eat dust.
There were times that I'd buy a mini-pc that was fan-less, that was designed to work in a somewhat challenging environment. The two that I bought and installed were still running well when I retired.

[hudson]

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.

What's its purpose? file server? backup server?

Router.

I'll run openBSD on it. Packet filter with pf. DNS cache with unbound. NTP with ntpd. I'm already doing this with my APU2. But this will be far more powerful and handle the incremental bumps in speed I get from my ISP over time.

Wow...advanced stuff!

[rockstar]

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.

What's its purpose? file server? backup server?

Router.

I'll run openBSD on it. Packet filter with pf. DNS cache with unbound. NTP with ntpd. I'm already doing this with my APU2. But this will be far more powerful and handle the incremental bumps in speed I get from my ISP over time.

Wow...advanced stuff!

Not really. It boils down to a couple of configuration files. Then it’s forget about it until new releases come out, and I’ll bump up to the next version. And the install is super simple. The only change I make is resize /usr.

[hudson]

My assumption is that Windows was historically good at supporting old hardware, but Windows 11 is different because it wants newer hardware.

Not really. I typically keep a Windows machine about ten years.

Is the end of Windows 10 support going to be a problem at all?

I apologize if I'm helping to derail this thread.

I have friends that want me to keep their Windows 7 computers alive. I drag my feet, but help out sometimes. I coach them to buy new computers, but they throw nickels around like man-hole-covers.
When I retired years ago an industrial computer was still happily running Windows 95. It wasn't on the network. I had to hold the user's hand for a year or so until he got used to it. He had to learn how to use floppy disks.
I'm going to run my Dell OptiPlex with Windows 10 until official Microsoft support runs out (Oct. 14, 2025) and maybe longer. It's running fine especially since I installed a solid state hard drive along with a fresh install of Windows 10. I might use the end of support as an excuse to buy a new computer...or not.

Bottom line: One can keep running Windows 10 with precautions. I'd probably do some research and see what would work. Maybe Malwarebytes Premium? Windows 10 will be running for a long time. Is it recommended? Probably not for non-techie users.

[MGBMartin]

Why would you keep a PC for more than five years? I spent $225 for my ASUS. It’s cheap enough that I can buy a new one in less time. And it’s upgradable. I added my RAM and SSD for about $75.

I’m still using a Dell laptop that I bought for my daughter when she went off to college in 2008.
It came with Vista, later upgraded to Win 7 then 10. I added more RAM and an SSD. I use for everyday browsing, Word Docs and spreadsheets etc
I also have an IBM laptop from 2012 IIRC, this one I added Linux to and use it as my Pie Hole DNS server.

I do have a newer much more powerful laptop that I used to use for my programming job but now use for photo editing; that one is going on 10 years old.

I don’t feel the need to buy anything new right now.

[theac]

After watching more YouTubes on various brands and setups,
an idea popped into my head! Yes that happens every so often

There's something I really like about the specs and setup on those Mini PCs that I put up in the OP. I mainly just have my doubts about the brand, and how well it will last.

But on YouTube I see when they open up similarly spec-ed Mini PCs, the Beelink uses Crucial-branded SSD and memory sticks. And I believe Trigkey (and possibly others) does not use branded components.

It made me wonder if maybe I should take the gamble on an upper-end Beelink, but as insurance I could install a spare 1 TB SSD--or maybe even a HDD since they have a 2nd slot that will accept either--then I could set the PC to automatically backup everything to that spare drive in real time so that I don't lose any data. Which is one of my main concerns with these "fairly new and questionable" brands, such as Beelink etc. (even tho Belink has been around since 2011).

Also wondered if maybe that 2nd drive should be an HDD better, to "diversify"
In case if something happens to kill the SSD (who knows, solar flares, or whatever!), whereas maybe the HDD technology would survive thru it.

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

[hudson]

Theac,
I do manual backups to a 1TB drive like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CR ... =UTF8&th=1
I rotate manual backups (I copy and paste documents, pictures, and downloads folders) to several drives.
The backups go to a drawer, a lock box, and a safe deposit box.
Sometimes the drives are bitlockered, sometimes not.
I keep the backup drives separate from the computer in case of ransomware.
I also use an "auto-magic" cloud service like Microsoft OneDrive.
After the backup, I check the drive to be sure the backup worked.

[theac]

Theac,
I do manual backups to a 1TB drive like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CR ... =UTF8&th=1
I rotate manual backups (I copy and paste documents, pictures, and downloads folders) to several drives.
The backups go to a drawer, a lock box, and a safe deposit box.
Sometimes the drives are bitlockered, sometimes not.
I keep the backup drives separate from the computer in case of ransomware.
I also use an "auto-magic" cloud service like Microsoft OneDrive.
After the backup, I check the drive to be sure the backup worked.

Thanks, but I should have explained the back story a little better.

I do backups to about 4 or 5 EX-HDDs, staggered, (one is kept in a Safe Deposit box) but sometimes I go a couple of months between any backups. I try not to tho but time flies by

So that's why I meant I'd like one inside the Mini PC so it's always a current backup.
I would still continue to do other backups to the EX-HDDs

That's what I meant about losing data between backups.
So that 2nd backup drive inside the Mini PC would be (I hope?) an exact and up to the moment copy of the main SSD in case the #1 SSD ever failed, since it's my 1st time ever dealing with these Mini PCs and also with SSDs.

So I was wondering if that extra dive inside might be a little insurance in case of any hardware failures (Mini-PC or SSD).

[hudson]

theac,
Great backup practice!
Would the auto backup drive have to be inside?

[theac]

theac,
Great backup practice!
Would the auto backup drive have to be inside?

No, but I was thinking it would be better to keep it inside since I'd just leave it in there and forget about it. And hopefully nothing ever goes wrong with the #1 SSD.

And since I'll be partitioning the the main SSD and using C for the operating system, and D partition for my data (like I have my present PC set up now),
I guess I could even copy only data to that 2nd drive inside the Mini PC?

Or maybe even partition that 2nd drive with OS going to E and data going to F.
Or is that over-doing it and getting a bit too crazy about it?

I'm just playing with ideas and options right now because I'd really like to get one of these Beelink Mini PCs (they seem good spec, size, and price wise) but this Mini PC is kind of being done as an experiment, so I'm concerned that it could die in a few years, or maybe even months! And then I end up with a big headache. That I could possibly avoid if I do have an up to the minute backup.

[hudson]

theac,

If it runs out of the box, you're probably good.
I'm sure you'll read the warranty and be ready to use it if needed.
If money is tight, go for the mini.
If money is good, buy a Dell or equivalent.
I usually buy Dell for me. I bought a GMK mini at $402, out-the-door for a family member that uses it a few times a month. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C96 ... =UTF8&th=1

Since around 1990, I've bought and installed several hundred Dells (Optiplexes, Latitudes, and servers). Hardware issues have been minimal. When I needed support, they delivered.

Supporting a GMK or other mini will likely take a little computer savvy. If you're adding internal hard drives and running auto-backups, you'll be OK.

[lazydavid]

You will not be able to install an HDD (spinning disc) inside the overwhelming majority of mini PCs, so if you want to back up to an internal drive it will have to be an SSD. If you want to back up to an HDD it will have to be external.

There are a small number of "tall" formfactor mini PCs that have a hard drive bay. They were relatively uncommon a few years ago when I bought my media server, and they have become increasingly rarer since then.

[theac]

theac,

If it runs out of the box, you're probably good.
I'm sure you'll read the warranty and be ready to use it if needed.
If money is tight, go for the mini.
If money is good, buy a Dell or equivalent.
I usually buy Dell for me. I bought a GMK mini at $402, out-the-door for a family member that uses it a few times a month. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C96 ... =UTF8&th=1

Since around 1990, I've bought and installed several hundred Dells (Optiplexes, Latitudes, and servers). Hardware issues have been minimal. When I needed support, they delivered.

Supporting a GMK or other mini will likely take a little computer savvy. If you're adding internal hard drives and running auto-backups, you'll be OK.

Wow that looks like a great unit and a great deal with that $230 coupon.
With a metal case so it sounds like it's designed to last!
Would be used as my main PC. I don't do gaming so should handle things OK.

I've never heard of this brand but I'll look into it.
I wanted 32 GB but probably don't need it and will be OK with 16.
At least it has the 1 TB and can add an SSD or SATA.

Thanks I'm going to look into it, see if I can find some YouTubes explaining some things about it, and maybe get it before that coupon is gone.

[rockstar]

You will not be able to install an HDD (spinning disc) inside the overwhelming majority of mini PCs, so if you want to back up to an internal drive it will have to be an SSD. If you want to back up to an HDD it will have to be external.

There are a small number of "tall" formfactor mini PCs that have a hard drive bay. They were relatively uncommon a few years ago when I bought my media server, and they have become increasingly rarer since then.

Why are you using spinning hard drives? SSDs provide sufficient storage. The only place I’d use them is in a NAS with RAID. And I’d definitely replace the drives every five years.

[lazydavid]

You will not be able to install an HDD (spinning disc) inside the overwhelming majority of mini PCs, so if you want to back up to an internal drive it will have to be an SSD. If you want to back up to an HDD it will have to be external.

There are a small number of "tall" formfactor mini PCs that have a hard drive bay. They were relatively uncommon a few years ago when I bought my media server, and they have become increasingly rarer since then.

Why are you using spinning hard drives? SSDs provide sufficient storage. The only place I’d use them is in a NAS with RAID. And I’d definitely replace the drives every five years.

Because it was free. I literally had a 256GB M.2 and a 2TB laptop drive lying on my desk from previous upgrades, so I used the SSD as the boot/application volume (running Roon ROCK) and the HDD for music. I had recently purchased a 1TB M.2 for $200 ($160 after a $40 coupon), and I just checked CCC to find that the 2TB equivalent was $430 at the time. The entire media server only cost me $530, so putting in a 2TB SSD would have nearly doubled the cost while providing no benefit. And it's not like you need crazy I/O to serve up music. Even 24/192 FLAC files are like 36MB per minute. A hard drive from 30 years ago can easily keep up with that.

My post was more in reference to this mention by OP of using an internal HDD for backups:

Also wondered if maybe that 2nd drive should be an HDD better, to "diversify"
In case if something happens to kill the SSD (who knows, solar flares, or whatever!), whereas maybe the HDD technology would survive thru it.

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

[stan1]

Any experiences with playing Cities Skylines 2 (with mods) on a mini PC?

[rockstar]

Any experiences with playing Cities Skylines 2 (with mods) on a mini PC?

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/alder ... ent-gaming

[telemark]

You will not be able to install an HDD (spinning disc) inside the overwhelming majority of mini PCs, so if you want to back up to an internal drive it will have to be an SSD. If you want to back up to an HDD it will have to be external.

There are a small number of "tall" formfactor mini PCs that have a hard drive bay. They were relatively uncommon a few years ago when I bought my media server, and they have become increasingly rarer since then.

The Beelink has an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive.

[lazydavid]

You will not be able to install an HDD (spinning disc) inside the overwhelming majority of mini PCs, so if you want to back up to an internal drive it will have to be an SSD. If you want to back up to an HDD it will have to be external.

There are a small number of "tall" formfactor mini PCs that have a hard drive bay. They were relatively uncommon a few years ago when I bought my media server, and they have become increasingly rarer since then.

The Beelink has an open slot for a 2.5in SATA drive.

The specific model you linked does, yes. But the majority of them--even from Beelink--do not, particularly the Core i models that OP might lean towards if they're planning to use it for 10 years.

[telemark]

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

I would not particularly recommend using a HDD, but automated daily backups are a great idea no matter what computer you use. When my older PC died (a Compulab Fit3 from 2012, seven years out of warranty), having a current backup made moving to the Beelink very easy and painless.

You do still need to check occasionally to make sure the automated backup is working. Mine failed occasionally over the years, for various comical reasons.

[theac]

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

I would not particularly recommend using a HDD, but automated daily backups are a great idea no matter what computer you use. When my older PC died (a Compulab Fit3 from 2012, seven years out of warranty), having a current backup made moving to the Beelink very easy and painless.

You do still need to check occasionally to make sure the automated backup is working. Mine failed occasionally over the years, for various comical reasons.

Of the 4 or 5 WD My Passport Ex-HDs I use for my full "occasional" backups (2TB thru 5TB and via Macrium), the latest one is 5TB and I keep it out of view but next to my PC. I just connect it when I use it for a backup, then unplug it.

So maybe I need to leave it connected all the time and do these daily automated backups you're talking about?

I'm getting the feeling that is a dumb question, and the answer is like, "duh!"

Now that I think about it, I think that was the plan when I got that 5TB, but then I just went ahead and continued doing like I'd always done my backups.
Maybe I need to read up on automated backups.

[hudson]

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

I would not particularly recommend using a HDD, but automated daily backups are a great idea no matter what computer you use. When my older PC died (a Compulab Fit3 from 2012, seven years out of warranty), having a current backup made moving to the Beelink very easy and painless.

You do still need to check occasionally to make sure the automated backup is working. Mine failed occasionally over the years, for various comical reasons.

In the IT world, if the backup won't restore, the backup person needs to have an emergency plan: an updated resume.

[theac]

Anyway does that sound like a viable plan?
To go with the Beelink but add in that lifeboat just in case I hit an iceberg?

I would not particularly recommend using a HDD, but automated daily backups are a great idea no matter what computer you use. When my older PC died (a Compulab Fit3 from 2012, seven years out of warranty), having a current backup made moving to the Beelink very easy and painless.

You do still need to check occasionally to make sure the automated backup is working. Mine failed occasionally over the years, for various comical reasons.

In the IT world, if the backup won't restore, the backup person needs to have an emergency plan: an updated resume.

When I've done my Macrium backups I have it set to verify it's a good copy when done, and it says it is.

But I've never had to use one of these backups to restore anything.
Maybe that's why I keep so many of them.

But I have opened up some of my full backups and all the folders and files show up when I open them (via Word, Acrobat, Media Player, etc), and can be copied.
So I guess that's a good thing, right?

[hudson]

theac,
At home, I usually open a folder or two; then open a file or two.
That's all.

When I worked in IT, I'd run a short test restore.

[theac]

theac,
At home, I usually open a folder or two; then open a file or two.
That's all.

When I worked in IT, I'd run a short test restore.

OK, I guess I was editing in this part (to clarify) while you were replying:
(via Word, Acrobat, Media Player, etc),

So yes, I did see the actual files opened up and usable.
Thanks for that info

[theac]

I'd like to thank everyone for their input.

After much deliberation (with some confusion and anxiety because of so many choices) I finally decided it was taking up too much of my attention so just ended up buying this one at $459 with a $100 coupon, so for $359.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCBKM6QW?re ... title&th=1

(NewEgg has it for $595)
https://www.newegg.com/p/3C6-060E-00128

It's basically the same as what I was considering in the OP except that that one is by Trigkey (at $349), and the one I got is Beelink, est 2011. It's a brand I'd see around for years but knew nothing about, nor ever had a need to take any interest in. Trigkey opened in 2021.

Supposedly they're both branches of the same company, similar to Toyota/Lexus.
Beelink (supposedly) uses better branded components, some from other countries. Such as the SSD and RAM.

Anyway, I'm going to experiment with "this new thing" called Mini PCs and see what happens. I'm not too worried about it because all my data is backed up on multiple Ex-HDs, and after I blow the dust out my old Acer Mini Desktop, I'm still going to keep it around, so everything to date will still be on there in case this thing blows up in a few months.

And if it doesn't, great! And I am going to set up that 5TB Ex-HD for automated backups on the Beelink while continuing with my rotation of backups "every so often" as I've done for years on several Ex-HDs. So worst case scenario if it does blow up I just buy a new PC to replace this experimental Mini PC.

Plus will consider adding a 2nd 1 TB SSD in the 2nd slot of the Beelink which I could also set up for automated backups (at only $57? Unbelievable!). But in the YouTubes I've noticed it might block and interfere with the fan's cooling, so maybe not worth it? Of course since I won't be straining the system with gaming (that's hard on the system), heat may not be a concern.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B25 ... UQ1CX&th=1

I also watched a YouTube where a guy compared the Rizen 7 5800H (by AMD, and used in both the Beelink and Trigkey) with a comparable Intel i5 13th Generation (IIRC) by stressing them to their max (as in hardcore gaming) with stress-testing software and the differences in the readings (which I totally didn't understand) were so slight that neither was a clear winner.

And that's part of what interested me in my choice. This will be the first time ever that I buy a PC that doesn't say "Intel Inside." I remember in the past whenever I was buying a new PC, as soon as I'd see "AMD" I'd skip over it and not even consider it, even tho those PCs were a lot cheaper (as in price). But that was a long time ago, and AMD is still around, so, let's see if there is really anything to fear here "now."

I'm feeling a little adventurous, like Christopher Columbus (or one of those guys) when he took that last look back at the shore and possibly thought, "I hope there's something out there!"

[Tubes]

Congrats! Beelink definitely has the better reputation.

AMD is fine. Don't worry. Heck, I survived a few years of using a Via chipset (something you don't hear of anymore) in the first small form factor computer I built myself in the early 2000s. I replaced it after a few years because tech simply got faster quickly.

[rockstar]

AMD is better than Intel these days, so I wouldn’t sweat it.

[telemark]

I can remember when "Intel Inside" was called the warning label (Pentium bug) but that was in a different century. There are lots of review sites for CPUs: I would look at the particular model rather than the manufacturer. I've used AMD chips in the past
and they were fine.

For a long time Intel had a big advantage in manufacturing processes. Not sure if that's true at present.

[rockstar]

I can remember when "Intel Inside" was called the warning label (Pentium bug) but that was in a different century. There are lots of review sites for CPUs: I would look at the particular model rather than the manufacturer. I've used AMD chips in the past
and they were fine.

For a long time Intel had a big advantage in manufacturing processes. Not sure if that's true at present.

There is also the Intel Puma mess too.

Qualcomm is becoming a competitor to if you don’t play games. Lots of new ARM based windows machines coming out.