Hey Brit, I was changing my res and hz on my desktop pc and after saving changes my screen went black and now I dont recive any output. I have tried everything and i was wondering if you could help. Thank you
What brands do you trust? If you were to use these mini PC's for work or for handling private personal information, which brands would you trust? Which brand do you trust when you run into problems? Which brand do you trust to remain reliably working over the next few years?
You missed one VERY important point: Does the Mini PC come with a properly licensed copy of Windows 11? I bought one and immediately realized something was wrong when it asked for three security questions rather than my Microsoft login during the initial setup. That's a strong clue that you're not getting a proper license, and enough for me to return the unit. Also look at the product description. Does it say "Windows 11" or something like "W++11"? Another strong clue, and something to be careful about!
So you mean they sent a custom Windows probably includes malware? I want to buy one soon and I was already thinking to install my own Windows instead of using preinstalled one.
It's amazing how small computers are getting these days, I like that you can mount them behind monitor or Flat screen and not take up so much room. I believe They will keep getting better and better. Great Video!!
They've always existed in various more specialized uses. It's just that they're entering the mainstream now. I've got an HP t5530 thin client mounted to the back of one of my monitors and all it took to run Windows 98SE on it was to swap out the tiny 64MB PATA flash drive with something bigger. Period-correct Need for Speed 3, Future Cop L.A.P.D., and other nostalgic games in a device with the internal volume of a 5.25" CD/DVD drive with GeForce 4-comparable graphics. Hell, You can find slightly newer ones that only have Windows XP drivers but are even tinier.
Well, I was looking for a Mini PC, but what I got was a Dell 9020 Mini Tower that was a refurbished one, with an older CPU, a 4th Gen I7. But that CPU is the same I have on my 2009 ASUS ROG Gaming laptop, and I am very happy with it, so I accepted that CPU for my PC. But that PC was loaded with RAM, 64 GB of DDR3, and 2 SSD drives, one that is 256GB for boot, and a 2 TB SSD for storage, and an ASUS 1660 Video card with 6GB memory. So I think I am really loaded, and I am not using it for gaming at all, I am using it to do Embroidery Designs, and that machine can do EVERYTHING I want it to do, and at a very fast pace, and using six different Embroidery software programs at the same time. Plus I can open 60-80 different sessions, each of it for different embroidery designs, and I can switch between them at will and without any wait. It has plenty of HDMI, USB2.0/3.0 ports, ethernet, Windows 10 PRO, that ASUS video card, plenty of RAM, and a large SSD I had a special USB Multi-port strip that connects that PC to my 20 different embroidery machines of my custom embroidery business. And I only paid 180.00 dollars for it. So I am happy with it. But my point is that I followed all those tips given here in this video, and now I am a happy owner of something that satisfies me, that has High Quality components, and without spending a lot. By the way, that machine is running two 21,5 Touch Screen monitors from ASUS, and as I said, I am very happy wit it!!!!!! Thanks Britec!!! Your videos are as always AWESOME!!!!!!
You should check user reviews. Based on the reviews i found that some brands have higher failure rates than others. In my opinion that is one of the most important factors in selecting what manufacture you select.
Most seem to have high failure rates from what I've gathered. Beelink seem to at least trying to improve the cooling and longevity, although bios sounds like they're all over the place. Any recommendations for a more reliable brand?
Great video, thank you. Subscribed. One suspects the typical buyer understands 'You get what you pay for' but still wants Value for Money. The big risk is a brand impersonating itself as competent when it's not, and I recognise about 10% of mini PC brands. My question, and perhaps you've covered this already, is with manufacturer support, e.g. DELL has SupportAssist, offering drivers and (if under warranty) a helpdesk. There's a premium for this, but it's a good thing. The warranty period and warranty coverage is important. My second question is about the unit's lifespan window. Laptops are expected to last 3-5 years; Desktops around 3-8 years. A mini PC?
Even a 1/2 inch works. I use a Betty Crocker stove element ring It is circular and is open for it to sit on . Dollar store is where I bought it@@nocomment5001
Great video, I found a Minisforum based on Ryzen 4500H, 5 core, 16 GB, 500 GB NVMe for $300 usd. almost no heat, works really well, absolutely quiet and very fast!
I had created a NAS with a Raspberry Pi4B, but got tired of issues with Raspberry OS, and other ARM issues. I bought a GMKtec Nucbox G3 to use debian12 amd64. I shrunk the win 11 partition and installed debian12. I can't get debian12 to turn on Bluetooth, but I added a keyboard under win 11. The BIOS has too many settings related to Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. But since win 11 worked, Bluetooth must be on in bios. Perhaps debian12 doesn’t have a driver for it.
I bought a WD MyCloudEX2Ultra several years ago. WD has abandoned their products. They will never issue another "firmware" update. You can't upgrade the Ethernet, it has no Wi-Fi. You can't upgrade the CPU or install another OS. So I made a NAS with a Raspberry Pi4B and an 18 TB USB HDD. Raspberry OS is lagging behind x86 Linux distros, so I abandoned the Pi for an x86 NUC. I installed debian12 and I serve one Samba share with hundreds of movies and music videos. My new NUC has 2.5 G Ethernet, and 4 USB 3.0 ports truly capable of 10G speed. One question, What would compel me to install OpenMediaServer, or TrueNAS, rather than just using a Samba share? Why do people need to transcode? My Samba share is full of .mkv rips from MakeMKV, and various flavors of .mp4, .m4v, etc. All the devices I use, including a Sony blu-ray player support .mkv files.
Very good advice. However, what I need is ANSWERS to questions such as: BRANDS to stay away from and why. Mini PC vs Laptop or desktop. You started when you mentioned Kingston & Crucial RAM vs no name. That's good... but perhaps there's a no name unit that has crappy RAM that you can swap out for good RAM and now have an excellent PC. We need a good IF-THEN type flowchart. Example: Q1: Will you be "gaming?" If the answer is YES, then follow this arrow; if NO then follow that arrow. The answer to that question alone should divide the pack in half. Do you want top notch Video quality? If YES, then here are the best, forget the rest. Do you need FAST performance (CPU to RAM to storage of large files and databases, etc) or is standard speed OK? That should eliminate another chunk. Soon we should be down to a half dozen models to choose from.
Regardless of Manufacturer, if you're committing to Windows; find the product key/buy a cheap one online, and Discard the windows install on the device and start fresh!
#1 has to be how loud it is. Loud fans on some mini pcs makes them unusable for media pcs. I got a pantera Pico pc and it's so high pitched and loud even under low loads.
bought a refurb EliteDesk mini that didn't have wifi built-in. Figured I could just buy the wifi antenna kit and install it myself. Learned that the non-wifi models don't have the proper notches cut in the case to do that. But, they do have the little circles in the back you can pop out and install a bog-standard RF Coax antenna kit. I originally didn't want to install the RF Coax version, b/c didn't want my mini pc looking like a wifi router with antenna stalks sticking out. But, I got one and it installed ok and it works. So, when you're buying your mini pc, make sure it has all the "basic" hardware you need in it. IE: if you want built-in wifi, chances are high it'll have a WLAN card slot, but may not have the antennas. So, if it doesn't have the antennas, it might be a pain (or impossible) to install your own.
I like these smaller PCs, but they do lack a bit of power, and they're no replacement for a gaming PC, but if you just want to do the basics, a mini PC, Mac mini, or Chromebox, would do the job nicely. Plus, it always depends on what you need, or want. 😁
They are a fine gaming PC, I think you mean they aren't good for hardcore gaming. I would Agree. Other games like War Thunder, Roblox, RA2 etc work fine.
The nipogi that i was given has no ram stick at all. I just took it apart today to harvest the SSD before discarding the rest. The ram must be a chip on the board so one thing that you should know is, does it have actual Ram that can be replaced?.
Yes it did help and I wish I'd watched this before I bought a Minisforum UM580D. I watched other reviews and bought the UM580D based on those reviews. It lasted 6 weeks before it completely died. Luckily, even though it was out of the return period, Amazon allowed the return and I got a refund. I'm now looking for a replacement. It's to be a direct replacement for a ancient AMD Athlon desktop and all it's used for is browsing, email, VLC, TH-cam and some Graphtec cutting plotting software. The Graphtec software is Windows, but everything else is Ubuntu. Any suggestions?
I like to see before I buy does it have Oculink connection on any mini pc. This feature will allow to connect external gpu. Thanks for the great review.
The thing is who owns the company. Crucial has a factory there, but it is not chinese. They will make what the parent company wants. The point is: parent company reputation. Some brands send nice units to youtubers for review… and when you buy it, components are different. Bait and switch.
I've noticed some have got the plastic encased CMOS batteries. I would be curious to know if when you replace the battery the computer still works. Also do they run a compatible processer and have TPM 2 or is the OS a workaround install.
One of the things that annoy me is that some of these mini PCs have worse cooling then a laptop. Some just cool the processor, but the M.2 or 2.5" SSD will be hot as heck and start to throttle. I want a Minisforum Neptune HX80G and I think it has the right amount of cooling. Meanwhile the UM790 Pro, a lot of people are saying the M.2 drive is over heating pretty bad.
very informative video! - got a little confused though so I shouldn't buy Chinese brands? but minisforum and beelink are both from Shenzen, CH - and Crucial seems to be manufactured there too
Ya warranty and support is key. Contacting support and seeing how fast they respond to and solve issues is key. If you have issues and support requires RMAing the device half way around the world you are going to be without a computer for a while. If you have to send it out of country for repair customs declarations have to be filled out and shipping can be a killer.
@@Britec09 Living in Canada sending stuff to the USA for RMA is costly shipping wise & if its Crucial they don't declare the replacement item as warranty repair so you wind up paying taxes on the replacement. Grey market items still exist today where warranty is only provided in certain countries & item has to be shipped back to that country for warranty.
Some manufactorers (cough Lenovo cough) are vendor locking Ryzen processors to one particular machine, which means it wont accept other CPUs. While that might not sound like a big deal, it will be if you decide to upgrade your system. If youre in the second hand market, getting an older machine can be bit risky since there arent many Ryzen 5 GE processors being sold brand new anymore and you want to beef up your old Ryzen 3. Bottom line - check if your system can be upgraded. A solution can be to yank a CPU from another Lenovo machine but stars will have to allign for you to find one second hand CPU with right criteria.
I get GR9 Beelink i9 64 Ram, 1, M.2, 1 sata SSD, and 1 sata III SSD, I have on it all the heavy games from steam and yesterday installed Diablo IV I played them without any trouble FPS over 120, I'm really happy with my mini pc it was for $600 bucks! 👍Ok!
My old laptop died, I just want something for web browsing, video streaming (Netflix) and occasional games such as War Thunder. What mini pc would be best for that?
Thank you Britec for all your useful videos! Having said what you stated in this video, I wondered which company would allow a potential customer open up a mini pc and look what's inside BEFORE he pays for the mini pc ! Having purchased the item, open it up at home. then return it to get a refund will be a big hassle too!
Before I got a Chinese Mele Quieter2 mini. Adding a Kingston Nvme I expected fast storage. It's only doing a quarter of what it can do. I then discovered it's a device with PCIe 2.0. Still fine for average use, but no SSD will ever be fast in there. I hope the newer ones at least have PCIe 3.0 or better. It can be very hard to find the correct one for the right price. Probably even more difficult than the laptop/pc market.
How about doing a review of the most popular brands on their customer service support. There are so many complaints about this. Maybe you can rank them from best to worst with pro and con. Thanks 😊
Will it last for over a week, is something to consider. Will you get the blue screen and the (end of the road) failed to reinstall. At that point it is a coffee table coaster.
Can GMTek G5 perform smoothly and well on large data spreadsheets? I am working as financial analyst and have to work on large data financial modelling so I am wondering if GMTek G5 can do well on such task?
Well researched and comprehensive content, thanks for sharing. I use a Raspberry pi at moment but want to get a mini pc that I can have Windows on one drive and a Linux mint version on a second drive and be able to choose which to boot say in bios boot option. I'm having a hard time getting an answer to can it boot from a second drive if I put say an SSD in a spare slot. I want to keep the Linux totally separate from Windows so I'm not looking at dual booting from a single drive. I'm learning Python and basic image editing so not looking at high spec gaming gear. Any suggestions of suitable mini pc world be helpful. And thanks again for posting this and your other uploads.
Wish there was docking stations with these that can allow the mini pc be transported from office to home, as not to have peripherals and monitors plugged in and out of them constantly.
maybe i missed it, but what about noise level? are they all on the same level? Is it quieter than budget notebook or SonyPlaystation 5 running CyberPunk?
Just one question that has been bugging me, I keep hearing people that most of mini pcs have 2-3 years lifespan, what do they mean by that? Does it mean that by 2-3 years, they will stop working and I will need to buy a new one? I'm thinking of getting one for gaming, since I heard they can be powerful for gaming or should I just get a regular PC that is guaranteed to last more years? Please answer.
I had no idea, i wouldnt get one for the lack of gaming power. My Ryzen 7 , RTX 3090 does just fine. I was wondering if you could do a video explaining similarly to this video about Raspberyy Pi devices.
One big thing missing here for people looking. On AMD is Vega graphics vs Rdna 2 Graphics. RDNA 2 Graphics in just 6 cores R5 family can beat Vega 8 Graphics in and 8 core for Graphics. RDNA is the way to go for gaming.
Hi what processor is best for emulation for DOS games (Blood, DN3D, Shadow Warrior) and ROM emulation up to PS2 - ARM or x86? What is the minimum GPU for decent emulation?
Hi what's the difference between pc and mini..seems like they are equal, that is in general if you spec them 1 to 1 understanding one is a mini. Also general purpose so TH-cam, streaming, work
You can give them equal use, but objectively they are not technically equal, in terms of power and capability, most mini pc's are closer to or equal to medium range to high end laptops, main difference would be that Mini PCs do not have a monitor, but that it's advantage as well, since you can use any compatible one.
@@NVRLOSTT I got the updated version which is SER5 MAX 5800H and it holds like a champ. I still have the SER5 Pro 5800H and it should be going to my mum.
The are only 2 reason to buy mini pc : 1. Its smaller than any other pc/laptop 2. The power usage is much less than pc. Other than that, buy used pc and get the same performance / better with much cheaper price.
Beeline off Amazon S12 for $140 plus tax I believe the motherboard is OZW with Intel Celeron N95 20watt (from review on line, can raise) 4core 4 thread, 8 GB RAM OZW 2100or 2300, I think, 256 GB M.2 NVME 2280 OZW SSD. Windows 11 Pro. Works fine. But compulsive toddler and bothered by not finding information on OZW beyond builds two brand mini pc and components. Upgraded to Crucial 16 GB 3200 RAM (made in Mexico, there have been changes at/to Crucial) Do not know if I needed 16 GB over 8 GB or if 3200 helps much or any. Seems a minor improvement. Cost $30 and tax shipped. Contemplating Crucial P3 Plus M.2 NVME 500GB SSD (cacheless) probably faster more endurance more reliable? OZW? possibly hotter. No one seems to be writing about heatsink for mini pcs. Did I mention I get obsessive and built computers long ago... Looking at a good rated $9 heatsink but may be too tall, looking at laptop.specific heatsink too. Also Crucial P5 Plus 1TB M.2 NVME SSD probably more heat but not for my uses, has cache, more speed and more endurance $50 plus tax. 500GB not enough cheaper... Price your brands, and holidays sales. Both P3/P3 Plus and P5/P5 Plus are Gen 4 listed as Gen 3 compatible. Genre I think they run hotter, have not tried yet. Crucial and Samsung come with useful software for monitoring etc. Web says Beeline will if asked send you code key for clean install. For clone need M.2 NVME 2280 adapter $14-40, I think I will purchase around $18 or $24. $18 is mentioned as used. $24 has heatsink for use as portable drive does not get as hot supposedly. I expect if you purchase more expensive ones you will get the name brand RAM and M.2 NVME 2280 SSDs reviewer has seen. I think I got the OZW for the$140 discount price? And as stated works fine and the faster increased RAM install seems to make very little difference for my uses. This is replacing an I5 2500 computer W10 built in 2012 very well. Hope this helps?
OZW 256GB M.2 NVME 2280 is Gen 3. That is why I think Replacement Gen 4s may be hotter, again usage matters a great deal. Prices Gen 3 may cost more than Gen 4.
Definitely skip Beelink, they last as long as the warranty. My SER 5 PRO, just stopped working suddenly, after 1 year and 3 months of light use (dead motherboard...) So better go for a different brand...🤔
I actually have two mini pc's , both are beelink , one is a ryzen 9 6900 HX 8core 16thread 32gb dual channel ddr5 sodimm 2 m.2 nvme ssd's 1tb and 500gb I use that as a gaming server and I have a ryzen 5 5600h 6core 12thread 32gb ddr4 dual channel sodimm and a 1tb 2.5mm SSD with a desktop GPU adapter plugged into the m.2 port for a AMD RX 6700 XT 12gb desktop GPU and a apevia 80 plus gold rated 650w PSU 9 120mm argb cooling fans powered by adjustable digital PSU , dual monitor 31" curved 200hz dpcabled and all of the trimmings ....and gravy😊..... I love and approve of mini PC'S
On the mini PC that I use as a server I actually took it out of its case and I took another power supply that had burnt out I opened it up I gutted it except for the 200ish mm cooling fan I left that in there I wired that up to a USB type a Port connector and I installed the mini PC without its case inside the case for the power supply with the cooling fan inside I hooked up a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi extender antennas to the board ran that and attach that to the side of the case I put a small little monitor that you can actually see in my profile I placed that on top and attached it to the case and I use remote desktop from my main PC to control it , these computers are really versatile
Do you know the smaller these pc's become, the more prone to disaster they are bcuz those tiny circuits give out. Casual actions, like just turning the pc on can cause a small surge that blowz it 🤔
I wanted one that could play 4K video from TH-cam and they all claim to do just that and not one did all had very bad stutters and lagging and terrible overheating and I bought 5 of them never again returned them all for a full size desktop that works very well.
Beelink is not a good MINI PC. At first its okay, but later on, the built-in wifi and bluetooth always disconnect and the worst part, after a year they shutdown because of heat. It would be better to build your own pc, its cheaper and easier to repair.
I get the feeling the companies that used to build the good computers have all crawled into the woodwork when it comes to these things. I don't see the big boys anywhere these days. Where have they all gone?
Hope this helps, let me know if you need to know anything else in the comments.
Hey Brit, I was changing my res and hz on my desktop pc and after saving changes my screen went black and now I dont recive any output. I have tried everything and i was wondering if you could help.
Thank you
What brands do you trust? If you were to use these mini PC's for work or for handling private personal information, which brands would you trust? Which brand do you trust when you run into problems? Which brand do you trust to remain reliably working over the next few years?
thanks for this video, most of the things are summarized, made me subscribe to your channel and this is a first time I see a video from your channel
Do any of these Mini PCs have a VGA port?
You missed one VERY important point: Does the Mini PC come with a properly licensed copy of Windows 11? I bought one and immediately realized something was wrong when it asked for three security questions rather than my Microsoft login during the initial setup. That's a strong clue that you're not getting a proper license, and enough for me to return the unit. Also look at the product description. Does it say "Windows 11" or something like "W++11"? Another strong clue, and something to be careful about!
So you mean they sent a custom Windows probably includes malware? I want to buy one soon and I was already thinking to install my own Windows instead of using preinstalled one.
Which one did you buy?
@@DameOfDiamonds Actually I later decided not to buy a mini PC :)
That's why you use Linux or install your own windows on any pc you get.....
Damn good look on this comment! I didn’t consider this factor at all!
It's amazing how small computers are getting these days, I like that you can mount them behind monitor or Flat screen and not take up so much room. I believe They will keep getting better and better. Great Video!!
Totally agree!
Some of the mini pcs can fit in an average hand.
Corporate IT has been buying them for years.
I use my tower PC as a side table. A mini PC can't do that.
They've always existed in various more specialized uses. It's just that they're entering the mainstream now. I've got an HP t5530 thin client mounted to the back of one of my monitors and all it took to run Windows 98SE on it was to swap out the tiny 64MB PATA flash drive with something bigger. Period-correct Need for Speed 3, Future Cop L.A.P.D., and other nostalgic games in a device with the internal volume of a 5.25" CD/DVD drive with GeForce 4-comparable graphics.
Hell, You can find slightly newer ones that only have Windows XP drivers but are even tinier.
Well, I was looking for a Mini PC, but what I got was a Dell 9020 Mini Tower that was a refurbished one, with an older CPU, a 4th Gen I7. But that CPU is the same I have on my 2009 ASUS ROG Gaming laptop, and I am very happy with it, so I accepted that CPU for my PC. But that PC was loaded with RAM, 64 GB of DDR3, and 2 SSD drives, one that is 256GB for boot, and a 2 TB SSD for storage, and an ASUS 1660 Video card with 6GB memory. So I think I am really loaded, and I am not using it for gaming at all, I am using it to do Embroidery Designs, and that machine can do EVERYTHING I want it to do, and at a very fast pace, and using six different Embroidery software programs at the same time. Plus I can open 60-80 different sessions, each of it for different embroidery designs, and I can switch between them at will and without any wait. It has plenty of HDMI, USB2.0/3.0 ports, ethernet, Windows 10 PRO, that ASUS video card, plenty of RAM, and a large SSD I had a special USB Multi-port strip that connects that PC to my 20 different embroidery machines of my custom embroidery business. And I only paid 180.00 dollars for it. So I am happy with it. But my point is that I followed all those tips given here in this video, and now I am a happy owner of something that satisfies me, that has High Quality components, and without spending a lot. By the way, that machine is running two 21,5 Touch Screen monitors from ASUS, and as I said, I am very happy wit it!!!!!! Thanks Britec!!! Your videos are as always AWESOME!!!!!!
Nothing wrong with these older PC's. I took a 6 year old HP EliteBook 800 SFF, add 16Gb of ram and a 1Tb SSD, and it is a screamer!
! I too run a win7 dell as my home device. I7 4770. Still awesome. No updates. No checkups. No issues.
Happy to see someone else with common sense
You should check user reviews. Based on the reviews i found that some brands have higher failure rates than others. In my opinion that is one of the most important factors in selecting what manufacture you select.
Most seem to have high failure rates from what I've gathered. Beelink seem to at least trying to improve the cooling and longevity, although bios sounds like they're all over the place. Any recommendations for a more reliable brand?
Great video, thank you. Subscribed. One suspects the typical buyer understands 'You get what you pay for' but still wants Value for Money. The big risk is a brand impersonating itself as competent when it's not, and I recognise about 10% of mini PC brands.
My question, and perhaps you've covered this already, is with manufacturer support, e.g. DELL has SupportAssist, offering drivers and (if under warranty) a helpdesk. There's a premium for this, but it's a good thing. The warranty period and warranty coverage is important.
My second question is about the unit's lifespan window. Laptops are expected to last 3-5 years; Desktops around 3-8 years. A mini PC?
I find if you raise the mini-pc off the ground 3inches .The heat dissipates at a faster rate. I did this with my Bee link . Glad I did
what object did you use to raise it for reference
Even a 1/2 inch works. I use a Betty Crocker stove element ring It is circular and is open for it to sit on . Dollar store is where I bought it@@nocomment5001
@@nocomment5001 It could be built. Otherwise using 4 plastic covers of milk - box. Glue them. It is not high but is better than nothing.
Great video, I found a Minisforum based on Ryzen 4500H, 5 core, 16 GB, 500 GB NVMe for $300 usd. almost no heat, works really well, absolutely quiet and very fast!
Very nice!
Windows 11@@user-rw3kx5yj4x
You are correct about the 1st two questions. What is the device going to be used for? A game machine? A desktop for general computing?
I had created a NAS with a Raspberry Pi4B, but got tired of issues with Raspberry OS, and other ARM issues. I bought a GMKtec Nucbox G3 to use debian12 amd64.
I shrunk the win 11 partition and installed debian12. I can't get debian12 to turn on Bluetooth, but I added a keyboard under win 11. The BIOS has too many settings related to Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. But since win 11 worked, Bluetooth must be on in bios.
Perhaps debian12 doesn’t have a driver for it.
I bought a WD MyCloudEX2Ultra several years ago. WD has abandoned their products. They will never issue another "firmware" update. You can't upgrade the Ethernet, it has no Wi-Fi. You can't upgrade the CPU or install another OS. So I made a NAS with a Raspberry Pi4B and an 18 TB USB HDD. Raspberry OS is lagging behind x86 Linux distros, so I abandoned the Pi for an x86 NUC. I installed debian12 and I serve one Samba share with hundreds of movies and music videos. My new NUC has 2.5 G Ethernet, and 4 USB 3.0 ports truly capable of 10G speed.
One question, What would compel me to install OpenMediaServer, or TrueNAS, rather than just using a Samba share? Why do people need to transcode? My Samba share is full of .mkv rips from MakeMKV, and various flavors of .mp4, .m4v, etc. All the devices I use, including a Sony blu-ray player support .mkv files.
Very good advice. However, what I need is ANSWERS to questions such as: BRANDS to stay away from and why. Mini PC vs Laptop or desktop.
You started when you mentioned Kingston & Crucial RAM vs no name. That's good... but perhaps there's a no name unit that has crappy RAM that you can swap out for good RAM and now have an excellent PC.
We need a good IF-THEN type flowchart. Example: Q1: Will you be "gaming?" If the answer is YES, then follow this arrow; if NO then follow that arrow.
The answer to that question alone should divide the pack in half.
Do you want top notch Video quality? If YES, then here are the best, forget the rest.
Do you need FAST performance (CPU to RAM to storage of large files and databases, etc) or is standard speed OK? That should eliminate another chunk.
Soon we should be down to a half dozen models to choose from.
Yes! What is an established brand
@@hipidipi20157max
One that's been around for a decade and still going strong... and... one that I can pronounce!
Regardless of Manufacturer, if you're committing to Windows; find the product key/buy a cheap one online, and Discard the windows install on the device and start fresh!
#1 has to be how loud it is. Loud fans on some mini pcs makes them unusable for media pcs. I got a pantera Pico pc and it's so high pitched and loud even under low loads.
bought a refurb EliteDesk mini that didn't have wifi built-in. Figured I could just buy the wifi antenna kit and install it myself. Learned that the non-wifi models don't have the proper notches cut in the case to do that. But, they do have the little circles in the back you can pop out and install a bog-standard RF Coax antenna kit. I originally didn't want to install the RF Coax version, b/c didn't want my mini pc looking like a wifi router with antenna stalks sticking out. But, I got one and it installed ok and it works. So, when you're buying your mini pc, make sure it has all the "basic" hardware you need in it. IE: if you want built-in wifi, chances are high it'll have a WLAN card slot, but may not have the antennas. So, if it doesn't have the antennas, it might be a pain (or impossible) to install your own.
I like these smaller PCs, but they do lack a bit of power, and they're no replacement for a gaming PC, but if you just want to do the basics, a mini PC, Mac mini, or Chromebox, would do the job nicely. Plus, it always depends on what you need, or want. 😁
They are a fine gaming PC, I think you mean they aren't good for hardcore gaming. I would Agree. Other games like War Thunder, Roblox, RA2 etc work fine.
I would get a tablet (android or apple) or go for a macmini. Or I would research very verywell the minipc and install Linux.
The nipogi that i was given has no ram stick at all. I just took it apart today to harvest the SSD before discarding the rest. The ram must be a chip on the board so one thing that you should know is, does it have actual Ram that can be replaced?.
This was a lot of good information and gave me a lot to think about. Thank you.
Yes it did help and I wish I'd watched this before I bought a Minisforum UM580D. I watched other reviews and bought the UM580D based on those reviews. It lasted 6 weeks before it completely died. Luckily, even though it was out of the return period, Amazon allowed the return and I got a refund. I'm now looking for a replacement. It's to be a direct replacement for a ancient AMD Athlon desktop and all it's used for is browsing, email, VLC, TH-cam and some Graphtec cutting plotting software. The Graphtec software is Windows, but everything else is Ubuntu. Any suggestions?
Could you please advice me on what I would need in a mini to use for video editing. Or even recommend to me please. David
I like to see before I buy does it have Oculink connection on any mini pc. This feature will allow to connect external gpu. Thanks for the great review.
I've got the Geekom with i3 processor, silent and super quick boot, so impressed. I only use it for work. I really hope it lasts a few years.
How’s it going?
do I need a power supply? or can I just straight plug it in to an extension cord/direct?
I reckon any specs nowadays are good for a simple HTPC right? Good videos btw 😊
The thing is who owns the company. Crucial has a factory there, but it is not chinese. They will make what the parent company wants. The point is: parent company reputation. Some brands send nice units to youtubers for review… and when you buy it, components are different. Bait and switch.
I've noticed some have got the plastic encased CMOS batteries. I would be curious to know if when you replace the battery the computer still works. Also do they run a compatible processer and have TPM 2 or is the OS a workaround install.
One of the things that annoy me is that some of these mini PCs have worse cooling then a laptop. Some just cool the processor, but the M.2 or 2.5" SSD will be hot as heck and start to throttle. I want a Minisforum Neptune HX80G and I think it has the right amount of cooling. Meanwhile the UM790 Pro, a lot of people are saying the M.2 drive is over heating pretty bad.
And dust could get inside. On a macmini the cabinet is closed
very informative video! - got a little confused though so I shouldn't buy Chinese brands? but minisforum and beelink are both from Shenzen, CH - and Crucial seems to be manufactured there too
I bought a GMKTek G3 to create a NAS. I had no showstopper issues.
Ya warranty and support is key. Contacting support and seeing how fast they respond to and solve issues is key. If you have issues and support requires RMAing the device half way around the world you are going to be without a computer for a while. If you have to send it out of country for repair customs declarations have to be filled out and shipping can be a killer.
I agree
@@Britec09 Living in Canada sending stuff to the USA for RMA is costly shipping wise & if its Crucial they don't declare the replacement item as warranty repair so you wind up paying taxes on the replacement. Grey market items still exist today where warranty is only provided in certain countries & item has to be shipped back to that country for warranty.
the power consumption its the big reason i want mini pc
I wonder if you have to open them up and clean the dust out once a year like I do with my tower PC.
I would go for a tablet instead or go for a macmini
Hello, thank you for this video. Please, what do you think about Blackview MP60 Mini PC
Some manufactorers (cough Lenovo cough) are vendor locking Ryzen processors to one particular machine, which means it wont accept other CPUs. While that might not sound like a big deal, it will be if you decide to upgrade your system. If youre in the second hand market, getting an older machine can be bit risky since there arent many Ryzen 5 GE processors being sold brand new anymore and you want to beef up your old Ryzen 3.
Bottom line - check if your system can be upgraded. A solution can be to yank a CPU from another Lenovo machine but stars will have to allign for you to find one second hand CPU with right criteria.
Can't go wrong with GEEKOM. Totally satified with the i7 version.
I get GR9 Beelink i9 64 Ram, 1, M.2, 1 sata SSD, and 1 sata III SSD, I have on it all the heavy games from steam and yesterday installed Diablo IV I played them without any trouble FPS over 120, I'm really happy with my mini pc it was for $600 bucks! 👍Ok!
My old laptop died, I just want something for web browsing, video streaming (Netflix) and occasional games such as War Thunder. What mini pc would be best for that?
Thank you Britec for all your useful videos! Having said what you stated in this video, I wondered which company would allow a potential customer open up a mini pc and look what's inside BEFORE he pays for the mini pc ! Having purchased the item, open it up at home. then return it to get a refund will be a big hassle too!
Great job on this. Best part was actually being able to see inside of them.
Before I got a Chinese Mele Quieter2 mini. Adding a Kingston Nvme I expected fast storage. It's only doing a quarter of what it can do. I then discovered it's a device with PCIe 2.0. Still fine for average use, but no SSD will ever be fast in there. I hope the newer ones at least have PCIe 3.0 or better. It can be very hard to find the correct one for the right price. Probably even more difficult than the laptop/pc market.
Which budget mini pc would you recommend for video editing and streaming
How about doing a review of the most popular brands on their customer service support. There are so many complaints about this. Maybe you can rank them from best to worst with pro and con. Thanks 😊
Will it last for over a week, is something to consider. Will you get the blue screen and the (end of the road) failed to reinstall. At that point it is a coffee table coaster.
Can GMTek G5 perform smoothly and well on large data spreadsheets? I am working as financial analyst and have to work on large data financial modelling so I am wondering if GMTek G5 can do well on such task?
Well researched and comprehensive content, thanks for sharing. I use a Raspberry pi at moment but want to get a mini pc that I can have Windows on one drive and a Linux mint version on a second drive and be able to choose which to boot say in bios boot option. I'm having a hard time getting an answer to can it boot from a second drive if I put say an SSD in a spare slot. I want to keep the Linux totally separate from Windows so I'm not looking at dual booting from a single drive. I'm learning Python and basic image editing so not looking at high spec gaming gear. Any suggestions of suitable mini pc world be helpful. And thanks again for posting this and your other uploads.
Damn 3/4 million subscribers should be more but I remember 1/4 million and I thought I found a hidden gem still holds true👍
Which is the best for gaming
I need a mini pc for word, so I can access a webcam and so I can do normal online browsing.
Which one would you recommend
:0 😀 WELL DONE and MUCH Appreciated for next purchase :) ALL the BEST and Cheers from across the Pond!!! :)
Can you use them to play music via mps so that you need an 3.5" output for speakers.
I have not seen one with a 3.5 plug socket on it.
you can get a USB to 3.5 audio jack if you have to
very nice (and most of all informative) video!
mad respect for your effort and time :D
the most important point are the ports ??????? metal or plastic??
The best tip i could give is that a deck or similar device will be a beast if you don't need that much performance
Thanks for sharing a comprehensive guide! Appreciate your effort in collimating the essentials of byung a mini/micro PC.
Wish there was docking stations with these that can allow the mini pc be transported from office to home, as not to have peripherals and monitors plugged in and out of them constantly.
maybe i missed it, but what about noise level? are they all on the same level? Is it quieter than budget notebook or SonyPlaystation 5 running CyberPunk?
Its a mini pc, under heavy load like AAA games or rendering videos, it will be louder
Just one question that has been bugging me, I keep hearing people that most of mini pcs have 2-3 years lifespan, what do they mean by that? Does it mean that by 2-3 years, they will stop working and I will need to buy a new one? I'm thinking of getting one for gaming, since I heard they can be powerful for gaming or should I just get a regular PC that is guaranteed to last more years? Please answer.
Have you found the answer to this?
What models do you recommend for smooth 4K movie streaming?
can you explain about a jack pc ? and compare it with today's mini pc .
I had no idea, i wouldnt get one for the lack of gaming power. My Ryzen 7 , RTX 3090 does just fine. I was wondering if you could do a video explaining similarly to this video about Raspberyy Pi devices.
Thanks
I have a question, does mini pc can be used to laptop?
Thanks for the Video. I'm about to buy Intel M9 Mini PC for Office Uses. I need advice for the Good/Suitable Monitor to use,,, Please advice....
MOREFINE M9 MINI PC INTEL N100 is OK for office use
@@Britec09 That's the exactly my Choice. I need a Good Budget Monitor to use along with this Morefine Mini PC, What Monitor do you advice?...
One big thing missing here for people looking. On AMD is Vega graphics vs Rdna 2 Graphics. RDNA 2 Graphics in just 6 cores R5 family can beat Vega 8 Graphics in and 8 core for Graphics. RDNA is the way to go for gaming.
Just build yourself a custom PC in a full-tower case, and all the negatives presented with mini and micro PCs will disappear.
Hi what processor is best for emulation for DOS games (Blood, DN3D, Shadow Warrior) and ROM emulation up to PS2 - ARM or x86? What is the minimum GPU for decent emulation?
Excellent, and succinct! Thank you very much Sir!
You are very welcome
Hi what's the difference between pc and mini..seems like they are equal, that is in general if you spec them 1 to 1 understanding one is a mini. Also general purpose so TH-cam, streaming, work
You can give them equal use, but objectively they are not technically equal, in terms of power and capability, most mini pc's are closer to or equal to medium range to high end laptops, main difference would be that Mini PCs do not have a monitor, but that it's advantage as well, since you can use any compatible one.
I pulled the trigger on the Beelink SER5 Pro and definitely the best bang for buck among the lot.
5 months later how is it holding up? Should l get one?
@@NVRLOSTT I got the updated version which is SER5 MAX 5800H and it holds like a champ. I still have the SER5 Pro 5800H and it should be going to my mum.
Can you keep everyone updated on an ongoing basis, I want one really bad, just didn't hear to much about driver updates
@@livestrong1976 No that's too much work. They have an official reddit.
Great tips!
Thanks for the video!
The are only 2 reason to buy mini pc :
1. Its smaller than any other pc/laptop
2. The power usage is much less than pc.
Other than that, buy used pc and get the same performance / better with much cheaper price.
Do these mini pc's have sound and microphone?
They are interesting for sure... but for now I'll stick with my Fractal R5.
Beeline off Amazon S12 for $140 plus tax I believe the motherboard is OZW with Intel Celeron N95
20watt (from review on line, can raise) 4core 4 thread, 8 GB RAM OZW 2100or 2300, I think, 256 GB M.2 NVME 2280 OZW SSD. Windows 11 Pro.
Works fine.
But compulsive toddler and bothered by not finding information on OZW beyond builds two brand mini pc and components.
Upgraded to Crucial 16 GB 3200 RAM (made in Mexico, there have been changes at/to Crucial)
Do not know if I needed 16 GB over 8 GB or if 3200 helps much or any. Seems a minor improvement.
Cost $30 and tax shipped.
Contemplating Crucial P3 Plus M.2 NVME 500GB SSD (cacheless) probably faster more endurance more reliable? OZW? possibly hotter.
No one seems to be writing about heatsink for mini pcs. Did I mention I get obsessive and built computers long ago...
Looking at a good rated $9 heatsink but may be too tall, looking at laptop.specific heatsink too.
Also Crucial P5 Plus 1TB M.2 NVME SSD probably more heat but not for my uses, has cache, more speed and more endurance $50 plus tax.
500GB not enough cheaper...
Price your brands, and holidays sales.
Both P3/P3 Plus and P5/P5 Plus are Gen 4 listed as Gen 3 compatible. Genre I think they run hotter, have not tried yet. Crucial and Samsung come with useful software for monitoring etc.
Web says Beeline will if asked send you code key for clean install. For clone need M.2 NVME 2280 adapter $14-40, I think I will purchase around $18 or $24. $18 is mentioned as used. $24 has heatsink for use as portable drive does not get as hot supposedly.
I expect if you purchase more expensive ones you will get the name brand RAM and M.2 NVME 2280 SSDs reviewer has seen.
I think I got the OZW for the$140 discount price?
And as stated works fine and the faster increased RAM install seems to make very little difference for my uses.
This is replacing an I5 2500 computer W10 built in 2012 very well.
Hope this helps?
OZW 256GB M.2 NVME 2280 is Gen 3. That is why I think Replacement Gen 4s may be hotter, again usage matters a great deal.
Prices Gen 3 may cost more than Gen 4.
Can I connect a mini pc to a HP All in One computer?
Excellent content. Thanks a stack 👍👍
Do these mini pc have audio/ or an microphone?
I just wanna know if they can run a DAW
Definitely skip Beelink, they last as long as the warranty. My SER 5 PRO, just stopped working suddenly, after 1 year and 3 months of light use (dead motherboard...) So better go for a different brand...🤔
Would this work for sim racing set up?
Would Just Like A Mini That Lets Me Replace My Tower Had Enough Of Power Sub Station Fan Noise Time For Silent Running Thank You
Also with "passive cooling" it's gonna need a fan blowing on it.
I actually have two mini pc's , both are beelink , one is a ryzen 9 6900 HX 8core 16thread 32gb dual channel ddr5 sodimm 2 m.2 nvme ssd's 1tb and 500gb I use that as a gaming server and I have a ryzen 5 5600h 6core 12thread 32gb ddr4 dual channel sodimm and a 1tb 2.5mm SSD with a desktop GPU adapter plugged into the m.2 port for a AMD RX 6700 XT 12gb desktop GPU and a apevia 80 plus gold rated 650w PSU 9 120mm argb cooling fans powered by adjustable digital PSU , dual monitor 31" curved 200hz dpcabled and all of the trimmings ....and gravy😊..... I love and approve of mini PC'S
On the mini PC that I use as a server I actually took it out of its case and I took another power supply that had burnt out I opened it up I gutted it except for the 200ish mm cooling fan I left that in there I wired that up to a USB type a Port connector and I installed the mini PC without its case inside the case for the power supply with the cooling fan inside I hooked up a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi extender antennas to the board ran that and attach that to the side of the case I put a small little monitor that you can actually see in my profile I placed that on top and attached it to the case and I use remote desktop from my main PC to control it , these computers are really versatile
Having a closer look at GEEKOM IT13: can I plug an amp i.e. LEPY LP-2020 (with 2 speaker) into the headphone jack, and it will work?
Great review.
What is your opinion of Geekom's MiniAir 11 11th Gen Intel Celeron - N5095 8GB RAM+256GB SSD?
I would not buy Intel Celeron
Looking for a mini pc to play all my retro games on. But I keep hearing most mini PCs get too hot for retro gaming
depends on how retro the games are. my android box can play up to PS1 games no problem. most windows PC would be able to play PS2 emulator
@@Archontasil I've tried a few cheap android boxes and some expensive ones but they don't last long and tend to over heat after a few hours
@@twisteddancer7773 what emulator are you playing? i use very cheap android box and can run ps1 just fine
Yeah, that can be done on most mini pc
I bought a cheap TCL QLED TV and it emulates PS1 no problem ;-)
I am looking for a budget pc with usb pd.
Good info, funny how allot of them are identical
I know, right?
Do you know the smaller these pc's become, the more prone to disaster they are bcuz those tiny circuits give out. Casual actions, like just turning the pc on can cause a small surge that blowz it 🤔
I wanted one that could play 4K video from TH-cam and they all claim to do just that and not one did all had very bad stutters and lagging and terrible overheating and I bought 5 of them never again returned them all for a full size desktop that works very well.
Can any of these run msfs2020 like the xbox series x?
excellent stuff all you need to know right in that video thanks😀
Glad you enjoyed it
Is that a 9V Battery socket? What's that for?
Have any newer models with 13th Gen CPUs come out yet? Thankls.
Beware of the HDMI version. Only a few minis have "real" HDMI 2.1.
Beelink is not a good MINI PC. At first its okay, but later on, the built-in wifi and bluetooth always disconnect and the worst part, after a year they shutdown because of heat. It would be better to build your own pc, its cheaper and easier to repair.
Great tips,thanks.
I get the feeling the companies that used to build the good computers have all crawled into the woodwork when it comes to these things. I don't see the big boys anywhere these days. Where have they all gone?
just bought a geekom spec' i9, 32ram wifi 6, thunderbolt
When did they start putting USB-C ports in them?
HP had USB-C in mini PCs in 2015...
I need one that can handle 4k video editing and do it well ok do it GREAT
Good video, .
Thanks!
I don't think most people or stores allow you to pull these things apart and check what's in them before you buy.
I just wanna be able to update my ssd firmware if its able to do it