Advices on All-in-One Desktop

agito1993 on 14/05/2015 - 22:35

Hi guys,

I have never owned an AIO desktop before so am not really sure which brand should I go for.

My brother said AIO are not durable and it's expensive/difficult to fix. However, I am frustrated with the 12.5 inch screen and am looking for 20 inch/23 inch. I thought of buying an external monitor but it would be kinda awkward to use (having 2 screens).

At the moment I only know Dell's AIO desktop is a decent choice (Uni only has dell AIO) but a bit pricey >1000, will need to sell x230t then.

Any one own AIO desktop? Any advice would be appreciated.

Computing

Comments

  • xoom on 14/05/2015 - 22:53
    +1

    You dont necessarily have to stick to AIO desktops. You can build yourself a decent pc for around a grand and it will be heaps better than an AIO. Its more upgradable for starters.

  • scrimshaw on 14/05/2015 - 22:54
    +4

    Main benefit with an AIO is they are aesthetically pleasing and they take up less room. Depending on design they may also use less power compared to an ordinary machine, thanks to the use of laptop parts (e.g CPU and GPU). But they won't be as powerful as a desktop equivalent (e.g many AIO's have mobile processors, which are usually clocked lower and have less cores).

    Yes, they are not easy to fix, may require a service manual to fully understand how to put it's parts together. Also because it's all one unit, as opposed to being modular like a regular PC, they are treated more like a laptop than a desktop, since they share many traits (e.g lack of room for internal upgrades and really no way to upgrade it's performance, apart from SSD and more RAM).

    If you think you want upgrades down the road, get a regular ATX machine. You can also tap into the second hand parts market and sell off old equipment — e.g old RAM, CPU + motherboards, and graphics cards

    As for a regular desktop computer, the monitor will usually outlive the desktop computer and can be used again with a new system (e.g after your old machine has become obsolete and later replaced). My BenQ G2420HD gaming monitor was bought in 2010 and it still works wonderfully, my desktop has already been replaced once.

  • cypher67 on 14/05/2015 - 22:54
    +2

    Extending onto 2 screens is amazing and you can always disable the small one. Im assuming you have a laptop, you can get those universal docks where you just plug into a usb and an external keyboard, mouse, monitor etc all switch on and in the settings you can disable the laptop so its working pretty much like a desktop. In my experience I hate all in ones, 2 many eggs in the 1 basket, if one thing breaks its usually near impossible to fix. The quality of the machines are below what you can make yourself and you pay a premium for the previlege.

    • ESEMCE on 15/05/2015 - 12:07

      +1 just get a second screen, it's awesome and certainly not awkward to use…
      If anything having 2 screens at home and going to work with only 1 screen is far more awkward!
      And your Brother is absolutely correct. You pay a premium for an All in One yet they're more prone to failure and are difficult or impossible to repair or upgrade.

    • agito1993 on 15/05/2015 - 14:26

      My current laptop is Lenovo x230t, it has a vga and mini display port, 3 usb gates, is the universal dock necessary? Lenovo docks are around ~100 I think.
      Reason for not going 2 screens is quite silly, sort of like you can only type on your laptop but have to look at the external monitor… And my touch typing works only 60%, still needs to look at the screen.
      Thanks for your suggestion. I would assume these are the things I need: monitor, usb hub, external keyboards and a desk… hm should look out for eofy sale

  • plmko on 15/05/2015 - 00:33

    I use a 24" monitor with my 13" laptop, works great, no problems.

    • dylanando on 15/05/2015 - 01:05

      weird, me to :P

  • Kawaii69 on 15/05/2015 - 01:11

    I'd build a small system in a mini case, then purchase a touchscreen monitor if I wanted an AIO.

  • agito1993 on 15/05/2015 - 14:39

    Saw some one advertised Lenovo tiny computer m73t (i5, ram 4gb and 500Gb hard drive) for $650 or 637 after cash back. Not sure whether this is a bargain but Lenovo is selling at ~850 with similar specs. Is this pc less trouble some than AIO?
    Here's the link http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-M73t-Tiny-SFF-Core-i5-4790…

    • ESEMCE on 15/05/2015 - 15:33
      +1

      Certainly more expandable/upgradeable/repairable.

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