A Couple of Tiny Computers That Will Feel Fast for Years

AustriaBargain on 29/10/2023 - 19:14
Last edited 29/10/2023 - 20:33 by 1 other user

Looking for two of those tiny computers for a family member business, like about Mac Mini size, that will feel responsive for years. Just used for admin work, browsers, Excel, that kind of thing. I see there's like MSI Cubi and ASUS and all sorts. But don't want something like the two all in ones they have currently. They bought them like five years ago and they felt slow from the start. I put SSD and more ram in them because they were memory bound, but that didn't help much because after they were CPU bound and didn't feel much faster.

So just want small speedy computer that'll run full Windows and will still feel responsive five years from now. There's so many choices and I haven't really kept up with the current state of PCs. Something small and light enough to hook on the back of an external monitor would be nice, I see some of them even have a little hook thing to do that.

Computing Computer Mini PC

Comments

  • bobokingdom on 29/10/2023 - 19:20
    +3

    Buy PC with i5/i7 with Gen 12+ processor. (Or AMD Zen3 based PC)

    • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2023 - 19:39

      Reviews for the i5 Gen 12 MSI Cubi seem to say it's adequate.

      • bobokingdom on 29/10/2023 - 20:23
        +1

        Just want to add, Gen 12/13 is a safer choice for next version of Windows, i.e. Windows 12. For Windows 11, it was Gen 8+ processor, I am pretty sure MS will move the bar a little higher for Windows 12. As you will be using it for the next 5 years, don't go with 8th/9th/10th/11th gen processors as they are the based on the older architecture. https://www.pcworld.com/article/1944443/intel-kills-off-its-…

        • ESEMCE on 30/10/2023 - 09:01
          +3

          Gen 8+ was for a specific reason, they wanted the TPM for better security.
          It wasn't a performance thing (which is why Win11 runs perfectly happily on older hardware). I see no reason why MS would adjust this requirement in Win 12.
          If anything, adding hardware restrictions hurts their business (which is probably why they have kept the unsupported system hardware loophole open).

          The reason to buy a 12th Gen is because it's the first time since 8th Gen where the revision has seen a major design and performance change. The steps in-between 8 and 12th Gen were incremental only.

      • bobokingdom on 29/10/2023 - 20:27
        +3

        Have you considered this: https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/desktops/thinkcentre/thinkcentre-neo-series/thinkcentre-neo-50q-gen-4-tiny-(intel)/12ln0038au

        For $830, it has fast Gen 13 H processor, 16GB RAM, 512Gb Storge (RAM and Storage should be uopgradeable if needed). It comes with Windows 11 Pro so you don't need to worry about Windows license on other barebones. Lenovo are reliable workhorse and great drivers support! Upgrade to 3 year onsite warranty for $59!

        • kogi on 30/10/2023 - 07:56

          That is perfect. I don't need them till January, tempted to snap some up now

          • bobokingdom on 30/10/2023 - 09:09
            +1

            @kogi: It's Lenovo, they have Sale every day. You can always wait for Boxing Day sale and they will have some models on sale (may not be this one but the selection rotates every couple of weeks).

  • p1 ama on 29/10/2023 - 19:39
    +2

    CPU tech hasn't changed much over the past few years realistically. You should be fine with any of the mini PCs with an i5/i7. Or just get one of the HP/Dell refurbs that pop up here. If you want it to last for a while, have a look at something that's 6th gen (Skylake) Intel, or later. 4th gen (Haswell) is fine, but my sense is that Skylake will support newer instruction sets and have better compatibility in future (e.g. DDR4 is already easier to get a hold of than DDR3, for instance).

  • Loot N Plunder on 29/10/2023 - 20:05

    How much do you want to spend?

    • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2023 - 20:07
      -3

      Whatever it takes to have cheap little machines that will feel responsive for years ahead. Staff will be using them so if they feel slow it'll cost in wages. But also it'll just be used for file management, Excel, browser for staff to access supplier website to order things, that kind of stuff. The Cubi 5 i5 gen 12 seems to cost like $600 or so, though I guess that's without Windows as it's listed as "barebones" computer.

      • Loot N Plunder on 29/10/2023 - 20:14

        Amazon mini pc with a coupon or wait untill they are on sale
        https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=minipc&crid=24K10SERCN6B2&spre…

        go for 32gb ram and the best cpu you can afford they also come with windows11
        Just like any pc if you have anything of importance make sure you back it up

        • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2023 - 20:21

          I think I looked into some of those before for another project, found the cheap ones would still feel slow. There's a lot on there, some cost as much as the MSI Cubi 5.

          • Loot N Plunder on 29/10/2023 - 20:29

            @AustriaBargain: found the cheap ones would still feel slow

            What cpu ram are you replacing?
            Maybe a fresh install of windows is all they need?

            32 bg ddr5 and a 4+ghz cpu isn't slow ryzen or intel

            • AustriaBargain on 29/10/2023 - 20:32

              @Loot N Plunder: These all in ones were just dreadful. They were fairly recent models at the time, but even at the time they were just shit. The family member that owns the business has a habit of going for the cheapest options.

  • scrimshaw on 29/10/2023 - 20:06
    +2

    You could try one of the Beelink Mini PC's (and their derivative clones) but be aware these chinese branded PC's have poor warranty support, outside of the normal Amazon 30-day A-Z guarantee. You'll be expected to post it back to China if the unit dies.

    If you're buying for business purpose and need tech support, it's best to purchase from Lenovo or Dell directly which will include next business day support (usually on-site)

  • lachhelix on 29/10/2023 - 20:12
    +3

    As suggested - if it's for a business just go for some of the SFF or USFF PC'S by lenovo/hp/dell, get a good warranty
    Otherwise perhaps some refurb options to save some money?

  • freefall101 on 29/10/2023 - 21:06

    https://www.lenovo.com/au/en/p/desktops/thinkcentre/thinkcentre-neo-series/thinkcentre-neo-50q-gen-4-tiny-(intel)/len102c0033 - although the click frenzy sale for $830 ends tonight, but it's a great little machine for the price.

    Dell do refurbished i7-13700 for $1100 too - https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet/refurbished-inspiron-3020-… - that will have far more CPU grunt for a long time to come.

  • jv on 29/10/2023 - 21:37
    +7

    A Couple of Tiny Computers That Will Feel Fast for Years

    Get red ones.

  • xuqi on 30/10/2023 - 00:41

    Suggest looking at the Dell micro range. I use a 7000 (12th gen i7,32GB Ram) purchased earlier in the year but it cost $750.

    Some examples below:

    https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/alexander-heights/desktops/d…
    https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/thornlands/desktops/dell-opt…

  • shaybisc on 30/10/2023 - 08:21

    This bloke is an excellent mini pc reviewer.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_6u5Lxv88I

    • AustriaBargain on 30/10/2023 - 08:31

      His number 1 has a better processor than my ageing gaming PC. And as much ram. Maybe that would be better value, cheaper too if you need to buy windows for the barebones Cubi 5 i7.

  • Lordsina on 30/10/2023 - 08:37

    Got this for 1000$ 10 days ago when it was on deal and been super happy with it, no issues so far and it is super stable and fast : https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CBSD24D8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_…

  • mrkorrupt on 30/10/2023 - 08:57
    -2

    why do they have to be tiny?
    how fast? what do you expect?
    Every computer will stay the same speed, as long as it maintained properly and static.
    Eg. Clean the hardware and optimise the software and never update it, but that comes with security risks.
    essentially in a situation like this I will propose a few solutions,
    eg. Older Dell Micro Pc Optiplex (small cheap but older)
    eg. Normal small micro atx non proprietary system

    • AustriaBargain on 30/10/2023 - 09:16

      Very small office space. Fast, files open seemingly instantly, won’t slow down even if dozens of browser tabs open, things like that. And staff need to enjoy using it, if it feels like a chore then they won’t put themselves in the task.

      • mrkorrupt on 30/10/2023 - 09:24

        files open seemingly instantly <—- Network or Local?
        won’t slow down even if dozens of browser tabs open <—-16 - 24GB Ram
        And staff need to enjoy using it, if it feels like a chore then they won’t put themselves in the task. <—- thats a behavioural issue, work is work, want them to enjoy using the system, put games / things they like on it

      • Leo Getz on 30/10/2023 - 23:19

        So small footprint, cheap and cheerful, must be powerful enough to not cost wages due to low productivity as a result of slow hardware performance, opens files instantly, capable of dozens of open browser tabs.

        When you find it, buy the exclusive worldwide license, market the hell out of it and make a bazzilion dollaridoos.
        Then you can buy that unicorn you always wanted.

        Please tell me this business is NOT involved in tech in any way.

        • AustriaBargain on 30/10/2023 - 23:26

          Nah, food. It's so old it predates home computers. They only recently transitioned from pen and paper to accounting inventory and make schedule for everything to Excel. When the business was started they had to phone suppliers up and order stuff, but staff have been ordering stuff online for many years now.

          • Leo Getz on 30/10/2023 - 23:44

            @AustriaBargain: ok, restaurant/cafe or manufacturer of finished goods like cakes, biscuits, etc?

            As a business that has been running for many decades 'the business' seems to be well run if it has lasted all this time and will hopefully continue to do so. As a business the owners should treat tech as part of the business and seek advice from the right people of how tech can support and improve the business. It's not just buying a couple of $200 micro PCs as others have (and have not) mentioned; backups, data storage, servers, connectivity, software and licensing, printing, etc.
            Given the recent transition to accounting software staff training on computer usage and MS Office would be worthwhile.

            • AustriaBargain on 31/10/2023 - 00:07

              @Leo Getz: I've already moved their files to OneDrive at least, so there are backups and versions of backups of individual files. Training would be worthwhile. I spent who knows how long figuring out why number cells changed to date cells sometimes, only to find out that's just how Excel works when you mistype a number. The cell formatting is locked to staff so they can't change it back themselves. I thought data validation, whole numbers only, would solve it but it happened again somehow. But the amount of times it happens has gone down at least. Apparently this is a grievance a lot of people have with Excel. Just one of those annoying things.

              The printer surprisingly has been solid as a rock, they bought good ones that you'd find in small/medium sized offices. Accounting is all done on the owner's laptop, which I don't involve myself with, except troubleshooting random things from time to time.

    • Presence on 30/10/2023 - 10:18
      +1

      How is NOT updating software supposed to make your PC run faster?

      • mrkorrupt on 30/10/2023 - 16:01
        -3

        is this a serious question.

        If the software of size x stays size x it will be handled faster then software of size x + y (updates)

        • Presence on 30/10/2023 - 20:16
          +4

          Your understanding of how software works is just so wildly wrong its hard to even respond.

  • Noblejoker on 30/10/2023 - 09:53

    As suggested by a couple of people - get a sff refurb
    There will be plenty in the $300 range that will last 3 years at 1/3 the price
    All the ex-lease machines on the market make prices low and you are already ok at swapping out ram and hdd if needed
    I would think you could get both for under $1K for tiny machines or under $800 for sff

  • sprocketoctopus on 30/10/2023 - 10:21

    Personally I would buy a couple of Intel NUC's. Sadly they have sold that side of the business to ASUS, but they (Asus) claim that they will continue the same quality/look/packaging. But they are still available everywhere.

    I have installed many for clients, and they are very reliable and warranty is excellent (3 years - I had one failing/overheating at 2 years and 11 months, and they replaced it no questions asked).

    Downside is that they are pricey (unless you buy a lower powered celeron) compared to some of the others - but similar in price to Lenovo/Dell SFF PC's.

    Personally for your use case, I'd go 11th/12th Gen i5/16GB RAM/500GB|1TB SSD (depending on how much data storage you need locally).

    Another gotcha point is if business are using multi monitors. It can be done, but you may need to use USB-C for multi monitor, again depending on what version you purchase

  • alexlim2000 on 30/10/2023 - 10:37
    +2

    A few thoughts here:
    - A computer as a business expense is different to wanting to do something on the cheap - have your family member understand that reliability will cost $. And loss of productivity due to downtime is $.
    - Intel has discontinued their NUC business - with Asus or another OEM taking over - if you're lucky you can get some 2nd hand for cheapcheap.

    • you don't necessarily need to go for the NUC type form factor, a microATX will likely suffice as well, and probably have better value parts and longevity.

    • If you're doing this as a favour to your family member, I hope you're prepared to provide IT support - I suggest you take some steps to make your life easier -
      a) Setup a backup system that involves synching key data to a google-drive or some other cloud storage.
      b) absolutely insist on some form of physical backup taken at least once a year - tell them this is like their yearly closing of accounts (accounting) process - at worst, they lose fin data for a year during a catastrophic failure.
      c) If your family member is serious about this being a work only machine - limit what programs can run and can be installed.
      d) trying to block youtube is a neverending battle - employees will always find a way. If you need to, block it at the router level. (Though I suggest provisioning a guest network with limited speed to give access to employees, but with limited speed to not impact work network throughput).
      e) if you can, insist on superglueing all front facing USB ports - a majority of issues you will have in the future will be employees trying to watch / install something they shouldnt.

  • pharkurnell on 30/10/2023 - 11:40

    Alll PC's will feel slow in 5 yrs time…

    also what will be the current software requirements in 5yrs time?

  • Mugsy on 30/10/2023 - 20:34

    Bing Lee had a sale on their intel nuc mini PCs about 2yrs ago around xmas (~$500-600 from memory) so I got one for mum and dad along with a cheapie 24" Samsung monitor, logitech speakers and kb/mouse. All up, well under $1k. It's quiet and still going strong.

    This seems to be their only one atm…

    https://www.binglee.com.au/products/nuc-12-pro-mini-pc-12th-…

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