MiniPC brilliant at €162


jimbo45

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Hi there
I just bought another minipc - these things are brilliant for what they are -- this one with an Amazon discount of €85 (That's why it's worth being a member of Amazon Prime -- not bothered about Prime video or music but FREE deliveries and often great coupons -- far better than the usual "Black Friday junk") cost was only €162 - with W11 PRO already included and 3.2 GHZ for the CPU - apart from the fact that the full retail cost of W11 pro is around the same value these boxes - with the 12th gen of Intel processor, 3X USB3, 2 or 3 4K UHD HDMI ports, fast Wifi, 2 LAN slots and fast DDR 4 RAM plus internal NVME M2 SSD type and small space to insert a classical 2.5 inch SSD drive if you want more internal storage - how can one complain. These things make brilliant file servers, NAS boxes (easy to install Linux on them BTW), Virtual Machine box, or whatever.

I'd even suggest if you have to buy a retail version of W11 PRO why not get one of these boxes -- extract the W11 proi and then flog the box to one of your mates.

I rarely use a laptop any more -- big clunky and heavy. I don't even use the HDMI cables any nore as I use now (also rarely mentioned - but can be had cheaply) HDMI Tx and Rx device pair - so no thick HDMI cables around and certainly no perceptable lag with the video.

OK you need to have your own keyboard, mouse and monitor - but I'd imagine most do anyway.

Really recommendable -- at least for typical workloads -- extreme gaming mighyt neet more "poke" thougħ. So probably for those people a "classical" gaming desktop or other specialized laptop might still be the order of the day.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
I'd even suggest if you have to buy a retail version of W11 PRO why not get one of these boxes -- extract the W11 proi and then flog the box to one of your mates.
Have you checked the install key it's using? I wouldn't be surprised if it's a MAK license.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Have you checked the install key it's using? I wouldn't be surprised if it's a MAK license.
All the Mini PCs I have gotten have been legit Win 11 Pro keys. First thing I do with any new Mini PC is make a backup disk image, export all the drivers, then reinstall Windows from scratch to make sure it activates properly. Never had an issue with that.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Kamrui Mini PC, Model CK10
    CPU
    Intel i5-12450H
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    PSU
    120W "Brick"
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Mechanical Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
All the Mini PCs I have gotten have been legit Win 11 Pro keys. First thing I do with any new Mini PC is make a backup disk image, export all the drivers, then reinstall Windows from scratch to make sure it activates properly. Never had an issue with that.
Just out of curiosity, what brand are your Mini PCs?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SAM0A87 Samsung SAM0D32
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    ESET Internet Security
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-S
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Hi there
I just bought another minipc - these things are brilliant for what they are -- this one with an Amazon discount of €85 (That's why it's worth being a member of Amazon Prime -- not bothered about Prime video or music but FREE deliveries and often great coupons -- far better than the usual "Black Friday junk") cost was only €162 - with W11 PRO already included and 3.2 GHZ for the CPU - apart from the fact that the full retail cost of W11 pro is around the same value these boxes - with the 12th gen of Intel processor, 3X USB3, 2 or 3 4K UHD HDMI ports, fast Wifi, 2 LAN slots and fast DDR 4 RAM plus internal NVME M2 SSD type and small space to insert a classical 2.5 inch SSD drive if you want more internal storage - how can one complain. These things make brilliant file servers, NAS boxes (easy to install Linux on them BTW), Virtual Machine box, or whatever.

I'd even suggest if you have to buy a retail version of W11 PRO why not get one of these boxes -- extract the W11 proi and then flog the box to one of your mates.

I rarely use a laptop any more -- big clunky and heavy. I don't even use the HDMI cables any nore as I use now (also rarely mentioned - but can be had cheaply) HDMI Tx and Rx device pair - so no thick HDMI cables around and certainly no perceptable lag with the video.

OK you need to have your own keyboard, mouse and monitor - but I'd imagine most do anyway.

Really recommendable -- at least for typical workloads -- extreme gaming mighyt neet more "poke" thougħ. So probably for those people a "classical" gaming desktop or other specialized laptop might still be the order of the day.

Cheers
jimbo
Have you got a link for it ?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Just out of curiosity, what brand are your Mini PCs?
Mine are mostly from the same group: AceMagic, AceMagician, Kamrui, and AOC. I have roughly 8 or 9 from them. I also have one MoreFine.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Kamrui Mini PC, Model CK10
    CPU
    Intel i5-12450H
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - Built-in Intel Graphics
    Sound Card
    Integrated
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 2TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB NVMe SSD
    1 x 4TB 2.5" SSD
    PSU
    120W "Brick"
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 Mechanical Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Just out of curiosity, what brand are your Mini PCs?
@Winuser

@SIW2
Similar sort of deal -- no tax (VAT) levied on "Educational items" here so a bit cheaper - mine were flown in from Germany. (Iceland in EEA so in customs union etc so no probs with getting stuff from EU without extra hold ups for paperwork - got 2 day delivery which is fine for that type of stuff as it's unlikely to be stored locally)/

NIPOGI ones - with N100 and N97 CPU's - The N97 is actually a faster GEN 12 celeron CPU than the N100 which was GEN 11 -- but that was the ist one -- I've got 3 now - very happy - they've replaced two old HP Gen8 servers (around 8 -10 years old) and occupy much less space and consume a fraction of the power.

I got 3 of the same brand as then I'd have no trouble with drivers, hardware,software variations - quite happy since the ist one I bought (the older one) has been running 24/7 for quite a while now without any problems - overheating not a problem either and really minimal noise too.

I have 2X RSTECH dual bay ports to attach older HDD's on them - they work perfectly OK with even large capacity HDD's (2X 16 TB drives) too.

The 3rd one I just use as a 2nd basic home pc -- it's 100% fine for daily tasks and runs a VM on it too. I have a laptop and an older desktop for special testing / other things --I'm not a gamer so these are just perfect. I can't understand why more of these aren't mentioned -- as well as HDMI wireless Transmitter / Receiver pair to minimize thick HDMI cable use. !!

And of course image the system before adding own apps / replacing the OS (a legit W11 PRO system) .

I use Linux on 2 of them with a Windows VM on each with Native Windows on the 3rd one. Installing Linux is easy enough - seems no problem with hardware either.

Very little discussion on these bit from my experience unless you are a serious gamer these tiny things are just great .

Incidentally there's a nice bracket supplied for some users who might like to bolt the thing to a monitor so they don't need to see it on a desk at all -- depends on your workload and requirements.

Cheers

jimbo
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
I rarely use a laptop any more -- big clunky and heavy. I don't even use the HDMI cables any nore as I use now (also rarely mentioned - but can be had cheaply) HDMI Tx and Rx device pair - so no thick HDMI cables around and certainly no perceptable lag with the video.
Even a miniPC is a bit heavy and awkward to lug from room to room! I use casting to send video to my TV
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    X-Lite Windows 11 Pro 24H2 OS build 26100.1457
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
Even a miniPC is a bit heavy and awkward to lug from room to room! I use casting to send video to my TV
Heavy ??? These things are small enough to fit into ONE HAND -- are you sure you are talking about the same devices.

Screenshot_20240914_114646.png

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
Well, you would also need the monitor, keyboard and mouse!:D:-);-)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    X-Lite Windows 11 Pro 24H2 OS build 26100.1457
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
Well, you would also need the monitor, keyboard and mouse!:D:-);-)
I*'d assume most would have those already !!!

Obviously if you haven''t got those then this isn't a solution but for loads who have those then this is a good deal. In any case a wireless mouse and keyboard combo costs peanuts so that's not normally a problem and it's only the monitor that might be an issue.


Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
But I like to move from room to room and love my lightweight, fanless laptop. Each to his own of course but I will never buy another computer that's not a laptop. I did love the tower computer I had has all the components could be accessed without tools.
I'm so pleased I figured out decades ago that all the components were made to standard sizes.
At one time my tower computer had two HDDs, a tape drive and two FDDs for easy copying. I later added a CD-RW device.
If I had a spare room I would buy a desktop just tp 'play' with all the options such as water cooling.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    X-Lite Windows 11 Pro 24H2 OS build 26100.1457
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
TVs these days have built-in browser and network streamer, what do you use the mini-PC for?
If you're upgrading an old TV, that is the way to go. Or android boxes.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Gaming Edge Wifi (X570)
    Memory
    32GB Adata XPG DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS GTX 1070 8GB ROG
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Main Boot Drive : 512GB Adata XPG RGB Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD
    PSU
    EVGA 600 Watts Gold
    Case
    Deepcool Genome II
    Cooling
    Deepcool Fryzen
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    "Moderna"
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-4790K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Xtreme6 Z97
    Memory
    16GB Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics card(s)
    MSI R9 290
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Ultrawide 34"
    Screen Resolution
    3440x1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung M.2
    PSU
    Thermaltake 475 Watts 80 Bronze
    Case
    Thermaltake Commander I Snow Edition
    Cooling
    Deep Cool Archer Air Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech G402
    Keyboard
    Armageddon MKA-5R RGB-Hornet
    Internet Speed
    1Gbps
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Moderna :)
I'd rather pull all my own teeth than use my TV's browser! There is no mouse, no proper keyboard; it's an exercise in self-flagellation.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    X-Lite Windows 11 Pro 24H2 OS build 26100.1457
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Swift SF114-34
    CPU
    Pentium Silver N6000 1.10GHz
    Memory
    4GB
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    SSD
    Cooling
    fanless
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot Secure Anywhere
    Other Info
    System 3

    ASUS T100TA Transformer
    Processor Intel Atom Z3740 @ 1.33GHz
    Installed RAM 2.00 GB (1.89 GB usable)
    System type 32-bit operating system, x64-based processor

    Edition Windows 10 Home
    Version 22H2 build 19045.3570
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.2506
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Mini 210-1090NR PC (bought in late 2009!)
    CPU
    Atom N450 1.66GHz
    Memory
    2GB
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    Webroot
I'd rather pull all my own teeth than use my TV's browser! There is no mouse, no proper keyboard; it's an exercise in self-flagellation.
Most built in TV apps are diabolical -- Even when Netflix and Amazon Prime is built in. I find installing KODI on the latest firestick which already has Netflic and Amazon installed and plugging the firestick into a TV's HDMI slot is light years faster than the built in apps on the TV. Kodi also allows me to stream content from remote computers or play video / music even from ripped DVD's without needing any multi-media server running on the remote machines -- just simple shared files via bog standard file sharing (windows) or SAMBA (SMB) if content is on a Linux remote NAS.

Note on the latest firesticks you have to do a little trick to enable sideloading of apps.

Here's a link to my post on how to do it :


Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
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