Mini Pc with a fan

[Dan99]

I have had Mini Pc's which were fanless and the high CPU core temperatures were a deal breaker for me. They operated ok and streamed HD video well but the core temps were very high when doing that.

I just purchased a Barebones Mini PC which I recommend mainly because it has a fan and runs cool. It has other positive attributes too. It has a generation 8 CPU/GPU. It has 2 RAM slots (max. 16 GB), It will accommodate an SSD and a HD . The fan is a dual ball type so is quiet and should be durable. It is very small. The i3 and above version will stream 4K video (@30GHZ)

There are some cons however. A BIOS update is required to run Windows 10. There is no SD card slot, and the power is via adapter so one more cable to attach. An i5 CPU and above is required for really intensive applications.

I got the least expensive one (Intel Celeron 3205U CPU 1.5 GHZ dual core) at Newegg for just $109.99 after rebate. It is sold out there right now so I could not provide a link to it there. I am submitting the link to that one at Amazon below (read the reviews) it is $135 there. The i3, i5 versions are still available at both Newegg and Amazon for more money of course.

A 120 GB SSD is $41 and 4 GB RAM is $20. A Win 7 64 bit OS is $55. That put my total at $225 but I had an SSD and an OS so It came to just $130 for a great little desktop pc.

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Motherboa...F8&qid=1448905128&sr=1-1&keywords=msi+mini+pc

 

[Digerati]

and the power is via adapter so one more cable to attach.

??? How would you power it otherwise? Batteries? Even if the power supply was internal, you would still need a cable to connect it to the wall. At least with an adapter, the connector and wire are most likely smaller. And with an external adapter, its heat will be on the outside already, and not need to be expelled. That should help allow the fan to run slower, and quieter.

I would be curious what you think of the performance of that Celeron when you get it. What will be its primary purpose?

I for sure would put a SSD in it. No need to add to heat issues with a HD. And 8GB of RAM minimum.

 

[Dan99]

Yes of course you are right about the power cable. The adapter is not really a con after all. The 40 watt adapter is also a lot cheaper (than the PS in a tower) if a replacement were required. One reviewer says he measured 8 watts at idle.
You are right too that I do not actually have this unit in hand but will tomorrow. I will post results. It is reported to run cool but I am going to have statistics regarding CPU core temps soon.

I have simple requirements so 4 GB is all I have ever had in a pc. Still, it would be easy to add 4 GB more if I wish. Streaming HD video is the most demanding task I will be asking of this pc.

I am not certain that I will get away with using the OS which is currently on the SSD but I will report on that as well.

The Dual Core Celeron CPU is not extremely fast at 1.50 Ghz and the BIOS does not support over clocking so It will be interesting to compare it to my main system with a dual core CPU running at 3.2 Ghz. I do not expect to see much difference as I had a mini pc with the Atom CPU and was impressed with its speed. I will not be doing benchmark tests of the CPU.

 

[Digerati]

I am not certain that I will get away with using the OS which is currently on the SSD but I will report on that as well.

I don't understand. Why not?

 

[Dan99]

I kinda expect Microsoft to balk as the OS was OEM software. But I had no trouble using it on a new motherboard I just installed and on several SSD's. It might be ok but I will have my fingers crossed till I see it activated.

 

[Digerati]

Oh. I assumed you were buying a new license for this computer. Using an OEM license that came with or was purchased for another computer on this new computer is definitely illegal - whether the installation process allows it or not. So you need to buy a new license, or use one of the free Linux alternatives.

 

[Dan99]

Some of the OS software I have purchased was licensed for up to 5 pc's and some was for one only. It has been a long time since I bought the disk I referred to so I can not remember which it was and if it was for 5 how many pc's I had built with it. I will leave it up to Microsoft to keep count.

 

[Dan99]

Got it. Contrary to the reviews, it upgraded to Win 10 with no modification of BIOS and that is working great. It is just as fast as my other pc too. CPU core temps are 125 F. at idle and 130 F. streaming HD video according to Speccy.
It (Win 7) activated/validated but only after the auto phone call.
I noticed that Amazon raised their price $10. Merry Christmas.

 

[Trouble]

I noticed that Amazon raised their price $10. Merry Christmas.

I notice that quite often. Those so called deals for Black Friday / Christmas / whatever, that are actually no deals at all.
I think they actually raise their prices so they can offer you discounts and coupons to make you think you're getting a deal, when you actually getting something else entirely.

 

[Dan99]

There is a saying "no photo, didn't happen".

 

[Dan99]

Here is one at Amazon now for$129 (the white one);

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-...e=UTF8&qid=1449282815&sr=1-43&keywords=msi+pc

 

[Dan99]

Update;
This little pc is working great. They are back in stock at Newegg for $129 with the $20 rebate. Here is a link;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=56-167-088