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Ok so our old 2011 Mac Mini is near the end. The latest OS (forget which one) it can install is on the verge of not being supported by my works remote desktop software so it's time to upgrade.
Mac's are expensive and this computer will only really be used for remoting into work (lots of wfh recently!), youtube, basic office docs, printing bits and bobs and possibly for the kids school work now they are reaching school age. We have a recent MacBook in the house (wife and I both wfh) and part of me thinks a windows machine might be good to have a Windows machine in the house so as the kids get older they can be familiar with both.
So my requirements are:
- I'm keen to get something decent spec that has a chance of lasting ~10 years like the mac mini did
- Ideally reasonably small form factor so it can sit on the desk rather than below
- SSD but don't need loads of storage (250-500gb i reckon)
- Support for 2 screens if possible (guess that means 2 hdmi ports?)
- 8gb RAM at a minimum...maybe i should pony up and get 16GB to future proof?
So i have a pretty good idea what i need. WHat i'm not sure about is processors...what do i need?
I had a search on past threads and this came up:
https://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/range/novatechlifenui27.html
Any good? With windows 10 homes it comes in at £570, a lot cheaper than a mac mini.
It comes with 9th Gen i5 processor versus 8th Gen i3 on the cheapest mac mini...is there much difference? What should i be looking for in the processor?
Any other alternatives I should look at?
I'd suggest any i5 or Ryzen 5/7 will be fine for the next 10 years, I find it's the lower i3 that stuggle with time (maybe less so now, than the original ones but..), and do not suggest anything less than a i3!
Other wise you spec seems fine, just confirm the device's memory can be upgraded (they like to solder it on now - but they one you linked can be)
The SFF (small form factor or short fat ****er) is a nice size but you also get the intel NUC sized desktops like:
https://www.ebuyer.com/store/Components/cat/Barebones/subcat/Barebones
((Bear in mind, those systems come without an OS)
The Intel NUCs (Next Unit of Computing) are pretty similar to the Mac Minis but they are available with a massive range of specs. They aren't particularly cheap, but the small size is great. I have an old Gigabyt Brix, which is similar, but noisy. You need to check the specs on each model, and see what is upgradeable - generally the CPU won't be upgradeable, but RAM and SDD should be.
ASUS do some mini PC's too
Mac Minis from £798...
https://www.jigsaw24.com/apple/mac/mac-mini?
And if it's a requirement for work can you buy one through them and at least get the VAT back?
ASUS do some mini PC’s too
Their listed on that link above, mixed in with the intel NUC's.
I've been using an 8th Gen i5 NUC w/8gb ram and an NVMe SSD for the past year and I'd really recommend one, though Chrome is a bit of a memory hog at times.
I've got HyperV installed running a few virtual machines on it and it gets used for the odd session on Ableton and not run into any speed issues with either.
I have the Intel 10th Gen i7 NUC. They're a nice bit of kit, and I'm certainly happy with mine but you pay the Intel tax for them. Certainly not cheap for the newest models by the time you've kitted them out with RAM, NVME m.2 etc.
Dual display would need pretty decent monitors or some kind of adapter, since they have 1x HDMI and 1xDP via USB-C. I think if you're running daisy chained DP monitors then you just need 1 USB-DP cable. Else you need one via HDMI and another with USB-C to HDMI/DP/whatever.
USB-3 ports are a bit thin too, so I'd recommend monitor with a USB3 hub too, unless you'll never need to connect anything more than mouse, keyboard and 1 USB stick. Oh and all NUC type SFF PCs have audio out on the front, so you'll be wanting to make sure the monitor can handle audio over HDMI/DP and connect the speakers there.
Now if only AMD made a Ryzen NUC to the exact same dimensions and build quality as Intel, with a 7nm CPU/GPU rather then 14nm...
Worth having a look on the Dell website (new or outlet) for an Optiflex 3070/5070/7070 Micro Form factor model, or on the Lenovo website for a ThinkCentre Tiny desktop model (look in the "sale" section on their website, and take advantage of 10% first time purchase and/or educational discounts).
Thanks tonyplum.
Dell have a Optiflex 7070, 16gb ram, 9th gen i7 with 2 display port slots for £595. Seems like it might be the one.
I'll likely get £150-200 for the mac mini on ebay so net cost will only be £400.
Any reason not to go for this option?
If that's from the Dell outlet store then worth noting that the quoted prices are usually ex VAT, and check the written specification carefully - what they show in the picture (in terms of things like DVD drives) might not be included in a particular variant. I purchased a "Certified refurbished" 3050 Micro Form Factor from the outlet store a year or so ago - couldn't tell that it wasn't brand new/unused, and has so far been 100% reliable.
worth noting that the quoted prices are usually ex VAT
Good spot...thats added a bit of budget creep! might need to trim the spec a bit...
If you're happy with a small case (8 litres - about shoebox size) then look at the Lenovo ThinkCentre 75s-1 range on their Education site (should be able to sign up for this if you have children) - Ryzen 5 Pro 3400G, 16Gb RAM, 512Gb SSD, DVD-RW and 3 yr warranty for £536 inc VAT . . . and you might get a bit more off when you register on the Education site (they normally send a 10% off first purchase code within a day of registering) . . . which would bring the price down to <£500, or may sneak the next model up (Ryzen Pro 3700 - which absolutely flies) into budget. Case is big enough to swap in a better graphics card (for gaming) somewhere down the line.
ThinkCentre 75s-1 range on their Education site (should be able to sign up for this if you have children) – Ryzen 5 Pro 3400G, 16Gb RAM, 512Gb SSD, DVD-RW and 3 yr warranty for £536 inc VAT . . . and you might get a bit more off when you register on the Education site (they normally send a 10% off first purchase code within a day of registering) . . . which would bring the price down to <£500
Do you have a link to the 'education site'? Cheapest I can see the spec you mention above is £669 inc vat??