7 ms·

Mintbox Mini Pro

91 points by eth0up 10y ago

jaytaylor 10y ago
I love the specs. Too bad it's a jaw dropping $400.
- lucb1e 10y ago
  I don't think the price is "jaw dropping". It could probably have been produced a little cheaper with some compromises but I don't think you can get these components for much less without cutting back on RAM speed or another spec that is often forgotten.
  - mbfg 10y ago
    Unless you are dying for this tiny form factor, you can get a significantly better machine for less money. Surprisingly the machine is for industrial use, which you pay for, and which likely, you don't want.
    - lucb1e 10y ago
      > Unless you are dying for this tiny form factor, you can get a significantly better machine for less money. Sure, that's like the laptop vs desktop debate. Of course desktops are a lot cheaper for the same performance, but they're also a lot bigger.
- mwfunk 10y ago
  I was impressed with the price given the specs and the design. I'm not aware of anything equivalent that's much cheaper than this.
  - mbfg 10y ago
    an i3 will blow this chip away. You can get a better spec'ed machine with one for ~350
woodruffw 10y ago
Not a bad price for 802.11ac, 8GB RAM, an SSD, and a higher-end AMD APU. Considering that it's all that and only draws 4.5W, I'm very impressed. Does anybody have any experience with the Mintbox Mini? Is it easy to upgrade, both in terms of hardware and software?
- lucb1e 10y ago
  Given the size I expect a lot of stuff is integrated. The first thing you'd want to upgrade is the CPU anyway, since that is by far the slowest component in this setup. Nevertheless, I really like the thing for its other specs. I'm also impressed by the specs you get for that price at that size.
  - woodruffw 10y ago
    Yeah, I suppose that's the cost of the form factor. It looks like the RAM is installed in a standard 204-pin SO-DIMM [0], so that might be upgradeable. Then again, it looks like they only "support" a maximum of 8GB, so who knows. [0]: http://www.fit-pc.com/web/products/mintbox/mintbox-specifications/ http://www.fit-pc.com/web/products/mintbox/mintbox-specifica...
gravypod 10y ago
This is all you really need for steam streaming for anyone interested in that. I'm currently on an AMD 5350 APU with an NVIDIA host system
lucb1e 10y ago
I love the specs (and the price) except one: that CPU. I bought a computer like six years ago that had an Intel Q9400, which was mid- to high-range then. Since then the computer has gotten old and I stopped using it three years ago. The main slow components are the HDD and CPU. It wasn't even a high-range CPU to begin with, just slightly above average. Yet that Q9400 has a Passmark benchmark score twice as high as this AMD A10-Micro. That is a dealbreaker. I expect passive cooling is the reason for the underpowered CPU. While passive cooling is nice, having a smartphone-grade CPU is not worth it.
- gravypod 10y ago
  It depends on what you are using the CPU for. For someone like you and me, running IDEs and doing heavy web tasks, this is probably not good enough. For running spread sheets, face book, and youtube this is more then enough. Also, I'll take that computer off you. I'll turn it into a FreeNAS/webserver haha.
  - lucb1e 10y ago
    I am still looking to buy a new web server and am purposely not using that old desktop because it's such a power monster compared to an old laptop or so. It has a 500W PSU and while its idle/average power usage is probably more like 200W, that is still extremely inefficient.
    - gravypod 10y ago
      Well then you can use it as a house warmer. Put it in your room and use it as a space heater.
      - lucb1e 10y ago
        I'm not there 24/7, so that's a waste of power too unfortunately. And turning it on when I'm there makes it into a shitty server, better use a heat pump then.
  - jimmies 10y ago
babygetoboy 10y ago
I'm actually thinking of purchasing it, for use as a javascript development and learning rig with other languages, would this be appropriate? Any other better rigs?
- milankragujevic 10y ago
  Build a A10-7850K, 16GB RAM, 250 GB Samsung 750 EVO SSD, Some A68H-based motherboard, preferably not from MSI (I had bad experiences with three different MSI boards and cooling control), a 1TB WD Blue (Green no longer exists) and some case with a built in 500W PSU. Will be the same price of $400, but will be MUCH MUCH more powerful, you can even play games on it, and will be upgrade-able and last you at least 5 years.
- deleted 10y ago
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- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- adultSwim 10y ago
  Go for it. Will be fine for javascript.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
awalton 10y ago
And I'd buy this over a NUC... wait, why would I ever buy this over a NUC?
- collyw 10y ago
  It comes with Linux preinstalled. Not a NUC, but I bought a Gigabyte Brix and put Linux on it. I tried a few versions and can't fine one to get everything working (currently on Manjaro and bluetooth doesn't see anything, wifi was dodgy on other disrtos). Also involved downgrading to an older kernel to stop it crashing regularly.

Mintbox Mini Pro

91 points by eth0up 10y ago

jaytaylor 10y ago

I love the specs. Too bad it's a jaw dropping $400.

lucb1e 10y ago
I don't think the price is "jaw dropping". It could probably have been produced a little cheaper with some compromises but I don't think you can get these components for much less without cutting back on RAM speed or another spec that is often forgotten.
- mbfg 10y ago
  Unless you are dying for this tiny form factor, you can get a significantly better machine for less money. Surprisingly the machine is for industrial use, which you pay for, and which likely, you don't want.
  - lucb1e 10y ago
    > Unless you are dying for this tiny form factor, you can get a significantly better machine for less money. Sure, that's like the laptop vs desktop debate. Of course desktops are a lot cheaper for the same performance, but they're also a lot bigger.
mwfunk 10y ago
I was impressed with the price given the specs and the design. I'm not aware of anything equivalent that's much cheaper than this.
- mbfg 10y ago
  an i3 will blow this chip away. You can get a better spec'ed machine with one for ~350

woodruffw 10y ago

Not a bad price for 802.11ac, 8GB RAM, an SSD, and a higher-end AMD APU. Considering that it's all that and only draws 4.5W, I'm very impressed. Does anybody have any experience with the Mintbox Mini? Is it easy to upgrade, both in terms of hardware and software?

lucb1e 10y ago
Given the size I expect a lot of stuff is integrated. The first thing you'd want to upgrade is the CPU anyway, since that is by far the slowest component in this setup. Nevertheless, I really like the thing for its other specs. I'm also impressed by the specs you get for that price at that size.
- woodruffw 10y ago
  Yeah, I suppose that's the cost of the form factor. It looks like the RAM is installed in a standard 204-pin SO-DIMM [0], so that might be upgradeable. Then again, it looks like they only "support" a maximum of 8GB, so who knows. [0]: http://www.fit-pc.com/web/products/mintbox/mintbox-specifications/ http://www.fit-pc.com/web/products/mintbox/mintbox-specifica...

gravypod 10y ago

This is all you really need for steam streaming for anyone interested in that. I'm currently on an AMD 5350 APU with an NVIDIA host system

lucb1e 10y ago

I love the specs (and the price) except one: that CPU. I bought a computer like six years ago that had an Intel Q9400, which was mid- to high-range then. Since then the computer has gotten old and I stopped using it three years ago. The main slow components are the HDD and CPU. It wasn't even a high-range CPU to begin with, just slightly above average. Yet that Q9400 has a Passmark benchmark score twice as high as this AMD A10-Micro. That is a dealbreaker. I expect passive cooling is the reason for the underpowered CPU. While passive cooling is nice, having a smartphone-grade CPU is not worth it.

gravypod 10y ago
It depends on what you are using the CPU for. For someone like you and me, running IDEs and doing heavy web tasks, this is probably not good enough. For running spread sheets, face book, and youtube this is more then enough. Also, I'll take that computer off you. I'll turn it into a FreeNAS/webserver haha.
- lucb1e 10y ago
  I am still looking to buy a new web server and am purposely not using that old desktop because it's such a power monster compared to an old laptop or so. It has a 500W PSU and while its idle/average power usage is probably more like 200W, that is still extremely inefficient.
  - gravypod 10y ago
    Well then you can use it as a house warmer. Put it in your room and use it as a space heater.
    - lucb1e 10y ago
      I'm not there 24/7, so that's a waste of power too unfortunately. And turning it on when I'm there makes it into a shitty server, better use a heat pump then.
- jimmies 10y ago

babygetoboy 10y ago

I'm actually thinking of purchasing it, for use as a javascript development and learning rig with other languages, would this be appropriate? Any other better rigs?

milankragujevic 10y ago
Build a A10-7850K, 16GB RAM, 250 GB Samsung 750 EVO SSD, Some A68H-based motherboard, preferably not from MSI (I had bad experiences with three different MSI boards and cooling control), a 1TB WD Blue (Green no longer exists) and some case with a built in 500W PSU. Will be the same price of $400, but will be MUCH MUCH more powerful, you can even play games on it, and will be upgrade-able and last you at least 5 years.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
adultSwim 10y ago
Go for it. Will be fine for javascript.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

awalton 10y ago

And I'd buy this over a NUC... wait, why would I ever buy this over a NUC?

collyw 10y ago
It comes with Linux preinstalled. Not a NUC, but I bought a Gigabyte Brix and put Linux on it. I tried a few versions and can't fine one to get everything working (currently on Manjaro and bluetooth doesn't see anything, wifi was dodgy on other disrtos). Also involved downgrading to an older kernel to stop it crashing regularly.