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If the noise factor isn't a concern. For me it is, so I'll stick to Intel NUCs (until a good AMD alternative comes along).
by dade_ 7y ago
If the noise factor isn't a concern. For me it is, so I'll stick to Intel NUCs (until a good AMD alternative comes along).
- simlevesque 7y agoI have a Dell Xeon with passive cooling, no sound.
- Theodores 7y agoJoin the club - and you can get refurbished NUCs. Mine is running silently right now and I reckon it is using a quarter of the 65W power available to it. The HP Z220 has a 400W power supply and I reckon it is probably using 200W right now. Silence is priceless. But, what if you can't afford silence? If the Z220 can be found in a skip then it comes for free. If you keep it for three years then it eats that much electricity (assuming daily usage) that it costs as much as a NUC. There are a lot of variables here, but I think that the Intel NUC option is just as good value as the Z220 if electricity is factored in and the Z220 is assumed to be free. It all comes down to whether you want to pay up front and save money on the electricity bills or have no up-front costs and pay extra electricity bills over time. In three years time, what would you prefer? I think the Z220 would be hard to rehome. The Intel NUC? I think it would make a nice set top box or hand-me-down for many people. If there were no takers and it had to be eBayed then the postage would be affordable to the buyer. I am not so sure the same could be said for the Z220. There is one final benefit to the NUC - a cleaner conscience when leaving it on. You know that you are not being overly greedy with one's carbon footprint.