6 ms·

Now please get some proper high-end laptops (HiDPI, 32GB, TB3) and a NUC clone that can be used as a SteamBox.

by bitL 7y ago

a012 7y ago
It may take forever for a vendor to make a Mini PC like NUC which is comparable with AMD CPUs. I assume the chicken and egg problem here because the market is small and Intel NUC is already well established.
- gowld 7y ago
  It could take as long as -1 years. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecosystem-Ryzen-embedded-R1000-V1000 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecos...
  - a012 7y ago
    I saw but most of them have different targets than consumers, so still no.
- Already__Taken 7y ago
  They seem to be coming https://www.asrockind.com/overview.asp?Model=4X4%20BOX-R1000V https://www.asrockind.com/overview.asp?Model=4X4%20BOX-R1000...
- aeyes 7y ago
  ZOTAC has been selling AMD based Mini PCs for a while, I don't see why they shouldn't make one based on this new CPU: https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/all?processor=AMD https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/all?processor=AMD
  - bitL 7y ago
    Zotac has a better Ryzen-based computer in their Magnus line with a proper GPU though...
- nottorp 7y ago
  Whats so mini about those NUCs when the power bricks for them have become larger than the actual computer?
  - bitL 7y ago
    The large NUCs are kinda weird I agree (I treat them as a stretch from Intel), but the small-sized ones are super cool.
    - nottorp 7y ago
      The small sized ones are the ones with a power brick larger than the actual computer :)
      - bitL 7y ago
        Mine have quite small power bricks. Which one do you have?
gowld 7y ago
Ahem, "Mini PC" please. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecosystem-Ryzen-embedded-R1000-V1000 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecos...
mikepurvis 7y ago
Is there a lot of advantage in the ultra compact form factor when a GPU is in play? I feel like you'd end up with all the same nuisances as trying to game on a laptop— especially thermal problems, lack of upgradability, and lower-powered "mobile" CPU and GPU options. Quite apart from that, the NUCs are not exactly cheap. Gaming-ready ones can be $1000+, for which you can build a very decently specced MiniITX rig around a real desktop graphics card.
- bitL 7y ago
  One of my recent MacBooks with i7-8569U is quite capable of gaming in 1280x800 (it looks good as it matches retina downscaling) in the usual Feral/Aspyr ports of games (on Mojave ofc, Catalina killed them off). AMD APUs should be even better, likely allowing 1080p gaming in mid-to-high details which could be good enough for many casual gamers.
  - mikepurvis 7y ago
    Oh yeah, it's certainly possible. I'm on a Dell XPS 9570 with a discrete GPU and I can play most stuff I've tried at the native 1080p. That's mostly indies and EGS freebies, but some of them definitely still give the GPU a workout, and in those cases I absolutely experience screaming fans, frame drops, etc, even when giving lots of clearance to the fan inlets. I get the impression that the GPU in this computer is much more intended for CAD, video processing, light AI work, etc than the kind of 100% duty cycle loading that running a game demands.
- chrisseaton 7y ago
  > Is there a lot of advantage in the ultra compact form factor when a GPU is in play? Yes - most people don't have a lot of space for gadgets and things. Look at the advertising for Google's Stadia - it's partly that you don't need a console taking up space in your living room. Most people never upgrade so don't care about that.
  - WhatIsDukkha 7y ago
    What do you even mean by this? A slightly larger box that can fit a discrete gpu is suddenly "gadgets"? The core reality is that if you don't have much space you don't have space for a barely functioning lump of a machine that only does excel spreadsheets and plays games only slightly better then a smartphone? (oh but the useless computer does instagram nice in a staged apartment/suburban mcmansion) Most people should probably start with something that might grow with them a little better so that every time they try something new it isn't a stuttery (thermal throttling, no gpu) awful experience. I think the upside down thinking you are displaying here is how Apple has managed to completely hollow out their gaming and technical workstation sales...
phkahler 7y ago
>> a NUC clone that can be used as a SteamBox. It's not quite that small but you might like this: https://github.com/phkahler/mellori_ITX https://github.com/phkahler/mellori_ITX It's Also available on thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3262778 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3262778 Uses an ITX board but is 190x195x60mm. I'm waiting for the next gen APUs to pick a new board and do another iteration. Where are the 4000 series APUs?
- paulmd 7y ago
  Not a huge fan of 3D printed cases since they will probably not do super great with the heat over time. If you like this form factor, check out the mini-box M350 or the Velka Velcase 3. The Velcase 3 has the interesting advantage that it can just use straight-up discrete GPUs (mITX style shorty cards) so you can just use a normal 3700X and say a 2070 or similar. Yes, the lack of a socketed version of the new APUs was kind of disappointing, as was the lack of a B550 launch to support PCIe 4.0 on a cheaper board without a chipset fan. Hopefully these follow sometime in the future but we may have to wait for computex.
  - phkahler 7y ago
    >> Not a huge fan of 3D printed cases since they will probably not do super great with the heat over time. If you like this form factor, check out the mini-box M350 or the Velka Velcase 3. I can see that. The original Mellori has been running over a year with no issues. The plastic is mostly 3mm thick, and the cooling solution covers most of the inside surface. It's my development machine, so it doesn't work as hard as gaming would push it. Compiling code will max all 8 threads for a minute or two, but the fan doesn't even spin up all the way. >> the lack of a B550 launch to support PCIe 4.0 on a cheaper board without a chipset fan Yeah, I was looking at the Aorus x570. It looks like the fan is attached to a NVME cooler. I could probably remove that and put a passive heat sink on. The case has good airflow right across that area when there's no GFX card in the slot - air has to go around the edges of the board and out the bottom. With an APU the only use for PCIe 4.0 is for the M.2 slots which are pretty fast even with 3.0. I'm also considering the Aorus B450I as a much cheaper alternative. I've also considered having it printed from metal.
thebruce87m 7y ago
I’ve got a DeskMini system with a 3400G. 1.9 Litres + a power brick is manageable under a TV.

Now please get some proper high-end laptops (HiDPI, 32GB, TB3) and a NUC clone that can be used as a SteamBox.

by bitL 7y ago

Now please get some proper high-end laptops (HiDPI, 32GB, TB3) and a NUC clone that can be used as a SteamBox.

a012 7y ago

It may take forever for a vendor to make a Mini PC like NUC which is comparable with AMD CPUs. I assume the chicken and egg problem here because the market is small and Intel NUC is already well established.

gowld 7y ago
It could take as long as -1 years. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecosystem-Ryzen-embedded-R1000-V1000 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecos...
- a012 7y ago
  I saw but most of them have different targets than consumers, so still no.
Already__Taken 7y ago
They seem to be coming https://www.asrockind.com/overview.asp?Model=4X4%20BOX-R1000V https://www.asrockind.com/overview.asp?Model=4X4%20BOX-R1000...
aeyes 7y ago
ZOTAC has been selling AMD based Mini PCs for a while, I don't see why they shouldn't make one based on this new CPU: https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/all?processor=AMD https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/all?processor=AMD
- bitL 7y ago
  Zotac has a better Ryzen-based computer in their Magnus line with a proper GPU though...
nottorp 7y ago
Whats so mini about those NUCs when the power bricks for them have become larger than the actual computer?
- bitL 7y ago
  The large NUCs are kinda weird I agree (I treat them as a stretch from Intel), but the small-sized ones are super cool.
  - nottorp 7y ago
    The small sized ones are the ones with a power brick larger than the actual computer :)
    - bitL 7y ago
      Mine have quite small power bricks. Which one do you have?

gowld 7y ago

Ahem, "Mini PC" please. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecosystem-Ryzen-embedded-R1000-V1000 https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-mini-pc-intel-nuc-ecos...

mikepurvis 7y ago

Is there a lot of advantage in the ultra compact form factor when a GPU is in play? I feel like you'd end up with all the same nuisances as trying to game on a laptop— especially thermal problems, lack of upgradability, and lower-powered "mobile" CPU and GPU options. Quite apart from that, the NUCs are not exactly cheap. Gaming-ready ones can be $1000+, for which you can build a very decently specced MiniITX rig around a real desktop graphics card.

bitL 7y ago
One of my recent MacBooks with i7-8569U is quite capable of gaming in 1280x800 (it looks good as it matches retina downscaling) in the usual Feral/Aspyr ports of games (on Mojave ofc, Catalina killed them off). AMD APUs should be even better, likely allowing 1080p gaming in mid-to-high details which could be good enough for many casual gamers.
- mikepurvis 7y ago
  Oh yeah, it's certainly possible. I'm on a Dell XPS 9570 with a discrete GPU and I can play most stuff I've tried at the native 1080p. That's mostly indies and EGS freebies, but some of them definitely still give the GPU a workout, and in those cases I absolutely experience screaming fans, frame drops, etc, even when giving lots of clearance to the fan inlets. I get the impression that the GPU in this computer is much more intended for CAD, video processing, light AI work, etc than the kind of 100% duty cycle loading that running a game demands.
chrisseaton 7y ago
> Is there a lot of advantage in the ultra compact form factor when a GPU is in play? Yes - most people don't have a lot of space for gadgets and things. Look at the advertising for Google's Stadia - it's partly that you don't need a console taking up space in your living room. Most people never upgrade so don't care about that.
- WhatIsDukkha 7y ago
  What do you even mean by this? A slightly larger box that can fit a discrete gpu is suddenly "gadgets"? The core reality is that if you don't have much space you don't have space for a barely functioning lump of a machine that only does excel spreadsheets and plays games only slightly better then a smartphone? (oh but the useless computer does instagram nice in a staged apartment/suburban mcmansion) Most people should probably start with something that might grow with them a little better so that every time they try something new it isn't a stuttery (thermal throttling, no gpu) awful experience. I think the upside down thinking you are displaying here is how Apple has managed to completely hollow out their gaming and technical workstation sales...

phkahler 7y ago

>> a NUC clone that can be used as a SteamBox. It's not quite that small but you might like this: https://github.com/phkahler/mellori_ITX https://github.com/phkahler/mellori_ITX It's Also available on thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3262778 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3262778 Uses an ITX board but is 190x195x60mm. I'm waiting for the next gen APUs to pick a new board and do another iteration. Where are the 4000 series APUs?

paulmd 7y ago
Not a huge fan of 3D printed cases since they will probably not do super great with the heat over time. If you like this form factor, check out the mini-box M350 or the Velka Velcase 3. The Velcase 3 has the interesting advantage that it can just use straight-up discrete GPUs (mITX style shorty cards) so you can just use a normal 3700X and say a 2070 or similar. Yes, the lack of a socketed version of the new APUs was kind of disappointing, as was the lack of a B550 launch to support PCIe 4.0 on a cheaper board without a chipset fan. Hopefully these follow sometime in the future but we may have to wait for computex.
- phkahler 7y ago
  >> Not a huge fan of 3D printed cases since they will probably not do super great with the heat over time. If you like this form factor, check out the mini-box M350 or the Velka Velcase 3. I can see that. The original Mellori has been running over a year with no issues. The plastic is mostly 3mm thick, and the cooling solution covers most of the inside surface. It's my development machine, so it doesn't work as hard as gaming would push it. Compiling code will max all 8 threads for a minute or two, but the fan doesn't even spin up all the way. >> the lack of a B550 launch to support PCIe 4.0 on a cheaper board without a chipset fan Yeah, I was looking at the Aorus x570. It looks like the fan is attached to a NVME cooler. I could probably remove that and put a passive heat sink on. The case has good airflow right across that area when there's no GFX card in the slot - air has to go around the edges of the board and out the bottom. With an APU the only use for PCIe 4.0 is for the M.2 slots which are pretty fast even with 3.0. I'm also considering the Aorus B450I as a much cheaper alternative. I've also considered having it printed from metal.

thebruce87m 7y ago

I’ve got a DeskMini system with a 3400G. 1.9 Litres + a power brick is manageable under a TV.