I swapped my $1,000 desktop for a $300 mini PC and remorse nothing

Earlier this 12 months, I impulse-bought a tiny, cheap desktop PC for analysis functions. I didn’t anticipate it to alter my complete computing setup.

However right here I’m now, utilizing the $319 Beelink SER5 Mini PC as my each day workhorse, powering an ultrawide 1440p 100Hz monitor and easily dealing with any productiveness process I’ve thrown at it. This little laptop has been so pleasant to make use of that I’ve relegated my full-sized desktop tower PC to the basement tv, the place it’s now serving completely as a gaming rig.

Take into account this a lesson on technological overkill. Exterior of some specialised use instances, the required compute energy for getting issues achieved is likely to be so much lower than you assume.

Additional studying: 5 causes to get a mini PC as a substitute of a laptop computer

Sizing up the mini PC

Beelink sells an array of miniature computer systems, however the one I purchased at present prices $319 with the next specs:

• AMD Ryzen 5 5825U processor
• 16GB of RAM (DDR4)
• 512GB of storage (M.2 NVMe)
• Home windows 11 Professional
• Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
• Entrance ports: Two USB-A 3.2, one USB-C, 3.5mm audio
• Rear ports: One USB-A 3.0, one USB-A 2.0, two HDMI 2.0, gigabit ethernet

Spec-wise, that is roughly on par with laptops within the $500 to $700 value vary, besides in fact you’ll have to produce your individual mouse, keyboard, and display screen. The 5×5-inch body is sufficiently small to select up with one hand, and it comes with VESA brackets for mounting the pc to the again of a monitor or tv.

Additional studying: One of the best screens we’ve examined

The Beelink SER5 additionally hides a neat function on its underside: Eradicating the underside plate reveals a slot for a 2.5-inch storage drive. I purchased a 1TB strong state drive to retailer all my OneDrive recordsdata regionally, and the PC acknowledged it with out problem. (The machine’s RAM and M.2 storage drive are upgradeable as effectively.)

Jared Newman / Foundry

The way it fares

Getting into, my plan was to briefly mess around with the SER5’s default Home windows 11 Professional set up earlier than going again to my common desktop for work. Even when I didn’t use the mini PC commonly, I figured it’d be helpful for experimenting with different working techniques corresponding to Linux or Chrome OS Flex.

In the long run, the transition to each day work was so seamless that I by no means went again to my previous laptop in any respect.

As a tech journalist, my work usually includes writing in Obsidian, chatting in Slack with colleagues (and my e-newsletter readers), juggling a number of dozen browser tabs in Courageous, and attending video calls in Zoom or Google Meet. The Beelink SER5 dealt with all these duties with out ever noticeably slowing down, and it’s a lot quieter than the full-sized desktop I’d been utilizing earlier than.

I threw some extra bold duties on the mini PC as effectively, corresponding to digitizing some previous VHS tapes, recording streaming video sources through PlayOn Dwelling, and working a Plex media server. Even with Plex’s business detection and PlayOn’s recording engine working within the background, I continued to work with none noticeable efficiency setbacks.

And whereas built-in Radeon graphics aren’t any match for a devoted graphics card, the Beelink SER5 has fared effectively as a low-end gaming machine. Yakuza Kiwami runs at a clean 60 frames per second on excessive settings at 1080p, and each Fortnite and the post-apocalyptic cat simulator Stray are playable at 1080p with framerates nearer to 30 frames per second. I’ve additionally used it to play less-demanding video games such because the Quake II remaster and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, whereas leaning on Nvidia’s GeForce Now for extra intensive fare.

All this led to a realization that my hulking desktop PC was simply losing area whereas additionally being excessively loud and energy-intensive, and after a pair weeks I moved it out of my workplace for good. I gave it a manufacturing facility reset, configured it completely for gaming within the basement, and now solely flip it on as wanted.

Lesson realized

Jared Newman / Foundry

When purchasing for computer systems, it’s at all times tempting to purchase for each potential use case, each actual and perceived, now and sooner or later.

The $319 Beelink SER5 is a reminder that we’ve reached some extent of diminishing returns for many computing use instances. Regardless of having only a mid-range processor (one designed for laptops, at that), I used to be by no means wanting for extra energy or wishing I’d splurged on a pricier laptop.

However principally, I’m simply completely satisfied to have a quieter workplace and a greater place for the gaming PC that after occupied it.

This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech recommendation e-newsletter. Join to study new tech methods each Tuesday.