Mini PC or Laptop

Infinite

Member
Hi there,

I'm going to University soon, and I plan to game, but I'm not sure whether to get a mini PC or a laptop.
My main dilemma is the fact that I'm going to have to move out every holiday, and as a result need a somewhat portable rig.
Laptops are more expensive, heat up quicker but are more portable, and mini PCs are the opposite... but I'm worried about damaging the PC and monitor, unless there's some really good ways at protecting/transporting them.

Thanks!

(Will post duplicate on Laptops forum)
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
PCs can also be upgraded (especially the GPU) whereas laptops you can only get a new CPU or GPU by buying a whole new system.

There's no need (or advantage) to posting duplicates - 1 topic will do fine :)

What will you use the PC for? Any specific software or types of software (CAD, video editing with adobe premiere pro.. etc) and what sorts of games?

And what is your budget for the complete system including monitor, PC, keyboard, and mouse? (assuming you need all of those)
 

Infinite

Member
PCs can also be upgraded (especially the GPU) whereas laptops you can only get a new CPU or GPU by buying a whole new system.

There's no need (or advantage) to posting duplicates - 1 topic will do fine :)

What will you use the PC for? Any specific software or types of software (CAD, video editing with adobe premiere pro.. etc) and what sorts of games?

And what is your budget for the complete system including monitor, PC, keyboard, and mouse? (assuming you need all of those)

Thanks for the reply!

My budget is £2000 max, and I plan to use it mainly for the latest games and then also some light programming and game design.
And I did forget that PCs can be upgraded, are easier to maintain, and easier to fix/replace components... which is a major bonus.
I also plan to use my existing Keyboard and Mouse, which aren't too hard to transport, whether Mini PC or Laptop.
 
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Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
A laptop is probably more convenient, especially the less heavy ones like the Recoil chassis. However, if you decide to use an external monitor anyway (and a 24" screen is much nicer to use for productivity than 15.6" or 17.3" in my opinion) then it doesn't make your packing all that much easier.

You may want to take a laptop to lectures etc to take notes. But the more powerful laptops aren't particularly small or light - other than the Recoil which has a relatively audible mechanical keyboard (probably not going to endear you to classmates).

Also, you don't really need to spend £2k on a PC for your uses. You could easily get a powerful desktop, the requisite peripherals, and a cheap tablet to do light work on the go, and have change left over.


For a desktop potentially something like:

Case
FRACTAL DESIGN NODE 304 Mini ITX Case
Processor (CPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Six Core CPU (3.6GHz-4.25GHz/19MB CACHE/AM4)
Motherboard
Gigabyte B450 I AORUS PRO WIFI (DDR4, USB 3.1, 6Gb/s)
Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 2933MHz ~ (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
8GB AMD RADEON™ RX 580 - HDMI, 3 x DP - DX® 12
---Up to 2 Games FREE w/ select RADEON RX GPUs!
1[SUP]st[/SUP] Storage Drive
3TB SATA-III 3.5" HDD, 6GB/s, 7200RPM, 64MB CACHE
1[SUP]st[/SUP] M.2 SSD Drive
500GB WD Black™ M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3400MB/s R | 2500MB/s W)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
NOT REQUIRED
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W TXm SERIES™ SEMI-MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster MasterLiquid Lite 120 High Performance Liquid Cooler
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
GIGABIT LAN PORT + Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi excluded on H310I-PLUS)
USB/Thunderbolt Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Monitor
AOC G2590PX 24.5" 144Hz Gaming Monitor
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 7 to 9 working days

£1,406.00

(forum's not letting me post links to the specs right now but you can make it yourself here:
https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/computers/amd-sff-gaming/ )

You could pack it up pretty easily by just keeping the box PCS ship it to you in. If they ship it like they shipped mine, it's 1 big box, which has separate boxes and packing inside for the monitor and PC. I assume you or the parental units have a car to ferry items between A and B. You won't be easily carrying a PC and monitor on public transport.

Then get a very cheap, ultraportable laptop for taking notes and so forth in lectures. PCS do the Gemini which should fit that bill: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/gemini-II/ for £219

n.b. Windows 10 can whinge something rotten when doing upgrades on a 32gb system drive, there are ways around it like just downloading the media creation tool
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...c-budget/9158168e-54a2-4e9e-b6e7-784e7ace2469
 
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Infinite

Member
Thanks for the suggestion!

2k was the absolutely max but I was looking somewhere around 1.4 to 1.7, and in retrospect I should've said that.
The suggestion looks really good (and more sensible than what I was originally looking at), and you do make a good point about the external monitor.
Since I have quite a bit of time to think and stare at the specs, I'll eventually make a decision and come back here.

Also is 2933MHz Memory needed? I'm quite new to the whole customisation thing, so yeah.
And I'm curious about the model PCS use for the 3TB HDD.

Otherwise, thanks a load again for all the pointers!
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
It's not needed, in that that system will switch on with slower RAM, but it can offer significant performance gains especially with Ryzen CPUs and in some gaming, so is worth having. The price difference is relatively small, especially considering you'll keep the RAM for the lifetime of the PC. Unlike say the graphics card which you'll likely upgrade a couple of times over the years.

The HDD may be Seagate, Toshiba, or Hitachi. Any of which are fine.

When are you actually looking to get the system?
 

Infinite

Member
It's not needed, in that that system will switch on with slower RAM, but it can offer significant performance gains especially with Ryzen CPUs and in some gaming, so is worth having. The price difference is relatively small, especially considering you'll keep the RAM for the lifetime of the PC. Unlike say the graphics card which you'll likely upgrade a couple of times over the years.

The HDD may be Seagate, Toshiba, or Hitachi. Any of which are fine.

When are you actually looking to get the system?

I'll definitely consider a faster RAM in that case.

As for the system, I plan to get it around Spring-Summer time, which is probably ridiculously early, so I really just wanted to make the choice between Mini PC and Laptop at the moment; the specs are important, but can come later. It's also so I can start looking into solutions for transporting the monitor, and PC or laptop.

Looking at your earlier post, I am curious what box PCS use and what protective material it uses, etc.
And I do have a laptop currently, although an old one for basic notes and studying, but after I get the system I might look into a ultra-portable laptop.
 

Oussebon

Multiverse Poster
Okay, well, disregard everything in this thread because we have no idea what hardware will be available by the time you come to purchase. :) New CPUs and GPUs are expected out by the summer, which could shift what's best value etc. And what components PCS offer could change, affecting best value. It could be that laptops just offer so much worse performance per £ versus desktops that they're not worth considering by then, or vice versa (PCS sometimes only stock expensive mini ITX motherboards).

Planning a PC any more than a couple of weeks ahead of purchase is often not going to help much.

The box PCS used for my PC was a very heavy duty cardboard outer box, with robust boxes inside for the PC and monitor (monitor came in manufacturer-provided retail packaging), and folded cardboard to pad out any gaps so things don't slide around in transit. Within the box the PC had foam brackets to keep it in place and absorb shock. Inside the PC there is a foam insert to stop the CPU cooler and GPU wobbling during transport. Though I bought my PC in 2012, and a mini ITX PC might have a slightly different arrangement for all I know. You could call them and ask how they package the systems.

The point is that the original packaging is almost always going to be the easiest and most effective way to transport the PC
 
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Infinite

Member
Okay, well, disregard everything in this thread because we have no idea what hardware will be available by the time you come to purchase. :) New CPUs and GPUs are expected out by the summer, which could shift what's best value etc. And what components PCS offer could change, affecting best value. It could be that laptops just offer so much worse performance per £ versus desktops that they're not worth considering by then, or vice versa (PCS sometimes only stock expensive mini ITX motherboards).

Planning a PC any more than a couple of weeks ahead of purchase is often not going to help much.

The box PCS used for my PC was a very heavy duty cardboard outer box, with robust boxes inside for the PC and monitor (monitor came in manufacturer-provided retail packaging), and folded cardboard to pad out any gaps so things don't slide around in transit. Within the box the PC had foam brackets to keep it in place and absorb shock. Inside the PC there is a foam insert to stop the CPU cooler and GPU wobbling during transport. Though I bought my PC in 2012, and a mini ITX PC might have a slightly different arrangement for all I know. You could call them and ask how they package the systems.

The point is that the original packaging is almost always going to be the easiest and most effective way to transport the PC

Ah OK then.
Well that's really interesting to know, I guess.
Despite that the information has been really helpful, and I have to thank you again.
I'll guess you'll probably hear from me nearer spring-summer time when I look at it again.
 
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