Hi everyone
I'm replacing a desktop PC. I'm trying to scale down the size of the tech in my living room!
The lounge PC isn't actually that important to me, but I'd like some help spec'ing it.
It won't be used for day to day browsing, word processing etc. It won't have a dedicated monitor - I will VNC into it, which is what I do with my current PC.
It will have 3 primary uses, one of which will mean it has to be a good performer:
1) Downloading media through file sharing services (legally, obviously). It will be on 24/7, downloading and sharing media. The local hard drive will be used as temporary storage - once files are complete, they will be moved to a NAS box that I have.
2) Backup - I have a comprehensive backup strategy, including the NAS and off-site storage. The lounge PC will also be used as the "core" PC for my offsite backup. So, I probably need a decent sized hard drive - all my music is digitised and is a few hundred gigs. My photos are a few hundred gigs too.
3) Transcoding and streaming video to mobile devices. I use "Air Video Server". This sends video to iPad and other Apple devices. (It's fantastic - really fast on-the-fly transcoding), both locally and when I'm on the move. My current desktop PC is a quad-core Q6600. When Air Video is transcoding (using ffmpeg.exe), one of the cores runs at 100%. This clearly shows that I need decent processing power.
What I *really* want is a nice tiny Atom PC. But use 3) precludes that, I think.
If we assume budget isn't an issue, can you tell me what sort of spec I should get?
I'm generally drawn to Intel processors, but I like the fact that the AMD motherboards have integrated wi-fi. If I use the CPU for intensive transcoding from time to time, would I be better with an Intel or AMD? I can cope with USB wi-fi if need be
The other thing I'd love is to reduce noise. The Dell PC I have now is extremely noisy when transcoding, as you'd expect. In fact, it's noisy even when a medium demand is put on the CPU.
I'm prone to over-specifying, but even the most expensive mini-PC spec is within my budget - so I'd appreciate advice on the type of spec I would need to get easy high-performance while transcoding video, while also running as quiet as humanly possible.
Thanks!
I'm replacing a desktop PC. I'm trying to scale down the size of the tech in my living room!
The lounge PC isn't actually that important to me, but I'd like some help spec'ing it.
It won't be used for day to day browsing, word processing etc. It won't have a dedicated monitor - I will VNC into it, which is what I do with my current PC.
It will have 3 primary uses, one of which will mean it has to be a good performer:
1) Downloading media through file sharing services (legally, obviously). It will be on 24/7, downloading and sharing media. The local hard drive will be used as temporary storage - once files are complete, they will be moved to a NAS box that I have.
2) Backup - I have a comprehensive backup strategy, including the NAS and off-site storage. The lounge PC will also be used as the "core" PC for my offsite backup. So, I probably need a decent sized hard drive - all my music is digitised and is a few hundred gigs. My photos are a few hundred gigs too.
3) Transcoding and streaming video to mobile devices. I use "Air Video Server". This sends video to iPad and other Apple devices. (It's fantastic - really fast on-the-fly transcoding), both locally and when I'm on the move. My current desktop PC is a quad-core Q6600. When Air Video is transcoding (using ffmpeg.exe), one of the cores runs at 100%. This clearly shows that I need decent processing power.
What I *really* want is a nice tiny Atom PC. But use 3) precludes that, I think.
If we assume budget isn't an issue, can you tell me what sort of spec I should get?
I'm generally drawn to Intel processors, but I like the fact that the AMD motherboards have integrated wi-fi. If I use the CPU for intensive transcoding from time to time, would I be better with an Intel or AMD? I can cope with USB wi-fi if need be
The other thing I'd love is to reduce noise. The Dell PC I have now is extremely noisy when transcoding, as you'd expect. In fact, it's noisy even when a medium demand is put on the CPU.
I'm prone to over-specifying, but even the most expensive mini-PC spec is within my budget - so I'd appreciate advice on the type of spec I would need to get easy high-performance while transcoding video, while also running as quiet as humanly possible.
Thanks!