Hi,

Wondering if anyone here has a mini computer and what is the feedback or review of how they work, esp with Poser 11/12

I'm talking about this form factor: 

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=Mini+PC&i=computers&rh=n%3A13896591011

I ask because my next computer is already on my mind and wanted to know about something that doesn't take up much space but I don't want a laptop as I have larger displays I need to hook up.  

I currently have a pretty nice  AMD Ryze 7 and while it runs fine the idea of having less space occupied by a mid sized computer is quite exciting.  I do worry though since I can't find one with an NVIDIA graphics set up and since DS only runs perfectly with an NVIDIA card I may not be able to use it for the tools I use it for (content creation for Poser).  So I'm curious.  

Thanks so much

Richard 

As you probably know ... RAM, HD space, Processer power and Graphics are key to what you need.  IF any of these have that ... the prices scare me a little because they are so low.  I haven't looked at the specs, just the list and prices.  I will look deeper.  

They all have integrated GPU and CPU setups. None will have a discrete graphics. That will severely limit any GPU tied work be it gaming or rendering. I also notice that many of these while they have SSD's they are PCIe. Somebody's filling a box with what ever junk they've got laying around the warehouse and calling it a computer. Any new system should be using NVME as the SSD interface.

Better spent money would probably be to build your own with a current GPU especially since the prices have dropped out of the stratosphere. An Nvidia 2060 with 8GB VRAM can be had for under $400. That will render circles around any CPU setup.

OK, thanks so much Boni and Charles. I'll keep my fingers crossed that in a year or so this idea will have matured into something better!  

IMHO, better use for 'integrated graphics' mini-system is a network-render box, a 'side-kick' for your existing system. Get as much RAM and CPU cores/threads as practicable. The queue-render is not displayed on networked system, so you can wind resolution & refresh down to VGA to make best use of CPU resource...

Okay, it is no substitute for a braw GPU card, but the work-flow is rapidly test-render locally using main PC's GPU, then send full job to 'box' as CPU-only. Now you can continue working at full speed on main PC...

The other side of coin is that GPU cards max-out as scene complexity rises. I found I must progressively 'dial back' vol-bounces and buckets from my twin cards' optimal 1024 settings. Eventually, the GPU cards just 'fall over' with any settings. But, there's no such limits on CPU-only renders, locally or remote, which just take longer.

Some of the more expensive mini computers ARE set up for gaming but the highest I could find was a integrated card that was about as powerful as an older NVIDIA card so probably wouldn't hold up to to really intense gaming or content creation.  I'm not a gamer and I'm not an animator so using something like this as a render farm is not on my radar!  

Hey Rich, I probably should've read everyone's comments first, as I agree with Boni's, Chuck's, and Nik's comments.

That said, however, if you really want to go with one of the Mini Computers, of all those listed at that link, the only brand I'm familiar with, and can trust, is the
Dell Wyse 5070 Mini Desktop PC

They have 8 options to choose from, and I would choose the 7th (bottom left of the list) which is 16GB of RAM, rather than the 8GB RAM the initial link shows you.  Be aware this (like all new computers), comes with Windows 11 Pro installed.  If your current computer is running Win11 Pro, and you're used to it, that's fine, but I'm not running to upgrade from Win10 Pro any time soon.

The rollover images on the left has one (the last one) that shows it set up with a dual monitor, so it looks like you'll have plenty of space for as large a monitor as you want.

Hope that helps.

Oh, cool beans.  I like the first option but it sorta cracks me up that there is a serial port! LOL  

Serial ports are still used a lot in industry, and these minis are very light....

That is also why you will see monitors in various places throughout plants with no computers hooked to them.

I have I7 notebooks with serial ports for communication, esata for lighting quick partition dumps (cloning modules, drives, etc).

They can also boot in XP, 7, and 10, simply because a lot of the programs have never been updated or are crazy expensive to update.

If you think hobby stuff is expensive, price programs like Rockwell Studio 5000 Professional, 9k outright or 3k a year, per computer....

And then you may have lots of other companies hardware, Allen Bradly, etc, that you need their programs as well....

Serial ports are not going anywhere, not for a very long time..... They make huge companies way to much money to go away.....

Good to know, thank you!