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Single board computers?

 3 years ago
source link: https://lobste.rs/s/wz9wt8/single_board_computers
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Single board computers?

I am going to spend the summer at my parents on a rural area. I don’t intend to take a laptop with me as I don’t enjoy working on laptops and have no need to have a computer on the go. Specially during pandemic times.

I am looking for a single board computer I can use as a desktop workstation. Most people think of the raspberry pi, but I would like to know about alternatives.

Which one do you prefer/recommend and why?

One thing I find quite negative is all this SD card as main storage. I’ll most likely will have to setle for it, but I am curious if there are alternatives with support for sata.

pokes

6 hours ago

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I’d recommend a NUC here. I’ve tried using an RPi 1, and then an RPi 3 as desktops, but both were painful compared to a NUC, which was drama-free. I’ve never had any problems with mainstream Linux on mine. IIRC, it comes with either SATA or M.2.

  1. Seconded! I got a NUC for my son a couple of months ago. It’s an incredibly solid machine that runs everything he throws at it (yes, it can run some games like Fortnite too).

    My next job is forcing me to use a MacBook (effin’ Macs have become the next Windows!) and I’ve been thinking about getting another NUC as a consolation prize.

  2. I’ve also used an Intel compute stick when traveling. It has the added benefit of not needing an hdmi cable.

    1. br

      1 hour ago

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      It has its benefits, but it was slow when it came out five years ago… I used one for a conference room and it really is disappointing. A NUC would have been better. Harder to lose if you do take it traveling, too.

  3. mcpherrinm

    edited 3 hours ago

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    I agree with this: If you don’t want a laptop, a very small form factor PC is a better choice than a more barebones SBC for use as a general-purpose PC. The NUC is great, though there’s some similar alternatives on the market too.

    I have a Zotac ZBOX from a little while ago. It has a SATA SSD, Intel CPU and GPU, and works great in Linux. In particular it has two gigabit NICs and wifi, which has made it useful to me for things like inline network traffic diagnosis, but it’s generally useful as a Linux (or, presumably, Windows) PC.

    The one I own has hdmi, displayport, and vga, making it compatible with a wide selection of monitors. That’s important if you’re expecting to use random displays you find wherever you’re going to. It also comes with a VESA bracket so it can be attached to the back of some computer monitors, which is nice for reducing clutter and cabling.

  4. andyc

    edited 3 hours ago

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    Yeah I just bought 2 NUCs to replace a tower and a mini PC. They’re very small, powerful, and the latest ones seem low power and quiet.

    The less powerful NUC was $450, and I got portable 1920x1080 monitor for $200, so it’s much cheaper than a laptop, and honestly pretty close in size! And the CPU is good, about as powerful as the best desktop CPUs you could get circa 2014:

    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-8260U+%40+1.60GHz&id=3724

    old CPU which was best in class in a tower in 2014: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-4790+%40+3.60GHz&id=2226

    (the more powerful one was $800 total and even faster: https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i7-10710U+%40+1.10GHz&id=3567 although surprisingly not that much faster)

    This setup, along with a keyboard and trackball, is very productive for coding. I’m like the OP and don’t like using a laptop. IMO the keyboard and monitor shouldn’t be close together for good posture.

    In contrast the tower PC in 2014 was $700 + ~$300 in upgrades, and the monitor from ~2006 was $1000 or more. Everything is USB-C too on the NUC/monitor setup which is nice.

    I guess my tip is to not upgrade your PC for 7-10 years and you’ll be pleasantly surprised :) USB-C seems like a big improvement.

    1. Yeah I just bought 2 NUCs to replace a tower and a mini PC. They’re very small, powerful, and the latest ones seem low power and quiet.

      NUCs are great machines, but they are definitely not quiet. Because of their blower-style fan, they become quite loud as soon as the CPU is just a bit under load. Audio proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOkyFLrPc3E&t=341s

  5. dkl

    4 hours ago

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    Never heard of a NUC before now but I can agree that trying to use an RPi as a desktop is unpleasant.

  6. zge

    4 hours ago

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    I have also been using a NUC for a year now, and it works well. A lot of monitors also allow you to screw the NUC to its back, decluttering your desk.

    Just watch out, it has no speakers of it’s own!


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