Hi SFF community! I'm new here, have been lurking and learning for a while, but as I'm looking for some advice now, I registered and am now making this post. The motherboard on my last PC died , and with that PC being from 2010, I decided not to source a replacement part but rather go for a new system. My last PC was a fullsize ATX tower, but I have become interested in small form factors to replace my desktop.
The most demanding task I want to be able to do is edit 1080p video, preferably in Sony Vegas (without applying many effects). I'd like to get back into some light gaming with story rich point & click puzzle / mystery games, so superhigh framerates for fast-paced action are not really necessary. It would be a big plus if the system is as compact and power efficient as possible. I want to use the system together with a single 1920x1080 monitor that I already have. With these requirements and preferring a system without any unnecessary parts, I was planning to get a APU/iGPU system without a dedicated graphics card. (If you do think I need one, let me know however.)
Now when I currently work outside the house, I use my Toshiba Chromebook 2. I like this laptop, but it's 2.5 years old now, and it will eventually die. I am considering to get a system so compact that I can use it as a portable PC, also replacing my laptop. To do this, I consider buying an Asus Zenscreen monitor, so it would be nice if the new PC had support for DP alt mode over USB-C. (I expect to generally have power sockets available when working away from home so I don't think I'll miss a battery.) As far as budget goes, I want a system that meets all my needs as inexpensively as possible.
One system that seems to check all my boxes is the Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK. I am slightly put off however by the fact that it is already over a year old and still quite expensive (in Europe). There doesn't seem to be an equivalent successor on the planning; the announced Hades Canyon will have a dGPU, and I therefore expect it to be even more expensive and less power efficient. The Bean Canyon NUCs will be more powerful than current conventional NUCs but less powerful than the Skull Canyon. Also, I don't really want to wait that long for something new to come out, as I am already managing with only a Chromebook for almost a year.
I suppose I could go for a (Raven Ridge?) laptop that can (barely?) handle all my tasks, but I am afraid that it will have a shorter lifespan, be less repairable and think the setup at home where I'll mostly use it, with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse will be suboptimal.
I consider the Asrock Deskmini 110 and like the inexpensiveness of this option, but am put off by the restriction to weak graphics.
I consider building a mini-ITX system with Raven Ridge in a case like the In-Win BQ656, but that wil already be considerably larger and heavier, so I will probably end up buying another laptop due to the lack of portabiity. I'm also put off by having to wait a long time for Raven Ridge desktop to come out.
This post became longer than I thought, but if any of you made it through, I'd appreciate some advice! What would you do in my situation? Thanks in advance!
The most demanding task I want to be able to do is edit 1080p video, preferably in Sony Vegas (without applying many effects). I'd like to get back into some light gaming with story rich point & click puzzle / mystery games, so superhigh framerates for fast-paced action are not really necessary. It would be a big plus if the system is as compact and power efficient as possible. I want to use the system together with a single 1920x1080 monitor that I already have. With these requirements and preferring a system without any unnecessary parts, I was planning to get a APU/iGPU system without a dedicated graphics card. (If you do think I need one, let me know however.)
Now when I currently work outside the house, I use my Toshiba Chromebook 2. I like this laptop, but it's 2.5 years old now, and it will eventually die. I am considering to get a system so compact that I can use it as a portable PC, also replacing my laptop. To do this, I consider buying an Asus Zenscreen monitor, so it would be nice if the new PC had support for DP alt mode over USB-C. (I expect to generally have power sockets available when working away from home so I don't think I'll miss a battery.) As far as budget goes, I want a system that meets all my needs as inexpensively as possible.
One system that seems to check all my boxes is the Intel Skull Canyon NUC6i7KYK. I am slightly put off however by the fact that it is already over a year old and still quite expensive (in Europe). There doesn't seem to be an equivalent successor on the planning; the announced Hades Canyon will have a dGPU, and I therefore expect it to be even more expensive and less power efficient. The Bean Canyon NUCs will be more powerful than current conventional NUCs but less powerful than the Skull Canyon. Also, I don't really want to wait that long for something new to come out, as I am already managing with only a Chromebook for almost a year.
I suppose I could go for a (Raven Ridge?) laptop that can (barely?) handle all my tasks, but I am afraid that it will have a shorter lifespan, be less repairable and think the setup at home where I'll mostly use it, with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse will be suboptimal.
I consider the Asrock Deskmini 110 and like the inexpensiveness of this option, but am put off by the restriction to weak graphics.
I consider building a mini-ITX system with Raven Ridge in a case like the In-Win BQ656, but that wil already be considerably larger and heavier, so I will probably end up buying another laptop due to the lack of portabiity. I'm also put off by having to wait a long time for Raven Ridge desktop to come out.
This post became longer than I thought, but if any of you made it through, I'd appreciate some advice! What would you do in my situation? Thanks in advance!
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