Is anybody using mini-PC for chess?

[Ras]

I got rid of all my desktops. Big, noisy and heavy.

The "noisy" part doesn't make any sense to me. At similar performance, a desktop is way more silent that any laptop can ever be, that's simple physics of cooling. I have an air-cooled 5800X3D / RX 6800 rig, and even when gaming, it's dang silent. Unlike any gaming laptops.

[op12no2]

I am thinking about the soon-to-be-released Minisforum HX200G mini when it's released - uses the 16 core 7945HX.

[mclane]

Exactly. The size of my fan cooling combination is at least 15 cm above the cpu.
Now you want to tell me that a laptop generates less noise when running full power although it has only a height of 3 cm ??? Or even less ???

Sorry but i highly doubt this. My 16 core pc runs silently no matter if the temperature in the room is 20 degree or 25 degree. And it runs 7d/24h.

[Chessqueen]

https://store.minisforum.de/products/mi ... d_source=1

60W power usage.

I was debating if i should get a Mini- PC case or a Super Tower Case, and after thinking for about a week I decided to get the biggest Tower case that I could afford https://www.techradar.com/news/how-cors ... st-pc-case to prevent my P.C from overheating

[Ras]

I was debating if i should get a Mini- PC case or a Super Tower Case, and after thinking for about a week I decided to get the biggest Tower case that I could afford https://www.techradar.com/news/how-cors ... st-pc-case to prevent my P.C from overheating

Wants good cooling. Chooses a case with a glass front where the air only enters through the side slots, out of the fans' ways. Totally checks out. Basic physics: air doesn't travel through glass plates.

[op12no2]

I am thinking about the soon-to-be-released Minisforum HX200G mini when it's released - uses the 16 core 7945HX.

They've renamed it.

https://www.minisforum.com/page/g7pt/index.html?lang=en

[Eelco de Groot]

I like the minis for taking up little room on your tabletop or desk. You still will have a screen so that will take up more space. I would expect Stockfish running 8 cores out of 16 and not using Turbo Boost, otherwise it will get too hot in continued operation. Maybe the CPU can take that but it will not last as long as when at a lower temperature. See Bob's comment about that perhaps, long time ago. The advantage over a second hand workstation will not be super much then but okay. For the mIni PCs that are cooled from the underside I would, also for any laptop, I never owned a laptop either but first I would buy something like this:



https://www.coolermaster.com/nl/nl-nl/c ... /#overview
This is just one model, they have pads with multiple fans, with blinkinlights etc..
The fan is bigger than the mini itself but as long as the little feet don't sink into the frame of the ventilator that's okay Bigger fan should mean lower RPM I hope.

[jefk]

EdG
The advantage over a second hand workstation will not be super much

For years i used two desktops (in different rooms) connected via Dropbox (as
sort of backup), sometimes upgraded after a crash or so. Now working on a
refurbished server, Win10 and recently Linux Mint installed with dual boot;
not even the latest version but i don't care. Noticed -to my surprise- after
install that i still simply have access to the Win10 data via another directory
than the Linux partition. Tried some Linux chess programs but when SF engine
installation failed, simply installed some Win versions again under Wine and they (so
far) work fine (mainly ScidforPC which i'm using, Arena works flawless btw) maybe
some others later as well. So a second (mini-)PC can be a valuable addition imo, indeed
although most people have different methods in computer use, at home or at work
(with probably more structured backup procedures in latter case, maybe in a cloud).

[JohnWoe]

I got rid of all my desktops. Big, noisy and heavy.

The "noisy" part doesn't make any sense to me. At similar performance, a desktop is way more silent that any laptop can ever be, that's simple physics of cooling. I have an air-cooled 5800X3D / RX 6800 rig, and even when gaming, it's dang silent. Unlike any gaming laptops.

On desktops it's pretty easy to get under the hood. On my laptops you have to put in more effort to get in. To swap CPU paste (Which btw is always dry from factory...) and cleanup fans.

But in general the ship has sailed a long time ago. Laptops are powerful enough. No need for big desktops. Maybe 20 years ago.
They come w/ a keyboard so you can write code.
Screen is attached to them. No need to buy separately.
And speakers too.
Take space about a book.

I have been toying w/ an idea to build a powerful gaming rig desktop. But that ship has sailed and never coming back.

Maybe in future you can install a real Linux on powerful phone and do everything there. I can't find terminal on Android...

[Ras]

To swap CPU paste (Which btw is always dry from factory...)

There's a reason for this "dry" paste, and that's because direct-die cooling, such as in laptops or GPUs, is prone to the pump-out effect. E.g. Noctua NT-H2 is an excellent paste for desktops, but doesn't last long on laptops because the thermal cycles simply push it away from the die. Thermal Grizzly Hydronaut is better, but still needs some replacement cycle. The "dry" factory paste may not be as good initially, but will keep that level for years.

The Honeywell PTM-7950 phase change material is the best option IMO - Lenovo uses something similar in their Legion laptops.