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Title: NUC alternative
razing32 4 Jul 2021
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Currently looking for a small PC to hookup to my TV. Don't really watch TV but it's a cool big monitor i guess.
I have a Raspberri PI 4 hooked up to it but it stutters like hell on YT videos.
I was looking at a cheap NUC style PC to connect to it with a decent CPU , problem is , only Windows is supported. And i don;t know why for the life of me.
Do you know any Mini PC in around the 300-400$ price mark that has a decent CPU that can support online vids ? ( and obviously supports linux)
denyasis 4 Jul 2021
Would something like this work:

[https://shop.udoo.org/udoo-x86-ii-ultra.html](https://shop.udoo.org/udoo-x86-ii-ultra.html)

They seem to have a few different models at different price points. I assume the cost is actually a higher with case, power supply, etc.

I hope that helps a bit.
razing32 4 Jul 2021
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Quoting: denyasisWould something like this work:

[https://shop.udoo.org/udoo-x86-ii-ultra.html](https://shop.udoo.org/udoo-x86-ii-ultra.html)

They seem to have a few different models at different price points. I assume the cost is actually a higher with case, power supply, etc.

I hope that helps a bit.
Hmmm interesting suggestion. Thanks.
But the processor seems a bit week. Was hoping for an i3 or Ryzen 3 , not top of the line , but not the weak stuff either.
omicron-b 5 Jul 2021
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Are you sure you need official Linux support?
I plan on buying a mini PC myself for a server, and I never heard of any issues with their hardware.
So I checked this reddit I visit sometimes and no one speaks about any issues in a recent thread.
https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/n7w5zl/looking_for_a_mini_pc_to_install_linux/
Julius 5 Jul 2021
A RasberryPi4 stuttering on Youtube videos sounds like a configuration mistake. Maybe on 4k videos... but even that I doubt.

But have a look at https://libreelec.tv/ (probably works better on the PI) or https://coreelec.org/ (if you want to buy one of the supported cheap AndroidTV boxes).
paulsharry23 5 Jul 2021
Mini PCs are fast enough for anything other than high-end gaming, and unlike some laptops, they include all the ports you need to connect multiple monitors and your favorite keyboard and mouse [vidmate](https://get-vidmateapp.com/) [mobdro](https://get-mobdroapk.com/)

Last edited by paulsharry23 on 19 Jul 2021 at 8:46 am UTC
razing32 5 Jul 2021
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Quoting: omicron-bAre you sure you need official Linux support?
I plan on buying a mini PC myself for a server, and I never heard of any issues with their hardware.
So I checked this reddit I visit sometimes and no one speaks about any issues in a recent thread.
https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxhardware/comments/n7w5zl/looking_for_a_mini_pc_to_install_linux/
I was lucky i googled it before i bought it.
I was looking at Intel NUC and Asus Mini PCs , and a lot of threads came up with devices not moving past the boot.
CatKiller 5 Jul 2021
Quoting: razing32I was looking at a cheap NUC style PC to connect to it with a decent CPU , problem is , only Windows is supported. And i don;t know why for the life of me.
Linux is supported on the NUC. Whether it counts as "cheap" is a more personal question.
Mezron 5 Jul 2021
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What OS do you have on that Raspberry Pi 4? I'm using Twister OS and Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Kanopy and more run excellently on WiFi and Wired connections.
whizse 5 Jul 2021
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I'm curious what the supposed problem with the NUC is?

When I bought one years ago many resellers offered Linux preinstalled, and it looks like many still do?
robvv 6 Jul 2021
Quoting: razing32I was looking at a cheap NUC style PC to connect to it with a decent CPU , problem is , only Windows is supported. And i don;t know why for the life of me.
OpenSUSE supports the NUC. My wife has one of these and it even has NUC logos when booting! Highly recommended little device and my wife says it's ideal for her needs: light gaming and browsing.
Dragunov 7 Jul 2021
Have a look at the [MINISFORUM](https://store.minisforum.com/pages/product) line of PC's

Also, the [UDOO BOLT GEAR](https://shop.udoo.org/udoo-bolt-gear.html)

Last edited by Dragunov on 7 Jul 2021 at 2:16 am UTC
g000h 8 Jul 2021
Why not buy a bare-bones NUC, get the SODIMM and SSD separately, and then you've not spent any money on unwanted operating system. I have a couple of NUCs, and my parents have one - All are running Linux. Frankly, I'd find it quite unlikely that any NUC doesn't support (i.e. run without problems) Linux.

EDIT: To be clear here, I'm saying that the hardware supports running Linux. I'm not saying that the manufacturer guarantees that Linux will work, or that the NUC comes with Linux out of the box. (You have to install it yourself.)

Last edited by g000h on 8 Jul 2021 at 5:33 pm UTC
CatKiller 8 Jul 2021
Quoting: g000hTo be clear here, I'm saying that the hardware supports running Linux. I'm not saying that the manufacturer guarantees that Linux will work, or that the NUC comes with Linux out of the box. (You have to install it yourself.)
Intel don't guarantee that Windows will work on it, either. Linux is one of the Operating Systems they suggest that one could install on it, and they have a list of specific models that have been tested with specific distro releases (since some distros do that kind of thing).
metalinux 9 Jul 2021
I was going to suggest the Atari VCS if you can get your hands on one. It is a cheap SOC Ryzen machine and looks pretty nice from some the videos I have seen on it.
nbaever3 28 Oct 2021
I have a couple of NUCs, and my parents have one all are running Linux.Mini PCs are fast enough for anything other than high-end gaming, and unlike some laptops [spicemoneylogin.in](https://spicemoneylogin.in) [myfiosgateway](https://myfiosgateway.one)

Last edited by nbaever3 on 26 Nov 2021 at 9:50 am UTC
g000h 29 Oct 2021
Here are some more search terms you could use:

"ASUS Mini PC"
"Gigabyte Brix"
"MSI Cubi"
"barebones"

I find when I'm hunting out computer products, it is good to use a dedicated online computing store. In the UK, I'd recommend:

www.ebuyer.com
www.cclonline.com
www.scan.co.uk
www.overclockers.co.uk

Once on the store's website, those search terms lead you to a selection of offerings that are easy to navigate and usually keenly priced too. (Reminding that barebones models usually require RAM module and hard drive to complete, and naturally use your own OS: Linux.)

If especially budget-conscious there is also the secondhand market, e.g. Ebay, and you could potentially get something much cheaper than the full-price offering.
Avehicle7887 29 Oct 2021
Personally I prefer the Asrock Deskmini series as you can put your own CPU, RAM and SSD in there. This is the latest one with support for AMD APU's (you can even throw a 5600G in there): https://www.asrock.com/nettop/AMD/DeskMini%20X300%20Series/index.asp

They're not much bigger than a Nuc but can pack a good punch. Sometimes I run a Deskmini 110 (7th Gen i3 CPU). Mind you it's not great for gaming but I can take it anywhere I want with little effort.
CatKiller 29 Oct 2021
If we're also throwing around devices that are more powerful than the NUC (OP wanted a cheap low-power device) then there's also the [Slimbook One](https://slimbook.es/en/one-en). Hopefully it'll get a refresh when RDNA 2 APUs start being available. They'll set it up for you with one of a bunch of distros, or Windows, or dual-boot if that's what floats your boat.
GustyGhost 2 Nov 2021
How small do you actually need it to be? I have always used micro ATX boards in slim HTPC cases for this. They're about the size and shape of those old VCRs. Then you just put whatever you want in there.
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