I am looking hard for a mac mini alternative
since mac will be over priced, and I want a Windows machine
The only thing I found was this piece of hardware
now if I can connect it to my tv through component it would be great but am not sure
any how what do you think of it?
I want to use it to burn Dreamcast cd's
and be able to at least run the the latest games
not necessarly 1080p
but a 2011 machine should at least run 2009 games in HD.
any advice?
i know i probably can build one on my own
but small size is of the essence
Dell Zino
Re: Dell Zino
The CPU in the Zino should be able to handle all the things you want, minus gaming.
According to the site spec, the Zino HD has a HD 5450 MXM.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mobili ... 819.0.html
which is comparable to a
http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI-Mo ... 885.0.html
Look at the gaming benchmarks and see if you are happy with it. If you can live with that, seems like a good deal
According to the site spec, the Zino HD has a HD 5450 MXM.
http://www.notebookcheck.net/ATI-Mobili ... 819.0.html
which is comparable to a
http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI-Mo ... 885.0.html
Look at the gaming benchmarks and see if you are happy with it. If you can live with that, seems like a good deal
If you aren't having a good time, why are you playing?
Re: Dell Zino
The CPU isn't terrible - low end, but you don't need a lot for basic HTPC style stuff. My living room PC has a slower AMD chip in it (4850e), and still does fine.
Neither video option is particularly good though. The 5450 may be better than integrated...but it was the lowest end discrete card in the 5000 series.
Anantech's review of the desktop version doesn't really indicate that it'd be a good gaming card at all. While I actually own a 5450, I haven't really gamed on it - and the machine it's in currently is running Server 2008 R2, so it's not really set up to test on.
You do have options for building a smaller machine - people have crammed mini-ITX boards into all sorts of stuff - but I don't think any of them will net you something with a particularly good GPU. That said, there are options for putting a machine together that fits into a home theater setup, such as buying a case that fits into an A/V rack/cabinet (though they don't tend to be cheap).
Neither video option is particularly good though. The 5450 may be better than integrated...but it was the lowest end discrete card in the 5000 series.
Anantech's review of the desktop version doesn't really indicate that it'd be a good gaming card at all. While I actually own a 5450, I haven't really gamed on it - and the machine it's in currently is running Server 2008 R2, so it's not really set up to test on.
You do have options for building a smaller machine - people have crammed mini-ITX boards into all sorts of stuff - but I don't think any of them will net you something with a particularly good GPU. That said, there are options for putting a machine together that fits into a home theater setup, such as buying a case that fits into an A/V rack/cabinet (though they don't tend to be cheap).
Re: Dell Zino
would any one know where can I find an alternative to this?
i don't mind if it is custom built, as long as it is reliable
i don't mind if it is custom built, as long as it is reliable
Re: Dell Zino
The most direct alternative(s) I can think of would be some of the product lines that ASRock makes (here).
They aren't necessarily cheaper, but you do have more options than Dell offers with the Zino.
That said, none of them "fix" the GPU issue. Higher performance GPUs use more power and produce more heat, making it much harder to fit them into that form factor. I wouldn't write off finding something like a high end laptop GPU stuffed in one...but you'd have an easier time finding something if you allow for a bit larger of a machine.
Again, if the issue is that you don't have space for, or don't want, a computer tower just sitting in the living room, it's not only a choice between that or a mini PC. You can build into something like this and use standard components. Not small, but fits into a living room setup better than a regular computer case. Both in terms of size and aesthetics. Most are made to fit (in terms of width and height) into the space a receiver would - though they can be deeper.
You still need to choose parts wisely for things that can be cooled quietly, but it's a far more flexible route. Personally, I have a variant of this case that included a front VFD and remote - it's pretty big, but at the time I wanted to reuse a standard ATX board, which many HTPC cases won't fit.
There are also the tiny tower style PCs, like the ones Shuttle makes (or plenty of companies make mini-ITX cases). The issue there is that many don't include a power supply capable of supporting better GPUs and/or the limitation of a single-slot card, and many cards outside of the lower end need two for the cooler.
With the right board, this might work - the PSU included is better than what Shuttle includes (usually a 300W). Still, to me, something like that is actually harder to fit in the living room than a roomier A/V component style case.
They aren't necessarily cheaper, but you do have more options than Dell offers with the Zino.
That said, none of them "fix" the GPU issue. Higher performance GPUs use more power and produce more heat, making it much harder to fit them into that form factor. I wouldn't write off finding something like a high end laptop GPU stuffed in one...but you'd have an easier time finding something if you allow for a bit larger of a machine.
Again, if the issue is that you don't have space for, or don't want, a computer tower just sitting in the living room, it's not only a choice between that or a mini PC. You can build into something like this and use standard components. Not small, but fits into a living room setup better than a regular computer case. Both in terms of size and aesthetics. Most are made to fit (in terms of width and height) into the space a receiver would - though they can be deeper.
You still need to choose parts wisely for things that can be cooled quietly, but it's a far more flexible route. Personally, I have a variant of this case that included a front VFD and remote - it's pretty big, but at the time I wanted to reuse a standard ATX board, which many HTPC cases won't fit.
There are also the tiny tower style PCs, like the ones Shuttle makes (or plenty of companies make mini-ITX cases). The issue there is that many don't include a power supply capable of supporting better GPUs and/or the limitation of a single-slot card, and many cards outside of the lower end need two for the cooler.
With the right board, this might work - the PSU included is better than what Shuttle includes (usually a 300W). Still, to me, something like that is actually harder to fit in the living room than a roomier A/V component style case.
Re: Dell Zino
thanx a lot isiolia for the input!
i learned something or two..
i learned something or two..