AC - I don't understand the hype!

[RasmusP]

Apparently, some manufacturers are going to try to create a market for mini-gaming-PCs.
Asus is trying it with a gaming-NUC after taking the NUCs from Intel.
Sadly, it's 2000€...

ASUS ROG NUC 14 - RNUC14SRKU7168A2I ab € 2094,01 (2024) | Preisvergleich Geizhals Deutschland

✔ Preisvergleich für ASUS ROG NUC 14 - RNUC14SRKU7168A2I ✔ Produktinfo ⇒ Formfaktor: Mini-PC • CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 6C+8c+2c/22T, 1.40-4.80GHz, 24MB+20MB Cache, 28-115W … ✔ Komplettsysteme ✔ Testberichte ✔ Günstig kaufen

geizhals.de

And there are some "Magnus ZBox", but they are a bit more than 8L in volume, instead of the 2.5L of the NUCs and other real Mini-PCs:

Zotac ZBOX Magnus One ERP54060C schwarz (ZBOX-ERP54060C-BE) ab € 1124,43 (2024) | Preisvergleich Geizhals Deutschland

✔ Preisvergleich für Zotac ZBOX Magnus One ERP54060C schwarz (ZBOX-ERP54060C-BE) ✔ Produktinfo ⇒ Typ: Mini-PC • Sockel: N/A • CPU: Intel Core i5-13400, 6C+4c/16T, 2.50-4.60GHz, 20MB+9.5MB Cache, 65-154W… ✔ Barebones ✔ Testberichte ✔ Günstig kaufen

geizhals.de

Btw, I find it a bit amusing, that you've got a Moza R12, but drive with a mini-PC without a real graphics card.
It's like having a Porsche 911 GT3 RS but with the 1.0L 3-Cyl engine from my Skoda Fabia

 

[GameBrain.media]

...I find it a bit amusing, that you've got a Moza R12, but drive with a mini-PC without a real graphics card.
It's like having a Porsche 911 GT3 RS but with the 1.0L 3-Cyl engine from my Skoda Fabia

Very well said! I've been asking how he has such a high end wheel / pedal + a mini PC!

 

[trolimago]

Btw, I find it a bit amusing, that you've got a Moza R12, but drive with a mini-PC without a real graphics card.
It's like having a Porsche 911 GT3 RS but with the 1.0L 3-Cyl engine from my Skoda Fabia

LOL ... I was waiting for that one. When I buy things I try to buy quality. When I got the mini-PC a year ago I had no thought about SIM racing (didn't even know what it was). The mini-PC was meant for some office work, but mainly video editing (Davinci Resolve). And it was important that it was small.

Then I learned about SIM racing and thought that looked fun. So I had to get some gear. The price differences between low quality and higher quality were not massive though, so I thought I might as well as get good quality immediately and try it out. Thought to try with the mini-PC first and see how it works. And if it didn't work I would potentially get a PS5 (with adapter for the wheel and pedals) or a better PC. That's the background...

 

[RasmusP]

LOL ... I was waiting for that one. When I buy things I try to buy quality. When I got the mini-PC a year ago I had no thought about SIM racing (didn't even know what it was). The mini-PC was meant for some office work, but mainly video editing (Davinci Resolve). And it was important that it was small.

Then I learned about SIM racing and thought that looked fun. So I had to get some gear. The price differences between low quality and higher quality were not massive though, so I thought I might as well as get good quality immediately and try it out. Thought to try with the mini-PC first and see how it works. And if it didn't work I would potentially get a PS5 (with adapter for the wheel and pedals) or a better PC. That's the background...

Hehe yeah, that explains it, thanks for sharing!
I guessed a background story like that, but still found it to be quite funny

A gaming laptop should be a good solution for you, instead of buying another mini PC.
I personally like Mini-PCs a lot and find it to be quite a shame that there doesn't seem to be a market for simply stuffing a gaming laptop into a mini-PC format for people who don't need the display or the keyboard.

 

[GameBrain.media]

...price differences between low quality and higher quality were not massive...

I asked you over & over up above - why buy a high end wheel & low-end PC?
I also said the price differences between low quality mini-PC & higher quality PC are not massive.
I'm glad you finally got the message via @RasmusP !!!

@RasmusP - I wish they would "...stuff a gaming laptop into a mini-PC format..."
Huge $avings w/ out laptop case, battery, charger, monitor, keyboard, t-pad
- just CPU, M.2, RAM, GPU, PSU, ports!

I would have bought 4-5 of them when my kids were 8-10-14 & nobody could quibble about un-equal PC's! Quake & TF were the original battlefield!

 

[trolimago]

I asked you over & over up above - why buy a high end wheel & low-end PC?
I also said the price differences between low quality mini-PC & higher quality PC are not massive.
I'm glad you finally got the message via @RasmusP !!!

Apologies. Didn't mean to ignore you ... there are so many posts and so much text in this thread now.

Here is one for you: I didn't only buy the Moza R12 and the Fanatec pedals. I also bought a GT Omega Titan cockpit!!!

 

[trolimago]

Hehe yeah, that explains it, thanks for sharing!
I guessed a background story like that, but still found it to be quite funny

A gaming laptop should be a good solution for you, instead of buying another mini PC.
I personally like Mini-PCs a lot and find it to be quite a shame that there doesn't seem to be a market for simply stuffing a gaming laptop into a mini-PC format for people who don't need the display or the keyboard.

Thanks! I read your post above re the laptop (https://geizhals.de/lenovo-loq-15irh8-storm-grey-82xv00sqge-a3120205.html?hloc=at&hloc=de). So with this I should be able to connect to my 42inch TV and still have good FPS, right? In other words, the frame rate will carry over to the TV screen?

Finally, I mentioned earlier that I'm considering getting Meta Quest 3 at one point. Do you think that laptop would work with VR headsets?

 

[RasmusP]

Thanks! I read your post above re the laptop (https://geizhals.de/lenovo-loq-15irh8-storm-grey-82xv00sqge-a3120205.html?hloc=at&hloc=de). So with this I should be able to connect to my 42inch TV and still have good FPS, right? In other words, the frame rate will carry over to the TV screen?

Finally, I mentioned earlier that I'm considering getting Meta Quest 3 at one point. Do you think that laptop would work with VR headsets?

Is your 42" TV FullHD? Then yes, same resolution = same fps, no matter the size.
Having two displays isn't an issue at all, as long as the game doesn't run on both screens.
GPUs have different sections for 2D, 3D, Video encoding etc. So having some 2D-stuff on your laptop, while the 3D game runs on the TV isn't costing you more than 2% of your fps. Probably closer to 0.01%!

About Meta Quest 3: Yes, it would work, but not great. It wouldn't work at all without a real GPU, so at least it would be working. Older or less demanding games would also work fine with the Laptop-4050. But if you want to enjoy some simracing with it => Get a laptop with a 4060!

Like this one:

GIGABYTE G5 KF5-53DE353SD ab € 828,53 (2024) | Preisvergleich Geizhals Deutschland

✔ Preisvergleich für GIGABYTE G5 KF5-53DE353SD ✔ Produktinfo ⇒ Display: 15.6", 1920x1080 (FHD), 16:9, 141ppi, 144Hz, glare (glänzend), 45% NTSC • CPU: Intel Core i5-135… ✔ Notebooks ✔ Testberichte ✔ Günstig kaufen

geizhals.de

This one doesn't have Windows installed though. Get a licence at a reasonable store for 15-30€ and then simply grab an empty USB stick, use the "Windows Media Creation Tool", select the USB stick and it'll become a bootable Windows Stick.
Modern laptops don't need super fancy drivers, it'll probably just work after installing Win 11 and letting it download everything via Windows-Update.

 

[GameBrain.media]

Get a laptop with a 4060!

Nice! RTX 4060 is only 30% below my desktop RTX 3070 8GB running 4K 3840x2160
FPS in my games are at least 60 FPS (no vsync) often 120 FPS (double TV 60hz refresh rate) @ ULTRA
Some games I can see tiny stutters, so I reduce shadows to HIGH & it smooths out.

UserBenchmark: Nvidia RTX 3070 vs 4060 (Laptop)

 

[RasmusP]

Nice! RTX 4060 is only 30% below my desktop RTX 3070 8GB running 4K 3840x2160
FPS in my games are at least 60 FPS (no vsync) often 120 FPS (double TV 60hz refresh rate) @ ULTRA
Some games I can see tiny stutters, so I reduce shadows to HIGH & it smooths out.

UserBenchmark: Nvidia RTX 3070 vs 4060 (Laptop)

Yep. And the 4060 Laptops are really designed to be used for gaming, so they probably have a higher max Watt before throttling and better cooling.
The 4050 Laptops are more of a hybrid for "sometimes I want to play a game".
Also, there should be some reviews for 4060 Laptops, so you can pick a good one.

Would be quite funny, when the daughter will use it in school for German classes.
The other people be like "Yeah, my tiny school laptop is struggling to display Word and a PDF without lagging".
Meanwhile the daughter sitting there "Yeah my dad asked me to continue the video rendering while I'm at school, sorry for the fan noise. Btw, look at this super smooth scrolling at 144 Hz!"

 

[trolimago]

Would be quite funny, when the daughter will use it in school for German classes.
The other people be like "Yeah, my tiny school laptop is struggling to display Word and a PDF without lagging".
Meanwhile the daughter sitting there "Yeah my dad asked me to continue the video rendering while I'm at school, sorry for the fan noise. Btw, look at this super smooth scrolling at 144 Hz!"

Ha ha, yes exactly! Have to get it quickly though, because starting Sep all topics are changing from being taught in German/Luxembourgish to being taught in French. So maybe I should get a French keyboard instead LOL. The French keyboards are super-difficult to use though ... all keys are different!

 

[trolimago]

Is your 42" TV FullHD? Then yes, same resolution = same fps, no matter the size.
Having two displays isn't an issue at all, as long as the game doesn't run on both screens.
GPUs have different sections for 2D, 3D, Video encoding etc. So having some 2D-stuff on your laptop, while the 3D game runs on the TV isn't costing you more than 2% of your fps. Probably closer to 0.01%!

About Meta Quest 3: Yes, it would work, but not great. It wouldn't work at all without a real GPU, so at least it would be working. Older or less demanding games would also work fine with the Laptop-4050. But if you want to enjoy some simracing with it => Get a laptop with a 4060!

Yes, the 42" is full HD. Not planning on having both the laptop screen and the TV running at same. Thought to just connect the laptop to the TV with HDMI and then leave the laptop screen closed while playing.

And thanks for the advice re Meta Quest 3. RTX 4060 sounds great!

 

[trolimago]

Nice! RTX 4060 is only 30% below my desktop RTX 3070 8GB running 4K 3840x2160
FPS in my games are at least 60 FPS (no vsync) often 120 FPS (double TV 60hz refresh rate) @ ULTRA
Some games I can see tiny stutters, so I reduce shadows to HIGH & it smooths out.

UserBenchmark: Nvidia RTX 3070 vs 4060 (Laptop)

Good to know. Thanks!

 

[RasmusP]

Yes, the 42" is full HD. Not planning on having both the laptop screen and the TV running at same. Thought to just connect the laptop to the TV with HDMI and then leave the laptop screen closed while playing.

And thanks for the advice re Meta Quest 3. RTX 4060 sounds great!

Having it closed probably won't be a possibility, since all laptops are hardcoded to switch into standby/sleep when getting closed.
But selecting "only the second display" for the display mode should switch off the inbuilt display.

 

[Durge Driven]

Very well said! I've been asking how he has such a high end wheel / pedal + a mini PC!

 

[RasmusP]

View attachment 752157

??

 

[Durge Driven]

??

Mini PC

??

46cm x 20cm x 35cm with 4090


Forget it

 

[GameBrain.media]

Ha ha, yes exactly! Have to get it quickly though, because starting Sep all topics are changing from being taught in German/Luxembourgish to being taught in French. So maybe I should get a French keyboard instead LOL. The French keyboards are super-difficult to use though ... all keys are different!

What the heck country are you in where the school is changing languages like that?
Why not get an English keyboard? I 'd assume she speaks & can type in English as you do.
Is it because the $ / letter accent symbols?

I'll assume English is not your first language, but you read, write & speak English - what language do the voices in your head speak to you in? LOL, joking, but do you have to flip from thinking in German or French & then type in English on a German keyboard?

Having it closed probably won't be a possibility, since all laptops are hardcoded to switch into standby/sleep when getting closed. But selecting "only the second display" for the display mode should switch off the inbuilt display.

You will find uses for that second / side / laptop monitor once you have one, like looking up game related stuff / control settings or having a bigger track map open to glance at vs ALT / TAB.

??

@Durge Driven - I'd love to see a link for that - I'm guessing it is a SFF (small form factor) vs MiniPC?

 

[Vintagedriver01]

He seems to be from Luxembourg, the richest country in the EC and just like Belgium divided in 3 Languages.

 

[GameBrain.media]

He seems to be from Luxembourg, the richest country in the EC and just like Belgium divided in 3 Languages.

Thanks, I thought Lux was a city of Germany vs a country, but I haven't been to geography class in 46 years. It's so small, I had to zoom WAY in on google maps to see the borders!

"...ranking 168th in size of the 194 independent countries of the world..."