▷ Mini pc: all the information perfect as a media center? ?

For a long time we wanted to tell you about Mini PCs. These computers, which in the end are computers but with a very small size, have been abundant for a few years in hospitals, town halls, in public buildings and are a great attraction for users who want to mount a small PC at home or a media one. center in the living room.

Prepare a fresh Coca Cola (with its clear lemon), which we begin to explain the adventure of the miniPC up to this moment.

It was in the 1940s when, at Upenn (University of Pennsylvania), two engineers gave rise to ENIAC, a forerunner among computers and which was of a size that today would be considered enormous.

Its weight was approximately 30 tons, it accumulated more than 500 thousand cable connections and it was totally digital, with a circuit made up of more than a thousand vacuum tubes.

A few years later, in the 1970s, the emergence of the personal computer (PC) occurred. There were years of exhaustive and endless days of work for the engineers involved in the project, but thanks to this, we have been able to access the benefits of a powerful computer from the comfort of our home.

The first PCs of that time were very basic, so much so that today they would be classified as archaic according to today's standards. To give us an idea, they were only able to save data using magnetic tapes or hard drives.

During the 1980s, technology enthusiasts witnessed the arrival of the first notebooks in computer product stores, although they were very different from today's: visually unpleasant, heavy, and their specifications were quite limited.

Over the years, manufacturers have refined their notebook models, adding better components to them, making them more attractive in design, and lightening their weights to make them more comfortable to carry.

The market for electronic devices has evolved so much that it is now normal to carry a smartphone in your pocket that has much more computing power than the old ENIAC. Likewise, desktop computers also experienced changes in their appearance, reducing their sizes significantly.

While the most widely used computer case model to date is the ATX tower, which requires some desk space, very small computers, such as the size of a mobile phone, have also appeared in recent years. And there are still smaller ones, the size of a USB drive: we are talking about Mini PCs.

In this guide we are going to analyze the characteristics and functions of small computers called “Mini PCs”, which can be as small as a printed circuit board or as small and light as a USB memory. A question arises from this: How is it possible that manufacturers place a modern computer on such a small board?

Index of contents

Introduction of miniaturization in computing

To give us an idea of ​​how it is possible that a modern computer can be created in such a small size, it is necessary first of all that we know a little more about the importance of miniaturization in technological products. In 1947, in a laboratory, one of the most important creations took place for the electronic industry and especially for computers.

John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley were in charge of creating the first transistor in history.

It all started when Brattain covered a plastic triangle-shaped tip with a thin gold foil, revealing a small hole in the tip. Then he hung the plastic triangle so that it made light contact with the germanium crystal.

With this, Brattain discovered that if he supplied electricity to one end of the gold foil, the result would be that it would flow into the other end in the form of amplified current.

Actually, this first transistor was very impractical for electronic devices, although it served as a starting point to later replace vacuum tubes. The latter were too large and reached extreme temperatures, so computers were fully benefited by the transistor.

The refinement of the transistor by the engineers continued during the following years to improve the design and make them smaller.

With the advantage of miniaturization, the transistors were integrated into a microchip of semiconductor material.

In 1965, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore produced an analysis of this miniaturization process that would later become a law in the computer industry.

Moore concluded that taking a time range of 18 to 24 months, the number of electronic components in a silicon wafer would be doubled.

He also noted that manufacturers would find methods in their production systems to make transistors smaller and smaller every 18 or 24 months. This analysis is known today as Moore's Law.

Thanks to this constant reduction in the size of computer components, today we can enjoy computers that are much smaller in size than the first computers had several years ago. And also, with much higher yields.

This miniaturization also allows today to enjoy extremely small computers, such as Mini PCs, with practically the same characteristics as a desktop computer.

The components of a Mini PC

There are several essential features for a computer to function properly. First of all, electrical energy is required, the electrons of which will be expanded to all internal circuits.

For this, batteries and power cables are used to bring power to a computer. But the same does not happen when it comes to a Mini PC, since for design reasons, it is practically impossible.

On the contrary, a Mini PC will receive power through a USB connector, since with this interface data can also be transferred. Another option for the Mini PC to work, would be connecting it to a screen that is connected to an outlet, so it would receive power through the screen and could work without problems.

Also, a computer will need a processor to collect data and process it. But again, it is impossible to install a desktop PC processor on a Mini PC.

Instead, these small computers tend to use ARM processors, which are usually used for mobile devices such as smartphones, thus obtaining a reduced size and lower energy consumption, in addition to the emission of less heat.

As for memory, a Mini PC will generally come equipped with a flash memory, which is already integrated into the circuit and takes up very little space.

Connectivity is another important point that we will find in a Mini PC, which can include USB connections as a physical interface to be able to be connected to screens, mice or other peripherals.

Likewise, there are other Mini PCs that can offer HDMI connections, which will also allow this small computer to establish communication with different devices.

If we take the Raspberry Pi Mini PC as an example, we will see that it includes several ports: two USB ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, an RCA video output and an audio connector.

What we can not find inside a Mini PC

But to try to insert a modern computer into something as small as a USB memory or a circuit board, you will have to resign some important specifications.

One of these functions is in terms of cooling, since if you want to enjoy such a small computer, it cannot include heatsinks as large as a conventional PC, much less liquid cooling. This will make these miniPCs more likely to be just dissipating, as is the case with laptops.

This is related to the fact that electronic devices do not manage electricity in an optimal way, which causes electricity to be lost, and this wasted electricity generates heat when the connections and cables are heated when the energy is transferred.

Because of this, Mini PCs are inclined to use processors with ARM architecture or very low-end processor, which are the most convenient option for small and mobile devices.

These ARM processors offer efficiency for a very small size. And it is true that they may not offer the same performance as the processors of a desktop PC, but they are enough to satisfy the demands of a Mini PC.

Something that we will not find in a Mini PC is a real-time clock (RTC), which is in charge of timing the time on the computer even when it is turned off. Thanks to this watch, computers always keep the time updated even if they are off for several hours.

However, while many components such as processors and memory have been reduced over the years, the size of the RTC has not yet been reduced, so including such a battery in a Mini PC would only hinder its size and provide more heat to all components. That is why it is not included in these computers.

But we must not forget the physical absences that are most visible in a Mini PC: the interfaces to send and receive data from the computer, such as the mouse, keyboard and screen.

To compensate for this lack, some Mini PCs have compatibility with the Bluetooth standard, in order to send and receive data from the computer. If you do not have this function, you will need to buy a USB hub that allows you to connect different peripherals to the computer.

Advantages of a Mini PC

Today, we have various technological devices such as desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. But still, the vast majority of companies have a tendency to choose desktop computers to equip their different areas. And this has its explanation.

Thanks to the good size and quality screens, the hardware updates that can be made, the price and the possibility of replacing only a part of the equipment in case of failure and not the complete equipment, desktop computers are the ones chosen by the companies.

However, there are points where desktop computers may not convince some users or companies, such as the space they occupy, the electricity they consume, the probability of experiencing errors due to the dust that can accumulate inside., breakdown of the PSU, among others.

Faced with these disadvantages of desktop PCs, Mini PCs are prepared to solve these disadvantages and at the same time offer many other benefits that traditional PCs do not provide.

Given this reality, let's see what advantages a Mini PC offers.

Size and portability

The approximate dimensions of a Mini PC are about 120 millimeters high and 120 millimeters long, which is why it requires very little space when used on an office desk.

Similarly, you can choose to install it on the back of the monitor, taking up even less space and more visual cleaning.

This makes it possible to use the workspace more efficiently. Mini PCs are small, light and very easy to transport.

Another advantage is that Mini PCs are portable, making it much easier and more comfortable to transport them in a bag, briefcase or even in a shirt or pants pocket.

Price

Companies constantly seek to manage their budgets in the best way, and for this reason they will take into account all those affordable devices that save them money, such as the Mini PC, which in addition to its economic price, allows you to spend less energy electrical and needs less maintenance.

Ecological device

Nowadays, companies give more and more importance to ecology and sustainability, so it is common for them to draw up plans to achieve maximum energy savings and thus collaborate with ecology, for which they will need devices to store energy.

Mini PCs are ideal for these green goals, as they consume little energy and rule out unnecessary expenses, thereby reducing costs.

Resistance

Mini PCs that don't include too many mechanical components tend to be quite rough and tough, especially when compared to desktop computers.

Since the desktop PC is mostly made up of mechanical parts, it is consequently more prone to failure, so if the processor receives any knocks or drops, it will break down more easily than a Mini PC, while that the latter has more resistance and does not end easily damaged. In the end it depends on how lucky you are in the fall.

Protection against dust and dirt

It is very common for a desktop PC to show errors or failures when dirt, dust, or insects invade the area where the hardware components, such as the hard drive or RAM memory slots, are housed.

Given this problem, the most common is that the system stops working, the fan begins to make noise, or an error screen appears.

In the case of Mini PCs, dust, insects and dirt do not represent a problem, since all the components are fixed to the circuit board, so they are totally safe against these failures. Of course, if you find bugs on your PC, I recommend that you call a fumigator and clean the house more often.

SSD storage

Most Mini PCs adopt SSD storage, which is much better than storage via hard drives, as it helps improve computer performance.

A Mini PC has many advantages to offer compared to a desktop or laptop computer, and for this reason it should be the option of choice if you want to buy a new PC or replace the old one.

Maintenance and heating

Overheating is usually one of the most frequent problems that laptop users and these mini PCs have to deal with. Something that does not happen with conventional computers. It is important to carry out maintenance every 3 or 6 months, with a brush we can give many years of life to our computer.

What tasks is a Mini PC for?

Choosing a Mini PC as a new computer for many may be an unattractive idea, because they do not know exactly what a computer of this type is capable of offering, with such a small size that it seems underpowered and does not have the same popularity than a desktop PC.

However, Mini PCs have a variety of powerful and interesting functions and portability gives them the advantage of being able to be moved and used from anywhere.

So what exactly can be done with a Mini PC? Not only does it serve to carry out basic daily activities, such as creating documents in Microsoft Office or surfing the Internet, but it can also be used to function as a home surveillance system.

Some Mini PCs are capable of supporting three remotely managed simultaneously connected displays, while others are more focused on digital signage used in shopping malls with 4K vertical displays.

These small computers can be used to offer digital signage in a restaurant or even be part of digital signage with large screens in a subway station, providing real-time assistance to passengers.

Because they can support M.2 SSD storage or a 2.5-inch hard drive, it is possible to save files locally knowing that the content is safe even if the drive fails.

Contrary to what many people believe, some models of Mini PCs can be used for gaming, since they have ultra HD 4K graphics and 60 fps, with optimized performance to support intense gaming experiences.

But in addition to gaming, they are also suitable for use in an office. In addition to being able to be used to create documents in word processors, surf the Internet and manage emails, you can also carry out wireless conferences.

The silence offered by a Mini PC is a feature to be highlighted as well, with which you can obtain a reduction in noise pollution in the environment, providing more peace of mind to increase productivity. From this it is derived that it also consumes less energy, and therefore, reduces the amount to be paid on the electricity bill.

Some observations can be found about the problems that Mini PCs can experience when measured with a desktop PC. However, it is possible to solve them with some simple solutions.

Some people may question the fact that Mini PCs don't have a built-in optical drive, although the quickest solution here would be to buy an external optical drive. The same applies if the storage capacity is not convincing.

In turn, many argue that hardware can slow down when you want to use a tool like Photoshop or similar heavy software. With some powerful Mini PC models this can be contested. And if that were not enough, with the normal advance that technology experiences year after year, we are getting closer to these computers meeting all the needs of users.

Generally, when looking at what all these small computers called Mini PCs can offer us, there is no doubt about the solid incorporation they would be for your current technological devices.

Whether you want to use a Mini PC for your daily tasks or that is used in an airport as a digital signage screen, these PCs can offer various solutions for different users.

Final words and conclusion about Mini PCs

The steady advance of miniaturization does not appear to have any brake signal. At other times, it was perhaps unthinkable for a phone to be the size of today's smartphones. For this reason, the question remains, about whether the same will not happen with computers, and in the not too distant future we can carry them in a pocket as we do with our smartphones.

We recommend that you take a look at the following articles:

• Basic PC Settings Advanced PC Settings / Gaming Enthusiastic PC Settings Silent PC Settings

What did you think of our article on Mini PCs ? Did you find it interesting?