- Oct 9, 1999
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i3-8100, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. For $799.
Guess I'm sticking with my Hackintosh.
Guess I'm sticking with my Hackintosh.
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i3-8100, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. For $799.
Guess I'm sticking with my Hackintosh.
It just seems like prebuilt systems are getting more expensive.
If the storage was user-replaceable and it was $100 cheaper, I'd consider it. What's the MTBF for these drives? I'm guessing the drive fails in 5-7 years. No one but Apple can repair it and they would have to desolder the storage. That would be an awful waste, not really good for the environment is it?
I am betting that since it is soldered in, Apple has over provisioned a bit more for long term durability, though I think 128GB is a bad joke for a starting point on a desktop computer in 2018. I would also vastly prefer removable storage. Don't need crypto, nor the extra speed boost from this proprietary soldered in solution.
Edit. I would also much rather have the RAM soldered and the Storage user replaceable than the other way around if I could only have one. I like to use my computers for ages (Still using 10 year old C2Q PC). So I see soldered storage as a wear item that will junk the computer when it fails which seems likely in a 10 year window.
One can opt for 128g base storage option and use tb3 external sad for storage or for everything including boot. Concern about soldered chip capacity or longevity become non issues.
If the storage was replaceable and it was $100 cheaper, I'd consider it. What's the MTBF for these drives? I'm guessing the drive fails in 5 years. No one but Apple can repair it and they would have to desolder the storage. That would be an awful waste, not really good for the environment is it?
I'm not too concerned about the NIC. Modern 10GbE NICs do not draw much power. The AQN-107 has a small heat sink, for example, and it's a year and half old on 28nm. Regardless, I wouldn't pay for that option. I don't need it.I would be concerned with the heat generated by this machine. Especially the 6 core model and the 10GbE option.
Definitely buy apple care if you get one and keep current on your backups. Don't leave anything super important on the internal m.2 drive without having a backup at least.
I don't know how they can cram a 10gb nic in there without a big heat sink and lots of heat. Curious to see network performance with this nic to see if there is any heat throttling from large file transfers.
I'm not too concerned about the NIC. Modern 10GbE NICs do not draw much power. The AQN-107 has a small heat sink, for example, and it's a year and half old on 28nm. Regardless, I wouldn't pay for that option. I don't need it.
But yeah, I'll wait for reviews. I'm concerned Apple has throttled these like their laptops.
Show me a similar small form-factor system with a high-quality aluminum case(streacom/dancase), high quality storage(Samsung 970 pro),Thunderbolt ports, and real Windows OS license and see what it costs.
There is an Apple premium but it isn't as bad as your flame bait title suggests. At least until you start adding upgrades, but at least there are RAM slots to mitigate some of the typical upgrade costs.
Storage upgrade costs are painful though. It really should come with 256 GB minimum.
Example, using Streacom Mini like case and Nano PSU. It's essentially the same price as the Mini. Of course not as slickly built, with only 1 Thunderbolt port.
I must be missing something- why is a 120GB M2 SSD $128?Show me a similar small form-factor system with a high-quality aluminum case(streacom/dancase), high quality storage(Samsung 970 pro),Thunderbolt ports, and real Windows OS license and see what it costs.
There is an Apple premium but it isn't as bad as your flame bait title suggests. At least until you start adding upgrades, but at least there are RAM slots to mitigate some of the typical upgrade costs.
Storage upgrade costs are painful though. It really should come with 256 GB minimum.
Example, using Streacom Mini like case and Nano PSU. It's essentially the same price as the Mini. Of course not as slickly built, with only 1 Thunderbolt port.
I must be missing something- why is a 120GB M2 SSD $128?
I get the comparison, but to me the whole point of building a system vs. buying a boutique box, is to NOT build a boutique box.
I mean, $200 just for case and PSU? So the household leprechauns can have more room?
There's plenty of decent MiniITX cases and PSUs (that DON'T cost a stupid fortune) that'd run that- it might take up enough extra space to make one leprechaun homeless though.
The whole point is doing an Apples to Apples comparison.
Sure you can choose bigger/slower/crappier components for less money, but then you aren't comparing like to like.
Having looked for quality (non plastic) mini-ITX cases, I've been disappointed by price or quality just about every time.
A nice inexpensive Alu SFF case seem more like unicorns than reality to me.
Yeah, but the $120 you paid for a 120GB SSD is easily eclipsed by the $89 500Gb WD Black NVME drive I'm going to put in mine ...
Same case as your build. I'm using a more reasonably priced power supply, got a Gigabyte Z370N Wifi board for $130, paid $89 for 16GB of DDR4 ...