Intel NUC vs Microsoft Surface

[ezcry4t3d]

My daughter needs a computer upgrade.
Primary uses: Youtube, Netflix, VLC Media Player, Amazon Prime Video, Minecraft, Schoolwork/Research.
She's 7, so they won't let her take it to class before it's obsolete anyway. I would like enough portability that she can take it to grandma's house, even if she has to use their TV for a display.
Here's the options I've come up with.

Option 1: (Have I missed something here? I have monitor/mouse/KB, & power/video cords already.)

Intel NUC D54250WYK		$330	http://amzn.com/B00F3F38O2
Crucial 8GB Kit SODIMM		$ 73	http://amzn.com/B005LDLVAO
Plextor M5M 256GB mSATA SSD	$198	http://amzn.com/B00B5BRIF8
Win 8.1 Pro 64-bit		$130	http://amzn.com/B00F3ZN0CC

TOTAL:				$731

Is it worth the $59 more to upgrade to the D34010WYKH NUC? Or $70 more for 16GB RAM?

Option 2:
Buy a $1300 Surface 2 Pro 256GB for my wife and give my daughter her old Original Surface Pro.

How does this NUC hardware compare to the Surface Pro and Surface 2 Pro? (Beyond the obvious monitor/touch/pen being included & 200GB of OneDrive.)


Anyone with thoughts/ideas on this? I appreciate the input.

 

[mfenn]

Do you need a laptop or a stationary machine? That should be your first decision.

 

[mvbighead]

Given the portability aspect, some form of tablet or laptop make the most sense by far.

Surface would be a good idea as there are not any keys to break. However, it may be a bit big/heavy for a kiddo.

I would think a Surface RT of some variety would be more up her alley, and quite a bit more cost effective. I don't see most kids utilizing storage space, and typically they play online games and watch online videos.

What you're proposing sounds like overkill for a 7 year old, but that is simply a matter of opinion I suppose.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Does Minecraft run in just a browser window? RT means no desktop apps.

You could save about $300 over the NUC by just getting a mini-ITX prebuilt like the $439 Acer AXC-605-UR10 at newegg. It's 3 times the size of the NUC but still tiny.

Link attempt - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883103901

I've had an older model of this for several years and it runs quietly.

Edit: Newegg has some even smaller models from Acer, MSI, etc. for $350 - 450 with 500 GB HD and no DVD drive.

For a 7-year-old I think 4 GB and a 1 TB platter drive is fine.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think a smallish laptop is better for your use case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834317288

Cheap, and Lenovo made a billion of 'em. Buy a couple spare keyboards now.

The thing about the Surface Pro is, you could sell it buy two cheap laptops. Rule #1 is never hand anything to a 7 year old that you want back in one piece. Rule number 2 is always have a replacement, because Rule #1.

(Nothing personal re: your kid, I just worked tech support for a school district for many, many years.)

 

[Ken g6]

If going for a laptop, I think an APU would provide somewhat better graphics for Minecraft. This looks fairly decent.

On the other hand, DaveSimmons' desktop would provide more power than either laptop, and should allow for the installation of a small video card if needed.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If going for a laptop, I think an APU would provide somewhat better graphics for Minecraft. This looks fairly decent.

On the other hand, DaveSimmons' desktop would provide more power than either laptop, and should allow for the installation of a small video card if needed.

I would agree with the GPU point, but I think a 15.6" laptop is a bit oversized for a 7 year old.

But hey, shop around a little, you'll find the right combination of APU and form factor.

 

[pcsavvy]

Surface 2 rt should be enough for a 7 year old. It has Microsoft Office 2013 with Outlook preloaded. You can sync the Surface Rt with your home pc and remote sign in I believe. You can't load programs directly to it except for the apps in the Microsoft store. I have a Surface 2 RT and if there is not an app for something, I just go to the website. I can run Hulu plus either through the website or the app, for instance. If someone needs a lightweight, small tablet/laptop then a Surface 2 rt is fine. If you are power user then the Surface Pro is better suited for you but you have to purchase Microsoft Office.
The graphics in the Surface 2 is great. Battery life is real good. The touch type cover 2 is nice and responsive.

 

[piasabird]

I am using a MITX case and a motherboard with a Centrino card hooked to a Samsung HDTV and a simple wireless keyboard. I am also using Win 7 home pro. I could use the free built-in Medea center in Win 7, but I don't have a TV card, but at least it will play a DVD/BLU RAY without extra software.

I thought about using NUC, but it just costs more and has a weak mobile chipset/CPU. My downstairs computer is in a standard ATX Case.

ITX Computer:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119286

It is harder to route all the wires inside an ITX case than you think! I am not sure this is the best case to use if want a HD and an optical drive. This case could use a better design for the drive mounts. Just keep in minds that most ITX cases are trade-offs at best. I turned the power supply upside down to suck out the air from inside the case. Of course there is not much room for a CPU cooler so I used the retail cooler.

My experience with laptops would tell me that they don't tend to last very long. They have very poor cooling. Just don't drop one. Then the parts are more expensive.

 

[ezcry4t3d]

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate the input.

 

[BoT]

not sure if you bought yet but the NUC you mentioned has the i5-4250 and the Surface 2 Pro has the i5-4200. the only difference here really is the IGP, going from the Intgel HD 4400 to the Intel HD 5000. which is a nice bump in GPU power.
if you don't mind treating your girl, i would rather go with the Surface 3 Pro. The NUC is a great alternative and option and if it just stays at home than that would be the way to go imo. If she outgrows it, which i think will take a while you still can use it as HTPC or some backup workstation