Devices > PC's and Other Hardware
Dedicated Mini/Micro PC
eve:
--- Quote from: Awesome Donkey on June 11, 2024, 10:25:17 am ---Personally I'd do what Bryan said and replace the M.2 NVMe SSD right off the bat then install a fresh OS (Windows, Linux, etc.). Then issues like trojans, adware/spyware, etc. wouldn't be an issue. Just make sure if you're going to do this and install Windows that you have the ethernet and Wi-Fi drivers on a USB stick or something so you can install them as you likely won't have internet access to get them otherwise.
I got a Topton N305 off AliExpress but there's others like CWWK (which apparently uses slightly better PSUs) and Hunsn.
--- End quote ---
Honestly I feel dumb for not mentioning this. I just assumed everyone did this by default. Cant' really stop compromised hardware itself but any prebuilt systems like these I get, I pull the drives and wipe before they are put into service or connected to the network. I'd *never* trust the OS on one. If you're buying the older HP , Dell , Lenovo micros, refurbed, that same mentality applies. Do *not* use whatever comes with the system. Been getting killer deals on these HP 800s
Shasta Mike:
--- Quote from: BryanC on June 11, 2024, 06:19:58 pm ---Doesn't support W11 and W10 is EOL in a year.
--- End quote ---
help me out - it says Win 11 Pro is installed.
WinoOutWest:
yeah - it is pretty easy to install Win11 on these older PCs. I've got all of mine running Win11 Pro and haven't had a single problem.
craigmcg:
I too have Win 11 installed on pcs that don't officially support it BUT there is a risk that MS could make a change/update that would prevent any such unsupported PC from normal functionality without advance notice. Since this would generate outrage among users affected, it may not be likely but...
Another thing is that Windows 12 is rumoured to be coming in late 2024 or 2025 so this could also have impacts on using older PCs unless people are willing and able to switch to Linux.
Awesome Donkey:
--- Quote from: WinoOutWest on June 12, 2024, 12:38:02 am ---yeah - it is pretty easy to install Win11 on these older PCs. I've got all of mine running Win11 Pro and haven't had a single problem.
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Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Windows 11 is unsupported on those older PCs and eventually will either break or not update anymore.
If you're running Windows 11 it's best to do it on supported hardware. For older hardware like those eBay PCs it'd be better if they ran Linux since Windows 10's going EOL in a year and a half. Having them with Windows 11 pre-installed is such a risk and I'm a little surprised eBay hasn't started cracking down on those listings (older, unsupported PCs running unsupported Windows 11) because they're misleading buyers into thinking e-waste that should be recycled is as good as other "modern" PC hardware just because it's running Windows 11 but it's really not. Using those eBay PCs are as risky if not more risky than using mini PCs from AliExpress and Amazon since most users who buy them are probably using the unsupported Windows 11 OS they ship with instead of reinstalling it themselves with the (supported) OS of their choosing from scratch.
Who knows what little surprises may be included? At least the Intel N100 and N305 CPU mini PCs from AliExpress and Amazon actually support Windows 11 and they support TPM 2.0 and secure boot, just make sure if you get one to do a clean OS install of course. And I can say after doing a clean Windows 11 install on a N305 that it runs beautifully AND Windows 11 is fully supported with no hacks or workarounds needed. Just my two cents. :)
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