~Toughbooktalk~

Out of curiosity im considering setting up like a mini desktop that can run win 7, its for work and the back up laptop is dieing in the heat horribly. one of the mini ones would fit in the space i have for one. just trying to see if anyone has one that needs a new home

Why a mini pc? Why not a Toughbook in a dock?

Toughbook is main use but i just need something to sit there and not do much. right now its a free toshiba satalite that is struggling to do much with the heat its...yeah.. it struggled with xp and its now got 7 on it lol

I'm thinking a CF52 in a desktop dock/port replicator.
Both are fairly cheap. Any CF52 will run Win7 easily. Grab an CF52A and it has the dedicated ATI graphics with WUXGA resolution. Built in fan...I scored a port replicator for $15 with free shipping. Heat won't be an issue, CF52's are a semi-rugged design...

I may have an extra CF52 with the ATI graphics.

How mini? How good do you want the internals?

ADOR wrote:How mini? How good do you want the internals?

i can get measurements of the two spaces it would be in,its going to go in a cabinet or maybe the top of my box, could prob swing it on the out side, then the size wouldnt really matter. my thought was to protect it some. but what ive been looking into is maybe something like

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161792193433?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT


but im open to options, 3-4gb ram...hdd size doesnt really matter. be able to run win 7. its main uses are when im stacked three trucks deep at work i can use it when its in my bay, my toughbook for mobile use(blue tooth running around) and grab the ez-tech(a cf-53) and keep going. itll run music, share a printer...nothing to fancy due to the atmosphere it will be in is kinda rough

You call that mini? lol

How about these I have some of these. The aopens take a 19v laptop style charger for power.

(these are about the size of a mini mac, the 915 version even looks like one, I use the 915 case on the 945 and the 965 version. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE CARD THAT HOOKS THE HARD DRIVE AND DVD DRIVE TO THE MOTHERBOARD. Hard to find if it's missing.

Aopen 915
Pentium M, two slots for ram laptop style, wifi slot laptop style, you can swap out the ram and cpu.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aopen-Mini-PC-M ... 33a176a103

aopen 945
core duo or core 2 duo mobile processer, intel 945 chipset and graphics. You can swap out the ram(laptop style) and upgrade the cpu.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AOPEN-DIGITAL-E ... 4d3589e8e7

aopen 965 upgraded version of above. Better graphics.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-open-PC-mp965 ... 3f51e4f907

aopen digital engine. Rugged case style like above.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AOpen-Digital-E ... 2a4d17341c

I have a mini itx build on here somewhere. The motherboard and cpu will run you under 25 bucks it takes mobile cpu, mobile ram, has 945 intel graphics onboard but has a full desktop pci x 16 slot for improved graphics take a standard desktop power supply.

also AMD has some kick butt little combos.

IF you get a M-itx motherboard in the AM1 socket you can get up to a 2.0 quad core that can be passively cooled with the right cooler. Good integrated graphics that can do light gaming. I think even titan fall on very low has been made to work. The mother boards can take a desktop power supply or laptop style. (not all of them but some can)

if you want the top of the line you can get on the FM2+ socket up to a 4.4 quad core and integrated graphics that can play skyrim on high settings.

ADOR wrote:You call that mini? lol

How about these I have some of these. The aopens take a 19v laptop style charger for power.

(these are about the size of a mini mac, the 915 version even looks like one, I use the 915 case on the 945 and the 965 version. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE CARD THAT HOOKS THE HARD DRIVE AND DVD DRIVE TO THE MOTHERBOARD. Hard to find if it's missing.

Aopen 915
Pentium M, two slots for ram laptop style, wifi slot laptop style, you can swap out the ram and cpu.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aopen-Mini-PC-M ... 33a176a103

aopen 945
core duo or core 2 duo mobile processer, intel 945 chipset and graphics. You can swap out the ram(laptop style) and upgrade the cpu.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AOPEN-DIGITAL-E ... 4d3589e8e7

aopen 965 upgraded version of above. Better graphics.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/A-open-PC-mp965 ... 3f51e4f907

aopen digital engine. Rugged case style like above.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AOpen-Digital-E ... 2a4d17341c

I have a mini itx build on here somewhere. The motherboard and cpu will run you under 25 bucks it takes mobile cpu, mobile ram, has 945 intel graphics onboard but has a full desktop pci x 16 slot for improved graphics take a standard desktop power supply.

also AMD has some kick butt little combos.

IF you get a M-itx motherboard in the AM1 socket you can get up to a 2.0 quad core that can be passively cooled with the right cooler. Good integrated graphics that can do light gaming. I think even titan fall on very low has been made to work. The mother boards can take a desktop power supply or laptop style. (not all of them but some can)

if you want the top of the line you can get on the FM2+ socket up to a 4.4 quad core and integrated graphics that can play skyrim on high settings.

those are defiantly mini lol. for what im looking for i dont think i need that small

Well then your options have opened up a lot more, lol.

The M-itx motherboards will still work. size will just depend on what case you want and what you want to spend price wise.

i was looking and wondering how those ibm think centers are. i found several close to me i could go get for $25-$50