AH on a mini pc?

[dBeav]

Anyone have thoughts on whether AH will run satisfactorily on a mini-pc (https://tinyurl.com/ywb4jjaf) connected to a three display docking station (https://tinyurl.com/4aueejx3) running three monitors???

[hazmatt]

I suspect you might be able to run it on one 1080p. I'm highly doubtful that you would be able to run it on multiple displays or vr. From the 30 seconds of research that I did it looks like the gp on the Intel UHD Graphics 24EUs has about 30% of the performance of the 1030 GT which I think is about the bare minimum to run AH3 well in 1080p.

The good thing about Amazon is you could try it and if it doesn't work, send it back. My money would be on no.

I think you'd be better off with something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-OptiPlex-Desktop-Computer-Keyboard/dp/B0BTQ65TN7/ref=sr_1_13?crid=29JNAOXUINYWK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uXFG8jqT8C-uaVgjf6lIIYOkW8iVTNcq-omfm4gHPZkuNqN6hlmpk3njbNx8FIUOfbt8axClUAOimcwIeZRm92z_w8LFz-n_CJsOBW_gDd8w79wumHOQMcY6OUOOSSuVI33jcRQdZCgxTpJm0LiFRESX3 bigtoeG9syiXqCZWuPbFC_lYO4Lha 1Ishq2fXqtJlR_o1I2e3WF5x794jc gCpREg6jB6IKkNA_mDogg4a3rzuD8 btlRvYfdmUbkH7XWpq7ZdXvcPiNbn KcGm3r965yogrsW_lWfqzoVtFYLcI VPUkhuQ4Jv6xthvj2vMZGigM33RlD oV1sMHvx_uCPTM5dvUUNjpxzC36mG MAXbt_buA.Ve4P3Hb3zwbtMB3IxkJ gCZIm98vzId8BdHJAqpBDWF0&dib_tag=se&keywords=amazon+renewed+gaming+computer+rx+550&qid=1740535580&s=electronics&sprefix=amazon+renewed+gaming+computer+rx+550%2Celectronics%2C174&sr=1-13

[Spikes]

No, you can't feasibly run this game without dedicated graphics.

[Bizman]

^ what Spikes said.

The Intel UHD graphics won't run AH, it may even start to a white screen only as has been reported several times during the history of AH3.

The Dell Hazmatt suggested is not much better, further it's not a mini-pc by no means. Searching for "mini gaming pc" on Amazon shows a bunch of tiny boxes featuring strange names and one that certainly would run AH quite well: https://www.amazon.com/GeForce-Graphics-Lighting-Vertical-Included/dp/B0DK86TS91. Even that would be twice the size of the mini-pc mentioned by the OP.

[icepac]

I thought there was an external solution.

[Bizman]

I thought there was an external solution.

The three display docking station mentioned in the original post doesn't improve video performance, it just splits the signal to several monitors.

There's external video cards available but they're at least as expensive as the inside-the-case versions.

[icepac]

We used a thunderbolt interface with a dedicated video card case of its own but it is no longer “mini”.

[Bizman]

Yepp, that's the problem. Even the smallest dedicated video cards are two slots thick and some 4"x6" - well, actually XFX makes the Radeon RX 6400 as a single slot version but it still requires some space around for cooling.

[Spikes]

Agreed, by the time you've done all that you could've just spent $500-600 and bought/built a mid-range PC.

[Bizman]

Agreed, by the time you've done all that you could've just spent $500-600 and bought/built a mid-range PC.

A mini-itx based gamer would even be relatively small. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/S300-100-130mm-Management-Motherboard-Case-Black/dp/B0BNHPPDWP. Despite being less than half of a tower there's space for a <12" 2.5 slots thick video card.

[hazmatt]

^ what Spikes said.

The Intel UHD graphics won't run AH, it may even start to a white screen only as has been reported several times during the history of AH3.

The Dell Hazmatt suggested is not much better, further it's not a mini-pc by no means. Searching for "mini gaming pc" on Amazon shows a bunch of tiny boxes featuring strange names and one that certainly would run AH quite well: https://www.amazon.com/GeForce-Graphics-Lighting-Vertical-Included/dp/B0DK86TS91. Even that would be twice the size of the mini-pc mentioned by the OP.

The one I suggested is in the same price range they were looking for and is at least 4 times better then the mini GPU.

https://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvidia-GT-1030-vs-AMD-RX-550/m283726vs3925

The gpu that is included in the box I linked is faster then a GT 1030 and I know you can run it on one at 1080p because I have one and I have done it.

[hazmatt]

Another option is a budget gaming laptop like this one if you're needing to save space:

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-ROG-Strix-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B0CRDCXRK2/ref=sr_1_10?crid=2ZUG4BW0X8QIA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q5OX4Bdp09KZm-b3Pt1hheGF2ONSTgKEYIeR1u48suj3bzn-jE9OKDtnQyfjxoH6RGlG1-hdyGUAuu6hlO6I7EdjmN1Lz3gnWlo7sa2hArWcqSo9NrHxqtV5HPoCyuGYf-jS2NkHUO44L2h9Seqh_AAW84yC2WM85fcHjEV_h6JWjiafzL-Q3ld7Grz_DVzctItb-Aobf3HuA0dK6_GdUW-ZlLeP6nLenVYesczcQWE.WFCz7nrJzVSamYoozIoH857bg1u8JpY6l1SjFB2aDzY&dib_tag=se&keywords=msi%2Bgaming%2Blaptop&qid=1740764647&sprefix=msi%2Bgaming%2Blaptop%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-10&th=1

I bought one with a 3060 about 5 years back and it would run AH3 in VR with a quest 2

[Getback]

Interesting theory. I have no idea. We use a mini at work for co-workers to access payroll information. I think they are kind of cool.

[Bizman]

Interesting theory. I have no idea. We use a mini at work for co-workers to access payroll information. I think they are kind of cool.

The minis are great for certain purposes like work/home office tasks and also for living room connected to a TV. Plenty of calculating power in a tiny box. Laptop technology for big monitors and quality input devices. But for  gaming they'd require an external video card. Don't know why they don't make them including a gaming laptop video card, most likely it's a demand related thing. Gamers wanting a small computer choose a laptop and if size doesn't matter a proper desktop will provide much better cooling and thus improved performance for the same price. For office use there's no market for a gaming level mini unless you're doing CAD or heavy image processing.

[icepac]

Pretty recently, at least NUC was available with intel arc a770 on the asus nuc 14 pro +.