Laptop recommendations?

Hey, I need some advice. I'm looking for a small form factor PC—something similar to an Acer Aspire TC series desktop—around $700. Can I actually find something beefier in a compact case, or am I wasting my time? Does anyone have any solid recommendations?? My other option is grabbing a MacBook Pro, but honestly, the price tag feels a bit steep for me right now. I'd much rather go with a tiny, powerful desktop if I can. As long as it has an SSD and a decent processor, I'm happy. I don't care about gaming, though I wouldn't mind having a dedicated GPU just in case!

So, what's the plan for that PC?

I can't say for sure about the case, but if I were putting this specific build together, I'd personally opt for the Ryzen 2400g and skip the dedicated graphics card entirely. Just pair it with a compact mini B450 motherboard and call it a day. ^^

I mean, just browsing the web, maybe some light streaming, basic Photoshop stuff—nothing crazy. But I need this thing to be snappy, you know? That's why I'm actually low-key considering switching over to an Apple setup.

Honestly, those Apple setups are just way too overpriced for what you actually get.

If I were in your shoes, I’d build something using a mini B450 board paired with a Ryzen 2400g and 16 GB of RAM. Between the integrated graphics and the compact size of a mini motherboard, it hits that sweet spot perfectly. Throw in a 512 GB SSD and you're pretty much set.

The real headache, though, is finding the right case. Getting everything else together isn't the hard part, but the chassis is where things get tricky...

Or if you find that the Vega 11 just isn't cutting it for you, you could always pick up one of those compact, single-fan models from NVIDIA...

Look, here's the deal: I basically want something as small as possible since I'm always on the move. Ideally, I could just toss it under my arm, plug it into whatever TV is lying around, and call it a day. I know building one from scratch might be better, but honestly? I don't have the patience for that headache. I'd rather just buy something pre-built. Is that Acer setup with the i5-8400, 8GB of DDR4, and a 128GB SSD actually decent? And can I count on it having Windows already installed and ready to go? I'm a bit out of the loop—this is an 8th gen i5, right? I haven't messed with building PCs since the first i5 came out. ��

You could probably squeeze that into a smaller case, maybe 12 to 15 inches, with 30 and 20... just gotta hunt down a mini-PC chassis at a shop somewhere.

My biggest headache right now is actually finding the right case; I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to those small form factor builds.

All I know for sure is that these Apple setups are ridiculously overpriced.

So that Acer case is 295x330.

This one’s a tiny bit bigger https://www.amazon.com/naviat...product/206421

350x350

Now I gotta pick some parts for it... gonna check PCPartPicker to see what fits.

EDIT: here's a starting point. now we can all mess around with it from here.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wgD8K4

Yeah, I'm just gonna grab that Acer instead of flushing my cash down the toilet on some overpriced Apple gear 🙄 if you guys don't know a better deal than that, then honestly, stop messing with me.

William Richardson12 said:So that Acer case is 295x330.

This one’s a tiny bit bigger https://www.amazon.com/naviat...product/206421

350x350

Now I gotta pick some parts for it... gonna check PCPartPicker to see what fits.

EDIT: here's a starting point. now we can all mess around with it from here.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wgD8K4

Go for it if you want, just so I can get a better idea of how they stack up. Honestly, we could even push past $650 if needed; it's not like we're broke or anything, right? 😅

Larry Long8 said:Go for it if you want, just so I can get a better idea of how they stack up. Honestly, we could even push past $650 if needed; it's not like we're broke or anything, right? 😅

Alright, let's start with this build https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/wgD8K4

Dropped the link above too.

William Richardson12 said:Alright, let's start with this build https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/wgD8K4

Dropped the link above too.

Honestly, you aren't going to find anything better than this. It’s a solid setup. That was my thought process when I was putting mine together, too—running a B450 board, the same processor, 16 GB of RAM, a reliable power supply, a compact mini case, and a 512 GB SSD.

You really can't beat this value.

Edit:

The only thing I might change is adding a small aftermarket cooler. Something like an LC CC 95.....

I heard somewhere that when you're running everything at once, integrated graphics can pull a decent amount of power and generate some heat. I just picked that up from a tech forum recently, so...

If anyone could double-check the cooling situation for me... specifically, I'm wondering if the stock cooler can actually handle the load when both components are working hard.

It’ll run fine, probably hover around 65C, and just let the auto-clocking do its thing.

Since there's no GPU in there adding extra heat, this should be smooth sailing...

Who would’ve thought that AMD chip actually holds its own against an Intel 6 Core... I mean, I'm not exactly jumping for joy, but man, those Apple laptops are a total rip-off. If you're looking at a 13-inch MacBook Pro hitting something like $1,600, you better have some serious cash stashed away. And don't even get me started on the ports—when I saw there wasn't a single HDMI port or anything else, I absolutely lost my mind. 😡

We’ve been keeping tabs on this stuff for about three years now, and honestly, it’s pretty great seeing how AMD holds its own while being way easier on the wallet 😒

Plus, we don't have to deal with that elitist nonsense people call Intel 🐔

If you’re looking for a truly portable PC—something actually practical to set up and easy to move—this is the sweet spot:

https://www.mindfactory.de/product_i...l_1299066.html

There’s no dedicated GPU inside, but you can throw in a Ryzen 2400g or 3400g, and probably some future 7nm APU down the line.

It’ll be plenty for what’s needed. It’s incredibly compact; you just pop in the processor and the RAM and you're done.
The AMD Wraith Stealth stock cooler fits perfectly, and from what I know, this comes with a power adapter similar to a laptop brick.

https://www.asrock.com/nettop/AMD/De...A300%20Series/

Smaller and more powerful is always better

Larry Long8 said:Smaller and more powerful is always better

Look, you have to make a choice. There's no such thing as a free lunch.