A user buys a new computer and digs deep into his pocket for it. But he didn’t pay attention to what he bought. Because it’s definitely not a gaming system. And many say: A gaming laptop would have been the better choice.
A father reports that his son has bought a new computer. He wants to use the device for his studies and also do gaming with it. Or as he himself writes:
Of course, it’s the gaming aspect that excites him the most, and the fact that he can carry it in a backpack is a bonus.
He himself explains in his post on reddit that he is uncertain about what his son has bought for a lot of money and whether it can even be used for gaming. And the community confirms his concerns.
What has the user bought? The user has bought a mini-PC that you can purchase on Amazon US. The model costs around 800 euros. On Amazon Germany, only a newer model is available. The system offers the following specifications:
- Intel i9-12900H
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- 32 GB DDR
- 1 TB
- Windows 11 Pro
Can you play with it? The i9-12900H is an old high-end processor from Intel from January 2022. The processor still offers very good performance today. However, the problem is the installed GPU, as the system only has the integrated graphics unit of the processor, the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. And that’s not a chip that provides fast gaming.
For office work and undemanding tasks, the Intel Iris Xe Graphics is more than sufficient, and simple games work well with it. Especially in inexpensive office systems, such integrated graphics chips are used to keep such systems compact and affordable.
However, with slightly more demanding games, the Intel graphics chip quickly reaches its limits. You can see how well the graphics chip performs, for example, on YouTube. Many games run on low settings and reduced resolution (720p). Whether gaming is really “fun” is another question.
How does the community react? They clearly state that it was a stupid decision to buy such a system without thinking.
- “Your son has learned a hard lesson. Research before you buy something expensive. He might be able to return it.”
- “You definitely cannot upgrade the GPU in it. It will probably play games like Valorant and Fortnite, but it won’t run modern AAA titles. It’s definitely not a good PC for gaming.”
Others add that the son should definitely return the device and instead buy a decent gaming laptop for the same money.
More about mini-PCs: Our editor Benedikt has also bought a mini-PC. In his article, he reveals why he bought the device and what can be done with it. And why gaming is not the focus of such small devices:
My new PC is as big as 2 apples and saves me 10 euros in electricity costs every month
