HP 260 G1 Mini Desktop PC with Windows 8.1 £119.99 @ Ebuyer

Definitely don't need it, don't need it, don't need it, bought it, getting divorced, so not all bad then.

BubaMan

It'll carry over DisplayPort too - I have a similar small PC and a laptop … It'll carry over DisplayPort too - I have a similar small PC and a laptop and use a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to get video and audio to my TV from both.http://www.displayport.org/faq/Read lessRead more

I stand corrected.

a8smith

Most people will want audio out over HDMI if they're using it as a media … Most people will want audio out over HDMI if they're using it as a media PC I would think.Read lessRead more

It'll carry over DisplayPort too - I have a similar small PC and a laptop and use a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to get video and audio to my TV from both.
displayport.org/faq/
(edited)

a8smith

I stand corrected.

No problem - it is a misleading name

Adrian7

Any inside photos? SSD seems m.2 so upgradeable but depends on length - … Any inside photos? SSD seems m.2 so upgradeable but depends on length - could be 2240 but new options appear all the time. Memory may just be socketed too if lucky...Read lessRead more

Looks like the 32GB SSD included is a standard m.2 and there's also the option to add a regular 2.5" SSD/HDD. Also 2x RAM slots: hp.com/hpi…pdf

It's a neat little PC, and this is an excellent price. I have one. A couple of points about expandability. It does have space for an internal 2.5" SATA drive, but you'll need a special adapter cable (which can be obtained from HP, but isn't supplied), and a set of special mounting grommets (also not supplied). It can take a larger M.2 SSD, and also has a mini PCIe slot for a WiFi card like the Intel 7260 - but you'll need to add internal aerials as they're not fitted in this base model.

fishmaster

Definitely don't need it, don't need it, don't need it, bought it, … Definitely don't need it, don't need it, don't need it, bought it, getting divorced, so not all bad then.Read lessRead more

Your like a crack-heed. Put the wife before the electronics Sir.

If you are looking for a simple Kodi solution look no further than the Raspberry Pi 2. I was using the original Pi and got a bit fed up with the response times so tried moving to a nuc. Set it all up with CEC control through an adapter and boot straight to Kodi. Although it was a lot faster it was definetley not as good as the pi solution. Then a few weeks later they release the pi 2 go figure. I now have five of these running showing movies, TV shows and live TV (argusTV) they are amazing and run off the usb port on the tv and have full cec control (if your tv supports it) so no need for another controller. For those wondering about skins and performance I am currently using xbmc-skins.com/ski…ula and it runs very smoothly.

LOL yeah but they will try and deny you your rights under the sales of goods act first and hope you go away defeated by the monumental pain in the ass required to get them to abide by it.

Unfortunately when there are deals on here from them - my only advice would be to avoid. Great if they ship you something working, not worth the time and effort if there's a problem.

God deal poor vendor no customer service and absolutely rubbish returns policy never buy from ebuyer

Could also use this to stream Steam games from another PC to the lounge.

lewissymonds

Ok thanks. It means no it wont be beefy enough. I didn't know plex had a … Ok thanks. It means no it wont be beefy enough. I didn't know plex had a passmark score to cross reference to see if cpus are powerful enough.Read lessRead more

It'll work fine as a Plex client but might not cope as a Plex server (transcoding is very CPU-intensive)

lewissymonds

Oh them passmark scores were for a plex server? Yeah i would want to use … Oh them passmark scores were for a plex server? Yeah i would want to use this as a client not server. Now im temptedRead lessRead more

Bear in mind that the Amazon Fire Stick (edit: £30 now) and NowTV (£10) both work as a Plex client and they both come with a remote.
The Fire Stick can even run Kodi too.
If you have broader needs, this is a great purchase but if all you want is Plex, you can spend a lot less. (edited)

Not a huge fan of the company, they are one of the few that will enforce their rights under the sales of goods act 'to the letter', customer relations be damned, so be sure that you are happy with their terms and conditions before buying from them.

Pictures of model internals (SSD has been changed): i.imgur.com/Cwl…jpg
Tray removed and DIMM cover removed: i.imgur.com/tZD…jpg

It comes with PC3L memory - I don't know yet if it will also accept PC3.
It does come with the HDD tray, but not the SATA cable or HDD screws. You can see the SATA socket just above the SSD.
The SATA cable is P/N: 805299-001 - it's possible to order from HP but it's not immediate. I'm still waiting after ordering last week.
The HDD screws is P/N: 594220-001 (Pack of 4). You CAN'T order these from HP, and they're pretty hard to get hold of.
The SSD is of the 42mm length variety (The stock one was a SanDisk U110).
The PCIe slot is for a half size card, and there are no wifi antennas - P/N: 805303-001.
A speaker is included, but don't expect any sort of quality!

Got mine running Amahi and it seems a good little replacement for my Pogoplug!
(edited)

tin

LOL yeah but they will try and deny you your rights under the sales of … LOL yeah but they will try and deny you your rights under the sales of goods act first and hope you go away defeated by the monumental pain in the ass required to get them to abide by it.Unfortunately when there are deals on here from them - my only advice would be to avoid. Great if they ship you something working, not worth the time and effort if there's a problem.Read lessRead more

I ended up buying two printers last week. I cancelled one right away but they still shipped it. It was delivered whilst I was at work so I couldn't refuse delivery.

When I rang up they told me I'd either have to send it back at my cost & risk or it would be £10 for their couriers (Yodel) to collect it. I ended up paying the £10. They acknowleged I cancelled one of them right away "but they had finished for the day when I ordered & cancelled it" was their excuse. There is also a 48-hour time period on dealing with eNotes (their communication system when you can't get someone on the phone).

The thing is there isn't a cancel order option, rather you have to use that stupid eNotes system and the 48-hour delay in getting a response.

I'm sure the likes of Amazon would have cancelled it, as it was done about 10 minutes after I placed the order. Even then they would have collected it FOC as I had done everything right.

It was their fault "no one was in" to read my eNote & cancel the order. There was obviously some one in to take the order & ultimately ship it.

Just be warned. Up to then I thought Ebuyer were excellent, but then again I have never had to send anything back before.
(edited)

ranja81

I still think the pipo x7s, Wintel or Voyo mini pc boxes are better … I still think the pipo x7s, Wintel or Voyo mini pc boxes are better value. Look them up on ebay. They're cheaper and some come with 64GB and some are dual os.Read lessRead more

Some people will prefer them, but these have a proper CPU (Haswell architecture, not the tablet Bay Trail one) and the real world performance difference is quite noticeable (I've got one of the Bay Trail mini PCs and it's quite easy to tell).

You can also upgrade the RAM and HDD/SSD on these, they have gigabit ethernet (not 10/100 like the Pipo) and you can use 64-bit Windows on these whereas you can't on the current Bay Trail devices because they all come with 32-Bit EFI.

kinell

An appalling customer service - so much so in fact (in my case ) I would … An appalling customer service - so much so in fact (in my case ) I would actually pay more to purchase from somewhere else! oORead lessRead more

yep! me too! it would have to be less than 1/2 the price of the next place to consider buying anything from them again.

Looms good as a media player for Kodi etc. - its 50% faster than my 2820 NUC and comes with ram and boot drive. The only downside is that there is no IR for a remote but you could add one.

a8smith

Also no HDMI connection.

A DisplayPort to HDMI adapter is a couple of quid.

southlegend

Can any current owners advise on the fan noise?

It's not silent (it has a cpu cooling fan). I'd rate it as slightly more noisy than an Intel NUC. Having said that, you'd need to be close to it in a pretty quiet room to notice it.

topss

Nice small compact box, but the deal for the Lenovo (same price) desktop … Nice small compact box, but the deal for the Lenovo (same price) desktop seems much better vfm. Unless of course the size of this one is important. http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lenovo-e50-desktop-pc-119-99-ebuyer-free-delivery-2220755?p=25314370Read lessRead more

The problem with that Lenovo box is that it only has VGA output. For media player applications HDMI/Displayport is a much better video/audio connection technology.

mikerr

was about to buy a Displayport - HDMI adaptor, then realised I already … was about to buy a Displayport - HDMI adaptor, then realised I already have one for my macbook !Anyway - bought, hot deal.Read lessRead more

The adaptor for your MacBook is most likely a mini Displayport - HDMI.

If your after a media machine, go for one of these, their brilliant :-

Pipo x7s - approx £74


Fantastic little machine, runs TVMC (Kodi) with zero speed issues, its fast enough to Steam shadow play from your main PC, and it can natively play Minecraft. And for those who need an extra bit, it also dual boots with Android. Magic if you want any android apps that you cant get on Windows on a big screen TV. Oh, and as their fan-less they have zero noise and extremely low energy usage.

CPU - Intel Baytrail Z3736F up to 2.16Ghz
RAM - 2GB DDR 3L
32GB EMMC Storage
Windows 8.1 with Bing + Android 4.4 dual boot
Micro SD slot x1
USB port Type A USB*4 + micro USB*1 (to connect to a PC in Android mode)
LAN port RJ45
Audio out
HDMI output
Wifi 802.11b/g/n with Bluetooth
Power Adaptor 12V -2A
Dimensions 188*129*25.6mm

Regards
Flea

(edited)

TrickyDicky99

Thanks for the info. I have been caught out by vendors before not … Thanks for the info. I have been caught out by vendors before not supplying the parts that the specs suggest. I've a quick google but cant find the part number for the SATA adapter cable etc. Would you be kind enough to post them here? Much appreciated.Read lessRead more

The SATA cable is part 805299-001, the special disk mounting grommets part 594220-001 (pack of 4). They also have the internal WiFi aerial assembly as part 805303-001. You should be able to see (and order) these from this HP Parts Surfer site link. The HP 260 G1 product # is KBL27EA (#ABU) - however, that link uses product # K5R32AV

BeeBaw

... Also, anyone any experience on streaming Amazon Prime etc over … ... Also, anyone any experience on streaming Amazon Prime etc over ethernet?Read lessRead more

Just tried it this evening. Running an HD Amazon Prime movie under Silverlight on IE 11 gives a CPU usage of between 65-70% and quality seems acceptable, but not up to Blu-ray standards. I tried running Amazon prime streaming under Flash/Chrome, but that was a non-starter, less CPU usage, but very poor quality. I'm surprised that I couldn't find a dedicated Windows Amazon Prime app.

tin

LOL yeah but they will try and deny you your rights under the sales of … LOL yeah but they will try and deny you your rights under the sales of goods act first and hope you go away defeated by the monumental pain in the ass required to get them to abide by it.Unfortunately when there are deals on here from them - my only advice would be to avoid. Great if they ship you something working, not worth the time and effort if there's a problem.Read lessRead more

Both Shoadoe and tin have obviously had the exact same problems as I have. Excellent deals (heat added) but if it goes wrong .... Good Luck to you !!

An appalling customer service - so much so in fact (in my case ) I would actually pay more to purchase from somewhere else! oO

I would tread carefully - I have been bitten twice by them ... and truly can not see my self ever going back again
(edited)

fishmaster

Definitely don't need it, don't need it, don't need it, bought it, … Definitely don't need it, don't need it, don't need it, bought it, getting divorced, so not all bad then.Read lessRead more

Too bad the ex Mrs is taking it in the settlement, better buy two.

Simplyalif

Will it play hi10p content? Or even 4k?

Probably not

topss

Nice small compact box, but the deal for the Lenovo (same price) desktop … Nice small compact box, but the deal for the Lenovo (same price) desktop seems much better vfm. Unless of course the size of this one is important. http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/lenovo-e50-desktop-pc-119-99-ebuyer-free-delivery-2220755?p=25314370Read lessRead more

This desktop is slower than the system in this deal, slower cpu, slower hard drive and larger system. Bad advice!

DaddyHo

Will this play full HD video at 4gb each? Home videos are huge nowadays!

The size of the movie isn't what's heavy on resources, it's the resolution and bit rate that you need to look for.

ark.intel.com/pro…GHz

The CPU in the system has a built in GPU which is capable of hardware accelerated H.264 decoding (via DXVA) and it also has QuickSync support for an alternative decoder.
MPC-HC is a great media player (supports DXVA and QuickSync decoding via LAV Filters).

To directly answer your question. Yes this will suffice.





(edited)

Rubbish procesor. Cold

Mini desktop for mini tasks. Not really sure of the point? "Media player"? Got a Blu-ray player for that. Word processing..? You'd want a bit more out of any desktop PC than that and solitaire. And no HDMI means for me to hook it up to my iiyama I'd have to then invest in some kind of botch job of a go-between because the DVI cable doesn't screw in on my new one. Which is rubbish on iiyama's part but I'm not really up for adding insult to injury.

lord_trumpington

Lots of technical discussions on this one which is above my station as a … Lots of technical discussions on this one which is above my station as a non-techie. As a standard desktop PC is this one fit for purpose or would something like the Lenovo E50 (same price) be a better option?Read lessRead more

Personally I would go for the Lenovo. Double the RAM, larger HDD (albeit technically slower) and slightly more upgradable. If you're going to be using it as a proper desktop, then you would probably be upgrading the SSD in this deal anyway. So might as well buy an SSD for the Lenovo.

(edited)

morrig

Don't feel beat up about that you paid less got same ram and storage and … Don't feel beat up about that you paid less got same ram and storage and O/S plus Bluetooth and wi- fi and if it does what you want be happy and contented with your purchase.Read lessRead more

Well I was happy with it, but after about 15 minutes of use the Pipo x7 died, so back it goes and I think I'll pick up this instead, the pipo is really ropey, it runs 90 deg C under load from most reports, and I can tell mine was badly put together just by the apperance of the ports. I have often spent 50 quid on a chinese dongle, and I have often been pleasantly suprised, but I dropped way too much on the Pipo.

This is a great bit of kit. Runs very quietly - not noticeable. Streaming Amazon prime with no issues.
No wireless, but you can add Bluetooth via a dongle (which most Bluetooth keyboards/mice come with anyway)

A good buy- thanks OP

osm1

I'm interested in purchasing a mini PC to hook up to my TV for streaming … I'm interested in purchasing a mini PC to hook up to my TV for streaming HD video from the web (Netflix, Amazon Video, Youtube, UK TV catch up services) as well as live web TV streams from outside the UK. If anyone's still tuned in to this thread could you please comment on whether the HP 260 G1 (what a crap name!) will be sufficient for doing this without stutter? I've read people comment that its suitable for HD video but I don't know if they're referring to local HD content or web-based HD content. Or perhaps this distinction is irrelevant?Putting aside any price differences, is this device better suited for my intended usage than the many boxes which use Intel Atom Z3735F (such as MINIX NEO Z64)CheersRead lessRead more

The HP is probably the best of the mini PCs for that purpose. The CPU has around twice the power of the Z3735F, and is even better for single threaded processes. If you look =2200&cmp[]=2326]here you can see a good comparison. The Atom uses less power, but an extra 10W is hardly going to break the bank.

I have one of the HPs set up as a Plex Server and Player, I cannot fault it. You should disable Microsoft Windows Defender though as it eats memory. I use Avast Free.

I have used Acer Revo, eMachines 1401, Brix and other similar small, modestly powered PCs. I reckon that the HP is probably the best yet. The only limitation is that it is a hassle if you want to install an internal 2.5" drive. If you use network or an external HDD then all is good. Nice thing about the HP is four USB 3.0 ports. I mustn't forget the lack of WiFi, I cable everything, but if I did need WiFi I would go the USB route. USB Wifi is cheap and a lot less hassle than sourcing and installing aerials. Horses for Courses, but for me the HP is great. What can I say, I bought four of them, and I would consider that I do know what I am doing.

osm1

Thanks, that's really helpful. I've gone ahead and ordered one. Now only … Thanks, that's really helpful. I've gone ahead and ordered one. Now only £99 on Ebuyer!Read lessRead more

If you use Quidco and Bespoke offers you should get an offer about £85 quid from Bespoke offers at the moment, plus an additional £12-13 cashback from Quidco (it's a 15% rate at the moment) making it around £73 which is an absolute bargain.

(edited)

A Windows tablet with HDMI will be as good for many things (and cheaper) but this has 6 full-size USB ports (4 are USB 3.0) and gigabit Ethernet so it'll suit a certain purpose better (connecting external storage).
Heated

timefortea

Looms good as a media player for Kodi etc. - its 50% faster than my 2820 … Looms good as a media player for Kodi etc. - its 50% faster than my 2820 NUC and comes with ram and boot drive. The only downside is that there is no IR for a remote but you could add one.Read lessRead more

Also no HDMI connection.