keyliner.blogspot.com: November 2023

Is a cheap Celeron PC good enough for Grandma?
Is a low-end computer good enough for Grandma?
Is an inexpensive computer good enough for Grandma?
2023.11.15

Amazingly, Grandma has a Dell Windows XP-era machine (vintage 2008) in need of an upgrade. Although she has a capable laptop, she also wanted a desktop computer for the printer, scanner, and regular keyboard and monitor. *Anything* would be an upgrade from her current setup.

The local Best Buy had two low-end machines: An "Acer - Aspire XC-840" for $300, and a "Lenovo IdeaCentre 3i" for $400.

We chose the Lenovo because it had more ports and a slightly faster chip. (The "3i" name is a marketing deception. Don't be fooled - this is not an Intel i3 chip).

Is it good enough?

Yes.

Surfing, email, scanning, opening Excel, etc., all performed well. Obviously, you won't be using this for video editing or gaming, but it is good enough for household chores.

Compared to the XP machine, most of the performance gains were from the SSD drive -- but more RAM and the better chip couldn't have hurt. Overall, I found nothing to complain about and it met our needs.

Kudos to the clerk at Best Buy who rightfully tried to dissuade us from buying such a low-end machine. She relented when I explained we were retiring a 16-year-old computer. Anything was better than what we had, and we were price conscious.

Installed Crapware:
Remarkably, there was little crapware -- only two programs, where one could be forgiven: "Lenovo Driver Update" (Lenovo "Vantage"), and the obligatory and hateful McAfee software that all new computers seem to have.

I kept the Lenovo program for a few minutes, allowing it to run its updates, then de-installed (it later prompts for a paid upgrade). McAfee was removed immediately for all the normal reasons. McAfee has a special place in hell and is always removed.

On Best Buy's site, a "free" Trend Micro Virus Scanner (a $30 value!) was offered. Being only a six-month trial, it was also ignored. Besides, Microsoft's default virus scanner is unobtrusive and is good.

Except for Windows Updates, the machine needs to be unattended. (GMa lives 1,500 miles away and we can't be having the software asking about new subscriptions.)

Lenovo IdeaCentre 3i Specs:

Dual Core, Celeron, 3.4Ghz (G6900 LGA 1200-series chipset)
I am pretty sure this is a laptop motherboard in a desktop case.

256G NVme Micron SSD Drive
(256 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC)

8 GB Ram, 1-slot occupied, 1-slot free (32G max)
(DDR4-3200MHz (UDIMM))

2 USB 2.0
4 USB 3.2
1 USB C

Wifi 6.0
Bluetooth
RJ45 Network port
HDMI 2.1 TMDS (integrated video)
VGA
Front and Rear Audio jacks, Front Microphone jack
SD Card-Slot (nice to see)

Cheap mouse and keyboard
Power button (smile)
Windows 11 Home
Completely silent; air-cooled; no fan (except for the powersupply)

No DVD, nor is there room to install one (if needed, buy an external USB DVD)
No expansion slots

Upgrades:

I ran out of time, but if I were doing this again, I'd upgrade the RAM from 8GB to 16 (DDR4-3200MHz (UDIMM)). The new memory chip would just snap into place - a two minute install. Still, I am continually amazed at how well Windows runs on just 8GB.

With Windows and Office installed, plus Foxit PDF Reader, along with a few other small utilities, 25% of the disk was used, leaving 200G for data. For GMa, this is more than enough space for what she does, but for a student, or someone who is using this for photography, you might consider replacing the hard drive with a 1T drive, which can be found for $50. (This is an NVme drive, but is not the "M.2" style.)

Lenovo makes other models, with the same footprint and case-design, some with an Intel i3 chip, and room for DVD drives, larger SSD's, etc. I did not explore, all being about $200 more expensive. For this machine, I did not take the time to open the case and photograph the interior.

More on the CPU:

Intel Celeron G-6900
By itself, the chip retails for $45 - but it lacks a lot of onboard L3 cache, and does not have hyper-threading, and no virtual cores. Tech publications roundly hate this chip, instead preferring the Intel i3 for low-end PC's. The i3 (not the "3i") is $130, just for the chip, and it requires a better motherboard, a larger power supply, and a CPU cooler -- all which make for a more complicated and expensive setup (albeit a more normal setup). Still, with those reservations, online reviews for this lower-end chip are positive (for the cost). Of interest, many low-end laptops use this chipset.

Because there is no hyperthreading or virtual cores, many newer games will not run -- check with your games to confirm, but this was expected. Besides, it only has on-board video, which no gamer would tolerate.

-end

2023-11-11

Is a Cheap Celeron PC good enough for Grandma?