Category: Mini PCs

Guides, Mini PCs

Transform Any PC into a Retro Gaming Console (Batocera Guide)

by Russ8 Comments on Transform Any PC into a Retro Gaming Console (Batocera Guide)
Transform Any PC into a Retro Gaming Console (Batocera Guide)

Chances are, you might have an older PC lying around the house. It’s not quite worth the effort to sell on your local marketplace, and nobody in the house wants it, either. How about we turn it into a retro gaming console instead?

In this guide I’ll show you how to install Batocera, a Linux-based custom operating system that will give your PC a console-like experience. Additionally, in this guide I’ll show you how to install PC games to play alongside your favorite retro classics.

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Apple, Guides, Mini PCs

Retro Gaming on a Mac

by Russ2 Comments on Retro Gaming on a Mac
Retro Gaming on a Mac

Last updated: 06APR2023 (see Changelog for details)

Macs have always been considered terrible for gaming, but recent advances in Apple silicon chips have paved the way for some spectacular retro game emulation. In this guide we’re going to focus on the cheapest Mac available, which is the lowest-spec Mac Mini (which retails at $599). I’ll walk you through the setup process and do game testing for all your favorite systems: classic retro content like GBA, NES, and SNES, all the way to more powerful systems like Dreamcast, N64, Saturn, PS1, PSP, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, PS2, PS3, and more.

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Guides, Mini PCs

Introducing Castor – Split and Stream your PC!

by RussLeave a Comment on Introducing Castor – Split and Stream your PC!
Introducing Castor – Split and Stream your PC!

Castor is a new app that will allow you to stream from your PC to an Android device using a process known as paravirtualization. This means you can allocate a portion of you PC’s resources to create a virtual machine environment which can then be used for game streaming without disrupting your main PC’s functionality.

To access Castor, check out Black Seraph’s Patreon page. You will need to subscribe to the $10 tier for at least one month but can cancel after that if you’d like. While you are a member, consider grabbing Black Seraph’s custom firmware builds for the RG552, PowKiddy X18S, and various GPD devices.

Castor is made though a package of open-source and prorpeitary tools all compiled into one simple, user-friendly package. If you would like to see the modified GPL & MIT-licensed components of Castor, here is the GitHub page. This includes the mirror driver, patched Sunshine & the NAT-compatible Android Moonlight client.

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Mini PCs, Reviews

Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC

by Russ1 Comment on Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC
Beelink SER5 Review — $450 Ryzen 5600H Mini PC

The new Beelink SER5 (Ryzen 5 5600H) packs a LOT of power inside a tiny form factor — it can run flawless GameCube and PS2 at 1080p, and much more — and it is very capable for non-gaming tasks too. I’m excited to test this one and show why I think it’s the best mini PC deal you can find under $500 right now.

More info here
or on Amazon

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Guides, Mini PCs, Reviews

Review & Guide: AYANEO Air

by RussLeave a Comment on Review & Guide: AYANEO Air
Review & Guide: AYANEO Air

The AYANEO Air is the latest handheld PC to come to market, and it has some distinguishing characteristics: it’s ultra small for what it can do, and features a beautiful OLED panel with 1080p resolution. Let’s take a deep dive look at the device and see if it’s worth the $500+ asking price. Additionally, is it a “Steam Deck killer” or a “Switch killer”? I can never keep them straight.

AYANEO Air IndieGoGo campaign

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Guides, Mini PCs

Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide

by Russ13 Comments on Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide
Anbernic Win600 Windows Guide

In my initial assessment of the Win600, I preferred the SteamOS image that Anbernic provided over the generic Windows 10 experience. However, some of the features of their SteamOS image are not fully fleshed out, to include thermal limit (TDP) and screen refresh rate calibration. In this guide we’re going to use Windows apps to tweak the settings in a clean Windows 11 installation, to give you the best balance of performance and power savings.

Special thanks to Chenwk from the DTRH YouTube channel, for helping walk me through some of these settings configuration.

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Mini PCs, Reviews

AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)

by RussLeave a Comment on AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)
AOKZOE A1 Hands-On Impressions (Ryzen 7 6800U handheld)

The AOKZOE is an upcoming Ryzen 7 6800U handheld PC that will release in September. In this video we’ll take an early look at its build quality, performance, and ergonomics, and see whether their Kickstarter campaign is worth considering.

Kickstarter campaign
AOKZOE A1 giveaway

The Phawx’s 6800U TDP video

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