Must fight temptation to buy an overpriced raspberry pi
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
The power constraints are more important to most than the size constraints honestly.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
wrote last edited by [email protected]You lose the I/O and power efficiency is no comparison. You can get better power efficiency and sometimes some I/O with an old router and OpenWRT, but you'll be in the class of a Beagle Bone and a much harder learning curve. I've never managed to get a sensor or peripheral working on some old laptop's SPI or I2C buses like how easy it is on a Rπ.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
It's not just the size constraint. The power usage is significant...
-
You lose the I/O and power efficiency is no comparison. You can get better power efficiency and sometimes some I/O with an old router and OpenWRT, but you'll be in the class of a Beagle Bone and a much harder learning curve. I've never managed to get a sensor or peripheral working on some old laptop's SPI or I2C buses like how easy it is on a Rπ.
wrote last edited by [email protected]New low end chromebooks are much better for this anyway, an intel N4000 will consume just 8 watts at its peak and it's even supported by Windows 11, and they are usable if you put Linux on them
-
l a p p i e s
That word made me hear the whole thing in an Australian accent.
-
It's not just the size constraint. The power usage is significant...
If you have the lid closed, you're looking at 3 to 15 watts to have a laptop running in the background doing some basic server shit.
Maybe a little more under high load, but those are going to be intermittent and not constant.
I'm just saying it's not that much more electricity usage, and the recycling more than offsets the CO2.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
Better than an old laptop, get a mini-pc like thinkcentre tiny. They're more upgradeable, space-efficient, power efficient, have better cooling
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
Or any compact pc like gigabyte brix, nucs, lenovos , etc. you can get those for 70-200 on ebay and they are amazing for running any homelab projects, including stream services like jellyfin with hardware decoding.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
I bought a dell latitude on eBay for a few bucks and run Debian on it. This one speaks to me.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
I have an old pentium laptop N3520 with 4GB DDR3. I removed everything and put it in a receiver box 1U size. It consumes so little energy that it can run 5-7 hours from its battery (I call it build in USV). Last time I measured 3-7w. Also passiv cooled , no noise.
Another machine I use , is with a i7 4770 with 16GB for Proxmox, 7-20w , peak is much higher but rarely used , only on boot and vm startup. -
I have an old pentium laptop N3520 with 4GB DDR3. I removed everything and put it in a receiver box 1U size. It consumes so little energy that it can run 5-7 hours from its battery (I call it build in USV). Last time I measured 3-7w. Also passiv cooled , no noise.
Another machine I use , is with a i7 4770 with 16GB for Proxmox, 7-20w , peak is much higher but rarely used , only on boot and vm startup.Oh and the i2c etc stuff, I connected ESP32 and other microcontrollers over USB.
-
If you have the lid closed, you're looking at 3 to 15 watts to have a laptop running in the background doing some basic server shit.
Maybe a little more under high load, but those are going to be intermittent and not constant.
I'm just saying it's not that much more electricity usage, and the recycling more than offsets the CO2.
If you have the lid closed, you’re looking at 3 to 15 watts to have a laptop running in the background doing some basic server shit.
Not all laptops make effective use of power with the lid closed, sadly. Not saying this as a correction, but for others to know that they need to make sure these settings are available in the bios of the system they are buying.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
I wish there was a convenient place to get these
-
I wish there was a convenient place to get these
I've thought about asking the folks at the local Free Geek about getting a laptop or two like this that I can mess around with. I had an old HP Stream 11 and I'm still disappointed that it died.
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
There are also a lot of mini PCs that are comparable in price to a Raspberry Pi 5 once you factor in the cost of a case, SD card, and power supply for the Pi.
-
Oh and the i2c etc stuff, I connected ESP32 and other microcontrollers over USB.
What is i2c?
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
Get them from where? I always read about these basically-free computers but have yet to see one
-
original post: https://mk.moth.zone/notes/a8zer7ypj6uv02ka
raspberries were viable while those were cheap. I think I got a 3b (plus?) in pre-deficit years for like $25 second-hand AND I got some shitty case AND a microSD card AND it could run off of a somewhat normal USB phone charger. so using those instead of a 10 year old decommissioned desktop was an awesome value proposition.
nowadays, those devices are encroaching on trip-digits territory and the power adapter is like $30. the computing power you can buy for a third of that designates raspberries exclusively for niche use cases where footprint and power consumption are primary considerations.
not to mention fake Jason Statham just rubs me the wrong way, like all them "visionaries". he makes this sound like he's the head of Feed Africa or something, on a noble mission to save humanity and whatnot.
-
What is i2c?
wrote last edited by [email protected]A communication protocol used in microchips, small modules & embedded devices that uses 2 wires. Think something like USB, but dead simple.
-
Get them from where? I always read about these basically-free computers but have yet to see one
I know its not the most ideal place, but FB marketplace where I live has lots of old PCs/Laptops for under 50 eur. I would probably start there personally.
