A mere $499 for the “Beelink SER6 Mini Desktop PC with AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX 8C/16T, 16GB DDR5 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD, Triple Display Output, WiFi 6”
And this is better still: $479 (after $50 coupon) for Ryzen 9 6900HX, 32 GB, 1 TB:
Note that I don’t quite understand why these prices are all over the place, even for the same specs, though from different 3rd party vendors, but I guess that’s the free market at work. That latest link was for the vendor “Beelink Official” which you’d think would be as good as it gets - still shipped by Amazon though, which is definitely the way to go
I just looked at the specs/review on that first one you linked to. This Ryzen 9 has incredible specs and should last a long time with 32mb RAM and 1 tb SSD. Thanks. What coupon are you mentioning? I can’t find any reference for the coupon…doc
Ok, it looks like the $50 coupon is only for Amazon Prime members, so the final price would be $519 - $50 = $469. Still a good deal even without it though:
I’m waiting for the Beelink SER7 series which is AMD Ryzen™ 7 7840HS based, and there will no doubt “soon” be an SER8 series based on the AMD Ryzen™ 7 8840HS!
Thanks, I’m a prime member too. I’ve spent the morning reviewing the mini form factors and the Ser6 Max is a sweet device too. If you want a Zen 4 mini the price goes up a little and that is the newer bios I believe…doc
Hi, it’s me again
I’m still planning on this computer you suggested based on what I said my needs are.
I’ve been hoping for a sale! It’s a bit pricey.
And I might make it even more pricey, but wanted to check your thoughts first.
My experience for many years is that I buy a computer that I think has MORE THAN ENOUGH memory. Eight years ago I bought a Dell with 8GB memory, which at the time I thought was over the top. Now it’s barely enough to boot up my computer! When I do a fresh boot up, the memory usage is immediately about 70%.
I don’t quite understand why 8GB was enough back then but isn’t now. Do they just keep upgrading software such that they need more and more memory?
I do not want to repeat this issue, so if I buy 32GB this time, I’m wondering if several years from now THAT will not be enough. Should I splurge big time and get 64GB for $300 more? Or is that an insane amount for my needs?
32gb of RAM should be fine for Windows 11. The nice thing about RAM is that you can easily upgrade in the future to 64 gb if you need to. You might consider increasing your RAM on your Dell to 16 or 32 gb. Its probably cheap and the install is really easy…doc
Thanks physician. So even a non-techie like me could easily open the computer, find the RAM chips amongst all the foreign stuff in there, and add RAM?
How do I know what to buy that will fit into my 8 year old computer? Do I need to call Dell and ask them what will fit the computer I bought from them?
And how do I know there are more empty slots in this 8 year old computer?
Thanks,
Rick
Watch this Video Rick. It’s made by a reliable manufacturer. To make sure you do not have static electricity, I am assuming you do not have a grounding strap, just touch your finger to the unpainted portion of your case while your case is plugged in. That will remove static electricity.
What’s the model of Dell computer you have? (you might have mentioned it before but I’m too lazy to look) That should be enough to determine the memory type and speed it can handle. There may also be an upper limit to the total amount it supports, which will be something like 16 GB or 32 GB.
Also, as for your other questions, as others have already said, 32 GB should be plenty for 5+ years. You’re not a power user. And upgrading memory on desktop PCs in particular (as opposed to laptops) is indeed the easiest thing for a DIYer, even one with no experience like yourself, to do! There’s probably even a Youtube video for how to do it for the particular model of Dell PC you have.
It is a Dell XPS 8900. I looked it up on my Dell account. Is there a way to look it up on my computer?
I did a search for “memory” in the documentation. It says:
Memory Slot Four DIMM slots Type DDR4 Speed 2133 MHz Configurations supported 8 GB, 16 GB, 24 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB
Should I ask Dell what memory chips I need and if they sell them?
Thanks for your help.
I’ll look at the youtube videos when I get a chance a little later today.
Thanks,
Rick
Wel, that can’t hurt (provided you talk to someone who knows what they’re doing!). But you can look here, which also has a link to the actual Dell Service manual:
Note that this desktop has 4 DIMM slots, and it’s best to use an even number of them for maximum performance. I don’t know if you have a single 8 GB DIMM or 2 4 GB DIMMs installed, but it’s easy to check either with software or by opening the case.
I wrote to Dell about getting memory to add to this computer. They wrote:
Unfortunately, we do not have memory part available for this device to purchase. What you may do, you may check it locally if you could similar and compatible specifications.
Also, since the device is going to be 8+years old, parts are not readily available for older devices and it may be a good idea to invest in a new system.
Back in the day there were companies who did all the work you are worried about getting done and assumed responsibility. I just entered my brand & model number and they said XYZ will work. If it doesn’t we will send your money back.
I suspect Crucial will work that way today – but check the website.
Of course they would like you to buy a new machine instead!
You can certainly still upgrade the RAM to 32 GB, but at $80, that money might be better spent on a brand new system. And other stuff could start to go bad in your current XPS 8900, like power supply failures, motherboard failures, etc. These things could likely be replaced as well, but at some point it becomes a matter of diminishing returns.
And BTW, you could still save $200 by only ordering the still $1409 Dell I linked to far above with a 1 TB SSD instead of a 2 TB one, and another $150 by only ordering it with 16 GB instead of 32 GB. And if it seems slow in a few years you could upgrade. $1050 is still a very reasonable price.
How long does a typical computer last before stuff like motherboards power supplies, and so forth fail?
8 years is by far the longest I’ve ever had a computer. I think before this computer I was buying new ones every 3-4 years!
So 8 years is remarkable to me!
But if this old computer can be speeded up for $80, it might be worth it. My main concern is actually figuring out what memory to buy that will fit this old computer, where to find it, and doing the task. I haven’t had time yet to go through all these posts and videos, so that’ll be my first job when I find time.
And upgrading memory on desktop PCs in particular (as opposed to laptops) is indeed the easiest thing for a DIYer, even one with no experience like yourself, to do! There’s probably even a Youtube video for how to do it for the particular model of Dell PC you have.