Why Are People STILL Buying This Old Mini PC?

Summary

The video tests whether an older Lenovo Tiny mini PC is still useful today. The host refers to it as an M92p at the start, but identifies the tested system mostly as an M72p Tiny.

Hardware and performance

• The system has a 2012 Intel Core i5-3470T, a dual-core, four-thread Ivy Bridge CPU. It originally came with 4 GB of DDR3L memory and supports up to 32 GB. The CPU is socketed, though a more powerful upgrade could worsen its thermal problems.
• Under load, the CPU approached 90°C and throttled, even after the host cleaned the system and replaced the thermal paste. The host attributes this partly to the small, somewhat awkward cooling design. The machine was also noisier than comparable mini PCs.
• In Cinebench multi-core testing, it fell well behind newer systems, including a Ryzen-based mini PC, a sixth-generation Intel system, and an Intel N100 mini PC. Single-core performance held up better, but power efficiency was poor: it drew about 44 W under load. Idle draw was around 12 W, dropping to about 9 W when running Linux headlessly.

Desktop use

• Windows 10 ran acceptably for everyday tasks such as web browsing, opening apps, and watching YouTube at 1080p.
• The integrated Intel HD Graphics 2500 lacks support for newer video codecs such as VP9, limiting playback of higher-resolution content. The host also notes that the system cannot output 4K.
• Moonlight game streaming worked surprisingly well using hardware decoding with H.264. Basic 3D CAD was usable, though somewhat stuttery.

Home-server use and expansion

The host installed Proxmox and tested Home Assistant, Jellyfin, and a Minecraft server. Home Assistant ran well, while CPU-heavy tasks such as Minecraft terrain generation were slow.

Jellyfin hardware transcoding was limited. The older graphics hardware did not support Jellyfin’s Quick Sync path, and VA-API results were modest, especially with unsupported codecs or HDR video.

Other expansion and server features included:

• Mini PCIe: The slot offers some expansion potential, but testing indicated very limited bandwidth. The host booted Proxmox from an NVMe SSD using multiple adapters, but the drive ran at roughly PCIe Gen 1 x1 speeds—comparable to a mechanical hard drive.
• Intel AMT: This remote-management feature can be useful for server setups. After enabling it in the BIOS, the host used MeshCommander for remote power control and KVM access, including before the operating system starts.
• Additional networking: A second gigabit network interface could be added for a small pfSense or OPNsense appliance.

Verdict

The system remains functional for light desktop use and many basic home-server roles, but its old graphics, dual-core CPU, limited expansion bandwidth, and practical reliance on SATA storage are significant constraints.

The host’s main objection is the used-market price. Newer sixth- or seventh-generation Intel and Ryzen mini PCs reportedly cost only a little more while offering better performance, efficiency, video support, and storage options. The M72p makes the most sense if it is already available or very cheap—around $15, in the host’s example.

Guides and resources mentioned

• Clover bootloader: Used as a workaround to boot from the NVMe drive. The host followed a tutorial by Warning 56kb.
• Intel AMT setup: Enabled through the BIOS and AMT configuration menu, then accessed remotely with MeshCommander.
• Proxmox setup: Installed using an NVMe drive connected through mini PCIe and two adapters. Community scripts were used to create virtual machines and containers.

The video also includes a sponsored segment for Private Internet Access, describing its encrypted connections, server locations, no-logs policy, and use with Linux and Docker containers.

Main speaker/source: The Hardware Haven host, presenting the system tests and conclusions. A Clover boot tutorial by Warning 56kb is also cited.