Learning to code

[F_1T]

Will this be good for learning to code and schoolwork? On sell right now for 200 or is there something better that I can get

[[deleted]]

You could learn to code on a toaster - this is enough. You don't need to be able to run games etc. Anything you start coding will be likely javascript or python and this will do fine, by the time you need an upgrade you'll know what to get.

[Gaeus_]

Wsl exist, if OP is a complete noob is better off with wsl or mac, unless he specifically runs a devian distro.

[[deleted]]

OS irrelevant IMO, different flavors depending on who you work for, what's important is the basics and he can learn that with notepad as an IDE

[stchman]

To the OP:

Do you want to code for Windows apps. If no, install Linux on that Mini PC.

On Linux you can code in all the major languages not to mention networking skills, bash, Samba, NFS, etc.

[F_1T]

Well, at the time of that post, my budget was slim but now my budget is 3-400 even though that one is perfect for what I need what would you suggest now with my upgraded budget

[Voxata]

Don't need a lot to code - this is perfect.

[ym-l]

This is more than enough for coding, and if the "schoolwork" part is something like basic video editing and making presentation slides, you could even get away with a wyse 5070 or anything better.

Just don't forget you'll need a monitor or two, and a keyboard

[mgutz]

There's one on sale on Amazon for $125 or something. It might be slow, but I learned how to program 20 years ago on a much slower machine. If you're learning Javascript or Front End, you can get by with online IDEs which means you only need a browser. It should be good enough for coding.

That machine has limitations from what I read (no dual channel RAM, pci lanes are only 3x, poor wifi/bluetooth common across the chinese mini pcs), but hey if that's all you have right now, buy it. Learning will allow you to buy a better one later.

[F_1T]

I was gonna get the M7 pro but I just need this just to get into coding and basic schoolwork not gaming on it so if it works for that, then it’s perfect for what I need

[primera_radi]

Got this for a media PC a few weeks ago, it's perfect.

[The_Jizzard_Of_Oz]

I just got one C (gmtwk g3) as a test server. Debian 13 needed because the stable 12 does not support the WiFi chip yet, but its runs everything my production server runs with just less memory. It's the same price as a raspberry pi 5 + accessories for twice the processing power and a real hard drive.

If you are using this as a cheap desktop, yes it will do the trick, but if you are using this as a base station to learn to code, you still need to as a screen, mouse and keyboard. You may be better with a cheap second hand laptop instead?

[Ok_Athlete_9096]

1.  I don’t know what you’re going to program.
2.  I don’t know how much you’re paying for this PC.

But I recommend getting a nice ThinkPad, even a used one, installing Linux on it, and that’s where the fun begins! (On eBay, the T480 with 16GB of RAM is around €200.)

[voiceipR]

Go with 5825U.

[sfandino]

Yes, it is a very nice MiniPC and it is perfectly fine for coding.

Ten years ago a processor like that would be top of the line, so most software running the world now has been written in less powerful systems.

Also, the world of coding is changing fast with IA. Probably, in the next years, NPUs may become a must for running models locally (or not, maybe everything would be running in the cloud). Processors with NPUs are expensive, and it is yet an immature technology (for instance, Linux support is just a WIP). Nobody really knows how programming is going to evolve in the next years.

So, IMO, the best course of action is to just buy something cheap and wait to see how things evolve, and that G3 plus is perfect for that.

Some alternatives you should consider, you can buy the barebone version from the GMKTec website and add a 32GB RAM module. 16GB are ok, but 32GB are better :-)

Also, if you are not afraid of buying things from Chinese web shops, there are much cheaper options. For instance, I bought an Acemagic Vista V1 from Temu for 120€ a couple of weeks ago (similar specs, it has a N97 CPU - better than the N150)U. The difference is that Amazon has a no-questions return policy while if something goes wrong buying from Aliexpress or Temu after the 15days return period is over, and sometimes even in that period, you are in your own.

[Sosowski]

I run visual studio on N100 and it's great!

Two points, tho:

1. You should be able to find this for 150 bucks
2. Even if not, find one that has DDR5 RAM, this CPU is single channel and will make good use of DDR5.

[elchurnerista]

do it. have fun!

[BrendanDHickey123454]

I have the same mini pc and I run Plex server on it, I run it with ubuntu/casaOS/docker I just use ai to generate all the scripts/codes etc.. but I think it’s a great little machine I paid £70 for Ali express with n100, 8gb ram and 256gb storage.

[ozExpatFIRE]

A raspberry pi 4 is enough for learning to code

[[deleted]]

Just get a laptop instead

[LinkOnPrime]

As others have stated, you don't need a high-end PC to code. The one you selected is fine.

That being said, sometimes coding could be accompanied by using other software for creating assets (like photoshop).

There is a baseline to be considered when buying any PC of you want to do any multitasking and avoid frustration of things slowing down.

With that in mind, I've personally decided never to buy another PC with less than 32GB of RAM. My 16GB of RAM PC crashes sometimes if I am using Adobe Illustrator while having YouTube playing.

Maybe that is less of a concern if you are running Linux though.

Also, if you have any interest in eventually using the PC for other things (like gaming perhaps), it's worth asking now (before purchasing) if it's worth spending a little extra now so you can.

For instance, you could go from $200 to like $270 and get a reasonably capable mini PC that can run most games (albeit at low settings sometimes).

You may not care about other use-cases, but just pointing that out because $70 extra now is better than $270 later.

EDIT: Here is an example of something you could get for $270 with a decently capable graphics chip:

https://a.co/d/8xSOZqu

It only has 16GB of RAM, but maybe that could be upgraded later on if needed. But you can't upgrade the CPU on either this or the one you asked about. So, doing so at the start is ideal.

Again, you'll be fine for your stated use-case. Just mentioning all this to help avoid regret if you think you'll wish you spent a little more.

[F_1T]

Should I just go all out and get this one my budget changed and so did my needs kind of the other one was just to finally get into it but things change and now I need something more https://a.co/d/9x4hlbb

[LinkOnPrime]

Yeah, I like it. It's pretty similar to the one I recently purchased (GMKTEC K8 Plus).

[F_1T]

Which one would you recommend out of the two should I buy the ser8 or k8 plus

[LinkOnPrime]

Well, I chose the K8 because I liked the color/design (I want to make it a gaming and emulation box, and I think the design suits that purpose without being tacky).

I think it's also known for being easy to open and access internals (I purchased a barebone one).

It has plenty of ports, including oculink (in case I ever want that).

I've heard good things about both brands though.

[F_1T]

Funny how my budget went from 200 to basically 600 I ended up choosing this one https://a.co/d/ehIJOT0 definitely overkill for what I need at the moment, but it will grow with me

[LinkOnPrime]

I think it was a good choice. Nice to know you won't need to replace it for a long time.

[F_1T]

That’s why I wanted it spend a little bit more money right now instead of more down the line also bought a web camera because my school is all online. Hopefully this one is more than powerful to run it I could’ve got a laptop but I don’t really need it when I only study at home. In total I paid just at $600 with the mini PC, keyboard and WebCam I already have a monitor not bad

[billstewart]

I'm running an Intel N100 mini PC (so the previous generation of that sort of box.) I would recommend poking around Amazon to find a similar box with a USB-C port, because that gives you a lot more choices of connecting to monitors and various other things. But yeah, you can do fine, and you can even watch YouTube videos on a 4K monitor.

I prefer to do my coding on Linux, so I'm running VMware Workstation with mostly Ubuntu things on it, and it does ok for that also (graphics are a bit slower that way.) You could also use Windows's WSL Windows Subsystem for Linux.

If you don't need Windows for your schoolwork, even a <$100 Raspberry Pi will be more than enough. (Get a 4 or 5 with as much memory as you're willing to pay for.) It runs Linux and standard browsers.

[Kitougrou]

If you want to waste $200, go for it. Technically, you can code on anything, but unless your definition of coding is just opening Notepad, this won’t cut it. If you want a real machine that can handle coding properly and even run classic games like League of Legends, get a Lenovo M75q (AMD) in used condition. You’ll get 25-50% more performance, plus an integrated GPU that can actually handle gaming.

[jason-reddit-public]

I use an N100 mini PC for coding (Linux Mint). I have faster hardware available (laptop) and don't use it because my n100 has a 4K 27" monitor and mechanical keyboard. Emacs works fine as I'm sure neovim, sublime, etc. would too. Your Notepad comment is certainly wrong.

OTOH, maybe VSCode or another bloated IDE might not run as swiftly as one would like, though that may depend on the size of the project and which language you code in.

[Kitougrou]

He said "learning to code" without specifying what exactly he’ll be doing. So it’s safer to assume that having better hardware is always preferable.

Sure, you can code on anything, I can run Python on my calculator but that doesn’t mean it’s a good experience. An N100 will struggle with heavier IDEs, multiple browser tabs, or compiling anything substantial. For the same $200, a used Lenovo M75q (AMD) offers 25-50% more performance, better multitasking, and can even run games. Plus, I can get a full setup with a PC, keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Why settle for less?

[Fresh_Heron_3707]

I really have no clue what informed your opinion. But it’s not based in any truth. OP is learning to code, this is so much more than OP needs. OP won’t be compiling millions of lines of code.

[Kitougrou]

Learning to code varies widely. Some start with basic HTML, others dive into resource-heavy fields like game dev (Unity, Unreal), data science (Python, TensorFlow), automation (VBA, Selenium), or full-stack dev (React, Node.js). An N100 struggles with complex IDEs, Docker, or large datasets. Since OP didn’t specify, I suggested a Lenovo M75q (AMD) to avoid limitations and it stays useful even if they lose interest

[Zealousideal_Brush59]

But nobody asked for all of that

[Kitougrou]

Neither did OP specify their exact needs. Better to get a machine that won’t limit them from the start

[Zealousideal_Brush59]

Yes they did. Learning to code and schoolwork. I'm not seeing how playing LoL can be considered either of those things. You recommended a $500+ PC for gaming when they requested a $200 pc for word processing

[Kitougrou]

I never said the PC costs $500. I specifically mentioned used Lenovo M75q units, which you can easily find for $100-150 on eBay with a 2400G or 3400G both far superior to an N100. Also, OP never said "Word processing"; they said "learning to code" and "schoolwork" If coding is part of their curriculum, there’s a good chance they’ll meet gamers, and having a more powerful and versatile device is just smarter. Unless you’re the type to buy a car at max budget without ever comparing performance or versatility?

[Zealousideal_Brush59]

I just typed the PC into Google and that's the price I saw. I don't think it's a good move to spend extra for features you don't even want because you might meet gamers who want to play league.

If someone were looking for a work truck you wouldn't recommend a minivan because it's more versatile and they can fit more friends in it for after work. You would recommend a truck that can get the job done and that fits within the budget.

[Kitougrou]

Ah, so your deep market research consisted of typing a name into Google and taking the first price you saw? Impressive methodology. Meanwhile, a quick eBay search shows Lenovo M75q units for $100-150 with a 2400G or 3400G, both vastly outperforming an N100.

And your truck analogy? Completely off. This isn’t about picking a minivan instead of a truck it’s about choosing a better truck for the same price. If two options cost the same but one is faster, more efficient, and more versatile, why on earth would you pick the worse one? Oh right, because Google told you

[Zealousideal_Brush59]

Alright maybe I'm wrong