Phytium-based ARM PC


I know Linux and DRM Streaming Stuff are thinks that dosnt fit that good, allthough i can remember there were the solution to hack the chromium browser to have Netflix etc working, just a bit slow on the Pyra, so would it be possible to watch this stuff on the Phytium ?
I think i will place a Preeorder at EDs Shop, would be cool if could get it to run ^^ Farming Simulator 2014 whit Unimog Mod..
 
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Ok, i placed the Order, i hope i can count on a bit suppord when i try to install my first Debian on this thing,

So i have Mouse and Keyboard, a 3,5 ^ Flobby Drive, USB 2 HDD, and i would use my HDMI TV as Monitor? So i would need a WLAN and Bluetooth Stick or a really long LAN Cable as there is just one Wallplug and i dont want to use the same plug bar for powering the device and Powerlan.. maybe i would also need a external DVD Rom Drive as i dont think i would ever use Blueray on a normal computer...
maybe it would be time for a new Keyboard some time..

But first i will wait until the Computer gets delivered, i dont know yet if its will be reallity as its needs a few preeorders..
 
My Plan is still to use my Pyra as my Mobile Computer (Notebook), so i think i will put a Debian on the Pythium PC, i wonder: is there a way to have some sort of "Cloud based Syncronisation" like the Hand off Feature on IOS? (You can work on something on the Ipad, and continue on a Mac),
I would assume as long as the Keyboard is USB it would work also on the Phytian?

And how will the Box86 Wine work: Do i start Wine whit Box86 whit a Terminal Command, and then klick on the Game in the "Wine Desktop", and would this also work whit Steam? I have the Farming Simulator 2014 on Steam..
 
matzesu said:
And how will the Box86 Wine work: Do i start Wine whit Box86 whit a Terminal Command, and then klick on the Game in the "Wine Desktop", and would this also work whit Steam? I have the Farming Simulator 2014 on Steam..
Click to expand...
You just use "wine" directly. Or "wine64" if it's a 64bits binary (but i think wine/wine64 redirected to the correct wine anyway). Or you create an association between ".exe" and "wine" so you can just double click. You can also use "wine explorer"...
 
Ok so how will it then work: for a "Linux Noob whit Pandora and Pyra Experience":
I take the PC out of the Box, put it under my small TV, connect HDMI, Power, and the USB Hub whit my IO Devices (Mouse Keyboard, WIFI Stick), or the LAN Cable, then i would boot up my Pyra, Download a Debian ARM Image, put it on a USB Stick, put this Stick in the PC, and push the button to power it on, and then i have to make some changes in the BIOS to boot from USB Stick? , then i would have a PC whit Debian who should work like the Pyra? i dont know yet how to change things in BIOS, but i understand i have to do it this way..

How to get BOX86 and Wine on this Thing? Or will Box86 be a Part of Debian on ARM Devices?
 
matzesu said:
Ok so how will it then work: for a "Linux Noob whit Pandora and Pyra Experience":
I take the PC out of the Box, put it under my small TV, connect HDMI, Power, and the USB Hub whit my IO Devices (Mouse Keyboard, WIFI Stick), or the LAN Cable, then i would boot up my Pyra, Download a Debian ARM Image, put it on a USB Stick, put this Stick in the PC, and push the button to power it on, and then i have to make some changes in the BIOS to boot from USB Stick? , then i would have a PC whit Debian who should work like the Pyra? i dont know yet how to change things in BIOS, but i understand i have to do it this way..

How to get BOX86 and Wine on this Thing? Or will Box86 be a Part of Debian on ARM Devices?
Click to expand...
I'll make a blog post or something like that. It's not part of debian for now, and it requires to add armhf multiarch and a few packages... Note that you can use Nico-D patch there https://github.com/NicoD-SBC/armbian-gaming but it's for Armbian (should work on Debian), and it use Slackware version of wine that don't have Vulkan enabled for some reason, so I don't recommand it on the Phytium.
 
Shure i will share some Experience from my Linux Noob Perpesctive ^^, Thankfully end of December i have some weeks vacations, so enough time to set this thing up, even whitout Box 86, there should be allready a lot stuff in the Debian ARM Repo, like on the Pyra..

But lets wait until enough are sold from Dragonbox until the Preeorders are Closed, so it could be its not enough so it want get shipped..
 
What is the actual power draw? I know the PSU in the original picture is a 60W brick, but knowing what the actual power draw is would be nice.
Is there on-board (primitive) video-out, or is one forced to use a graphics card?
My ideal desktop is fanless, and this system has two, is fanless operation possible?
Is expansion possible - e.g. additional PCI cards?
- Just saw answer "The Mini-PC offers one PCI Express8x slot for expansion cards (which is where the RX 550 (MXM 3.0a) is installed, but you could upgrade it, if you like)."

I have two possible use cases:

1) Desktop, but preferably fanless* as I am sick and tired of the fan-noise from my notebook format PCs (which get used as 'portable desktop') - I am more picky than most about this - I find the 'ticking' of hard disks (spinning rust) irritating, and switch-mode transformer whine/clicking/susurration as well.
2) Media system/server - run as a NAS/media system. Again, preference for fanless operation, but could well need two GigE connections and multiple disks. (I was saving up pennies for a Kobol Helios64...)

This is not me asking for changes just for me, but just trying to see if this very interesting system is meets my wants (which I won't call needs, as I don't need another box-of-tricks - my need-to-do-this-important-personal-admin list is far,far too long already).

*Actually, I'd like a system that works perfectly well fanless, but with an optional fan I can turn on with a physical switch so that when the system indicates that processor speed is restricted as a result of system/die temperature I can choose to turn a fan on or not if I need a speed boost - a fan should not be necessary for safe, if slow, operation.
 
Confuzzled said:
What is the actual power draw? I know the PSU in the original picture is a 60W brick, but knowing what the actual power draw is would be nice.
Click to expand...
No idea. I'll ask.

Confuzzled said:
Is there on-board (primitive) video-out, or is one forced to use a graphics card?
Click to expand...
Nope, an external video card is mandatory.

Confuzzled said:
My ideal desktop is fanless, and this system has two, is fanless operation possible?
Click to expand...
This PC is not Fanless. And because of the compact form factor, it will not run without fan.
 
I wonder why the peaple assuming a ARM Computer have to be fanless..
I mean ok, Pandora ditnt melt the snow on the balcony of Mister "Where is your Ordernumber", but it was just 700 - 1,3 ghz, so no wonder,
the Pyra is also fanless, but its makes much more heat, (1,3 ghz Dualcore (x 2) and needs something that transports the heat out of its case

But the Phythian i a bit faster and have a normal Graphic Card..
 
ptitSeb said:
No idea. I'll ask.


Nope, an external video card is mandatory.


This PC is not Fanless. And because of the compact form factor, it will not run without fan./
Click to expand...
Thank-you for the swift and clear replies. So yes, definitely a desktop workhorse, and not easy to repurpose as a 'mini-server'. Which is absolutely fine, and I'll emphasis that I am not complaining and wishing that someone had given me my personal pink-unicorn with rainbow flatulence. I hope the project is successful beyond the instigator's wildest dreams.
 
I wonder if whe could get a Phythian CPU Board for the Pyra some time, allthough i think whe would need a much more powerfull batterie then..
 
matzesu said:
I wonder why the peaple assuming a ARM Computer have to be fanless..
I mean ok, Pandora ditnt melt the snow on the balcony of Mister "Where is your Ordernumber", but it was just 700 - 1,3 ghz, so no wonder,
the Pyra is also fanless, but its makes much more heat, (1,3 ghz Dualcore (x 2) and needs something that transports the heat out of its case

But the Phythian i a bit faster and have a normal Graphic Card..
Click to expand...
I'm not assuming it has to be fanless: if I had assumed, I would not have asked the question. :)

Some people pay a premium for 'silent' PCs, and it is not always obvious whether a fan can be replaced with a very big 'passive' heatsink. A heatpipe from the CPU connected to a metal casing engineered to promote passive convective heatflow can, in some circumstances, replace the need for a fan: but it needs correct design and implementation, and is not something easily bolted on as an afterthought.

In general ARM cpus are more efficient in terms of computations per watt than x86/AMD64 cpus, which is why fanless industrial devices will often use ARM.

I like lower power-draw equipment because I pay a lot for electrical power. For something drawing power many hours per day, just a few watts saving can translate into saving the cost of the equipment in a reasonably short payback period. I did the calculation on some lightbulbs recently, and payback was less than one tenth of the expected bulb lifetime. I bought an Excito B3 as a server many years ago precisely because it was dramatically lower in power usage than many of the other possibilities. It cost more, but soon paid back.
 
I do love silent pc myself, so I completly understand the question and request.
That also why I answer honestly. Silent ARM Desktop PC is not for this gen on Phytium... Maybe later? After all, Apple succeeded with it's M1 to get a chip that require very little cooling in normal operations...
 
The M1 chip is probably highly engineered for the sort of thing Apple users want to to, it probably had significiant silicon units added to the dye to make such operations more efficient.

I'm impressed by the silent fan I got for my video server. Nowadays it only really gets audible if I transcode two or three videos at the same time, and I think that's mainly from the case fan (which I haven't changed) spinning up. But if I were to swap that out for a larger quieter fan then the hard disc noise would become more singificant, so I think it's about as quiet normally as I can get.
 
I wonder how many of the Phythians are sold until now? And how many more it would need that EvilDragon will send out the Mini PCs to Preeorderers..
 
Only two days (tm) to go until the Preeorder ends, then whe should know if enough peaple bought one ^^
I also want it to be a Streaming PC for Youtube, and the other services so i dont have to use my Iphone where i fell asleep to early because of the small screen (the Pyra should be the same screen sice)

If the Phythion want get shipped, i think i would buy me a Ipad or something, and use the Pyra as my Work PC on big Screen as the HDMI is supported
 
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