Question Whats up with portable desktop PCs? Are they a security? Any flaws?

[preguntonontrack]

Hello, I was planning to buy one of these new portable computers. Here is an example and here an expensive one. I did my my research, also i read a lot of reviews. I read about how these computers have the system pre installed, some say it has sketchy processes and is a security risk. Any thoughts:

1. Are these portable PCs not safe or i am risking my personal information?
2. Can you do a fresh Windows install? Will i bet risking the USB or my information?
3. Do they perform well and have a good build quality? Do they malfunction?

Any help is appreciated, i wanted to get one as a secondary PC i can travel with. Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

There is nothing preventing you from doing a full wipe and OS reinstall.

Perform well? That is all up to your expectations and use case.

 

[preguntonontrack]

There is nothing preventing you from doing a full wipe and OS reinstall.

Perform well? That is all up to your expectations and use case.

So in other words this type of computer will let me install windows from scratch ?
Any security risk?

 

[USAFRet]

So in other words this type of computer will let me install windows from scratch ?
Any security risk?

I see no reason why it would not allow a full wipe and reinstall.

I have a slightly larger tiny system, a Beelink. It is my HTPC.

Beelink | Beelink mini PC-Connect to a wonderful life

www.bee-link.com

 

[lantis3]

No, you are not risking your info. In fact, China manufacture 90% of the PC in the world, even HP/Dell/IBM buy from China. How do you avoid them? And CPUs are either from AMD or Intel, how would it be sketchy? They are brand new and also packaged very well.

The downside is mini pc's wifi usually is weak.

I have https://www.amazon.com/Bmax-3-4GHz-Type-C-Computer-Triple-Display/dp/B0CY99CXJV
Haven't tried to wipe and reinstall Windows yet.
N100 should be faster than N5105

and

https://www.amazon.com/GMKtec-Mini-PC-Ryzen7-5700U/dp/B0CD7Y4C5Y
The issue with this one originally I was not able to reinstall W11 at first unless using their recovery image downloaded from their website. But later after I fiddle with the BIOS and it eventually let me install Win11 using the ISO from Microsoft.

This one has a very fast nvme drive. Just tested.

Both purchased this summer and performed well.

 

[preguntonontrack]

What did you change in tthe bios and hank you for the detailed response! @lantis3

 

[lantis3]

The problem that I couldn't clean install Win11 probably caused by that I tried to partition the system drive and installed several OS on the drive --> win10, windows server and linux.

I don't really remember what I did when I fiddle the bios. But at the moment I have the following setup that might be relevant:

Fast boot: disabled
Secure boot: disabled
CPU Configuration NX mode: enabled.

The OEM license is burned in. So if you need to reinstall Win11, no cd key is required.

The factory recovery image is about 16GB and used Windows PE as recovery method. It will immediately starts recovery process once you put the recovery usb drive and starts the machine. Once it starts it starts the process very fast and will goes through the process non stop and it will wipe everything. So you have to backup all of your important files before beginning the recovery! There is no going back!

 

[preguntonontrack]

Thank you for the detailed response!

The problem that I couldn't clean install Win11 probably caused by that I tried to partition the system drive and installed several OS on the drive --> win10, windows server and linux.

I don't really remember what I did when I fiddle the bios. But at the moment I have the following setup that might be relevant:

Fast boot: disabled
Secure boot: disabled
CPU Configuration NX mode: enabled.

The OEM license is burned in. So if you need to reinstall Win11, no cd key is required.

The factory recovery image is about 16GB and used Windows PE as recovery method. It will immediately starts recovery process once you put the recovery usb drive and starts the machine. Once it starts it starts the process very fast and will goes through the process non stop and it will wipe everything. So you have to backup all of your important files before beginning the recovery! There is no going back!

Thank you for the information. You are very helpful.