Budget 0-20k Client device for Citrix VDI

I

ibose

Skilled
Folks,
I was exploring what could be the best low cost and low power computing device (not a laptop or tablet) which can be used as Citrix Workspace VDI client. The criteria I was looking to meet are as follows -
1. Low power consumption
2. Fanless (preferred)
3. Dual display 4k (preferred) Full HD (required)
4. Windows 10 (preferred)
5. Capable of running MS Office or Libreoffice
6. Vesa mountable behind monitor (required)
7. Budget <= 20k
I had the following options in mind and intend to test to find out which is the best -
1. Intel NUC (I have a 8th gen and 11th gen)
2. Rpi 4
3. Lenovo/HP/Dell USFF options
Your thoughts, experiences and suggestions are welcome.
 
I have an hp elitedesk 705 g4 i bought for 15k from oldlappy.com. it's been upgraded extensively (20k in upgrades alone) but even the base machine was pretty good. I use it as my main gaming system (it has a ryzen 3 with a vega 8) and it works as great as any good decent desktop system. I have an rpi 4, but wouldn't even think of using it as a gaming system. The refurb unit i recieved was in warranty and 6k later it's still going to be in warranty for the next two years
 
NUC would be a good choice here. Practically any machine that can browse the web but prefer x86/x64 architecture for compatibility and troubleshooting reasons.
I would prefer cheap Intel Pentium based laptops which are fanless hooked up with external displays or the NUC whichever's cheaper. Laptops can work standalone in case of out of office scenarios.
 
ibose said:
Folks,
I was exploring what could be the best low cost and low power computing device (not a laptop or tablet) which can be used as Citrix Workspace VDI client. The criteria I was looking to meet are as follows -
1. Low power consumption
2. Fanless (preferred)
3. Dual display 4k (preferred) Full HD (required)
4. Windows 10 (preferred)
5. Capable of running MS Office or Libreoffice
6. Vesa mountable behind monitor (required)
7. Budget <= 20k
I had the following options in mind and intend to test to find out which is the best -
1. Intel NUC (I have a 8th gen and 11th gen)
2. Rpi 4
3. Lenovo/HP/Dell USFF options
Your thoughts, experiences and suggestions are welcome.
Click to expand...
In my infra we have citrix client users using VDIs mostly but owing to their slowness issues they have shifted to their personal laptops/desktops. All they require is to download citrix workspace and access the citrix url to access the assigned apps.
So, as such there isn't any necessity to use a designated or specific nuc/vdi/laptop. If user already is having any laptop/desktop he can very well use on existing hardware unless the co. has any resource policies.
 
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Thanks for your suggestions. I forgot to mention that this was really meant for a home environment. I no longer use a laptop and, while my company is providing me that option, I do not really see a sense in one since all our work will never leave the VDI. Moreover I really do not want to lug one all the way to the office since they have thin desktops already installed there. I have a fixed home office setup (so no, I don't really roam around at home with a laptop like some of my friends) and do have a space crunch so looking it the options mentioned earlier. It is so much easier to have something like a small NUC tucked away behind the monitor.
 
calvin1719 said:
am I missing something here? from the OP it looks like they're looking for a VDI client system? how does gaming come into it?
Click to expand...
OP mentioned that he wanted something capable of driving 2*4k monitors. If something can run 5 year old games at 60fps, i figured it should be able to drive it with ease.
Plus i forgot to add that it came with 2* display port and 1*vga outputs
One thing i fine annoying about the usff is that power backup options are limited. You can get Max of 20-30 minutes with a conventional ups but the pi can run for hours with a power Bank (but you'll still need to figure out about the monitor)

If you already have a nuc and a personal desktop system then why bother. For me the usff is the best of both worlds. I get almost desktop performance in a laptop form factor.

My office network is pretty heavily filtered and restricted so i use the usff machine for a lot of browsing, personal stuff when I'm multi tasking, and having a machine with decent performance means you're not testing your patience for minor things.
 
@greenhorn I don't know if you recall we spoke on the HP Ryzen USFF you managed to procure from Oldlappy. Unfortunately when I contacted them they were out stock and then they replenished with Intel ones.
I did manage to pick up a Lenovo M720q with a Intel T cpu so will include it in the evaluation. Just that I have no idea if it can be mounted behind a monitor. The RPI 4 has had mixed reviews as a Citrix VDI client couple of years back but I need to see if it has improved now. If it works well then there is nothing close to it.
 
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