An adventurous TechTuber, Garkus, recently embarked on an intriguing experiment, repurposing a trio of passive mini PCs previously used by the Subway sandwich chain. These Intel Skylake-powered devices, which had dutifully displayed sandwich menus for a decade, were rescued from the brink of obsolescence and landfill. Accompanying them were a set of LG digital signage TVs, all ready for a new lease on life.
Before diving into the transformation from digital signage to gaming, Garkus meticulously examined the hardware at hand. The three slim mini PCs were identified as Advantech DS-081 models. According to the specifications, these devices are equipped with the Intel Core i3 6100U processor, featuring Intel HD Graphics 520 that operates at a modest 1.00 GHz. The RAM configuration was also noteworthy, as the units originally came with just 4GB, which Garkus later expanded to 8GB by adding an additional DDR4 stick.
Setup and gaming
The mini PCs, designed for continuous operation in environments with temperatures ranging from 0 to 40°C (32 to 104°F), were initially booted into Windows, displaying the familiar Subway menu in kiosk mode. Garkus then explored various operating systems, including Bazzite Linux and even a Hackintosh setup with macOS Monterey.
Gaming tests commenced with a light title, Peggle, which ran smoothly without any hiccups. However, Garkus’s ambitions quickly escalated as he attempted to run the iconic Grand Theft Auto V. Unfortunately, the game struggled to maintain a playable frame rate, averaging around 15 fps, particularly when set to high graphics settings. The experience was further complicated by long load times and crashes upon exiting.
In a somewhat unconventional approach, Garkus also tested Mario Kart Wii emulation while waiting for GTA V to compile shaders. A subsequent run of Minecraft yielded inconsistent results, hovering around 25 fps. Notably, specifics regarding resolution and quality settings were not disclosed, leaving some ambiguity in the performance metrics.
Ultimately, Garkus concluded that these ex-kiosk machines are better suited for emulating older consoles, specifically up to the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox era. For those looking to enjoy PS2 titles, it is advisable to focus on lighter games and lower settings to achieve a smoother gaming experience.
