Make Your Own Game Console For $100 With This Mini PC!

In this video I show you how you can get a HP Elite Desk G2 Mini PC and turn it into your own retro game console.

To get more information on this PC, click the link below!

If the G2 isn't available the G3 is 100% comparable

In this video I just used the provided SSD that comes preinstalled in this PC but if you wanted to upgrade to an SSD with a larger capacity you could upgrade to one of these SSD options...

512GB SSD

1TB SSD

2TB SSD

4TB SSD

Additional Items Needed To Follow This Process...

SABRENT USB 3.0 to SSD / 2.5 Inch SATA I/II/III Hard Drive Adapter (EC-SSHD) (to connect the SSD to my PC to flash Batocera to the SSD)

DisplayPort to HDMI Cable

Screwdriver Set

To see additional products that could be used with this setup, check out my Amazon Storefront

To learn how to set up screen scraper on Batocera, click the link below...

To See how to setup Batocera image in detail

Setup Nintendo Switch on Batocera 37

Improve PS2's Performance on Batocera

How To Remotely Access Your Batocera Files & Add Games In Detail

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[RetroGamingGuy]

Below is the direct link to this Hp Mini PC!

[TexasDevin]

As someone who had an HP elite mini pc just sitting on my shelf, I watched this video, and you walked me through installing and configuring Batocera on it. I ended up spending a few hours yesterday prepping this system, and I have to say I'm impressed. Thanks for making this video. You just gave me a fun trip down memory lane.

[nathan_tasker]

Just a quick note here. There is a DP++ port on the back of the system. This can allow you to use a passive Display Port to HDMI cable for outputting video to a standard TV or display. Otherwise an active DP to HDMI cable must be used. I hope this helps anyone interested in emulating this build.

[jasonlandry]

When you remove the SSD, you don't have to remove the "wheels" or support dimples. They can remain in place when you image the drive.

[Not]

I deal with a lot of these refurbs - I strongly recommend replacing that kingfast ssd. They don't seem to last. Great video, so good to show what those can do!

[willhoward]

Unless the ‘wheels’ interfered with the SATA connection, there was no reason to remove them.

[hudsonball]

I'll need to do this some day. Sounds like a great way to keep enjoying classic and retro games without unneeded wear and tear on the games and consoles themselves. Plus you wouldn't have to keep switching consoles if you wanted to play a different game.

[johnpallick]

Finally someone tells you how to do everything I've been wanting to do this for a long time thank you so much.

[Firefighter]

Purchased this exact unit off Amazon. Thank you for the tutorial. This is a much rewarding hobby I dove into. Love it.

[nopenottalib]

Excellent video. It's worth noting a few things:
1) The HP EliteDesk models are all *supposed* to have built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. In many cases, the sellers refurbishing these units will provide a WiFi USB dongle if the onboard WiFi / Bluetooth adapter is faulty or defective. What you need to look out for is that the onboard WiFi supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi. The dongle they provide usually only supports 2.4GHz and does not have Bluetooth capabilities.
2) The USB to SATA adapter you've shown will work with ALL SSDs and HDDs IF - strong emphasis on 'IF' - the SSD or HDD is a 5V drive. In other words, 12V drives will NOT work with the USB to SATA adapter. Nearly all SSDs and HDDs will tell you on the label whether they use 5V or 12V for power. Be advised that a USB 2.0 port on some systems might simply not have enough power to allow the drive to work. If at all possible, try to use a USB 3.x port.
3) The refurbished HP EliteDesk models are a complete and total bargain and a steal on Amazon ... BUT ... Amazon gives the refurbished sellers a LOT of leeway with regards to their listings. For example, I've purchased about 5 or 6 of these units for work, and two units came with defective onboard WiFi units (with a USB 2.4GHz WiFi dongle.) One refurbished unit I received had a bad display port connector and a faulty USB port. So, purchase with caution. Don't set your expectations high. Basically, prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
This comment is not intended to scare or deter buyers of these systems ... I've bought several of these units and my overall experiences have been very positive. Just be aware that if your unit comes with a WiFi dongle - you'll probably want to separately purchase a better USB WiFi unit. Lastly, double-check your BIOS settings before doing anything with the unit. This is probably something you should do BEFORE you deploy a Linux-based distribution to the SSD.

[saulcalderon]

this video keeps popping up all the time and i keep watching it every time, i think its my favorite video. lol

[ConvexCheeto]

For network access you can use the host name shown on the Network Settings menu, which is BATOCERA by default, instead of using the IP address. There's always the possibility your router can assign a different IP address but the host name won't change.

[CFWhitman]

Emulation is very CPU heavy, and these mini-PCs have pretty good CPUs, so this works quite well for emulation. The graphics in these systems are very basic, but the only thing that might affect is how much you can scale the picture on the emulated system. Of course, if you wanted to play any x86 or AMD64 native titles, then the graphics on these systems would be quite a limitation.

[platinummonster]

Also, this PC has an M.2 connector under the 2.5" drive tray allowing you to add a NVMe drive =)

[sharptoothtrex]

That $100 American dollar Mini PC also makes a great MAME video arcade console I love. Use a 1 or 2TB SSD as that option for the Mini PC.

[paparansen]

why do you remove the ssd and connect it to pc?

just flash batocera on an usb stick (min 16gb) and install it from there.

[LIFE-jlqc]

I flashed it to a external ssd so i can plug into any pc and play it, works great batocera is amazing

[MobileDecay]

I have one of these. It’s crazy how well it runs a lot of systems. Xbox, Gamecube, PS2, and Wii! It’s also smaller than a Wii. I designed a vertical stand for it and put it on my thingiverse.

[tonyfweb]

Just grabbed a Dell OptiPlex 5000 that was sitting out by the trash at a neighbor's house while walking the dogs. Plugged it in and turns out it's a bad SSD. Got a 256GB NVMe from Amazon and now I have a nice, mini-PC with an i5-12500T, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD for less than $30. The specs are probably a bit overkill for this project, but I don't have any other use for it. Thanks for making such a great video. This is a lot easier than trying to configure Emulation Station to work with Retro Arch.

[slightlyevolved]

Just a quick heads up, I've never worked directly with a 705 model, but if it is like most of the EliteDesk models, they may not all come with VGA or the second DisplayPort. These can be configured with different ports, such as serial or HDMI. I believe this is the same as the other models, as you'll note that the center DisplayPort has "wings" where you would see the screw mounts for, say, a serial port. (Although, typically, it is VGA vs Serial Port for the option.)

Not specifically important, but worth noting when buying if you want to connect to a CRT via VGA, or have a reason for a second DP connected screen.