I can't answer from an 'advanced user' perspective but have used what jamesh suggested above as my desktop from when the Pi5 was launched until September when I added the Pi compact HAT and Pi SSD, still in the standard case. I think the article linked in the OP is fair. However, if I was using it for work (as I did a Windows PC for decades) I would find it a bit slow. The SSD did give a noticeable improvement.
No problems with a 2560 x 1440 monitor. I regularly get the GIMP to use most of the 8Gb. Cooling with the standard case is OK but better with some 5mm rubber feet stuck on the bottom. I share the reservations made in the previous post about USB drives - occasionally Windows suggests a USB stick or HDD has not been ejected properly. But I haven't lost any data yet.
No problems with a 2560 x 1440 monitor. I regularly get the GIMP to use most of the 8Gb. Cooling with the standard case is OK but better with some 5mm rubber feet stuck on the bottom. I share the reservations made in the previous post about USB drives - occasionally Windows suggests a USB stick or HDD has not been ejected properly. But I haven't lost any data yet.
Statistics: Posted by PDM1950 — Mon Jan 05, 2026 7:17 pm