Intel’s basic “4×4” NUC, which measures about 4 inches large and deep, is essentially the most iconic NUC design – but it surely’s removed from the one machine the group sells.
The NUC group’s efforts now span throughout 600 whole variations that cowl practically each use you possibly can presumably fathom. You’ll discover NUCs in gaming PCs and prepare automobiles, behind kiosks and in developer workstations.
Many of those NUCs are usually not the design you acknowledge however specialty machines constructed for a particular goal. Some aren’t even offered via retail channels—although chances are you’ll want they had been. We bumped into eight notably fascinating fashions throughout our recent visit to Intel’s NUC labs, the place we found the secrets and techniques behind the venture that revolutionized tiny computing. Feast your eyes on these!
ShinZhen Kihitech keyboard PC
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Built round an Intel Compute Element, this keyboard is a completely useful Windows PC with all of the options, ports, and connectivity you’d count on—in addition to some you won’t, like a VGA port for legacy screens. The Compute Element may be swapped out, too, unlocking future processor upgrades.
But wait—there’s extra! The keyboard on this NUC-powered machine is definitely a wi-fi keyboard with a built-in battery, that means it may be faraway from the baseboard and used independently. A touchpad can also be included, as you possibly can see, so a wi-fi mouse isn’t required.
This mannequin even lists 4G mobile information connectivity. While this PC lacks a battery for actually moveable use, the mobile information possibility can be helpful in places the place wired Internet service is much less widespread than wi-fi.
It’s an alluring possibility for fans who desire a new PC with that old-school, early-80s computing really feel, or for many who need an all-in-one house theater pc. Unfortunately, the keyboard PC is out of attain for many readers, because it’s solely offered within the Chinese market.
Bleujour Wood Kubb
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Leave it to the French to show the NUC’s stocky, useful design right into a pleasant, approachable dice.
The Wood Kubb is part of Bleujour’s Kubb line, which incorporates not solely the Wood Kubb but in addition a extra colourful (and reasonably priced) mainstream line, plus a fanless Kubb for many who completely despise noise.
An entry-level Kubb has a Core i3-1115G4 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of stable state storage. You can improve the Kubb to a Core i7, 64GB of RAM, and as much as two 2TB stable state drives.
Starting at 645 Euros, or 755 for the wooden enclosure, Kubb’s design assertion doesn’t come low cost (although it’s price noting that PC costs usually skew increased in Europe). That’s costly, however hey—it’s not like you could have a dozen different wooden PCs to select from.
Dawson Canyon with customized LTE lid
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Dawson Canyon NUCs arrived in 2018 with Intel’s Seventh-gen and, later, Eighth-gen Core processors. The high mannequin, which had an Core i7-8650U processor, was essentially the most performant model of the basic 4×4 but. But that’s not what makes this NUC notable.
That honor goes to the antennas.
Massive antennas aren’t an ordinary characteristic and, on this case, they serve a singular and helpful goal: 4G LTE connectivity. This specific NUC has been modified to obtain a robust cellular information sign, permitting Internet entry from wherever cellular information is obtainable.
This showcases an underappreciated characteristic of the unique 4×4 design: the lid. What appears like a easy plastic cap is definitely a portal to risk. Removing the lid offers entry to a M.2 PCIe storage slot and inside USB headers. Plus, it makes use of a easy clip-on mechanism that makes customized lids straightforward to swap out.
Atlas Canyon
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The Atlas Canyon NUC won’t appear to be a brand new, cutting-edge mannequin, however in some ways it’s. A brand new addition to the NUC line offered as an “essential NUC,” Atlas Canyon makes use of entry-level Intel processors just like the Pentium Silver N6005 and Celeron N5105. This mannequin is barely wider than the basic 4×4 design however considerably thinner, at simply 1.5 inches thick.
These processors received’t set benchmark information, in fact, however they supply a really low worth level. The Atlas Canyon NUCs are “fully configured” beginning at $299 (although this doesn’t embody a Windows license). They’re meant primarily for kiosks and digital signage, which could sound boring, but it surely represents a giant a part of NUC’s success.
Tinkerers ought to control the NUC 11 Essential board. Slated to sell for only $199 when it arrives later this year, it is going to have quad-core Celeron N5105 processor with assist for as much as 32GB of RAM and NVMe storage, plus six USB ports, HDMI, and DisplayPort. It is likely to be an incredible possibility for low-cost venture PCs.
Bleujour RIDG
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Bleujour is at it once more, although this time in a extensively completely different design and extra succesful design. What you’re is the RIDG, an upcoming workstation PC teased at CES 2022.
Yep, that’s proper—it is a workstation PC. Despite its fairly compact design and wild form, the RIDG is constructed round an Intel NUC Extreme Compute Element and offers room for a single-slot PCIe x16 graphics card.
To be particular, this mannequin affords as much as Intel Xeon vPro processors and Nvidia Quadro RTX A4000 graphics. The RTX A4000 is a really succesful piece of {hardware} regardless of its single-slot design, with efficiency near that of an RTX 3070.
Not but obtainable for buy on Bleujour’s web site, the RIDG is predicted to reach someday this 12 months. A press release published through Techtimes reveals a steep entry-level worth of $3,995 Euros – costly however unsurprising given its measurement, efficiency, and all-metal chassis.
Fort Beach
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The Fort Beach NUC could appear a puzzle from the surface. Much wider and broader than the basic 4×4 NUC, Fort Beach appears to realize little from its added bulk. It has an identical variety of ports and offers entry to an identical vary of Intel Pentium, Celeron, and Core processors.
It’s what contained in the counts. Look intently on the photograph above and also you’ll uncover Fort Beach’s secret: This NUC doesn’t have a processor soldered to the board. It as a substitute makes use of the Intel Compute Element, which connects over a customized PCIe slot.
This design affords the potential of future upgradability with higher, quicker Compute Elements. This might be useful, because the NUC’s board in any other case offers a number of connectivity that shouldn’t want alternative anytime quickly. There’s additionally a mannequin with non-compulsory video and audio seize card that slots into the machine’s rear.
Ice Canyon
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Alright, the Ice Canyon NUC isn’t bizarre—however it is crucial. Launched in 2013, the Ice Canyon NUC was the successor to Intel’s debut NUC and the primary to have an Intel Core processor. This gave a giant increase to the NUC’s efficiency and made it a genuinely helpful gadget for mundane, day-to-day Windows computing.
You’ll discover the Ice Canyon NUC appears a bit completely different from different, newer fashions. This unique 4×4 design, which has each a compact footprint and skinny profile, stays the smallest full NUC system obtainable. Most NUCs are actually bigger, although this type issue continues to be obtainable right now with the Tiger Canyon and Provo Canyon fashions.
Despite its age, the Ice Canyon NUC did assist mSATA PCIe SSDs, making it one of many first desktop PCs to assist PCIe stable state storage. Ice Canyon additionally added an Ethernet LAN port, a characteristic lacking from the prior Box Canyon NUC.
NUC Compute Element Extreme enclosures
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Though not a particular mannequin, as such, the arrival of customized enclosures constructed round Intel’s NUC Compute Element Extreme are an possibility for fans who desire a high-end PC in a slim kind issue.
Intel’s personal NUC Extreme Kit is essentially the most extensively obtainable, however quite a lot of alternate options have appeared. These embody full programs like Razer’s Tomahawk, Bleujour’s Move Ultimate, and AVA Direct’s Compute Element. Enclosures, plus enclosures such because the MasterCaseNC100, Silverstone Vital 4, and Akasa Venom QX.
All of those share a standard part: the baseboard, which features a pair of PCIe slots supporting one Compute Element Extreme and one PCIe x16 video card. Intel has plans to enhance this baseboard within the close to future with higher integration of part energy provides. This ought to take away a number of the fuss from present programs primarily based on the Compute Element Extreme which, although compact, can bother house owners with tight areas that make energy connectors tough to connect.