Intel teases NUC-leheads with new desktop-class graphics systems and a fast i9 CPU At this year's overstuffed Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Intel teased its upcoming NUC (Next Unit of Computing) desktop — the NUC 9 Extreme, codenamed Ghost Canyon. This is the first of Intel's diminutive PC boxes to support standard desktop GPUs, making them an option for gamers looking for a smaller machine. …
... with the PS4 Pro displacing 5.3 litres, and the Xbox One measuring 4.3 litres.
This is the first time I have seen figures on how much a computer displaces, as if they need to be powered by steam or gasoline. Used to be that displacement and performance were not linked when it came to computers. How things change.
The current generation ones are a little on the pricey side for the hardware you get (you're paying for the smallness of the unit and the perceived level of quality of buying Intel), so estimate how much an i9 powered machine would be, and add 10-20%.
Or to look at it another way, find a laptop with equivalent specs, and assume the NUC will be about a half of the price of that (plus you'll have to provide RAM and an SSD, and a screen and keyboard etc).
I would be interested if it didn't have an Intel CPU
Speccing up a Velcase Velka 3 build for my mancave at the moment, that too can take a full size GPU at <4l displacment. The need for FlexATX or slightly more exotic DC-DC power supply is a bit of a pain though...
R.E. commentators above, SFF cases are usually described by displacement in small form factor aficionado circles
It depends what you want it for I guess. This new NUC is a strange one, because it's a bit like a small PC (ie, a Shuttle system) rather than a tiny little box like the earlier NUCs.
Personally, I have a NUC from a couple of years ago. I don't care that it has an Intel CPU as all it does is run Linux and act as a mini server/torrent machine. For my main gaming PC I replaced at a similar time, I went with a more conventional form factor and a Ryzen CPU.
Sure, they did back then, but if I were running a classroom now that's the last thing I'd want. This isn't the 80s where each class gets one computer and access to it is a closely observed privilege with a teacher standing over your shoulder. Every kid is going to need one and at least 4 out of 5 of those kids are going to spill something in it / pull the keycaps off / drop it on the floor / hit one of their classmates with it... 5 quid disposable logitech keyboards are definitely the way to go.
... I think you are referring to the IIe and IIc actually- I don't recall the IIgs ever being made in a form factor that had a built in keyboard.
TBH, I'd think that the best form factor would be a small box that hangs off the back of the monitor- less boxes to deal with, along with less cords and whatnot as well.
Speaking from experience of the education market, in inner London, we don't want integrated anything. The animals we babysit during the day find more enjoyment in plucking they keys off keyboards than learning. It's not the 80s and kids now are complete ****, mum and maybe dad are more upset little Jonny, or Mohammad, have been caught than what they have done
They do have one significant advantage: The WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). It's the only kind of pc-style box permitted in the living room to power my media center (MythTV on Linux) - anything else was vetoed as too big/klunky/noisy/ugly.
For bonus points I replaced the minitower PC in the office at home with a second NUC. A bit pricey - sure, but much cheaper than an iMac.
I've deployed 6 NUC's over the last few months for family (3) and my Dad's business (3). The i3 Gen8 model is pretty cheap once you put in 8GB of RAM and a 240GB M.2 SSD. For the family build's I get the taller model, only $4 more expensive, which can also take a 2.5" drive which I set up as a backup target. For the web browsing, email, office tasks they are more than enough. The family don't want laptops and their small size everybody likes compared to the ATX towers they had. Only problem is 4 USB ports isn't enough sometimes but a cheap USB 3 4 port hub gets around that easily enough. I've got an old one that I use with LibreELEC as a HT PC and the integrated IR makes it a great fit for that task.
... in looking at it, I'm reminded vaguely of the PICMG 1.x standard that had a backplane installed on the chassis, with the mainboard being essentially a plug-in card. (or the newer PC/104 standard, except that the form factor for the NUC is totally different than that.)
Edit: The only real reason I'm even looking at them is to determine expense, and size: I have a stack of old Dell Optiplex GX620s that occasionally get dragged out to be used for Artemis as bridge stations, and they pull a lot of power and dump a lot of heat for what they actually do. (they are all P4 class machines). I'm thinking of swapping them with either NUCs or compute sticks, although the latter would probably work out better as I could build them (and their VGA adapters) into the base of the touch screens I have.
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