Intel NUC Mini PC Showcase
26 June 2020
What is a NUC Mini PC? Tiny size with performance tailored to your task
Is your idea of a stereotypical PC tower? Perhaps with an empty optical drive bay or two at the front, empty HDD bays or even unused PCI slots? Maybe 50cm high and 20cm wide? As our tech-savvy readers would know, most of that internal space is actually empty. That’s what makes the Intel NUC so appealing. A NUC, or Next Unit of Computing, is a PC concept with a tiny footprint developed by Intel. The idea is that you can get all the performance of a PC, and squeeze it into a chassis that’s closer to the size of a gaming console or even a lot smaller than that! They might be tiny in size, but they sure do have big performance. Browse the our range of NUCs using our Intel NUC comparison table. First, we'll take a look at some of the Intel NUC systems and some useful applications, starting with the big (little) boy of the range, the NUC 9 Extreme.
A tiny, subtle and discreet gaming PC?
If you want a high-performance gaming PC, but hate the idea of a large, overstyled transformer inspired disco glow box, then you’ll want to check out the Intel NUC 9 Extreme. It’s a barebone kit that has some interesting features, including a PCIe daughter board called the Compute Element. This board contains the core system components, meaning it’s possible to upgrade the system in the future. The highest spec NUC 9 Extreme packs in the powerful Core i9-9980HK laptop CPU. It’s an 8-core/16-thread that is able to boost all the way up to 5.0 GHz, meaning in applications like games, you’ll go close to the performance of a desktop i9-9900K! The NUC 9 has a total of three M.2 drive slots, and you can install a graphics card up to 8” long. If you want to put in something like a compact RTX 2080, go ahead! 4K gaming performance that blows away consoles is possible today. It offers full-tower performance in a remarkably small package.
Intel BKNUC9V7QNX4 NUC 9 Pro Barebone Kit
Working from home? There's a NUC Mini PC to suit you
With the COVID-19 pandemic still underway, you may have considered upgrading your home office PC to something that has a bit more grunt. There’s no particular need to go with a full-size, space-hogging PC when a tiny little Intel NUC can do all of the same tasks while taking up as little as a few coasters worth of space.
Consider something like a 10th Generation i5 NUC. It packs in a powerful quad-core CPU along with HDMI 2.0 with 4K display support and Thunderbolt 3 for up to three 4K displays. Maximum productivity from a PC the size of biscuit tin! Depending on the particular NUC, you can bundle an M.2 drive and/or SATA drive, so you have the option of fast and/or bulk storage. You can also utilize the integrated SD card reader. Worried about connectivity? Don’t be. You get Intel Ethernet and WiFi 6 along with Type-A and C USB ports and you can even install up to 64GB or RAM - that’s a kitted out office PC, and one that will last you for many years.
Intel BXNUC10I5FNH4 NUC Barebone Kit
The ultimate media center PC
A NUC is perfectly suited to home theatre applications. Most modern TVs have streaming and networking capabilities, but many projectors and TVs from yesteryear do not. Give that otherwise excellent projector or TV a second lease of life with an Intel NUC. You can stream Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Foxtel GO or any other service you care to name, plus you can access a central network and stream your own content from say a NAS. Stream wirelessly for added convenience thanks to included WiF 6 connectivity and hardware-based video acceleration. Or, plug in an external drive and have the potential of setting up a fully functional DIY NAS!
Intel 10th Generation CPUs with UHD graphics incorporate many hardware encoding and decoding technologies. This means playback of virtually all modern codecs is done with ease. Streaming from all the major apps is easy, and applications such as the Plex Media Server and many others are coded with Intel UHD graphics support. NUCs can also easily be hidden from view for a clean set up.
Intel BXNUC10I3FNK4 NUC Mini PC
A small size doesn't mean a weak spec
There’s still a perception that a small PC is a weak PC. That’s simply not the case. Mwave offers many bundle deals that can be built to your specifications. Take this 10th Gen i5 equipped NUC. It’s got 64GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD and Windows 10 Pro! With that kind of specification you can multitask to your heart’s content. Simply add screens and you’ll be able to run all your applications all at the same time and switch between them with minimal lag. Use it with applications that support Intel GPU acceleration technologies such as QuickSync and you’ll be amazed at the performance on offer from such a tiny package.
Intel BXNUC10I5FNH4 NUC Mini PC
Add something extra to your business
A signage NUC is perfect for digital signage or interactive kiosk applications. The compact size of a 10th Gen NUC means it can be easily stashed out of the way, while low power consumption means you don’t need to worry about large power bills or excessive heat generation. A NUC can be used for something as simple as shopfront information presentation, perhaps a boardroom presentation, all the way to IoT, interactive ordering systems and educational applications. Intel is partnered with several industry-leading software partners to help you get the right solution for your needs.
Mwave has an Intel NUC Mini PC to suit your needs
So, if space is at a premium, you’ll be amazed at what kinds of things a NUC is capable of. Whether it’s work or play, an office machine, HTPC or something you’ll leave running for weeks at a time, there’s a NUC to suit you. Feel free to contact us for consultation about what you’re after. We can add components to suit your needs even recommended graphics cards for a NUC 9 Extreme. Let us know, and we can tailor an Intel NUC to suit you.
