No Intel, this isn’t an NUC anymore
23/3/2023
Translation: Megan Cornish
NUC stands for «Next Unit of Computing» and in my eyes is synonymous with tiny PCs. With its «Extreme» editions, Intel has been stretching this definition for several generations. However, the latest version oversteps the mark.
An NUC is small,
that’s the way it has to be.
But this one
is a huge beast.
The new NUC 13 Extreme Raptor Canyon definitely isn’t as bad as this poem. Well, I don’t know yet, because I’m going to test it first. But when I unpack it, I can hardly believe the size of the thing. The «mini PC» measures almost 14 litres. For comparison: my completely water-cooled Mini-ITX desktop PC only holds seven decilitres more.
Source: Kevin Hofer
Bigger, always bigger
An NUC is a great thing. It doesn’t take up much space and still delivers more power than a lot of notebooks. Unfortunately, the graphics performance leaves a lot to be desired. Intel probably thought the same thing and came up with the «Extreme» versions of the NUCs with space for a dedicated graphics card.
The balancing act between NUC and NUC with a graphics card works well at first. When it comes to the 11th generation – launched at the end of 2021 – I’m wondering whether the Extreme Beast Canyon is still an NUC.
I determine that it’s an NUC in an external graphics card housing. A case like this is still significantly smaller than most Mini-ITX PC cases. Due to the volume, no huge graphics cards fit. So it’s an NUC with a little more graphics performance.
Intel goes one step further with the 12th generation. For the first time, there’s a fully fledged desktop CPU in the NUC rather than a mobile processor. The case is a little longer so that even larger graphics cards can fit in. It also needs to get bigger because graphics cards keep growing. I think it’s quite nice, but I can’t figure out a target group for it. Mini-ITX PCs are larger, offer more performance and are therefore clearly the better option for me.
Too much of a good thing
With the 13th generation, Intel is now going too far for me. The NUC 13 Extreme Raptor Canyon is a negligible seven decilitres – or five per cent – smaller than my Mini-ITX PC. They’re basically the same size. My PC even takes up less space on the desk because it’s taller.
The NUC has squandered its size advantage over a Mini-ITX PC. Why should I go for a more expensive NUC that only gives me a choice of SSD, RAM and graphics card? With a home-built PC, I can adjust all the components to work for me, including a later upgrade option.
The latest Extreme NUC doesn’t deserve the NUC name. The Extreme Raptor Canyon is a small PC, but no longer a mini PC. You’ll soon find out in my review whether it’s good.
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
