Next Unit of Computing
Next Unit of Computing is a line of small-form-factor barebone computer kits designed by Intel. The NUC has had ten generations so far, spanning from Sandy Bridge-based Celeron CPUs in the first generation through Ivy Bridge-based Core i3 and i5 CPUs in the second generation to Gemini Lake-based Pentium and Celeron CPUs and Kaby Lake-based Core i3, i5, and i7 CPUs in the seventh and eighth generations. The NUC motherboard usually measures approximately, although some models have had different dimensions.
The barebone kits consist of the board, in a plastic case with a fan, an external power supply, and a VESA mounting plate. Intel does sell just the NUC motherboards, which have a built-in CPU, although the price of a NUC motherboard is very close to the corresponding cased kit; third-party cases for the NUC boards are also available.
First generation
Sandy Bridge
This UCFF motherboard and system kit are codenamed Ski Lake and Deep Canyon respectively.| Intel kit | Intel board | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking |
| Celeron 847 | 17 W | HD Graphics 2000 | 16 GB | HDMI 1.4a | USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet |
Second generation
Ivy Bridge
The base UCFF motherboard and kit without Thunderbolt or USB 3 are codenamed Golden Lake and Ice Canyon respectively. The Thunderbolt capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Campers Lake and Box Canyon respectively. The USB 3 capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Rend Lake and Horse Canyon respectively.The stripped-down DC3217BY model has a signature red top cover and no Ethernet. This model, while stocks were still available, generally sold for a deep discount. The absence of Ethernet may be mitigated by using a USB 2.0 to 10/100 fast Ethernet dongle based upon the Kawasaki LSI one-chip adapter, or a similar dongle based upon a Realtek chip; the Kawasaki Logic dongle requires a proprietary driver for macOS X, whereas the driver for the Realtek dongle is built into macOS X. The DC3217BY runs macOS X flawlessly as the processor's HD4000 is fully supported by macOS X.
| Intel kit | Intel board | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking |
| Core i3-3217U | 17 W | HD Graphics 4000 | 16 GB | HDMI 1.4a | USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Core i3-3217U | 17 W | HD Graphics 4000 | 16 GB | HDMI 1.4a ; Thunderbolt via mDP 1.1a | USB 2.0 | |||
| Core i5-3427U | 17 W | HD Graphics 4000 | 16 GB | HDMI 1.4a ; mDP 1.1a | USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet |
Third generation
Bay Trail-M
This UCFF motherboard and system kit model were codenamed Forest Canyon. The DN2820FYKH product itself is mis-marked DN2820FYK, but the retail package, all retail documentation, and Intel's web site correctly identify this product as DN2820FYKH. The "H" indicates support for internal 2.5" media, SSD or HD. There is no "non-H" version of this product as it does not include an on-board mSATA connector, hence media which is external to the board is mandatory, and hence the "H" version.This product introduces for the first time a new 12 volt, 3 ampere "wall wart", in place of the traditional 19 volt, 3.42 ampere power brick and its "Mickey Mouse" AC power cord. Four region-specific plug-on adapters, including North America and three overseas countries, are included in the retail package.
These models shipped with the problematic BIOS revision 13, however this revision did not recognise most low voltage SO-DIMMs and would report as having zero capacity. Keyboard escapes for BIOS interfacing had been problematic, legacy booting was not supported, and it had been elected to only include UEFI booting. BIOS revision 48 has been released and resolved the problems, enabling the recognition of most low voltage SO-DIMMs, keyboard escapes and legacy booting.
| Intel kit | Intel board | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| DN2820FYB | Celeron N2820 or Celeron N2830 | 7.5 W | HD Graphics | 8 GB | HDMI 1.4a | USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet ; Wi-Fi 802.11bgn, Bluetooth 4.0 |
Bay Trail-I
This UCFF motherboard and system kit models were codenamed Thin Canyon.| Intel kit | Intel board | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Atom E3815 | 5 W | HD Graphics | 8 GB | HDMI, VGA, embedded DisplayPort | USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet |
Fourth generation
Haswell
UCFF motherboard and system kit models were designated Wilson Canyon containing Haswell processors were revealed in June 2013.| Intel kit | Intel board | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Core i3-4010U | 15 W | HD Graphics 4400 | 16 GB | Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | |||
| D34010WYKH | D34010WYB | Core i3-4010U | 15 W | HD Graphics 4400 | 16 GB | Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | |
| Core i5-4250U | 15 W | HD Graphics 5000 | 16 GB | Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | |||
| D54250WYKH | D54250WYB | Core i5-4250U | 15 W | HD Graphics 5000 | 16 GB | Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet |
Fifth generation
Broadwell-U
In early 2015 a new generation of NUCs, powered by 5th generation Intel processors was released and in Q2 2015 the first NUC with Core i7 processor will become available. The currently available collection of 5th generation of NUCs include adaptive/smart performance technology and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.UCFF motherboard and system kit models were designated Rock Canyon. UCFF motherboard and system kit models were codenamed Maple Canyon.
In Q4 2018 and Q1 2019 two new SKUs of "Rock Canyon" - Refresh have been launched and become two of a few available models still supporting Windows* 7. These modes have updated CPU revisions and other minor changes.
All models include:
- Dual-channel DDR3L SO-DIMM, 1.35 V, 1333/1600 MHz, 16 GB maximum
- One Gigabit Ethernet port
- Internal support for M.2 22×42, 22×60, and 22×80 SSD card supporting PCIe 2.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s
- Two USB 3.0 connectors on back panel
- Two USB 3.0 connectors on front panel
- Two internal USB 2.0 ports via header
- Up to 7.1 surround audio via mini HDMI and mini DisplayPort
- Headphone/microphone jack on the front panel
| Kit | Board | CPU | TDP | GPU | Mini HDMI1 | Mini DisplayPort2 | eDP | Wireless connectivity | 2.5" SATA3 bay | Charging port | Infrared sensor |
| i7-5557U | 28 W | Iris 6100 | IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display | ||||||||
| i5-5250U | 15 W | HD 6000 | IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display | ||||||||
| i5-5250U | 15 W | HD 6000 | IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display | ||||||||
| i3-5010U | 15 W | HD 5500 | IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display | ||||||||
| i3-5010U | 15 W | HD 5500 | IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display | ||||||||
| i3-5010U | 15 W | HD 5500 | M.2 E-Keyed 22×30 wireless card slot | ||||||||
| i5-5300U vPro | 15 W | HD 5500 | M.2 E-Keyed 22×30 wireless card slot |
1. Version 1.4a
2. Version 1.2
Braswell
These UCFF system kit models, formerly known as Pinnacle Canyon, are based on 5th generation Celeron and Pentium-branded Braswell 14 nm processor family. There is also the UCFF complete system model, formerly known as Grass Canyon, which is based on 5th generation Pentium-branded Braswell 14 nm processor family and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC with Windows 10 installed.All models include:
- One memory channel DDR3L SO-DIMM, 1.35 V, 1333/1600 MHz, 8 GB maximum
- One Gigabit Ethernet port
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0
- Internal support for M.2 22×30 wireless card supporting PCIe 2.0 ×1, and USB 2.0
- Two USB 3.0 connectors on back panel
- Two USB 3.0 connectors on front panel
- Two internal USB 2.0 ports via header
- Up to 7.1 surround audio via HDMI
- Headphone/microphone jack on the front panel
- Headphone/TOSLINK jack on the rear panel
- SDXC slot with UHS-I support on the side
- CIR Sensor
- According to the Intel Technical Product Specification, these models have fans.
| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Celeron N3050 | 6 W | HD Graphics | 8 GB | HDMI 1.4, VGA | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | ||
| Pentium N3700 | 6 W | HD Graphics | 8 GB | HDMI 1.4, VGA | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | ||
| Pentium N3700 | 6 W | HD Graphics | 8 GB | HDMI 1.4, VGA | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 |
Sixth generation
Skylake-U
UCFF system kit models were designated Swift Canyon, containing Skylake processors. UCFF system kit models were codenamed Skull Canyon, containing Skylake processors. They were launched in Q4/2015, except for NUC6i7KYK, which was launched in Q2/2016.All models include:
- Dual-channel DDR4 SO-DIMM, 1.2 V, 2133 MHz, 32 GB maximum
- One Gigabit Ethernet port
- Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260, 1×1, up to 867 Mbit/s
- Dual-mode Bluetooth 4.1
- Internal support for M.2 M-Keyed 22×42 and 22×80 SSD card supporting PCIe 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s
- SDXC slot with UHS-I support on the side
- Intel HD Graphics 540 video
- Up to 7.1 surround audio via full-sized HDMI and mini DisplayPort
- Intel Wireless Display
- USB-C port supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2, Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort 1.2
- Internal support for a second M.2 M-Keyed 22×42 and 22×80 SSD card supporting PCIe 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s
| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Core i3-6100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 520 | 32 GB | HDMI 1.4b and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Core i3-6100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 520 | 32 GB | HDMI 1.4b and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Core i5-6260U | 15 W | Iris Graphics 540 | 32 GB | HDMI 1.4b and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Core i5-6260U | 15 W | Iris Graphics 540 | 32 GB | HDMI 1.4b and mDP 1.2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet | ||
| Core i7-6770HQ | 45 W | Iris Pro Graphics 580 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0, mDP 1.2 and DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 | Gigabit Ethernet |
Apollo Lake
These UCFF system kit models formerly known as Arches Canyon, are based on the 6th generation Celeron-branded Apollo Lake SoC 14 nm processor family. They were launched in Q4/2016.- RAM: DDR3L-1600/1866 1.35V SO-DIMM
| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Celeron J3455 | 10 W | HD Graphics 500 | 8 GB | HDMI 2.0, VGA | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | ||
| Celeron J3455 | 10 W | HD Graphics 500 | 8 GB | HDMI 2.0, VGA | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 |
Seventh generation
Kaby Lake-U (Baby Canyon)
Intel seventh generation NUC models, codenamed Baby Canyon, are based on their Kaby Lake-U processors. They were launched in Q1/2017 and Q2/2017.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i7-7567U | 28 W | Iris Plus 650 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i7-7567U | 28 W | Iris Plus 650 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i5-7260U | 15 W | Iris Plus 640 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i5-7260U | 15 W | Iris Plus 640 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i5-7260U | 15 W | Iris Plus 640 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i3-7100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i3-7100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i3-7100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
Kaby Lake-U (Dawson Canyon)
A refresh of the seventh generation NUC models, codenamed Dawson Canyon, saw a replacement of the USB 3.1 Type-C port with a second HDMI 2.0a port. This refresh also updated the CPU's in the i5 models while still using Kaby Lake-U processors, and the i7 models to Kaby Lake-R processors. The i3 models saw no change in the CPU. Intel Optane M.2 support remains, but no models with a preinstalled module were released. M.2 support was updated from a single 22×42/80 slot to dual 22×30 and 22×80 slots. They were launched in Q2/2017.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i5-7300U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i5-7300U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i3-7100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i3-7100U | 15 W | HD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
Kaby Lake-R (Dawson Canyon)
They were launched in Q1/2018.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i7-8650U | 15 W | UHD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | ||||
| i7-8650U | 15 W | UHD Graphics 620 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
Gemini Lake (June Canyon)
The UCFF system kit models, codenamed June Canyon, based on 7th generation Pentium & Celeron-branded Gemini Lake SoC 14 nm processor family. They were launched in Q1/2018.RAM: DDR4-2400 1.2V SO-DIMM
| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA |
| Pentium J5005 | 10 W | UHD Graphics 605 | 8 GB | HDMI 2.0 × 2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||
| Celeron J4005 | 10 W | UHD Graphics 600 | 8 GB | HDMI 2.0 × 2 | USB 3.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Eighth generation
Kaby Lake-G
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Hades Canyon, is based on their Kaby Lake-G processors with a TDP from 65 W to 100 W. It features a custom AMD GPU, based on Vega and Polaris technologies. They were launched in Q1/2018.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots |
| Corei78705G | 65 W | HD Graphics 630 and Radeon RX Vega M GL | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0b, mDP 1.2 and DP 1.2 via USB-C port | USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 | |||
| Corei78809G | 100 W | HD Graphics 630 and Radeon RX Vega M GH | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0b, mDP 1.2 and DP 1.2 via USB-C port | USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 |
Coffee Lake-U
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Bean Canyon, is based on their Coffee Lake-U processors with a TDP of 28 W. They were launched in Q3/2018.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i7-8559U | 28 W | Iris Plus 655 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i5-8259U | 28 W | Iris Plus 655 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i5-8259U | 28 W | Iris Plus 655 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i3-8109U | 28 W | Iris Plus 655 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i3-8109U | 28 W | Iris Plus 655 | 32 GB | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Cannon Lake-U
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Crimson Canyon, is based on their 10nm Cannon Lake-U processors. They come with Windows 10 Home x64 preinstalled along with a 1TB SATA3 HDD. They were launched in Q3/2018.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 Module |
| i3-8121U | 15 W | AMD Radeon 540, 2GB GDDR5 | 8 GB onboard | HDMI 2.0b | USB 3.1 Gen 1 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i3-8121U | 15 W | AMD Radeon 540, 2GB GDDR5 | 4 GB onboard | HDMI 2.0b | USB 3.1 Gen 1 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Whiskey Lake-U (Islay Canyon)
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Islay Canyon, is based on their Whiskey Lake-U processors with a TDP of 15 W.. They were launched in Q2/2019.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i7-8565U | 15 W | AMD Radeon 540X | 8 GB onboard | HDMI 2.0b, mDP 1.2 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i5-8265U | 15 W | AMD Radeon 540X | 8 GB onboard | HDMI 2.0b, mDP 1.2 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Whiskey Lake-U (Provo Canyon)
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Provo Canyon and marketed as NUC 8 Pro, is based on their Whiskey Lake-U processors with a TDP of 15 W and optional vPro.. They were launched in Q1/2020.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots |
| i3-8145U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i3-8145U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i5-8365U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i5-8365U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i7-8665U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i7-8665U | 15 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 620 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Apollo Lake
Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Chaco Canyon, is based on their Apollo Lake processors with a TDP of 15 W, and 64 GB of eMMC.They were launched in Q3/2019.
| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots |
| Celeron N3350 | 6 W | Intel® HD Graphics 500 | 4 GB LPDDR3 onboard | HDMI 2.0, HDMI 1.4, eDP 1.4 | USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 |
Intel NUC 8 Rugged specifications, first fanless NUC since 2014, was released in September 2019.
Ninth generation
Coffee Lake Refresh-H
Intel ninth generation NUC models, codenamed Ghost Canyon and marketed as NUC 9 Extreme, is based on their Coffee Lake Refresh-H processors with a TDP of 45 W. They newly support an 8" desktop discrete graphic cards and a NUC compute element for CPU upgrades. They have a 5.0-liter case instead of the 0.67-liter case of most previous NUCs. They were launched in Q1/2020.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots |
| i5-9300H | 45 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 630 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i7-9750H | 45 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 630 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| i9-9980HK | 45 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 630 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Xeon E-2200M / Coffee Lake Refresh-H
Intel ninth generation NUC models, codenamed Quartz Canyon and marketed as NUC 9 Pro, is based on their Xeon E-2200M and Coffee Lake Refresh-H processors with a TDP of 45 W. They were launched in Q1/2020.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots |
| i7-9850H | 45 W | Intel® UHD Graphics 630 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | |||
| Xeon E-2286M | 45 W | Intel® UHD Graphics P630 | 64 GB DDR4-2400 | HDMI 2.0a, Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Tenth generation
Comet Lake-U
Intel tenth generation NUC models, codenamed Frost Canyon and marketed as NUC 10 Performance, is based on their Comet Lake-U processors with a TDP of 25 W. They were launched in November 2019.| Intel kit | Processor | TDP | GPU | Max RAM | Display | External USB ports | Networking | Internal 2.5 SATA | Internal M.2 slots | Intel Optane M.2 module |
| i3-10110U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i3-10110U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i3-10110U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i5-10210U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i5-10210U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | + 4GB DDR4-2666 | |||
| i5-10210U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | + | |||
| i5-10210U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i7-10710U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i7-10710U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i7-10710U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 | ||||
| i7-10710U | 25 W | Intel® UHD Graphics | 64 GB DDR4-2666 | HDMI 2.0a, DP 1.2 via USB-C | USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 2.0 | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.0 |
Reception and ecosystem
The NUC was seen by some reviewers as Intel's response to the Apple Mac Mini format, although it is actually smaller, physically. Given its kit nature, other reviewers have seen it as a more powerful Raspberry Pi, particularly since the NUC boards could be bought without a case. The NUC can also be seen as an extension or continuation of Intel's earlier mobile-on-desktop initiative that was spearheaded by AOpen as early as 2004.Most of the third-generation NUCs come in two case sizes, one with room for a 2.5-inch drive, and one without. The smaller case, although lacking room for a 2.5" drive, still has an internal SATA connector. Some larger third-party cases have appeared that can fit such drives.
The Intel case is actively cooled with a fan. Silent PC Review notes that “The original Intel NUC had "the distinction of being the quietest fan-cooled mini-computer we've come across." The NUC D54250WYK , with the same cooling system, sounds exactly the same. In normal use, you can't hear the fan until your ear is inches from the unit.” Nevertheless, passively cooled third-party cases have appeared on the market as well.
Larger or metallic third-party cases provide lower operating temperatures as well.
A review by the Tech Report of the pre-production 2012-vintage NUC found that the NUC would seize up after a few gigabytes were transferred over wireless and that the problem could be alleviated by better cooling of the NUC case. Intel later increased the default fan speed for production machines through a BIOS update.
Regarding power consumption, in their review of the D54250WYK with a Haswell i5-4250, Silent PC Review concluded that "An idle power level of just 6 W and typical use power barely into two digits is very impressive in one sense; in another sense, it's what you find in current Ultrabooks using similar components."
Other companies have subsequently adopted a form factor similar, but not identical, to Intel's NUC. For example, Gigabyte Technology launched their BRIX series, which attempts to differentiate itself using more powerful components, up to the processor, which embeds Intel Iris Pro Graphics.
Operating system support
NUCs support UEFI compatible operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, as well as most distributions of Linux. Additionally, they can be used for virtualization with VMware vSphere; multiple NUCs can be used together to create a home lab for learning purposes.It is technically possible, with some limitations in functionality, to install an unauthorized copy of MacOS on a NUC, creating a "Hackintosh". The pre-Haswell Core i3 and Core i5 NUCs will run OS X 10.9 Mavericks well.
Skylake and Broadwell-based NUC is also a supported device in Google Fuchsia OS.