Intel NUC is Dead

Intel has officially killed the Intel NUC brand and its mini PCs. In this video I take a look back at some of the notable hardware releases as someone that actually bought and covered these minis for many years.
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[@TheCeleryGod]

You hit the nail on the head. Reliability and quality from Intel have been top notch (along with their warranty). It will be missed!

[@Robtech]

If the task of the mini PC is to make money (i.e. for productivity), I wouldn't recommend anything less. But for personal and hobby use, price is the main factor the majority of the time. And for that there are plenty of options to choose from.

[@Bajicoy]

Intel's marketing and management is intel's worst enemy. Great video of NUC history and the situation

[@Robtech]

Update 1: "Combine that with the fact that the corporation shipped 10 million NUC units over a decade" www.theregister.com/2023/07/11/intel_nuc_shutdown/ Update 2: ASUS now taking over Intel NUCs www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/intel-nuc-systems-agreement.html?

[@cadamwil]

I’ve had NUCs in outdoor enclosures that get wet on occasions, due to bad fan shrouds on the enclosure. I’ve never had one die.

[@brianfritz575]

You hit the nail on the head. Having worked at Intel as a EE, I know that NUC's were but a small drop of water in the revenue bucket. As Intel didn't even produce them in their own facility, they were but a distraction from the real tasks that Intel has. That is the real issue. For Intel management to see Intel as successful, they need a huge amount of revenue per employee. Those Fab's at about $20B don't grow on trees. Intel's real business is the Fab business combined with setting direction and targets for the PC and IT markets. By being responsible for both design and build of the silicon, they can take the profit their competitors must supply to TSMC. As Intel is still missing development targets, I believe they will continue to sell off or absolve themselves of marginally profitable side business. Unless they get their fab process development team back on track, the whole company will fail.

[@Robtech]

Thanks for confirming Brian 👍

[@salemsalim7128]

Why only the Chinese manufacturers who still committed to the 4x4 mini PC?

[@ReneB099]

I started off with a couple of Bean Canyons (8i7) a few years ago. Then upgraded to a couple of Panther Canyons (11i5, 11i7) but now have them tucked away for the moment, but loaded and ready to roll when needed. In their place we're running a couple of Dragon Canyon (12i9) units as our daily drivers these days. We loved the 4x4 format boxes, but the large power brick did not sit well with us. To date, we've had an excellent run with our Intel units, and I guess we'll see what the future holds.

[@mepm]

Such a shame to see them go, i personally had the hades canyon for years at home, and purchased quite a few of the 4x4 models for work. They were great.

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[@Bajicoy]

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[@jasonhoffman7428]

The NUC development was a bit schitzophrenic, too. When it launched they named it the "Next Unit of Computing" then decided to use USB 2.0 ports instead of USB 3. They fixed that, then continuded to saddle it with lower performing integrated graphics. They worked to correct that, but also shipped them without power cords. They fixed that, then when the world was moving to DDR5 they continued with DDR4. It was continually two steps forward, one step back. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved the NUCs and they've very innovative. But more than once I was left scratching my head at some of the design choices.

[@andyaceswe]

Its asus now.. im still using my 2017 intel nuc. Removed the chassi and changed it to a passive cooling chassi. Got a win 11 in it. Good

[@maleman67]

My NUC 8 i5 still runs great after 2-3 years. Unlike Beelink GTR pro which died in less than 6 months.

[@AsusArt]

Great video! Stayed tuned, as bulk of the Intel NUC is joining Asus and continuing their NUC innovation journey! As the new NUC (14th gen) will be announced soon and hopefully you will find it exciting on the new features Asus/Intel NUC team will be introducing... Thanks again for all of your support over the years, the Intel NUC LEGACY continues.

[@drapos]

I'm one of those how saw your Bean Canyon i5 video, liked it, and was sold on both the little device and your channel. Bought it on a sale and it is still working strong on the back of my mom's screen. To this date it is still receiving support from Intel, and would be the perfect device if not for the sometimes noisy fan. Thanks for the ride!

[@eltamarindo]

As a NUC owner, this comes as no surprise. I broke plastic lever on a latest model NUC many months ago and called in to speak to service and they gave me two options: return the computer for another or just live with it. They not only had no replacement parts but no plan to to stock them. It was getting to the point where the small market share, lack or service options, and small batch proprietary parts could not justify the premium price.

[@Robtech]

Yep, spare parts have been gone for a few years now. Used to be able to get replacement fans.

[@AG-bp3ll]

One of your videos was the reason I picked up an i3 Bean Canyon NUC. It has been running 24/7 as a Plex and general file server and is still going strong. I've thought about replacing it but just have no reason. It can handle DVR recording, it can transcode multiple h.265 streams and it does it while running relatively cool. I had an seventh gen NUC I gave to a friend and it is still working fine as a web browsing PC and HTPC. These things just seem to last forever. The only oher NUC I wanted was the Phantom Canyon one but it was always too expensive. I lost interest when 12th gen dumped the aluminum case and IR port and 13th gen dumped the SD card slot. I expect the one I have to still be going for years to come so the NUC is dead but long live the NUC.

[@dave_r]

I hadn't known that the NUC's were officially called off and I liked this walk down their history. I have been running NUC's (mostly for work, but two for home) since the NUC5 and currently run 5 (some NUC10, some NUC11) without issue. I opted to replace the fan on the 2015 unit (which has run 24/7/365 for 8 years) just in case. Having said that, the more recent versions weren't appealing. And Rob, you're right: I have a number of Dell micro's running and knowing that I have a 5 --years high-level support makes a difference.

[@Robtech]

Yep, personal and business usage have very different needs. I don't see any 4x4" alternative to fill the NUC business void.

[@AnTran147]

I wonder if you got a lemon of a Serpent Canyon. I just got mine and it's silent at idle and not that loud under load. It might be because I'm used to louder machines, but my Serpent is nice and quiet to me and isn't really hot.

[@howardrolston8531]

Thanks, Rob. I enjoy all your reviews. My long, happy story with NUCs follows. I started with Ivy Bridge (gen 2) but was also playing around with others, Mac Minis, AOpens. What sold me on NUCs was Akasa releasing the Tesla fanless case for Haswell (gen 4), as I had spent years (and dollars) chasing silence. As my wife and I have no heavy computing needs, I used 2 i3 Haswells for my office and a Broadwell (gen 5) for my wife’s. All performed with no issues, but I started looking for a little more snap in 2020 and upgraded to two Bean Canyons (gen 8) and then a gen 10 for my wife, and then a gen 11 and a gen 12 in Akasa Turing cases for my office. All but a few older ones are busy, in the kitchen, as an HTPC or otherwise engaged. Not one ever had a problem! Yesterday I bought a gen 13 i3 and may buy more for the future. Sadly, the end of an era.

[@Robtech]

Ah, nice. Sounds like your experience with reliability has been like mine over the years 😊. Gotta love the silent computing.

[@jasonhoffman7428]

Well done, sir. You expressed my views, too. I'm sad to see them go but not at all surprised at the decision. The "wanker" joke at the end made me laugh out loud, too (that's LOL for you younger folks). Makes me sad. I still have a bunch in my garage, some of which have been sitting around for a decade, and every one of them still works. My entire house runs on NUCs. My daily use PCs, my NAS, my camera system, my personal cloud. Heck, I even turned one into a hackintosh just to do it. They all just keep going. Build quality was indeed excellent. But as you said they were small potatoes for Intel and not enough people bought them. Intel ended up being proven right that there's a market out there for 4"X4" PCs, though. I just wish the current manufacturers put as much effort into quality as Intel has. It was also one case of Intel leading the pack in innovation and that always makes me feel good.

[@Robtech]

Thank you. If anyone is reading this, Jason is one of those interviewed in the documentary. Oh, and yeah I woke up to the news with my Twitter feed filled with dudes pretending to care. It was hilarious.

[@jasonhoffman7428]

@@Robtech People are funny that way; "Oh, it's too bad. I thought about looking into possibly getting one of those once."

[@LouisDuran]

I made the switch from Intel NUC to a Morefine PC. The Morefine was terrible. The little tiny legs/knobs on the bottom were not even so the pc was wobbly. The front panel USB-C/DisplayPort connection didn't work at all ( I only needed the two back display outputs so I could have lived with that) and finally the case was very cheap plastic. Never again. Will stick with Intel.... well I guess I can't. Unfortunate.

[@madisondxclub285]

Sad to see them go. My first died (my fault I think) and Intel quickly sent me a replacement, awesome customer service. I bought a a second one could not have been more pleased. They were both "8s".

[@hackexpert0003]

After Apple Silicon release Intel sure there will be no marketing place for these mini PCs and no comparison regarding speed and power efficiancy

[@kenmeadows444]

Started my journey with a Skull Canyon, and about to receive my 6th NUC. Always marvelled at the tiny form factor and impressive build quality. The 11th gen Enthusiast is my favourite though.

[@amilyester]

I discovered your channel whilst shopping for a PC during the lockdown. That was the Crimson Canyon NUC with the dubious distinction of having Intel's first consumer 10nm CPU in the form of the i3-8121U, paired with Radeon graphics (the chip even has AVX512 on it). It performs pretty well for what it is, and its still going strong today. Can't really say the same for a MInisforum unit I bought for my mom on a whim. Poor build quality, so-so value, and really bad thermals and rattling fans. NUCs really are built different, and I'm sad to see them go.

[@pixxelpusher]

Trying to sell an 8th Gen Intel Nuc at the moment with zero interest, so your comments are on point. Even after dropping the price 3 times, crickets. RIP Intel Nuc.

[@Robtech]

Try eBay, you'll get a better response. Selling minis locally has been difficult for me as well.

[@pixxelpusher]

@@Robtech Yeah that's where I've had it up for a month. Reduction each week. Nucs really don't seem to be popular. BTW your vids got me on the NUC train. Upgraded to a 12th Gen and it's not too bad (especially with a eGPU).

[@Robtech]

Ah okay. I managed to sell a 6th gen i3 on eBay for $160AUD a few months ago. Took a while though as people definitely prefer newer gen units. If you're patient I'd say check the sold listings for how much they go for, price it around there and just have it up until it sells.

[@pixxelpusher]

@@Robtech Thanks. I have been doing all that, just no takers. Had an offer of $200AUD which seems very low ball on an 8th gen i5.

[@BlindWarriorSven]

Hey @robtech , Thanks for this good video and all others in the past. My first experience with mini pcs was with the Intel NUC6I5SYK. I had been using an amd Athlon desktop for years and wanted to go smaller. Out of curiosity for the small size, I bought the NUC6I5SYK. I was impressed by it's performance and quiteness at the time. After that one I bought a NUC8I3BEK which I recently gave away to a friend who had an old dual-core desktop. These days, I am running Beelink's Ser5 Pro and GTR7. But, I managed to find a cheap NUC6CAYH a few years ago which serves me as a NAS. Although I prefer AMD's cpu's over Intel's at the moment, I would still miss the build quality and support of the intel nucs. I mean, I still got a bios update for the NUC6CAYH earlier this year, wow! Beelink, do we have your attention please?

[@Robtech]

Yeah, the 7 year+ BIOS support was crazy stuff.

[@jonevansauthor]

It's a shame they've killed it instead of innovating. Seeing the Minis Forum Elite Mini B550 which has the bracket to allow a GPU upgrade, it would have been nice to see Intel push similar stuff. Sure, the tiny box form factor is great, but I'd have loved to have seen a Mini PC motherboard and cases built for it. Hopefully that will still come. A barebones is fine, but if I could get the same motherboard, in a slightly chunkier case, even if it was just a taller one with room for a Noctua fan or something, that could be cool. As long as the current manufacturers still work on stuff, that's good but AMD, Intel and Nvidia do have a lot more power to innovate features in CPUs and GPUS. Asus doing their own eGPU cable is cool, and putting an NVME in a 4060 is great too. Imagine if you could get that and pair it with the Minis Forum in the future (when the price has dropped... a lot...) you'd be getting better graphics and one or two more NVME drives. Anyway... such daydreams of more impressive systems where why I struggled hard to resist the temptation to buy something a bit more expensive than the N100. I could have got a 5800H machine, which would allow me to play some games... but part of the point is to try and separate my work machine from my gaming machine for the productivity boost! :D

[@TheWayOfTheHeart]

Why and how died your NUC 12 Extreme? I want to know how reliable they are. Thank you!

[@jamespleger752]

Just learned this from your video; it is sad to hear. Reminds me of the demise of Kodak, NUC has become the Kodak of mini PCs. I have had a NUC for the last three years, running Linux, and it still works fine. The NUCs are good quality, unlike the hit-or-miss quality of the Chinese knock-offs. But I guess, their high price turned off a lot of potential buyers. If anyone still wants one, B&H Photo Video is still selling some models on their web site (as of August 2023); but not discounted, unfortunately, even though they are orphans now.

[@Asadc1995]

Will this mean there no longer will be replacement parts for it too?

[@jackmercer4244]

I love my NUC6i5, best purchase I've made. I use it as a DJ computer, it boots Win 10 and Mac OS10, plus it's battery powered. I made two 19v packs with raw Li ion pouch batteries, running around 3 hours each x 2. But I never used it passed 5 hours. I hope it never dies.

[@user-od6gi4lz8t]

I’m still having 4 Intel NUC. A great feature that few knows regards the vPro out of band management. That means that you can admin a computer remotely including the BIOS, you can boot the computer from the network and install the OS! This is something that only the servers with dedicated and very expensive hardware (iLO or DRAC) normally do… RIP!

[@gearboxworks]

I always liked the idea the NUC but thought, except for the gamer ones which were not the 4x4 NUC, that they were butt ugly. How is it a company with Intel’s resources could create such a well-engineered PC that looked like something Walmart would be so embarrassed of that they would fire-sale them?!?

[@Robtech]

Well compared to some of the ones that land on my desk, they look like high art. And the recently released Desk edition looks awesome.

[@jonevansauthor]

Waiting for my Beelink EQ12 N100 to arrive from Amazon today. Probably at 10pm just so I can't do anything with it this evening :D Fingers crossed it'll be a capable office PC, and worth the money for that purpose.

[@johnice2157]

I have a mac mini studio and since it's not possible anymore to instal windows using bootcamp I would like to buy another mini computeur for gaming (Alien dark descent). What NUC do you recommand me (if any ?) The Nuc11PHI7C ? Do I need to add the SDD and DDR seperatly ? And finallybut not least how to install windows on it ? Please excuse my PC ignorance and Long live the NUC.

[@Robtech]

If gaming is the goal, the options are either NUC Enthusiast or NUC Extreme. The Nuc11PHI7C meets the recommended specs for that particular game, so that would be fine. Unless you find one pre-built or a used one, you'll need to add memory and storage. That NUC uses SODIMM DDR4 memory and M.2 NVME. A 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200Mhz kit or more is recommended. The cheapest one is fine. To install Windows, you'll need to create a Windows USB installation media. I do have a guide (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJeWcod9mreNftE), but you'll need a PC to follow this one. If you don't have access to a PC, you should be able to create the USB on a Mac with a different guide.

[@johnice2157]

@@Robtech Thanks for the help ! I will try to find a NUC11PHKI7CAA (ready to use) first. Last question : for you today what is the best mini pc for gaming of any brand that you recommend if budget isn't a problem ?

[@Robtech]

That would be the Minisforum HX99G. I have reviewed it also

[@HappyQuailsLC]

Thank you for including the Extreme Line. Strangely reminds me of my much loved HP Firebird of the mid 90's... as I am now loving a Phantom Canyon. Sigh, Intel. Wish you had pivoted in its direction, leaving the 4x4's behind.

[@scoubidoubiboy]

I was interested in the Nuc 13 Pro Desk Edition to replace my 20 years old PC. Does that mean that it won t exist anymore and even if so, is it smart to buy one?

[@Robtech]

I plan to get one too. Warranty will be covered. You may just end up getting money back instead of a replacement if they don't have any at the time. If you want one, go for it. Beautiful design on the Desk edition and has the latest CPU. Software support will continue as all the mini PC CPUs are used in laptops as well.

[@scoubidoubiboy]

@@Robtech OK thanks, I ll probably go for it then. What is best for you, i7 or i5, ans also are there different heights like the previous ones?

[@Robtech]

Doesn't look like there's a difference in height, just the one unit. I'll probably go i5 since I haven't review it, but waiting for a sale first and then I'll decide.

[@scoubidoubiboy]

@@Robtech do u plan on making a complete test of either the i5 or i7 on your channel?

[@ndf8095]

love my nuc............ ready to upgrade, until i saw the prices!! no wonder why they didn't sell enough units

[@TheGrizz485]

what the ...I cant believe They killed it right before the release of the first interesting chip from intel:14th gen Meteor Lake. this is expected to outperform AMD's very impressive Phoenix Point (7940HS) in CPU and GPU. I never cared for older NUCs AMD's offering was far better for me as it had better CPU and MUCH better GPU performance the past 3-4 years.

[@Robtech]

Well, there will be plenty of other minis with Meteor Lake.

[@musamba101]

I got me the last good NUC last November 2022: a NUCX17 with an 11th gen 8 core with an RTX 3070 fm Minisforum. Other than the occasional snafu, it has run well. I should be able to hold onto this for years to come. Now that the NUC line is dead, this is an instant piece of nostalgia. 🙂

[@PLDTLondon]

Many thanks @Robtech! I followed your video to set up the 8i7BEH I bought back in mid-2020. I was really happy with it at the time and recommended it to many friends and family members. But I am now onto the 3rd replacement unit sent from Intel -- all of first 3 units developed power/fan problems (2 of them just stopped working all of a sudden). I realised after watching your video that perhaps I should have gone for the i5 instead :( I haven't tried other mini-PC brands yet but judging from online reviews/videos it does appear that most of them don't have the same build quality as the NUC. My suspicion is that this latest replacement I received from Intel is likely to develop similar problems before too long (and warranty has run out), I might get a 11th Gen i3/i5 barebone while stock lasts lol.

[@Robtech]

Interesting you've had such a bad batch of NUCs. Wouldn't be surprised if you disagreed with me on the reliability 😅 Hopefully the next one holds up better.

[@PLDTLondon]

@@Robtech Actually when I was spreading the NUC 'gospel' 3 years ago I did manage 1 'sale' and set up a 8i5BEH for a friend 😂 Fortunately 🤞their's still OK hence I think you're so right that it is likely to be a over-heating problem for the 8i7😭. Mind me asking your view on the NUC11TNHI please? 😁TTVM!

[@Robtech]

Unless it's dirt cheap, it's outdated. 11th to 12th gen had a big upgrade on the CPU side.

[@johnjay7822]

Just got a brand new in box Celeron NUC from someone who was about to throw it out. I had it in hand, and didn't dig into the box until you said "some regions didn't ship power supplies" I check the box. No power supply, it was paperwork and a mounting bracket as the additional weight and sound. I'll have to order one. I'll probably throw Ubuntu on it.

[@SithTracy]

Watched this video on a NUC8i7BEH that I recently changed the fan on and applied new thermal paste. A few months ago I was looking for a new NUC, but found ASUS now supports them (and that is a company I no longer trust for my computing needs). I ended up getting a GMKtek RYZEN based plastic "NUC clone". Seems ok, but with a little love, my original NUC may still be here when that thing melts. Primarily use macOS anyway and like to keep a Windows PC around for a few things.

[@sumnemox]

Sad day indeed! My Hades Canyon is still running silently on the desk. Such a reliable brand; more than can be said of my previous experience with a Beelink mini PC. Was hoping to upgrade Hades to a newer model of equal size in the future, but that's now not going to happen... Great video. Do you know how this will affect Simply NUC?

[@Robtech]

They will keep selling NUCs for a while yet as Intel has committed to supplying certain models for up to 5 years. Simply NUC also have their own Mini PCs (both Intel and AMD variants)

[@geekbitzone]

Thanks to this channel I bought my first NUC8i5BEH. RIP

[@disco.volante]

😢 Always a NUC fan. My NUC11 Performance with the I7 is still a great machine. I think I will get the NUC13 now, it is also available with a very nice aluminum case, it will serve me well for the next years and the price seems reasonable.

[@Robtech]

Yeah, weird that they killed it off just as the Desk edition was released. The only thing that surprised me with this announcement was the timing.

[@nazirtarraf8398]

Just came across you channel whilst shopping for a mini gaming PC. You do such an amazing job man, congrats. After looking at your videos I’m between Phantom Nuc 11 (£749), Nucix7 (£979), and HX99G (£919). Should I be considering only the last two given Phantom is a bit outdated/older? Thanks

[@Robtech]

It really depends on your needs. Phantom Canyon is one of a kind and a fantastic NUC, but yes a bit outdated (CPU especially). If the aim is high CPU performance, the HX99G is the best option. The NUCXi7 has the best GPU, but the CPU isn't as good as in the HX99G. If you want the value option, the HX80G provides good bang for buck... at least with the pricing from the Minisforum website. I cover both in my HX99G review.

[@nazirtarraf8398]

@@Robtech thanks for the quick reply. GPU wise the Nucix7 would be the play though?

[@Robtech]

The 3070 is faster than the 6600M in everything yeah.

[@Hostilenemy]

Time for AMD to announce their line up and pick up where Intel left off. They have much better iGPU performance with more mature drivers. Unless market dictates that the returns are not worth it.

[@Robtech]

They never will. Like Intel, they're a processor company in the business of selling processors, not computers. By creating hardware, they would step on the toes of their partners.

[@Hostilenemy]

@@Robtech Intel wasn't stepping on the toes of their partners with these NUCs?

[@Robtech]

By selling the majority of them as barebones and not as complete computers. And not because they wanted to, but because none of the partners were interested. Plenty of AMD partnered minis around.

[@marais75012]

Thank you for this obituary! I am the fond owner of a Nuc7i5 from 2017, and I was very disappointed when I learnt about intel's switch to plastic. May I suggest you do a review of the Nuc13 Pro Desk edition, the last of the aluminum Nucs, as a final reverence to this great line of mini PCs?

[@Robtech]

That's the plan.

[@DavidGoodwinUK]

Great video - my eldest NUC is about 10 years old now ( haswell d54250wyk ) and has been chugging along amazingly well - so I agree with you on the build quality etc. I was contemplating buying a NUC13 recently (to replace my ASUS pn50) but with with the announcement that's ruled out... I guess I'm stuck buying another ASUS/Geekom thing. Oh well.... #firstWorldProblems

[@akin242002]

Noo! I love my Intel NUC 13 Pro. Easy to setup, reliable to use, and a good CPU for release year. I guess when I upgrade it will be with either Geekom (with the exact same build style), Beelink SRE#/GTR#, or Miniforum UM### in the future.

[@303eminem303]

The first one I bought was in 2014. Just based on the TDP compared to my main rig. Wilson Canyon D34010WYKH .15W TDP seemed better option for daily surfing and all compared to my AMD cpu with 65W TDP only for its processor. :P .Got 2 more of same model for my parents and grandmother in my village (all of them still working ).I watched the video on that only. Although mine died in 2020 lockdown but it turned out to be the cpu fan that died which I easily replaced and its all up and running. I got the 8th gen i5 one based on your suggestion in 2021 and its the best so far. its sad to see it go

[@Robtech]

Yeah the fan is most likely to be the culprit as that succumbs to wear and tear. Thanks for watching since 2021! 😀

[@georget10i]

What a disappointment. Intel NUC line was such a great product. Nice design, great performance, great build quality and reliability. An odd decision by Intel to kill off one of their best products. Sales may have been down, but that applies to the whole industry.

[@carefir]

I have a nuc8i5bek and it's because of one of those vids that you removed, where you showed the unit's gaming ability. Of course, later you produced another vid which slam the nuc8i5bek for fan noise lol. My nuc8i5bek didn't give me any noise until a year ago when the fan went south. Replacing the fan was a little challenging but didn't cost much.

[@michaeljarcher]

The same week I returned the Asus N100 pile of shite, now waiting for Intel NUC prices to move south. No rush as I'm just putting together a new system for my Wifes work system. Have one at home, and five in the office. Intel NUC really wonderful reliable bits of kit for me. Such a shame, I hope the OEMs do carry on like Xiaomi have done.

[@Robtech]

Was that the fanless PN42 model? What was wrong with it?

[@bakakafka4428]

Crap. Intel had best build quality and reliability. Now that this benchmark is gone, the Chinese crap quality will become the 'standard'. My Minisforum hasn't seen a sorely needed bios update and AGESA update since it was launched. And any complaints are at best met with silence, at worst with insults. Edit: selling my Bean Canyon NUC, maybe I should wait until they're really 'vintage' 😁

[@Robtech]

I don't see the void being filled either. There doesn't seem to be much demand for quality, only the lowest prices. That's why I go out of the way to praise every metal case I come across and those using brand new components.

[@willcurry6964]

I love the Intel Nuc. Nothing compares. What am I to do or buy now?

[@Robtech]

ASUS is taking over Intel's NUC business. We'll see what happens.

[@kaivaja]

And here I was waiting for the 14th gen NUC to replace my old small media PC 😩

[@Robtech]

😭

[@akin242002]

You might be able to get one on discount sale now. No support though. There is still Geekom IT#, which has the exact same build style. Only difference is you can't get one barebone and they are slow releasing the latest Intel CPU. Geekom IT12 with an i7 CPU is available for $639 USD. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

[@kaivaja]

@@akin242002 The NUC 13th Gen i5 line seems to go for around 400€ here in Finland, which seems to be a good deal - even if you compare it to the Chinese 3rd parties. I just would have loved to see DDR5 support for it... I'm probably still better off waiting for the 14th Gen to release and see what the Chinese manufacturers will bring, though I'd still prefer a unit from a well-known reputable brand.

[@screenplayhouse4932]

I know it was a thing for the Geeks (and I say that respectfully), but there are so many Mini PC options all set to go it wasn't even a choice for me.

[@AdenMocca]

I have an Intel Nuc working as my server. I killed one during a BIOS upgrade, but the support was still covered under warranty and the new one that came already had the new BIOS. It was a family PC for a while basically for 1080p KZbin and Netflix. I've since repurposed it as a NAS with Ubuntu server running on it as well as Nextcloud. External USB drives augment the experience while it sits next to the router just quietly doing its thing. Traveling aboard I was still able to access it using Tailscale. Almost 6 years old at this point with at least 3 year old hard drives, it's held up quite well running light server tasks 24/7. I think the NUC line shouldn't be looked at as a desktop, but as an adept server. My NUC is a Celeron chip, but constantly hovers around 5% CPU use given the light build, but still has 2 x 1 TB drives and a 4TB drive for backup that helps store and protect all the personal data my family has. It's a workhorse that fits in a cupboard, and that's special.

[@taketheredpill1452]

What NUC would you recommend for a system that mostly watches videos and uses bluestacks to play mobile games but needs a lot of memory, like 64gb?

[@taucetus3657]

Been using a Intel Nuc from 2015 with a series 5 chipset and still going strong.... never had a blue screen of death or any issue... Of course, everything went downhill for Intel when Intel released their dreaded series 7 processors and everything after that.

[@truthseeker3999]

hi bro need advice.. 1) n100 cpu is equal with which ryzen cpu? ryzen 5 1600 or which ryzen? 2) how good is sound card quality for beelink/geekom mini pc? is that already equal quality with modern atx pc desktop motherboard nowaday?

[@Robtech]

1. It performs like an i5-7400. 2. Don't know. I'm not an audiophile. It sounds fine to me.

[@matercheff]

I would say the nuc 11 extreme is a great deal. Can be found around 600 ish rn. If you are causal pc guy but want to choose ur storage, ram, and gpu.

[@mada9139]

What do you mean by dead? Will the current line continue or is everything end of line after there is no more stock?

[@Robtech]

No new products. Current commitments will remain.

[@AmazingJayB51]

My employer use NUC for their Queue call system, they replace Asus stick with them. I wonder what they will do to replace the NUC now that it’s discontinued.

[@Robtech]

ASUS is taking over the NUC business and will keep manufacturing units. We'll see how it rolls out.

[@JazzTechie]

That’s a shame. They were starting to make big ATX rigs look like dinosaurs. I hope someone picks up the torch - although even smaller SBCs have gotten legit as well.

[@maZec31]

I had like 7-8 intel nuc from all sizes. Now i have Intel Nuc 11 Extreme, Intel nuc 12 enthusiast and Intel nuc 12pro and i am happy. But this news is not good for me i am huge fan of Intel nuc

[@Robtech]

I'm interested in grabbing a Desk edition as my final NUC. Beautiful unit.

[@Chris.Brisson]

Intel launched the 8i3CYSM and then discontinued it a very short time later (after I had purchased two). One died after a year. To replace it, Intel required me to first pay full retail price for the replacement (over $600 US), and then a few weeks after receiving the failed unit, Intel reimbursed me. The replacement unit died after a few months, but this time Intel would not support the warranty because they did not recognize the failed unit's serial number; in fact, that model number no longer even appeared in their database. My other 8i3CYSM lasted almost two years before it died, and I did not bother to pursue warranty replacement. My brother's 8i5BEH, however, is still his daily driver after five years of use (with him replacing the fan twice over the years).

[@Robtech]

Odd. I do remember reading that the Cannon Lake CPUs had massive problems during production with very low yield. This could be the reason your units failed (CPU failure). That specific NUC never sold in Australia, so I never got to try it. Instead, I bought the i5 Islay Canyon which was absurdly loud.

[@CyberBobCity]

Very informative video! What racing game is displayed at 6:25? It looks cool!

[@Robtech]

Grip. Great game, spiritual successor to Roll Cage.

[@sammyfromsydney]

The BIOS on the NUC6CAYS was a nightmare. Versions up to 47 had VGA dropouts. Version 42 to 45 slowed the USB 3 ports to USB 2 speeds. And as with a lot of BIOS now, once you upgrade past a certain version you can't downgrade, for security reasons of course. Which means you could get stuck with a version that had an unacceptable bug - even one that made the NUC unusable for the intended use case. Good riddance.

[@-opus]

Would like to see this form factor standardised, curious why that has not happened (or if it is in development) yet. ie atx etc

[@Robtech]

ASRock Industrial also manufactures their boards to Intel's original Ultra Compact Form Factor (UCFF) spec. Most others seem to go bigger or smaller.

[@-opus]

@@Robtech I mean more to do with being able to buy any case and they fit the board, allowing the consumer to buy slightly larger cases with better cooling, passive cooling cases, or semi-passive cases. I guess the issue is mainly to do with i/o, but the backplate and front panel connectors remedy that issue with atx etc.

[@Robtech]

Yeah that would be nice, but different port selection is a problem unless the maker of the board included compatible IO panels to go with it.

[@stevejohnson1321]

Some of us still want microtowers with an optical drive. SSD helped solve the cooling problems.

[@patryce999]

I bought 2 bean canyon, one for professional purpose and one for emulation. It was fun. But my I wanted to upgrade, the price tag was too high and I built a small form factor pc. So Nuc introduced me to Sffpc for sure.

[@weinbergfahrer4048]

After having viewed two dozen video reviews over the the last few weeks (many of them from you), I had finally decided to buy an NUC12WSHi5. Do you know, whether also the 4 x 4 in form factor mainboards will be terminated? I hope you will continue to report on this market segment, as I liked the content and presentation of your videos quite a lot. Cheers from Austria! ;)

[@Robtech]

The approximate size will continue by all the different Chinese brands. ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI also make their own boards close or up to spec, but availability in Aus is very poor or nonexistent, so I don't cover them unless I get sent a sample. ASRock Industrial creates basically third party NUC boards which some put into their mini PCs.

[@pazitor]

SFF PCs using improved iGPUs are the future. This makes little sense in an era in which the PC is losing to other formats.

[@bakakafka4428]

BTW Rob, the geezer over at ETA Prime had some publicity for a new external GPU (the Indiegogo campaign hasn't even started properly, so yes, ad vid, not review). But I found it a really interesting product: mobile GPU in external case, built in PSU and still very compact. This would really be ideal to pair with a good NUC. Shame they only have one model (7600m, not the fastest) but hopefully more will appear. I'd be highly interested in reviews of this kind of device, maybe you could try to get samples?

[@Robtech]

The way it works with samples most of the time is that the company picks their KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) when they have a product to promote and message them and that's it. I've reached out to GPD before and got no response so pretty unlikely.

[@bakakafka4428]

@@Robtech Shame. I watch ETA for the product news but every time I can catch him lying (even reusing benchmark pics from previous 'reviews') so his word is now moot for me. Hopefully some other companies more sympathetic to this here channel will make similar things. Asus does, but very expensive bulky and high powered, not to mention proprietary, but it's a start.

[@Robtech]

They only care about positive promotion or views, so that channel fits the bill. He'd make a great used car salesman.

[@bakakafka4428]

@@Robtech I sure would never buy a car he'd try to sell. Trust comes on foot and leaves on horseback they say here. He's lost trust selling out, and from comments on his video, I think a lot of his viewers know what's up. They just click because he has the latest stuff. But if he keeps going like this, it might bite him in the backside - having your product peddled by a used car salesman might not be good marketing once word gets out he's not to be trusted. I hope the Robtech channel can keep going. Not rich enough to Patreon I'm sorry, but I do switch off my adblocker for this channel. Hopefully KZbin/GreedyGoogle shares some of it with you.

[@Robtech]

No adblock and using my affiliate links if ever buying something is much appreciated (without preaching about it). This year I'm getting a lot more samples which keeps the channel alive. Buying and selling everything wasn't feasible at all unfortunately. The channel isn't in great shape financially, but it's up to me to make it work.

[@weitang1196]

What if I want to buy a NUC with a built-in graphic card? Which is the better choice now? NUC 11 phantom, or NUC 12 sep? thanks

[@Robtech]

I haven't retested NUC 12 Enthusiast with the latest drivers which would probably have better performance across the board compared to my review. It'll depend on the price difference and how tolerant you are to fan noise.

[@weitang1196]

@@Robtech I followed you since Hade Canyon as I wanted to get a NUC with a built-in graphic card. Well, Intel killed the NUC, I want to get either 11 or 12. The 11 is about $600. And 12 is about $900? Do you have any compare videos on both of the NUC? Thanks so much.

[@Robtech]

I just have my Serpent review which has some comparisons between the two. I can't afford to hold on to most minis unfortunately.

[@weitang1196]

@@Robtech Ok. Thanks so much again. I will take a look. I can see the differences in the graphic cards, but there are other considerations. Again, thanks

[@GregMcCall]

I was going to upgrade my i7 Gen 8 NUC. Now I need to consider the next best alternative (not next best priced). I was also half considing the NUC big brother as a small form factor laptop replacement (creator type build). I suppose now I have to work out the best SFF alternative and just build a machine.

[@Robtech]

I'll be looking out for alternatives.

[@Nedski42YT]

I'm watching this video with an Intel NUC8i5BEH connected to my 55" TCL TV. It's been my TV PC for several years now. I was considering getting a newer generation Intel NUC to replace it when it craps out. I guess I'll have to wait!

[@HanSDevX]

What are alternatives?

[@Robtech]

ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, MSI, Beelink, GEEKOM, GMKtek and Minisforum all have high end Intel minis. Distribution in Australia for the first few is pretty non-existent. The others are available with international shipping.

[@jabonorte]

Actually amazed they stuck it out this long. Intel design hardware for other people to develop into products, so they should have passed on the baton to the manufacturers ages ago. Shame they won't be developing anything towards it now though

[@KissofDeath63]

when possibile can you review the new asus pn42?

[@Robtech]

If it shows up in Aus I'll grab it. No where in sight at the moment.

[@clubafiliasi]

this product is really usefull for Linux enthusiasts . thanks for lowering its price.

[@kuei12]

When I can get a 5-year old, used laptop for $350 that severely outperforms a mini pc at 2-3 times the price, I will get the laptop.

[@kenwallace6493]

I'm still using my 5th gen I-7 NUC. It's been great and reliable. I was hoping to upgrade to gen 13 to speed up simulations. Maybe they'll go on sale!

[@Robtech]

Waiting for the new Desk edition to go on sale myself 😊

[@hermanwooster8944]

I looked at NUCs multiple times. It always struck me as expensive. You were paying more for less. If I'm buying a desktop PC with laptop internals that will probably be thermally throttled, I at least want the best bang for my buck. The Mac Mini managed to do that without the goofy name that always reminded me of the 3 Stooges - nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.

[@robertopontone]

I have 6 NUCs from the NUC6 to the NUC12 all running 24/7 all great for home lab. From my side it will be missed a lot. Those chinese brand mini pc are usually trash and I am sure that are much less reliable.

[@AlejandroGuerrero]

I’ll miss the NUCs, they are rock solid and reliable.

[@Anbbins]

I’m still rocking a Devil Canyon Nuc-11 and love it. Hopefully ASUS can keep it going.

[@johnsmithy7918]

Never bought a mini PC because the noise never seemed to idle the way laptops do (once you uninstall McAfee)

[@funkygetaways]

Fantastic video, subbed.

[@ncasey9853]

Sorry, it was me. Im cursed. As soon as i get into a trend it ends. Just bought a Dragon Canyon a few days ago and finished setting it up. Such a shame its not being continued, for me its perfect. Gamer dad, pc is in living room so i can play when wife and kids are in bed. But i need something small so I can out it high on a shelf out of reach. But also transportable of indo want to move my set up upstairs. But also looks decent on display in living room. Nuc is maybe the only thing that ticks those boxes without compromise. Maybe a gaming laptop, but its spending more for less power and less convenience, at least for me.

[@bobnelsonfr]

Intel was chased out of the 4x4 market that it had created, by manufacturers who made almost-as-good products for a lot less money. Capitalism! The 4x4 space is maybe the most dynamic today. The first 4x4s had only one "motherboard". Today there are two. Why not three? That would give enough surface area for a proper socket, making the 4x4 fully upgradable.

[@samratsu]

What mini PC should I buy for basic office work and Education, 2023? One of my PCs has old Core2Duo for virtualization but family needs a basic office, online study option that uses less space. The reason I am still leaning towards Intel...don't remember the last time Intel let me down ! Really sad to see Intel NUC go. I found Intel Quality hard to beat and practically grown up using Intel platforms.

[@Robtech]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZmtYaGefMmCobM

[@haruyukiarita6472]

I am lucky enough to start using NUC from Hades Canyon to Phantom Canyon. Sad to see the series end. I was wishing for Intel to work with Nvidia again on 13th genereation or 14th generation of i7. Now I have to re-do all my researches to see which mini PC to by if I don't want those not good enough Chinese Brand and want the mobility and power of a gaming NUC.

[@Robtech]

Yeah, NUC enthusiast will be missed. Nothing quite like it.

[@haruyukiarita6472]

@@Robtech I know. I checked the rest of the mini PCs are even the Chinese brand I don't want, or too big or only for businesses and design. OMG.......

[@benjamintrathen6119]

I have both the 6th gen skull canyon nuc and the slim 8th gen i5 bean canyon, both are so freakin reliable. A shame they only have one thunderbolt 3 port each as I would like to daisy chain cluster multiple NUCs.

[@BriefNerdOriginal]

Had the Hades Canyon. Before it, I used a 5th gen small one. Every time I sold them because I wanted a little more GPU power. Now, after a big gaming rig that was still an overshot for me, I use and am happy with a Chinese knockoff, Beelink, that at least shipped with a much more efficient AMD 7000 series with an incredible iGPU for the size and it's quite beyond anything NUC ever delivered. Sorry man, but even if I wanted to defend Intel and surely I used their products, I simply can't ignore them being so late to the party of good iGPUs

[@khalid_3838]

bad pricing is the reason