Next Intel NUC Will Carry Core i5 & i7 CPUs

Intel's NUC, otherwise known as the "Next Unit of Computing," is a compact system that features most of the goodies that the average desktop user need. Previous models might have only carried the efficient Core i3 or Pentium CPUs, but the new models will sport up to i7 CPUs. Now that may sound impressive, but they are still the ULV models that we currently find in Ultrabooks.

The D53427RKE, codenamed Rend Lake, will carry an i5-3427U, which would be soldered to the motherboard. Users can install up to 16 GB of memory in two DDR3 SODIMM slots, as well as two PCIe-mini devices. Connectivity is taken care of by a single Gbit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports on the rear I/O and one USB 3.0 port on the front of the board. Display connectivity is done through two mini DisplayPort connections and one HDMI port. One of the Mini-PCIe slots can be used as an mSATA slot for SSDs.

The Horse Canyon, D53427HYE, comes with an enclosure which actively cools the Core i5-3427U CPU.

The most powerful model, the D73537SY Skull Canyon, will come with an i7-3537U chip. Like the other NUC model, it features two DDR3 SODIMM slots good for up to 16 GB of memory. Likewise, on the front of the board there is a USB 3.0 port, but on the rear there are two USB 3.0 ports as opposed to USB 2.0. Storage is taken care of by an internal mSATA slot.

As the images show, all three kits will be launched somewhere in Q2 2013, but so far there has been no official word on pricing. Listings for the i5 model have shown up in Europe for prices between €350 and €400.

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Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.

  • plasmastorm
    I'd be quite happy with an i3 in one for use as a media PC. Was looking at the NM10 boards but they seem a bit long in the tooth now.
    Reply
  • senkyen
    So for 400 euro you get an incomplete system without RAM, storage, wireless? If you factor in this additional costs you can hardly go much cheaper then 550 euro (50 euro for the RAM and 100 for a smaller SSD) and I don't see who is going to buy it at that price. There is no mention of Thunderbolt which is Intel's supposedly new "hot" technology..
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    Only one USB3 port for a NUC that has almost no internal expansion possibilities? With so few total ports, they should have made 'em all USB3.

    Without RAM, SSD and AC-DC adapter included, those things are at least 150 Euros too expensive for what they are... you can get a low-end laptop for about the same price and that includes power adapter, battery, display, HDD, RAM, etc.

    The concept is nice but the pricing is out of wack. In any case, I most likely won't be buying a NUC before Broadwell comes out so Intel should have plenty of time to (hopefully) sort this stuff out.
    Reply
  • bootsattheboar
    These are aimed squarely at the business, educational, and government markets for things like POS, digital signage, kiosks, thin-clients, and mini-servers, where energy consumption, size, and thermal properties are stronger considerations than your average home gamer/user. I'm happy to see that they are finally including usb3 to take advantage of all the high-speed external storage solutions out there.
    Reply
  • dalethepcman
    10652839 said:
    These are aimed squarely at the business, educational, and government markets for things like POS, digital signage, kiosks, thin-clients, and mini-servers, where energy consumption, size, and thermal properties are stronger considerations than your average home gamer/user. I'm happy to see that they are finally including usb3 to take advantage of all the high-speed external storage solutions out there.

    While the price is a little high (but its new and Intel so that's to be expected.) These are small and cool enough that they could easily be fitted to the bottom of the counter surface. I personally would love to use these over small ff or even micro ATX systems for POS stations, as our current models require a much greater surface area, and additional room for ventilation.

    Reply
  • mouse24
    Forgive my ignorance and this is a honest question: Do you really need an SSD for a media PC?
    Reply
  • mouse24
    Never mind that question. I should learn to read articles before posting about the comments.
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    10653540 said:
    I personally would love to use these over small ff or even micro ATX systems for POS stations, as our current models require a much greater surface area, and additional room for ventilation.
    If you converted your POS terminal or digital signage software to Android, you could use one of the $50-75 HDMI Android dongles instead of a full-blown PC. Much smaller, cheaper and even more power-efficient than a NUC.

    I suspect the new generation of all-in-ones would also make popular options for POS/kiosk PC/displays. Tablets will likely start to invade the market segment too. The walls between traditional markets are crumbling.
    Reply
  • mouse24
    --didn't mean to post--
    Reply