Next Unit of Computing

Next Unit of Computing (NUC) is a line of small-form-factor barebone computer kits designed by Intel. Previewed in 2012 and launched in early 2013,^[1] the NUC line continues to develop over generations of Intel-based CPU launches, spanning from Sandy Bridge-based Celeron CPUs in the first generation, to Raptor Lake-based mobile and desktop CPUs in the thirteenth, and more recently Meteor Lake-based processors with AI capabilities.^[2]

The standard barebone kits consist of the NUC board, in a plastic case with a fan, an external power supply, and a VESA mounting plate.^[3] The plastic case is typically offered on one of two chassis, Tall (allowing for a 2.5" drive bay) or Slim (no 2.5" drive bay).^[4] The NUC motherboard measures approximately 10 × 10 centimetres (4 × 4 in),^[5] although some models have had different dimensions. Intel also sells bare NUC motherboards, which have a built-in CPU. However, (as of 2013^[update]) the price of a NUC motherboard is very close to the corresponding cased kit; third-party cases for the NUC boards are also available.^[6][7]

In July 2023, Intel announced that it would no longer develop NUC mainboards and matching mini PCs.^[8] They subsequently announced that NUC products will continue to be manufactured, sold and supported by ASUS under a non-exclusive license.^[9] ASUS unveiled the latest generation of NUC products at CES 2024, consisting of the NUC 14 Pro, NUC 14 Pro+, and first ever ROG NUC. In early September at IFA Berlin 2024, the NUC 14 Pro AI was showcased.^[10]

The first generation Intel NUC launched in the first quarter of 2013.^[1] This UCFF motherboard and system kit are codenamed Ski Lake (DCP847SK) and Deep Canyon (DCCP847DY) respectively.

The base UCFF motherboard and kit without Thunderbolt or USB 3 are codenamed Golden Lake (D33217GK) and Ice Canyon (DC3217IY) respectively. The Thunderbolt capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Campers Lake (D33217CK) and Box Canyon (DC3217BY) respectively. The USB 3 capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Rend Lake (D53427RK) and Horse Canyon (DC53427HY) 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 (KL5KUSB102, for example), 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 (10.9, and any of its updates) flawlessly as the processor's HD4000 is fully supported by macOS X.

This UCFF motherboard (DN2820FYB) and system kit (DN2820FYKH) 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 HDD. 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 introduced a new 12V 3A "wall wart" power supply in place of the previous 19V 3.42A laptop-style power brick and its IEC 60320-C5 "Mickey Mouse" type 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.

This UCFF motherboard (DE3815TYB) and system kit (DE3815TYK) models were codenamed Thin Canyon.

UCFF motherboard (D34010WYB and D54250WYB) and system kit (D34010WYK/D34010WYKH and D54250WYK/D54250WYKH) models were designated Wilson Canyon^[13][14] containing Haswell processors were revealed in June 2013.^[15]

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information. (February 2020)

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 (NUC5i7RYH) would become available.^[17] The collection of 5th generation of NUCs include adaptive/smart performance technology^[18] and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.

UCFF motherboard (NUC5i3RYB, NUC5i5RYB and NUC5i7RYB) and system kit (NUC5i5RYK/NUC5i3RYH, NUC5i5RYK/NUC5i5RYH and NUC5i7RYH) models were designated Rock Canyon.^[19] UCFF motherboard (NUC5i3MYBE and NUC5i5MYBE) and system kit (NUC5i3MYHE and NUC5i5MYHE) models were codenamed Maple Canyon.^[20] 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 (NUC5i3RYHSN and NUC5i5RYHS). 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 (either B-Keyed Maple Canyon or M-Keyed Rock Canyon) 22×42, 22×60, and 22×80 SSD card supporting PCIe 2.0 (×1, ×2 and ×4) and SATA 6 Gbit/s^[16]
• 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

These UCFF system kit (NUC5CPYH and NUC5PPYH) 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 (NUC5PGYH) 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 (204-pin), 1.35 V, 1333/1600 MHz, 8 GB maximum
• One Gigabit Ethernet port
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Intel Wireless-AC 3165) and Bluetooth 4.0
• Internal support for M.2 (E-Keyed) 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.

UCFF system kit (NUC6i3SYK/NUC6i3SYH and NUC6i5SYK/NUC6i5SYH) models were designated Swift Canyon, containing Skylake processors. UCFF system kit (NUC6i7KYK) 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:^[21]

• Dual-channel DDR4 SO-DIMM, 1.2 V, 2133 MHz, 32 GB maximum
• One Gigabit Ethernet port
• Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 (802.11ac), 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 (×1, ×2 and ×4) and SATA 6 Gbit/s
• SDXC slot with UHS-I support on the side
• Intel HD Graphics 540 video (580 for the NUC6i7KYK)
• Up to 7.1 surround audio via full-sized HDMI and mini DisplayPort
• Intel Wireless Display (Intel WiDi)

Skull Canyon models include:

• USB-C port supporting USB 3.1 Gen 2 (SuperSpeed+), 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 (×1, ×2 and ×4) and SATA 6 Gbit/s

These UCFF system kit (NUC6CAYS and NUC6CAYH) models formerly known as Arches Canyon, are based on the 6th generation Celeron-branded Apollo Lake SoC 14 nm processor family. The main difference between the two systems are that NUC6CAYS adds 32 GB of eMMC storage. They were launched in Q4/2016.

• RAM: DDR3L-1600/1866 1.35V SO-DIMM

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.

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 (key E) and 22×80 (key M) slots. They were launched in Q2/2017.

They were launched in Q1/2018.

A Fanless chassis was designed by Simply NUC, Inc. of Round Rock, Texas for the Dawson Canyon motherboards.

This fanless version of the product was marketed as "Porcoolpine™" They were launched in Q2/2018.

The non-vPro Core i3, along with the vPro Core i5 and i7 were supported.

Note: NUC7i7DNFE was sometimes referred to as NUC8i7DNFE due to using a Gen 8 Kaby Lake Refresh processor

The UCFF system kit (NUC7PJYH and NUC7CJYH) 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.

Officially as stated in intel ark for NUC7PJYH model max memory size is 8 GB. There have been reports of "over-ramming" to 16 GB, 24 GB or 32 GB without any problems while running in 24x7 environments. Max memory supported stated in BIOS dmidecode is:

 Handle 0x0018, DMI type 16, 23 bytes  Physical Memory Array        Location: System Board Or Motherboard        Use: System Memory        Error Correction Type: None        Maximum Capacity: 32 GB        Error Information Handle: Not Provided        Number Of Devices: 2 

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.^[22] They were launched in Q1/2018.

Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Bean Canyon, is based on their Coffee Lake-U processors with a TDP of 28 W.^[23] They were launched in Q3/2018.

Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Crimson Canyon, is based on their 10 nm Cannon Lake-U processors. They come with Windows 10 Home x64 preinstalled along with a 1 TB SATA3 HDD. They were launched in Q3/2018.

Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Islay Canyon, is based on their Whiskey Lake-U processors with a TDP of 15 W.^[23] They were launched in Q2/2019.

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.^[24] They were launched in Q1/2020. Although the boards all have two M.2 slots, only one is a 22x80 key M storage slot while the other is a 22x30 key E slot for the wireless.

Intel eighth generation NUC models, codenamed Chaco Canyon and marketed as NUC 8 Rugged, is based on their Apollo Lake processors with a TDP of 15 W, and 64 GB of eMMC. The 4 GB of RAM are soldered directly to the motherboard and are therefore non-upgradeable. They were launched in Q3/2019.

Intel NUC 8 Rugged specifications, first fanless NUC since 2014, was released in September 2019.^[25]

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.^[26] 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.^[27] They were launched in Q1/2020.^[28]

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.^[29] They were launched in Q1/2020.^[30]

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.^[31] They were launched in November 2019.^[32] Variations ending in "N" represent "Lite SKU" models without an audio codec.

Intel eleventh generation NUC models, codenamed Phantom Canyon and marketed as NUC 11 Enthusiast, is based on their Tiger Lake-U processors with a TDP from 150 W.^[33] It features an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 discrete GPU. They were launched on January 13, 2021.^[34]

Intel eleventh generation NUC models, codenamed Panther Canyon and marketed as NUC 11 Performance, is based on their Tiger Lake-U processors with a TDP of 40 W.^[35] They were launched on January 13, 2021.^[36]

Fully configured NUC 11 Performance Mini PCs featured a wireless charging lid as noted by the letter "Q" in the model name.^[37]

Intel eleventh generation NUC models, codenamed Tiger Canyon and marketed as NUC 11 Pro, is based on their Tiger Lake-U processors with a TDP of 15 or 28 W. They were launched on first quarter 2021. Variations ending in "L" were only available on Tall Kits and included two more USB 2.0 ports as well as a second 2.5 Gigabit LAN port.

Intel announced the NUC 11 Extreme Kit, codenamed Beast Canyon, in Q3 2021. The PC was targeted towards gamers with its compact modular chassis, support for full-sized discrete graphics cards, desktop CPU, and replaceable RGB-lit skull logo.

The UCFF system kit (NUC11ATKPE and NUC11ATKC4) models, codenamed Atlas Canyon, based on Pentium Silver & Celeron-branded Jasper Lake SoC 10 nm processor family. They were launched in Q1/2022.

RAM: DDR4-2933 1.2V SO-DIMM.

Intel released its 12th generation of NUC Extreme Compute Elements, codenamed Eden Bay, in Q1 2022. The small form factor NUC 12 Extreme kit, codenamed Dragon Canyon,^[38] comes with 12th generation Intel CPUs and designed to fit a 2-slot wide discrete graphics card via PCIe add-in.

Intel twelfth generation NUC models, codenamed Wall Street Canyon and marketed as NUC 12 Pro, are based on their Alder Lake-P processors with a TDP of 35 W. NUC 12 Pro was launched in Q3 2022 by Intel and subsequently transitioned to ASUS-branded NUC 12 Pro by mid-2024.

The NUC 12 Enthusiast, codenamed Serpent Canyon, was released in late Q3 2022 and features the Alder Lake-H Core i7-12700H processor with Intel Arc A770M Graphics and 16 GB GDDR6 VRAM.

The 13th generation of NUC models, codenamed Arena Canyon and marketed as NUC 13 Pro, are based on Intel's Raptor Lake-U processors with a TDP of 15 W for Core i3 models and 28W for Core i5 and i7 models. Launched in Q1 2023, Arena Canyon was the last NUC Pro model to be made by Intel with future NUC 13 Pro models being produced by ASUS.

The Intel NUC 13 Pro Desk Edition, codenamed Vivid Canyon, was released to select regions in Q2 2023. Unlike previous iterations of the NUC Pro series that came in a black chassis, the Pro Desk Edition featured a slim, silver aluminum exterior and white lid.

The 13th generation of NUC Extreme models, codenamed Raptor Canyon, launched in Q4 2022. The NUC 13 Extreme Kit featured a larger chassis than past iterations, allowing for full-sized 3-slot discrete graphics card such as the GeForce RTX 4090 to be installed. This was the last NUC Extreme series to be produced.

The NUC 13 Rugged line was first announced in May 2023 by Intel but later released by ASUS in early 2024. The fanless, ruggedized NUCs are based on Alder Lake-N processors and are the successor to the NUC 8 Rugged^[25] released in 2019.

Subsequent generations after Raptor Lake are exclusively designed, produced, and manufactured by ASUS.

The 14th generation of NUC models, codenamed Revel Canyon, are based on Intel's Series 1 Core Ultra processors.^[40]

The NUC was seen by some reviewers as Intel's response to (or adoption of) the Apple Mac Mini format,^[41] although it is actually smaller, physically.^[42][43] Given its kit nature, other reviewers have seen it as a more powerful Raspberry Pi,^[44] particularly since the NUC boards could be bought without a case.^[45] The NUC can also be seen as an extension or continuation of Intel's earlier mobile-on-desktop (MoDT) initiative that was spearheaded by AOpen as early as 2004.^[46][47][48]

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 (including SATA power).^{[41][49][50][51]} Some larger third-party cases have appeared that can fit such drives.^[7]

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 [Haswell-based], 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.”^[52] Nevertheless, passively cooled third-party cases have appeared on the market as well.^[6] Larger or metallic third-party cases also provide lower operating temperatures.^[53]

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 (downloadable from Intel's web site for "early adopters").^[54]

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."^[55]

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 i7-4770R processor, which embeds Intel Iris Pro Graphics.^[56]

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 a variety of different hypervisor hosts; multiple NUCs can be used together to create a home lab for learning purposes.^[57][58]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Skylake and Broadwell-based NUC is also a supported device in Google Fuchsia OS.^[59]

• Intel NUC
• ASUS NUC
• Simply NUC