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The market has grown significantly over the past ten years. Despite the rapid development of desktop components, fewer people are interested in full-sized ATX system units.

A significant part of users switched to monoblocks and mini PCs. What makes people choose compact computers? What are the advantages of an Intel NUC and can they provide a decent level of performance?

In a partner review with the company ASBIS, the leading distributor of Intel in Ukraine, we will consider two Intel NUC models:

• Pro (RNUC12WSHI50000) – a tiny and productive computer that you can put in your pocket;
• Enthusiast (RNUC12SNKI72002) is a compact workstation with a discrete graphics card for 16 GB of video memory and a 12th generation Intel Core i7 processor.

Intel NUC Pro and Enthusiast are computers in the same class, but very different. Each of them has its own purpose.

Intel NUC Pro

NUC Pro – Mini-PC with the stuffing of a powerful laptop. So tiny that you can literally put it in your pocket. The physical dimensions are at the level of a TV set-top box. But inside is not a primitive stuffing with an inferior Android OS, but a modern computer with an excellent level of performance.

The Intel NUC Pro is equipped with a 12-core Intel Core i5-1240P processor and integrated Iris XE graphics.

The Intel NUC Pro is neatly packaged and comes with a basic kit. The box contains the computer itself, the power adapter, documentation, and mounts for the monitor/TV. 120 W power supply unit.

In conditions of regular relocation due to forced circumstances, this class of computers is becoming more and more relevant. A powerful workstation that is easy to take with you when needed. But why carry a stationary computer?

Nettops are primarily designed for those who are used to a comfortable workplace. Laptop owners know well: nothing can replace a full-fledged monitor and keyboard with a mouse. Even 17-inch laptop models cannot provide the same level of convenience as 24-27” monitors.

The owner of an Intel NUC will find a workplace anywhere. If necessary, you can buy an HDMI-DVI or HDMI-VGA adapter. Then it will be possible to connect the old monitors, if they turn out to be the only way to display images at the new, temporary, workplace.

Once you’ve found a new place, you have several options for setting it up. Intel NUCs are equipped with a standard mount for monitors/TVs. If you fix them on the back wall of the screen, the user will get an all-in-one PC. A miniature computer, like a leech, will sit in the specified place.

You can place it on a table, connect a USB Type-C hub and get the most functional station with a large number of ports. Although what the manufacturer offers is enough for most.

Intel NUC Pro Ports:

• 2x HDMI
• USB/Thunderbolt: 3 × USB 3.1 Gen 2
• 3.5mm headphone/mic combo
• 1 × RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet

Intel NUC Enthusiast

The Intel NUC Enthusiast is a full-fledged workstation/gaming station that fits into a small bag.

Compared to custom ITX builds, the Intel NUC Enthusiast looks like a work of art. Not in the image of talented craftsmen who like to assemble compact systems, but they create extremely sloppy products against the background of factory mini PCs. Before us is not just a fast office computer, but a full-fledged working/gaming machine that competes with modern ATX desktop systems.

The top Intel NUC Enthusiast model has a 14-core Intel Core i7-12700H at its heart. Interestingly, in laptops, these processors show much worse performance. But more on that later, in the synthetics and cooling section. Attention is drawn to the presence of the Intel ARC A770M 16 GB video card.

The package is similar to the Pro model, but the user receives a branded stand. It allows you to fix the computer in a vertical position.

The power supply unit is more powerful – 330 W. The manufacturer hints that this is a gaming computer or a workstation. Soon we will be sure that the BP was used with a significant margin. We barely managed to load it at 60-70%.

It is enough to remove the cover to see what harmony reigns inside. A motherboard has components on both sides. The side where the drives and RAM are located is accessible to the user. In the older version, the manufacturer provided for the installation of three M2 format drives, two of which are NVME standard and one is SATA.

It is impossible to fit all the details perfectly by yourself. The manufacturer develops the case, motherboard, cooling system at the same time. This is the only way to get a several times smaller volume of the case with filling.

Something like laptops, but it’s too crowded. What is the cooling system suffering from. NUC Enthusiast has a performance one cm3 higher than that of classic computers or even laptops.

Like the smaller Pro model, you can easily take it with you to a new location. Working with a mini-PC+monitor combination is much more comfortable than with any laptop. Even the smallest ITX computer is inconvenient to take on the road. Intel NUC is a kind of ultimate bridge between the world of desktop PCs with their comfort and convenience and notebooks with their compactness and mobility.

NUC Enthusiast Ports:

• 2 x DisplayPort
• 1 x HDMI
• USB/Thunderbolt: 6 × USB 3.2 Gen 2
• 3.5mm headphone/mic combo
• 1 × RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet

Barebone versions – without RAM and a storage device – were reviewed. They used a modern NVMe SSD with a read speed of up to 7000 MB/s. Both Intel NUC models support PCI-E 4.0, so the drive will work without speed limitations. As RAM, we will supply two Crucial SO-DIMM DDR4 3200 MHz strips of 16 GB each. Such a memory subsystem will perfectly complement the Intel NUC.

Nettops allow you to create your own working environment, rather than adapting to circumstances. A compact wireless/wired keyboard and mouse (touchpad) will not hurt for a complete “travel” kit.

Intel NUC Pro or Intel NUC Entusiant will fit into a small laptop bag with all the extra accessories. The smallest model can generally be carried in the pocket of a jacket.

Compact Intel NUCs are available in official partner stores: Rozetka, Brain, Can, Fotos.

Synthetic tests and games

The Intel NUC has a better cooling system than high-end laptops. This allows you to squeeze the maximum out of the installed processor. The Intel Core i5-1240P/i7-12700H CPU in the Intel NUC is up to 30% more productive than the identical processor in the laptop.

Streaming 8K video on the NUC Pro plays without any difficulty. The processor is resting, the graphics accelerator encoder is working.

Geekbench 5 CPU

The younger Pro model scores 9,000 points in Geekbench 5 in Multi Core and 1,500 points in Single Core. Fast memory subsystem and well-thought-out cooling did their job.

What are there laptops! A minicomputer that can be put in a pocket easily gives a light to recent flagships from the desktop segment. Intel Core i7-10700K shows 1.4 thousand/9.3 thousand points. And this is with the use of high-speed Dual-Rank memory.

But this is far from the limit. The enthusiast model shows even better results. The performance is really great for its form factor.

Cinebench R23

The popular Cinebench benchmark uses the latest processor instructions. When passing the Multi Core test, we get more than 10,000 points for the Intel Core i5-1240P model. The power of Single Core exceeds elite laptops of 2020-2021 release.

During long tests in a suffocating case, the Intel Core i5-1240P laptop remains far behind. Throttling is a big problem with thin laptops. The user pays for 100% of performance and receives 70%. Below is a comparison of the laptop and the NUC Pro. The laptop can last for a few minutes, after which it will reduce the frequency of the processor.

The Intel NUC Enthusiast based on the i7-12700H is 65% more productive than the younger model in the multi-core test. The processor did not reset the frequency during the benchmark. The cooling system raised the fan speed.

Cinebench R23 is an objective test for laptops and mini PCs, because it shows real performance, not temporary. Most benchmarks pass in a minute or two, not having time to warm up the CPU properly.

PC Mark 10

Intel NUC Enthusiast shows a result at the level of a premium gaming PC of 2020. Most importantly, the App Score is significantly better than most home computers.

PC Mark 10 is a fairly objective test that simulates real conditions of use. Both Intel NUCs handled it just fine. The lack of a discrete video card of the Pro model affected the total score. But in terms of the speed of opening programs and working in the browser, it is out of competition with laptops.

Intel NUC Enthusiast i7-12700H

Intel NUC Pro i5-1240P

Browser benchmarks

Nettops were tested in three popular tests. The user spends too much time in the browser. It is these benchmarks that can be considered the most important for the vast majority of people. Great performance on heavy pages. The processor takes poorly optimized web scripts by force. Sites load quickly and run smoothly.

Intel NUC Enthusiast i7-12700H

Intel NUC Pro i5-1240P

Iris XE synthetics

In Geekbench 5, Intel’s integrated graphics shows the following results:

A good indicator of Open CL and Vulkan. iGPU will allow you to significantly speed up video encoding or work with 3D modeling. Among integrated video cards, there are few analogues with such power.

Video games on Iris XE

Intel’s integrated graphics have long outgrown the days when they were considered unsuitable for video games. We offer several unpretentious toys that will help fill the time at the computer.

More than 100 frames per second in Dota 2 on eSports graphics settings. Portal 2 also runs well with the graphics cranked up almost to the max.

You shouldn’t count on state-of-the-art AAA projects with ultra-high graphics settings. First and foremost, Intel NUC Pro are work machines for serious people. But we all know that serious people also want to have fun sometimes. In this regard, mini-PCs from Intel with Iris XE will provide not an infinite, but rather large selection of toys.

ARC A770M synthetics

What about the discrete graphics card in the Intel NUC Enthusiast model? It promises a decent result in work programs and modern video games. Let’s start with the Open CL/Vulkan synthetic benchmarks.

Geekbench 5

The result of Open CL impressed the most. The Intel graphics card significantly outpaces the RTX 3050 notebooks and comes close to the RTX 3060. The Vulkan API doesn’t perform as well on the Intel drivers, but it’s still a decent level.

Blender 3.3.0

The new Intel A770M leaves far behind the GTX 1080 Ti. Large amount of memory, low energy consumption, modern architecture. This disc will be able to prove itself in a narrow circle of specialists who work with 3D graphics.

Video games on the ARC A770M

Popular online projects or older toys are given to this PC very easily. Can get 200-300 FPS in Dota 2, Portal 2.

The racing simulator Project Cars was no problem either. 150-180+ fps is decent for a PC the size of the Xbox SS. This tiny PC lets you play on a 144Hz monitor.

To understand the potential, consider the new video game of 2022 – Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0. In online matches on large maps, we get 90-100 FPS. Esports settings.

You can lower the graphics and get 110-115 fps. Or turn almost everything to ultra and still not drop below 60 FPS. As practice shows, it is not worth it in multiplayer games. Intel ARC A770M shows performance within the range of desktop GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 3050, RX 6600, RTX 2060. This adapter has raw drivers, but no issues with Warzone 2.0 were detected.

Separately, we will highlight the Intel XeSS branded upscale. It works no worse than NVIDIA NIS, AMD Fidelity. Although hardware NVIDIA DLSS is still not up to par. When the Quality profile is set, it is impossible to notice the deterioration of the image compared to the native resolution.

Energy efficiency

Productivity per unit of energy consumption is rarely taken into account when choosing a desktop computer. Intel NUC offers a special user experience. From an uninterrupted power source, a computer of this class can work several times longer than a full-sized ATX unit.

The Cinebench R23 synthetic test makes the processor work the most. It is in this scenario that we get the maximum level of electricity consumption. We compare the results of synthetic tests on power consumption.

Power consumption is directly affected by processor performance. Laptop versions of Intel Core work at reduced frequencies and often limit themselves. Of course, a mini PC can’t beat work/gaming computers in absolute power. But it is confidently ahead of identical configurations on laptops.

Cinebench R23 power consumption

The Intel NUC Pro only consumed 60W of power during the Cinebench R23 test.

The Intel NUC Enthusiast consumed 160 watts. Recall that this is the maximum fixed value. It is this benchmark that loads the processor to a greater extent, using all its instructions.

When a stationary computer works from an uninterrupted power source for 5-20 minutes, the Intel NUC mini PC will last several times longer. In the presence of a UPS with an external battery of large capacity, the user will receive an autonomous computer for the next few (or n-thousand) hours.

Both objects of review perfectly coped with the temperature tests. Cinebench R23 forced the processors to warm up to 90 degrees, after which the fans turned more actively.

Noise from the cooling system did not interfere with work. The temperature immediately dropped to 15 degrees. NUC Enthusiast has a similar situation. The body is cold, but warm air is blown from the radiator. The CPU does not waste. The cooling system works great.

NUC Enthusiast power consumption while playing Warzone 2.0

The Intel ARC A770M discrete video card worked at 100% during a modern AAA game. In this mode, the wattmeter recorded values ​​up to 230 W. The power supply unit (330 W) only warmed up a little. It is not for nothing that he has a stock.

For a more accurate understanding of the situation, we offer the results of tests with a pyrometer. Intel NUC is equipped with a well thought-out cooling system. Hot air is blown out of the case. If you place your hand, you can feel a warm flow.

We diligently looked for hot spots on the case, but to no avail. A temperature of 25-30 degrees is very cold. Laptops after Intel NUC seem like hot stoves. In addition, they work with reduced CPU limits. The processor in the laptop loses up to 30% of its performance, which was verified during synthetic tests. Intel Core i5-1240P and i7-12700H feel comfortable. These specimens are happy to settle in a cool Intel NUC case.

The interior is the size of a game console, but it is a full-fledged computer with a good level of performance, even by the standards of workstations.

Thoughtful ergonomics and high-quality cooling in an incredibly compact case – this is almost impossible to achieve using universal ATX-format computer components.

Conclusions

Nettops

many associate with unproductive office computers for basic tasks. Using the example of Intel NUC Pro and Enthusiast, we have made sure that the power of a stationary PC can be placed in the palm of your hand. Literally.

The Intel NUC Pro demonstrates lightning-fast performance in typical work scenarios. High performance per core, many threads, low power consumption, well-thought-out cooling system – Intel NUC 12 Gen showed themselves from the best side and dispel many stereotypes about compact PCs. It is nettops that show the highest productivity per unit of energy consumed.

Nuc Enthusiast goes even further beyond the classic office computer. Intel ARC A770M 16 GB discrete graphics card performed well in work applications.

Architects, 3D designers, modelers, artists, video game developers, media content developers – this is a PC for creative and active people. We do not exclude entertainment. 2022 games run well on Intel NUC Enthusiast. A huge video buffer allows you to display ultra textures in any project.

But the most important thing is compact PCs that will allow you to easily organize a new workplace. The performance of NUC Enthusiast is close to desktop computers, and the mobility is similar to that of laptops.

Intel NUC nettops take up less space than small laptops that connect to monitors in the same way. The owner of the NUC Pro will be able to take it with him, literally putting it in his pocket. Intel NUCs are not intended for a mass audience, but will find many fans among connoisseurs of fast and economical computers for all occasions.

ASBIS, the official distributor of processors in Ukraine, offers a wide selection of Intel NUC mini-PCs in various configurations.

Compact Intel NUCs are available in official partner stores: Rozetka, Brain, Can, Fotos.

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