Intel updates its NUC lineup, including a follow-up to its Hades Canyon gaming mini-pc

Intel updates its Next Unit of Computing (NUC) line of miniature computers with its 11th generation processors, and again includes a gaming-focused model. The NUC 11 Enthusiast is a follow-up to the 2018 NUC 8 Hades Canyon, which managed to pack triple-A gaming performance (not to mention I / O that rivals a full-size desktop) into a small package.

The update includes updates to the company’s more traditional small-cube NUC Performance Mini computers, which previously had 10th generation processors. The upgrade brings Wi-Fi 6 and Intel Xe graphics to the i5 and i7 models. Intel has also added a NUC Pro line, some of which have vPro-compatible processors and all of which can handle 8K displays. There is also a NUC 11 computing unit, which is just a card intended to be integrated into future computers. This isn’t the first time Intel has had this idea, but we’ll get to that in more detail in a moment.

Image: Intel

The NUCs, however, are notable for their size, and while the Performance and Pro lines are indeed very small, they’re more minor updates to what we already had before. What’s more interesting is the game version.

Image: Intel

The NUC 11 Enthusiast, codenamed ‘Phantom Canyon’, promises gaming performance with a 28W quad-core i7-1165G7 (same as the 2020 Dell XPS 13) and an RTX 2060, which was obsolete the day before of the computer announcement by Intel. It also retains the stacked I / O that made the last generation great, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, 2.5GB Ethernet, six huge USB 3.2 Type-A ports, and Wi-Fi 6. The lack of HDMI 2.1 (it did 2.0b) can be somewhat forgiven due to the inclusion of a Mini DisplayPort 1.4 output. And again, it all fits into an enclosure that’s about the size of a big book.

Image: Intel

Like the other NUC models, the Enthusiast also features integrated Xe graphics, which should suit streamers or creative professionals who appreciate Intel’s Quick Sync video encoding technology. While it’s a shame about the nearly up-to-date graphics card, the computer should still deliver a fair amount of gaming performance in an absolutely tiny package, and I’m happy to see that Intel is still working on gaming mini PCs.

Intel has long tried to make the NUC a miniature gaming PC with full-size performance. It even teamed up with AMD to bring dedicated Vega graphics into the NUC 8, which clearly hoped to appeal to gamers more than office workers, with a glossy skull logo on top. Then at CES 2020 it showcased the NUC 9 Extreme, which aimed to be a gaming PC with an easy-to-upgrade compute unit. Except Intel hasn’t released any updates for Compute Units so far, so at the moment it’s just an expensive, modular gaming PC for no reason.

Intel has yet to release pricing and availability, but SimplyNUC.com offers the Phantom Canyon starting at $ 1,349. It seems like a better deal than the NUC 9 Extreme, which costs $ 1,599 on the same site and also requires a separate mini graphics card. It also beats its more direct predecessor, the NUC 8 Hades Canyon, which still costs $ 1,234 for hardware nearly two years old.

Intel seems to be using the same strategy used for NUC computers in the past, where people can purchase a complete computer or a kit where they will need to provide the RAM, storage drive, and operating system. SimplyNUC’s $ 1,349 model has the drive and RAM, but you’ll need to pay extra or bring your own copy of Windows.