Intel NUC 4" x 4" micro-PC - $299 shipped (1.8ghz i3, motherboard, case, PSU)

[Kaido]

Update - 4-Jan-2014:

Anandtech has a review of the Haswell NUC up: (thanks Medikit!)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7566/intels-haswell-nuc-d54250wyk-ucff-pc-review

I'll post my review of the Gigabyte & Intel Haswell NUCs next week, had a truckload of models come in!


Update - 10-Dec-2013:

Intel Haswell NUC's now available: (i3, i5)

i3 for $299

i5 for $439 (inflated prices right now)

*****************************************************************

Update - 17-Oct-2013:

Haswell NUCs from Gigabyte (BRIX) are now available: (Celeron, i3, i5, i7) * Watch out for barebones vs. bundle deals!

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104

Note that the Celeron has HD graphics and the rest have HD4400 graphics. Only the Haswel Intel NUC i5 model has HD5000 graphics. Also, both the i3 and i5 Intel models have IR receivers (useful for HTPC applications). Intel's new 802.11ac model only has native support for Windows 8, although people have gotten it working in Windows 7 unofficially with other drivers.

*****************************************************************

Update for July 2013: i5 NUC out, Gigabyte BRIX out now (i3, i5, i7 with USB 3.0)

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=35251135&postcount=158

Also a quick review: these have been working out well for me at work. I use them for everything from server/network watchdogs to desktop replacements to digital signage drivers with LED televisions. The VESA mount works great both in small offices and for use with TV displays. My only complaints are really (1) the Intel version is extremely scratchable on top (the glossy black top piece), (2) no 3.5mm headphone jack, so if users want audio I either get them an HDMI monitor with speakers built-in, or eat up one of their limited USB ports with a $9 Syba USB sound card, and (3) they do tend to get pretty warm, borderline hot. No noise issues at all tho, and none have ever overheated, even when used on hot, humid shop floors - very impressive reliability record so far. Users love them - tiny, quiet, super fast with the SATA3 micro SSD.

*****************************************************************

Updated pricing for June 2013:

Celeron: $165 shipped
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Next-Com...dp/B00B7I8HZ4/

Dual HDMI: $273 shipped
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Computin...dp/B0093LINVK/

Thunderbolt: $299 shipped
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=REG&A=details

***********

If you're not familiar with the Intel NUC, it's basically a micro-PC (4" x 4" footprint & only 2" tall - so small it'll make you smile!). Originally designed for kiosks, but powerful enough for basic desktop use. Very very cool for a lot of applications - only uses about 20 watts (1/3 of a lightbulb!) in normal operation, and hardly makes any noise (has a single maglev fan inside). Awesome for a family computer, corporate PC, media center box, basic home server, etc. (it passed my acid test of playing a 1080p Youtube video fullscreen without choking, haha). Fully-loaded (minus software), a complete box runs about $650 shipped (Intel NUC, power cable, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, Wifi card) - just add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse!

Here's a photo of mine with a USB stick on top: (TINY!)

http://i.imgur.com/GFFTq.jpg

Dual HDMI model: (DC3217IYE) $299.99 shipped:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856102002

HDMI + Thunderbolt model: (DC3217BY) $329.99 shipped: (no onboard Ethernet! just a Wifi slot)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856102001

Specs:

Dual-core 1.8hz Intel i3 CPU (22nm 3217U model) * Hyperthreaded, so you get "4" cores"
Intel HD4000 integrated graphics
Dual HDMI (or HDMI + Thunderbolt, but no onboard Ethernet)
Intel QS77 chipset
(DIY) Max 16gb RAM (2 x DDR3-SODIMM 1333/1600 slots)
(DIY) mSATA SATA-III SSD (currently up to 240gb)
(DIY) Half-height Mini-PCIe Wifi
(3) USB 2.0 ports (one on the front for easy USB stick access)
Gigabit Ethernet
VESA bracket (for mounting behind a monitor or TV)

Note that the Thunderbolt model does not have onboard Ethernet. You can install a half-height mini-PCIe Wifi card internally, or else go with a USB to Ethernet adapter ($7) or a Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet adapter ($29, Windows drivers notes here).

Supported Operating Systems: (per their support site - search for "DC3217IYE" [dual HDMI version] or "DC3217BY" [Thunderbolt version])

Windows XP (32-bit Home, 32-bit Pro, 64-bit, Media Center) * Remember the 4gb RAM limit for 32-bit operating systems
Vista (32 & 64)
Windows 7 (32 & 64)
Windows 8 (32 & 64)
(unofficially) OS X Mountain Lion (link)

Official product page:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us...rboards/next-unit-computing-introduction.html

Reviews:

Anandtech
Legit Reviews
TweakTown
Hot Hardware
PC World Australia
IT Pro UK
Tech Report
VR-Zone

What you need:

1. Power cable: This unit is sold worldwide, so they include a 19V 65w power brick, but not the country-specific cable (3-prong C5 to whatever outlet you have). The US 3-prong cable is available for a mere three bucks shipped on Amazon. A little annoying that they don't just include the power cable, but I understand why. Fortunately it's a cheap cable to pick up...

2. Memory: This takes laptop memory, up to two 8GB sticks of DDR3-1600 SO-DIMMs, for a total of 16 gigs. You can get a 16-gig kit for as low as $60 on Newegg. G.Skill (my favorite brand of memory) has a 16gb kit for $65 shipped.

3. mSATA SSD: These are the same slim SSD's used in ultrabooks. There are 22 models currently available on Newegg, in sizes between 30gb and 240gb. My brand preference is Mushkin (very reliable in my experience). I picked up this 240gb model for $209, although they do have a faster one for $40 more. My initial testing yielded 416 MB/s read, 438 MB/s write. Ridiculous. If you need larger, Mushkin will have a 480gb model for $499 available next month. There are all kinds of adapters available as well, such as a USB mSATA case for $35 (useful for ghosting images to your new SSD) and an mSATA to SATA adapter for $30 (for case mods - use a larger 2.5" SSD or a 3.5" hard drive, although you'd need the $12 power brick on that link for larger, higher-power hard drives).

4. Wifi: Underneath the mSATA port (which is just a Mini-PCIe port) is a half-height Mini-PCIe port for a Wifi card. The Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235 is the popular model - 802.11n plus Bluetooth for $22. However, there seems to be a known issue with this card in the Thunderbolt model, at least. I chose to go with a Dell DW1515 802.11n card ($16 on Amazon, no Bluetooth) because it is based on the Atheros AR5BHB92, which is natively Hackintosh-compatible.

5. Tools: This machine is REALLY easy to work on. It has 4 screws on the bottom (bottom plate exposes the motherboard, #2 Philips I believe) and 1 screw for the mSATA drive (#1 Philips I think). There are also 2 screws to remove the motherboard if you want to see the fan & battery, but for normal installation you won't be doing that unless you are case-modding (if you want a cool Hackintosh case, check this puppy out!).

6. DVD Drive: You can optionally get a USB CD/DVD/Bluray drive. I got a USB DVD burner for $29. However, you can install Windows 7 via USB stick (as well as Windows 8 using the same tool from Microsoft). Windows 8 Pro is available as a $39 ISO download directly from Microsoft.

7. BIOS Update: The BIOS is super awesome (UEFI-based Intel Visual BIOS...mouse support, nice GUI, easy setup). The latest version is GKPPT10H.86A (available off their support site) and can be loaded from a FAT32-formatted USB stick. Takes a little while to fully process, so don't get worried if it takes 5 or 10 minutes - I thought mine had frozen up during the BIOS upgrade, but it just takes a bit of time.

8. Sound Card: The NUC does digital sound through the HDMI and Thunderbolt ports. If you want just plain stereo, there's a good USB Stereo Adapter for $8 (also Hackintosh-compatible, although HDMI Audio works just fine on the Mac OS as well).

9. Monitor: This can plug directly into an HDMI-equipped LCD monitor or Television. If you want higher resolutions, the Thunderbolt port (which is also a Mini-DisplayPort) can run monitors up to 2560x1600 resolution (such as a Catleap Yamanski, or the $499 Nixeus US-shipped model)

So, it's something of a niche product - no USB 3.0, not much expandability (unless you get the Thunderbolt model + adapters), basic but useful CPU, etc. However, I can see this being huge (well, not size-wise...lol) for so many people and companies due to the low power, small size, and relatively fast peformance (SATA-III SSD + 16GB RAM + "quad" i3 CPU). There may be an i5 version on the horizon as well. I believe the max TDP on these bad boys is like 30 or 32w, but normal operation is about 20 watts, so you're saving a lot of cash in electricity over your standard 350w+ desktop station. Really really cool. I'll be tinkering with mine over the holidays and will report back with anything cool I find. Windows 7 installed without a hitch, grabbed the latest BIOS & drivers, and did some testing - boots up fast, plays 1008p Youtube, I'm happy so far!

 

[Kaido]

The Microsoft Desktop 800 is $35 on Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823109227

* RF wireless
* Single USB transmitter (so you still have 2 USB ports free on the NUC)
* Includes wireless keyboard and wireless mouse

That's a nice basic keyboard to pair with the Intel NUC. For monitors, I've been buying a lot of 27" 1080p Hanns-G LED-backlit LCD monitors lately: ($270 shipped + 40 watts)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254093

Nice big, easy-to-read screen, a single HDMI cable to the NUC, and a total power draw of 60 watts between the computer & monitor. I'll probably be installing a lot of these in the future! :awe:

 

[mechBgon]

Thanks for the detailed post, nice work :thumbsup:

 

[cytoSiN]

Thanks for the detailed post, nice work :thumbsup:

QFT. This thing is fascinating. Definitely on my wishlist for future tinkering. I love that it is VESA-mountable to the back of a monitor. Very cool.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for the detailed post, nice work :thumbsup:

No problem! I'm probably overly excited about these I don't want to say they're a gamechanger, but these are kind of my "vision of the future" - I do a lot of side work for small businesses and average (non-techie) home users and these are just absolutely perfect for those applications.

I'm sitting here at work with about 10 Dell towers on my bench, ranging from ancient Dimension 2400's to newer Optiplex 330's waiting for GPU replacements, new PSU's, replacement HDD's, RAM upgrades, etc...and I'm looking over at my tiny NUC test rig that blows them all out of the water, uses no power, makes no noise, takes up no space, and has nothing to break.

 

[Kaido]

Got confirmation that 1080p MKV Bluray rips with 7.1 surround-sound play back flawlessly in XBMC: (ignore the SageTV part)

http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59577

NICE!!

 

[Kaido]

QFT. This thing is fascinating. Definitely on my wishlist for future tinkering. I love that it is VESA-mountable to the back of a monitor. Very cool.

Yeah, such a great idea. And if your TV is already mounted on the wall, Monoprice sells ridiculously cheap VESA wall mounts, with everything from tilt to swivel to extend. They even have one that bolts directly to the wall for a mere $4:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10828&cs_id=1082807&p_id=6520&seq=1&format=2

Sort of like the Mac Mini in this setup, although if your existing TV VESA mount extends far enough, you could just mount it directly behind the TV to hide it, but still give you easy access to the power button:

http://computershopper.com/shoptalk/macminisetup.jpg

Looks like there are some clear plastic ones that might work too, like the Wii mount from HideIt Mounts:

http://www.amazon.com/HIDEit-Mount-W.../dp/B002AU7CTU

 

[Kaido]

For HTPC enthusiasts - I'll be testing out the new Mele F10 remote ($36) under both Windows & Mac when I get back from traveling (early January), but wanted to throw the link out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Mele-wireless-.../dp/B0092KDSQW

It's similar to my old Boxee remote (full keyboard on the back side) and the Gyration mouse (accelerometer control) but has better buttons & more features. Here's a better picture:

http://usb.brando.com/prod_img/zoom/UKEYB011000_01_L.jpg

Video review here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jgnWS3Qcc8

Specs:

* RF wireless (USB transmitter for PC)
* IR remote for TV control
* Keyboard on flipside
* Motion-driven mouse movement (wave it around in the air to move the mouse cursor)

There's some XBMC/OpenELEC keymapping notes here:

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=135738

http://openelec.tv/forum/105-keyboards/39941-solved-update-keyboardxml

 

[Kaido]

And for media center buffs:

Media Center Full-screen software:

XBMC: One of the best media player/frontends on the planet
http://xbmc.org/

OpenELEC: An embedded Linux distro with XBMC baked-in (appliance OS, basically)
http://openelec.tv/

Plex: An upgrade to XBMC with more "channels" support (like Roku), plus an awesome server/scraper
http://www.plexapp.com/

Media Center Hardware:

Mele F10: $36 - Really cool wireless media player remote control (see post above)
http://www.amazon.com/Mele-wireless-...dp/B0092KDSQW/

Logitech M515: $19 - The "couch mouse" - the bottom is sealed so it works on fabrics easily (your pants, couch arm, etc.). Note that this has a really stupid (imo) hand/touch/proximity sensor that only activates the mouse when you are holding it with skin contact (on the sides I believe), but it can be disabled via software
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Couch...dp/B004HIN8N2/


And gaming enthusiasts:

Gaming Full-screen software:

Hyperspin: MAME/Emulator frontend
http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/

Maximus Arcade: Same idea as Hyperspin, not as many bells & whistles
http://www.maximusarcade.com/

Steam Big Picture: TV interface for Steam games (I don't imagine Portal 2 or Half-Life 2 would play too nice on an HD4000, but there are a lot of other games that work)
http://store.steampowered.com/bigpicture/

Gaming Hardware:

Xbox 360 wireless receiver for Windows: $8 (can't seem to find the OEM Microsoft version) This lets you use wireless Xbox 360 controllers (you don't need it if you get the wired 360 controllers) for Windows games (imo the most comfortable gaming controller, and great for all kinds of emulator games)
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Pc-Ga...dp/B0076HD2W8/

X-Arcade: Dual-player ($99, on sale for Christmas) and dual with trackball ($200) USB arcade controllers. I have the dual-player, it's epic.
http://www.xgaming.com/

RetroUSB: USB adapters for original NES, SNES, Sega, and Atari controllers (super fun for emulators). Although a lot of times, you can find USB knockoffs of the original controllers on eBay or Amazon.
http://www.retrousb.com/

 

[cytoSiN]

You should post this, or link to this thread, over in the HTPC forum. Good stuff here. :thumbsup:

 

[Kaido]

You should post this, or link to this thread, over in the HTPC forum. Good stuff here. :thumbsup:

Added:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2289125

There's a good 720p LED micro-projector discussion on this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=33869888

I have the 500-lumen version of the 720p LED projector, which came out before the 700-lumen model...these are awesome if you want a big screen and not have to worry about bulbs for 10+ years. Perfect combo with the NUC imo. For a 500-lumen model, the Optoma ML500 is hard to beat at $524:

http://www.amazon.com/Optomas-ML500-...dp/B00556F9I2/

For surround-sound, I have a post here:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34320235&postcount=2

For 5.1 & 7.1 surround-sound Receivers on a budget, Accessories4Less has refurbished models starting at $109:

http://www.accessories4less.com/mak...iver/Home-Audio/Home-Theater-Receivers/1.html

So something like this:

Intel NUC ~$650
XBMC ~Free
1TB bus-powered USB drive ~$100 link (for storing movies - see MakeMKV for DVD/Bluray ripping)
720p LED projector ~$525
Monoprice 5.1 system ~$85
Refurbished 5.1 receiver ~$110
Total: ~$1500

That would give you a pretty killer HTPC system without having an astronomical price, plus crazy power savings (20 watt NUC, 120w LED projector, smaller speaker drivers, etc.).

 

[mosslack]

Not sure if something changed since you posted this morning, but both NUC systems at NewEgg are not showing free shipping for these items. A friend on HQ-A just emailed me to let me know he bought the Thunderbolt version for $316 shipped https://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=SY0703-NUC&type=computer at a place called Gigaparts, which is primarily a ham radio dealer in Alabama. The ethernet port version is only $289 shipped https://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=SY0702-NUC&type=computer

Unusual for NewEgg to be undersold on something like this, but it happens, thought I would pass it along. HTH

 

[rifken2]

Sweet!

I use the following http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999191&Tpk=antec%20ir for the ability to turn the PC on and off with a logitech harmony remote.

I wonder if there is some way to integrate that in to this device, albiet the box would sit outside the case...

Have any pics of the inside of this thing?

 

[alfa147x]

Does no one sell a mPCIe ->PCIe adapter?

nvm found it:
mini pci-e to PCI-e express 1X Riser Extender adapter Card+USB 4pin port
on ebay for $30

 

[EliteRetard]

I wanna see a Haswell version of this, with the high powered 40eu IGP.

A mobile AMD A10 would be pretty friggen cool too (35w right?)...but since this is Intel designed they would have to come up with their own similar unit.

Would pretty much replace consoles for low end gaming, even the next generation ones that haven't come out yet (based on the rumored specs).

Imagine this thing built into the case of an "external" Blu-Ray drive...connected internally with SATA.

I see lots of possibilities with something like this...but Intel doesn't seem to have an imagination. The price is also a touch to high, should be like $230-250 right now compared to budget $350 laptops.

Oh and what about a small touch screen? Kinda like the 5-7" units you get in a car.

 

[cheez]

That would be great for my HTPC replacement as my current one is huge and weighs 5000 lbs and is a RF city.

Looking at this mini PC, I only see one USB port, not two as stated in the spec at Newegg. Is this marketing error? One USB would not work for me.

Does it work with Windows Server 2003?


It doesn't look as good as the Mac Mini, cosmetics-wise.

I am still tempted!

 

[cytoSiN]

That would be great for my HTPC replacement as my current one is huge and weighs 5000 lbs and is a RF city.

Looking at this mini PC, I only see one USB port, not two as stated in the spec at Newegg. Is this marketing error? One USB would not work for me.

Does it work with Windows Server 2003?


It doesn't look as good as the Mac Mini, cosmetics-wise.

I am still tempted!

There is one front USB and 2 rear. You can see them in the pictures on Newegg. It may not be as sleek as the Mac Mini, but it's smaller, more customizable, and WAY less expensive.

 

[Kaido]

Not sure if something changed since you posted this morning, but both NUC systems at NewEgg are not showing free shipping for these items. A friend on HQ-A just emailed me to let me know he bought the Thunderbolt version for $316 shipped https://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=SY0703-NUC&type=computer at a place called Gigaparts, which is primarily a ham radio dealer in Alabama. The ethernet port version is only $289 shipped https://www.gigaparts.com/store.php?action=profile&sku=SY0702-NUC&type=computer

Unusual for NewEgg to be undersold on something like this, but it happens, thought I would pass it along. HTH

Thanks - yup it was free shipping earlier. Dang Anandtech effect!

Also as a fellow Hackintosher - looks like these may be the bomb for tiny Hacks! I'll do more testing with FCPX/Plex this weekend & post back!

 

[cheez]

There is one front USB and 2 rear. You can see them in the pictures on Newegg. It may not be as sleek as the Mac Mini, but it's smaller, more customizable, and WAY less expensive.

Oh that's good! Yes I need total of three USB.

Is the CPU upgradable too? i.e. i5 or i7 core?


thanks,

cheez

 

[Kaido]

I wanna see a Haswell version of this, with the high powered 40eu IGP.

A mobile AMD A10 would be pretty friggen cool too (35w right?)...but since this is Intel designed they would have to come up with their own similar unit.

Would pretty much replace consoles for low end gaming, even the next generation ones that haven't come out yet (based on the rumored specs).

Imagine this thing built into the case of an "external" Blu-Ray drive...connected internally with SATA.

I see lots of possibilities with something like this...but Intel doesn't seem to have an imagination. The price is also a touch to high, should be like $230-250 right now compared to budget $350 laptops.

Oh and what about a small touch screen? Kinda like the 5-7" units you get in a car.

Pricing is the difficult aspect. The CPU alone is MSRP $225:

http://ark.intel.com/products/65697/Intel-Core-i3-3217U-Processor-3M-Cache-1_80-GHz

So you're really only paying $75 for the motherboard, case, and 19V 65w PSU brick. That's a killer deal, if you look at it that way. But yeah, fully loaded it comes out to around $650 shipped/taxed, and you can get a base Mac Mini for $499 with an i5, or a Mini-ITX for even less.

However, for a streaming HTPC unit...NUC for $300, 4GB RAM stick for $20, 30GB mSATA SSD for $55...$375 out the door and you have a versatile little box!

 

[Kaido]

I wanna see a Haswell version of this, with the high powered 40eu IGP.

A mobile AMD A10 would be pretty friggen cool too (35w right?)...but since this is Intel designed they would have to come up with their own similar unit.

Would pretty much replace consoles for low end gaming, even the next generation ones that haven't come out yet (based on the rumored specs).

Imagine this thing built into the case of an "external" Blu-Ray drive...connected internally with SATA.

I see lots of possibilities with something like this...but Intel doesn't seem to have an imagination. The price is also a touch to high, should be like $230-250 right now compared to budget $350 laptops.

Oh and what about a small touch screen? Kinda like the 5-7" units you get in a car.

Also as far as gaming goes, here's a GPU heirarchy:

http://www.tonymacx86.com/graphics/...-right-now-hierarchy-chart-toms-hardware.html

HD4000 is equivalent to:

Nvidia Discrete: 6800 Ultra, 7600 GT, 7800 GS, 8600 GS, 8600 GT (GDDR3), 9500 GT (DDR2)
Nvidia Go (mobile): 7800 GTX, 7900 GTX

ATI Discrete: X800 XT (& PE), X850 XT (& PE), X1650 XT, X1800 GTO, HD 2600 XT, HD 3650 (DDR3), HD 3670
ATI Mobility: X1900, 3670
ATI Integrated: 6520G, 6530D

So roughly HD4000 = 9500GT. That's not bad for a lot of people's gaming needs!

 

[cytoSiN]

Oh that's good! Yes I need total of three USB.

Is the CPU upgradable too? i.e. i5 or i7 core?


thanks,

cheez

Probably, but not sure why you'd want to. The particular i3 it comes with is plenty powerful for an HTPC, and comes with HD4000 graphics. Plus the clock speed helps keep the power down, and generates less heat than a faster processor, which allows for, again, low power, and also keeps it silent.

 

[alfa147x]

Intel NUC: mPCIe -> PCIe + 1x to 16x adapter + graphics card + external PSU

Boom. LAN party machine!

 

[Kaido]

That would be great for my HTPC replacement as my current one is huge and weighs 5000 lbs and is a RF city.

Looking at this mini PC, I only see one USB port, not two as stated in the spec at Newegg. Is this marketing error? One USB would not work for me.

Does it work with Windows Server 2003?


It doesn't look as good as the Mac Mini, cosmetics-wise.

I am still tempted!

Oh that's good! Yes I need total of three USB.

Is the CPU upgradable too? i.e. i5 or i7 core?


thanks,

cheez

CPU is soldered in. There may be an i5 version next year, however. Although, the dual-core 1.8ghz i3 is hyperthreaded, so you get 4 "cores" in Task Manager.

I don't see any official driver support for Windows Server 2003, but there are drivers for Windows XP, so you could probably extract those and cobble something together if you really wanted to.

Note that all of the USB ports are USB 2.0 only (1 front, 2 rear). There is no USB 3.0 integrated into this machine.

As far as cosmetics, it's a nice-looking little box, but be aware that the top scratches EXTREMELY easily (the top is glossy). I had 3 gouges and a handful of hairline scratches within 10 minutes of opening the box, just from flipping it over on a formica table and installing the parts. It's worse than the anodized back of an iPhone 5

 

[Kaido]

There is one front USB and 2 rear. You can see them in the pictures on Newegg. It may not be as sleek as the Mac Mini, but it's smaller, more customizable, and WAY less expensive.

Also, the Mac Mini tops out at 85 watts:

http://www.apple.com/mac-mini/specs.html

I haven't found an official statement on max wattage on the NUC (it comes with a 65w power brick), but I believe it's 30 or 32 watts. Normal operation is about 20 watts; the i3 CPU itself draws a mere 17-watts.