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

[finbarqs]

how's the AMD model compared to haswell? I'm more interested in the power draw... since it'll be on 24/7

I figure quad core is probably better than dual core for 1080p transcoding. But i'll see first how yours does, before I take the plunge. It'll probably be the brix model, since it has a higher clock, and GPU doesn't matter to plex very much...

 

[Kaido]

how's the AMD model compared to haswell? I'm more interested in the power draw... since it'll be on 24/7

I figure quad core is probably better than dual core for 1080p transcoding. But i'll see first how yours does, before I take the plunge. It'll probably be the brix model, since it has a higher clock, and GPU doesn't matter to plex very much...

Last time I checked, the hyperthreaded Intel Core i-series beat out the quad-core AMD chips in performance tests. We'd need to find a comparison to say for sure, as well as for power usage.

 

[Kaido]

Some videos of the Gigabyte BRIX Pro II:

http://www.legitreviews.com/gigabyt...1-sniper-z87-motherboard-blizzcon-2013_128561

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR-BLMSYMJU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vaMDAN7ymc

Disappointed Gigabyte didn't put in a rear analog audio jack with all that extra space, but Iris Pro sure sounds cool. I bet these will be HUGE for Steam boxes! I'm guessing one of the reasons there's not an analog audio jack on the rear is because it's aimed for the living room, so a single HDMI cable goes into your TV or HT receiver for audio + video.

 

[Pheran]

I seriously hope they aren't going to use those red or yellow cases in the final version of the product. Last time I looked Iris Pro chips are really expensive, so I'm guessing those are going to be pricey.

 

[Kaido]

Forgot to mention that Anandtech got a bit of information on the upcoming "BRIX S" model with a 2.5" HDD :

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7475/gigabytes-haswell-brix-lineup-updated-with-brix-s-models

Picture:

http://images.anandtech.com/galleries/3184/DSCN7774_575px.JPG

It will definitely be nice to pay the same price for a 1TB 2.5" HDD as for a 120GB mSATA SSD!

 

[Kaido]

A review of the Haswell i7 BRIX is up:

http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/b...ini-pc-review-w-g-skill-ripjaws-1600mhz-16gb/

G.Skill has a 1.35v 16GB memory kit for $149:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231728

The BRIX includes the power cords you need (brick + mickey-mouse cable), as well as an 802.11 Wifi + Bluetooth combo, so it's pretty much ready to go out of the box - all you need is RAM & an mSATA SSD. The only things that set it apart from the NUC is that the Intel version has an IR receiver & HD5000 graphics (HD4400 on the BRIX). Amazon has it for $509 shipped:

http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Compa.../dp/B00FNPCKUU

Not "cheap" by any means, but you get a pretty zippy, compact computer for the price!

 

[you2]

What kind of sata do these take; do they all take msata; regular sata; pcie; m2; or does it depend on specific model ?

 

[Kaido]

What kind of sata do these take; do they all take msata; regular sata; pcie; m2; or does it depend on specific model ?

They all take mSATA:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...832&IsNodeId=1

 

[Kaido]

Something to note for the upcoming 2.5" NUC models: there is a new drive available from Western Digital called the Black2, which is a 2.5" drive featuring a combination of a 120GB SSD & 1TB HDD for $299:

http://www.wd.com/en/products/products.aspx?id=1190

Pretty nice if you want to retain a speedy OS drive, but still have local storage without having to go to an external or network drive. Yet another benefit for HTPC's as well!

 

[superxero044]

I wonder if the 2.5" nuc will support SRT Intel caching.

 

[Pheran]

MyDigitalSSD is having a Black Friday sale with some decent mSATA prices. I'm thinking about picking up the 128G. AnandTech reviewed one of these drives.

 

[Kaido]

The last-gen i3 Thunderbolt NUC is on sale for $175.08 shipped on Amazon today:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0093LINT2

VERY nice deal!

 

[superxero044]

The last-gen i3 Thunderbolt NUC is on sale for $175.08 shipped on Amazon today:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0093LINT2

VERY nice deal!

How hard is it to add an IR receiver to that one? Since it doesn't come included like the haswell model.

 

[Kaido]

How hard is it to add an IR receiver to that one? Since it doesn't come included like the haswell model.

It has a USB port on the front of the unit, so you could simply add a USB IR receiver. They run about $20, not too bad: (or use a USB extension cabled to relocate it, if you want to hide the PC)

http://www.amazon.com/Syba-SD-U1IRDA.../dp/B000JPGQ4U

Girder is pretty popular for IR control software:

http://www.promixis.com/

And of course, USB-UIRT is the standard for USB IR receivers, although it runs a much higher $50:

http://www.usbuirt.com/order.htm

 

[Pheran]

MyDigitalSSD is having a Black Friday sale with some decent mSATA prices. I'm thinking about picking up the 128G. AnandTech reviewed one of these drives.

Another alternative from Newegg: Mushkin 120G mSATA for $80.

 

[SithSolo1]

Another alternative from Newegg: Mushkin 120G mSATA for $80.

Thx, just picked one of these for my M1 build. Also if you look at amazon they list two sizes for each MydigitalSSD size: 128GB (120GB) and 256GB (240GB) and the pictures and part numbers correlate to the smaller size of each pair.

 

[Pheran]

Thx, just picked one of these for my M1 build. Also if you look at amazon they list two sizes for each MydigitalSSD size: 128GB (120GB) and 256GB (240GB) and the pictures and part numbers correlate to the smaller size of each pair.

Yes, that's just the difference between the raw flash size and the amount that's reserved to handle wear leveling. The usable capacity is the lower amount.

 

[her209]

Would these work as carputers?

 

[Pheran]

Would these work as carputers?

They're just computers. What do you want your "carputer" to do?

 

[her209]

They're just computers. What do you want your "carputer" to do?

music, GPS, movies.

 

[Kaido]

Yes, that's just the difference between the raw flash size and the amount that's reserved to handle wear leveling. The usable capacity is the lower amount.

I ordered the 256gb MydigitalSSD to test out; I've been using Mushkins primarily, but some variety will be nice. I'll report back with a speed test!

 

[Pheran]

I ordered the 256gb MydigitalSSD to test out; I've been using Mushkins primarily, but some variety will be nice. I'll report back with a speed test!

You ordered one already? The sale doesn't start until Friday.

 

[Kaido]

music, GPS, movies.

Sure, however - there are better options. First of all, Android devices pretty much do everything you want and include a touchscreen (just get a cheap tablet & mount it). Or you can just use an Android HDMI stick (under $99) and plug it into a small HDMI monitor. Second, if you want to stick with Windows software, check out the Asus T100TA Transformer:

http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-T1.../dp/B00FFJ0HUE

In a nutshell:

1. $379
2. Full version of Windows 8 (not R/T) + full version of Office 2013
3. 10.1" touchscreen (1366 x 768 resolution)
4. Has Bluetooth & 802.11n
5. 10+ hours of battery life

It uses a quad-core Atom chip and includes a detachable keyboard dock. VERY nice for the price!

 

[Kaido]

You ordered one already? The sale doesn't start until Friday.

Eh, work order - nobody at work on BF :\ Plus I wanted an extra mSATA USB adapter (I got the 256gb + USB enclosure for about the same price as the 240GB Mushkin alone). But I do like to vary my inventory at work in case one brand/model starts failing (I'm looking at you, Vertex!).

 

[Aikouka]

Are there any opinions on the Celeron-based NUC? I'm thinking about using a NUC upstairs so I can move my i3-3225-based HTPC downstairs. Although, I have two thoughts... how loud are they? I like that my i3-3225 is dead silent -- it has no fans. I can buy a Streacom fanless case for the NUC, but it only supports the Ivy Bridge models (and it's $100 ). My second thought is... how fast is the Celeron? As long as it can handle the toughest video file (say a full-quality Blu-Ray rip), I'm fine with that. Ultimately, the Celeron unit is $100 cheaper than the Ivy Bridge or Haswell i3 models.