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

[VirtualLarry]

I got tired of waiting for the Haswell NUCs with the 2.5" support, plus the Foxconn NanoPC AT-5570 is way cheaper, plus it comes with wifi card included.

 

[Kaido]

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.

I'll be re-testing my Celeron NUC with 7 this week, apparently the HD video playback doesn't like to party on XP haha. I'll test a Full HD MKV for you if you'd like!

 

[Kaido]

I got tired of waiting for the Haswell NUCs with the 2.5" support, plus the Foxconn NanoPC AT-5570 is way cheaper, plus it comes with wifi card included.

This guy?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856119080

Nice little machine! I like the price.

 

[Aikouka]

I'll be re-testing my Celeron NUC with 7 this week, apparently the HD video playback doesn't like to party on XP haha. I'll test a Full HD MKV for you if you'd like!

I read on XBMC's Wiki that the Celeron NUC works well for just about everything but Blu-Ray 3D that uses Frame Packing vs. a single-frame encoding method (side-by-side, top-bottom or checkerboard). That sounds okay, because I don't have any Frame Packing content, but I feel a bit uneasy spending money on something knowing that I could end up limiting myself in the future.

I might just go with the Haswell i3 NUC.

 

[alaricljs]

I got tired of waiting for the Haswell NUCs with the 2.5" support, plus the Foxconn NanoPC AT-5570 is way cheaper, plus it comes with wifi card included.

Intriguing... need to dig up reviews on this. I am looking for what amounts to an X terminal that can drive 2x 1920x1200 displays and this might be able to do it. However, if anyone has other suggestions? Linux able, audio, and wired NIC.

 

[Kaido]

I read on XBMC's Wiki that the Celeron NUC works well for just about everything but Blu-Ray 3D that uses Frame Packing vs. a single-frame encoding method (side-by-side, top-bottom or checkerboard). That sounds okay, because I don't have any Frame Packing content, but I feel a bit uneasy spending money on something knowing that I could end up limiting myself in the future.

I might just go with the Haswell i3 NUC.

I just got my i5 Haswell NUC in (finally!), so I'll be testing that this week, along with the 480gb Mushkin mSATA SSD. Curious to see what the speeds on that are. I also have a BRIX coming in, since I haven't played with one before.

I really like the design of the Haswell Intel NUCs btw. Like a sharp little Mac Mini

 

[natto fire]

If you're doing a basic build (i.e. for your wife), you can save $80 on the budget by not upgrading to the full 16gb, which may never be used to that capacity in daily use. 8GB + SSD is a pretty nice combination for speed & usability (if virtual memory is used, the SSD is a pretty snappy rollover unit). Plus, by going with a single 8gb stick, you can upgrade it later to 16gb as budget allows, so in a few years if you want to keep it relevant, you're not stuck with having to buy a full kit because you purchased 2x4GB for 8GB initially.

In addition, there is nearly zero performance difference in using a single stick vs. dual channel. If you're really into performance, it adds 1 or 2 FPS at most, but if you're buying a NUC, you're obviously not using it for high-end gaming because it only has integrated graphics, so the point is fairly moot. A small test for fun reading:

http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/1fcs77/discussion_ram_single_vs_dual_channel_speed/

I just got one of these (i5) and went with a single 8GB stick for possible upgrade, especially considering Intel CPUs are aging very well lately. CPUs in general are, even my 1090t seems plenty snappy for 99% of the stuff I do, and my 7950 never seems CPU bound on the games I play.

 

[Kaido]

I just got one of these (i5) and went with a single 8GB stick for possible upgrade, especially considering Intel CPUs are aging very well lately. CPUs in general are, even my 1090t seems plenty snappy for 99% of the stuff I do, and my 7950 never seems CPU bound on the games I play.

Yup, that's why I think the Steambox stuff will be a hit - most CPU's are "good enough" now. Add a decent GPU & you're all set for most 1080p gaming!

Also if anyone is looking at a NUC for HTPC use and really wants AppleTV functionality, just install Plex along with AirServer. For $15, AirServer acts as an Airplay Receiver, so you can stream your iOS device's screen to your TV/projector screen: (in a window or fullscreen)

http://www.airserver.com/

There are a few other options available as well, but this is solid & easy for a nice price.

 

[finbarqs]

still holding out for my plex media server for one of these! Something I can run 24/7 and serve all my devices (t.v., PS3, iphone, android, ipad, etc.)

 

[Binky]

i3 version with HDMI is $163 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-3217UDC3217BY

 

[TwiceOver]

i3 version with HDMI is $163 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-3217UDC3217BY

Tempting. Should work well for a plex client.

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

Saw that deal as well and snagged it up. I made a post a month back asking Kaido about his experiences and finally got around to placing the order. $180 net cost to me seemed worthy of an experiment considering I had the parts laying around. Will report back with how this works out.

 

[Aikouka]

Also if anyone is looking at a NUC for HTPC use and really wants AppleTV functionality, just install Plex along with AirServer. For $15, AirServer acts as an Airplay Receiver, so you can stream your iOS device's screen to your TV/projector screen: (in a window or fullscreen)

http://www.airserver.com/

Oh, wow... that's pretty awesome! I used to own an AppleTV, but since it was the second revision (i.e. can be hacked), it was better for me to just sell it at a premium since I never used it. I've used the AirPlay feature in XBMC, but it's fairly limited. According to their Compare page, it says it works with XBMC as well.

I just got my i5 Haswell NUC in (finally!), so I'll be testing that this week, along with the 480gb Mushkin mSATA SSD. Curious to see what the speeds on that are. I also have a BRIX coming in, since I haven't played with one before.

I really like the design of the Haswell Intel NUCs btw. Like a sharp little Mac Mini

There is one thing that has me REALLY considering the Haswell NUC: Intel's Custom Solutions Header. So, according to Missing Remote's Haswell NUC review, the Haswell NUCs have the CS Header, which is also called the HTPC Header, on the same side as the CPU. The HTPC header can be used with Pulse-Eight's Internal HDMI CEC Adapter to enable HDMI Control on your HTPC. This means that it can do things like turn your TV or AVR on when you turn your HTPC on, and you can do it without having to use their external version. That's also a bonus because the external version only supports waking devices from certain sleep levels where the internal one supports them all.

Intel included the header on only about four of their motherboards, which aren't even available anymore.

So, I'm thinking about going with the i3 model, but I really want to find a well-priced fanless third-party case for it. I found one, but it's 99... GBP!

 

[ElFenix]

Intriguing... need to dig up reviews on this. I am looking for what amounts to an X terminal that can drive 2x 1920x1200 displays and this might be able to do it. However, if anyone has other suggestions? Linux able, audio, and wired NIC.

considering nearly no HDMI implmentations support anything greater than 1920x1080, i'd say no, this probably can't.

 

[Kaido]

Saw that deal as well and snagged it up. I made a post a month back asking Kaido about his experiences and finally got around to placing the order. $180 net cost to me seemed worthy of an experiment considering I had the parts laying around. Will report back with how this works out.

I just got the red one in. Waiting on the Tbolt adapter cables tho, I'll see what works & what doesn't!

 

[alaricljs]

considering nearly no HDMI implmentations support anything greater than 1920x1080, i'd say no, this probably can't.

This is the primary issue I've been having trouble nailing down. 1920x1200 is completely inside the spec, but either the driver doesn't support it or the hardware doesn't allow it or no one has bothered to find out one way or the other. My 2408wfp has HDMI input... I don't yet have a system with native HDMI out to test 1920x1200. Not about to burn through money buying test rigs.

 

[Pheran]

i3 version with HDMI is $163 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-3217UDC3217BY

Just so everyone is aware, that's the Ivy Bridge version, not Haswell. There's nothing wrong with that as long as you know what you are getting. There are some differences other than the processor, such as no builtin IR.

 

[you2]

Well last year ivy bridge model; I think the haswel has two advantages (lower power/lower heat; and true 24.x frame rate (for those who care).

i3 version with HDMI is $163 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-3217UDC3217BY

 

[waxking1]

considering nearly no HDMI implmentations support anything greater than 1920x1080, i'd say no, this probably can't.

HDMI 1.4 supports 4K resolutions at 24 and 30 FPS. If you are talking about 60fps you will have to have HDMI 2.0.

 

[SunnyD]

i3 version with HDMI is $163 at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...-3217UDC3217BY

Dang, it's not $163 anymore. Would have LOVED to get one as a media box for my living room now that I have a plex server VM set up in my closet.

 

[jrichrds]

Dang, it's not $163 anymore. Would have LOVED to get one as a media box for my living room now that I have a plex server VM set up in my closet.

It's selling at multiple places for the same $162-163 price. Here's another option:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...G&A=details&Q=

These are basically being cleared out for the Haswell-based Intel NUCs. The red one has Thunderbolt but no ethernet. I'd rather wait for the black one with dual HDMI and gigabit ethernet to get to this pricing.

 

[jrichrds]

I just got the red one in. Waiting on the Tbolt adapter cables tho, I'll see what works & what doesn't!

would that be a Thunderbolt gigabit ethernet adapter?

 

[Kaido]

would that be a Thunderbolt gigabit ethernet adapter?

Nope, video cable (Mini DisplayPort). I ordered both a Tbolt to HDMI cable & a Tbolt to HDMI adapter. I have a couple machines that will need them & wanted to test both methods. I also snagged the last-gen red-top NUC on sale, excited to try that out as well! I do have a USB to Ethernet cable for that one (it will be running dual monitors), so I'll see how fast the adapter speeds are too.

 

[Kaido]

Out of all the NUCs I have purchased, I have only had issues with one: the first-gen i3 (black-top). I have several of these models, but only one was flaky. It appears to get pretty dang warm on top and then the Ethernet flakes out; I suspect the heat (possibly fan not working? I have to do some troubleshooting on it this weekend) causes the Ethernet chip to start having errors (it drops the network connection randomly). I temporarily threw a USB Ethernet adapter on & it fixed it, but I'm going to swap it out when I get a replacement in.

That is the only issue I have had with them over the last 12 months (they all run 24/7). I'll be putting together my first Haswell model this weekend; I'm interested to see if they run cooler in terms of surface temperature. I also have some BRIX coming in. Super interested to try some Iris Pro models when they become available!

 

[SunnyD]

It's selling at multiple places for the same $162-163 price. Here's another option:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...G&A=details&Q=

These are basically being cleared out for the Haswell-based Intel NUCs. The red one has Thunderbolt but no ethernet. I'd rather wait for the black one with dual HDMI and gigabit ethernet to get to this pricing.

Yeah, I'd kind of want an ethernet port on it. Irony in the "No HDMI" hot deals world... "No ethernet" is just about a deal breaker. Though I suppose I could live of Wifi since I haven't wired my house yet anyway... lol.