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

[Kaido]

Mr Kaido the guru.

I got my thunderbolt edition i3 ivy bridge nuc and stuck in the internals i had laying around. Safe to say, plugged it into my receiver and have a new streaming machine + backup server. Wanted to thank you for that.

New question. I know theres monitors out there like the Gechic Onlap (AT did a review a year or so back). Essentially these are powered by USB but run off HDMI for video so its more like a real monitor. Long story short is I'm wondering if you know any other monitors like this? (USB powered and run off HDMI/MDP) because I'm thinking about building a very small nuc + monitor setup that would be both portable, light and easily moveable without clutter. Would be great because I can just leave one on the kitchen island for my parents and they could easily move it somewhere else while still having a desktop feel to it.

Thanks!

You're welcome! I love these things! Super easy to work on, incredibly small, low power, etc. Way fun to work with! There's a cheaper version ($89) of the neat AOC montior that EliteRetard posted, if you just need something budget-oriented:

http://www.amazon.com/AOC-E1649FWU-U.../dp/B005SEZR0G

They also make USB to VGA/DVI/HDMI adapters, but those just run into standard monitors so not much point since you can just hook those up directly. Might also be worth looking into one of those inexpensive micro-LED projectors if you have any flat surfaces available.

 

[RossMAN]

What do you think of this for my needs?

Good deal, worth buying or should I wait for the new models?

 

[EliteRetard]

You're welcome! I love these things! Super easy to work on, incredibly small, low power, etc. Way fun to work with! There's a cheaper version ($89) of the neat AOC montior that EliteRetard posted, if you just need something budget-oriented:

http://www.amazon.com/AOC-E1649FWU-U.../dp/B005SEZR0G

*snip*

Don't get the older AOC, it's far to shitty. It's USB 2.0 has lower power and lower bandwidth. The case and stand is worse and no Vesa mount either. Like getting a 1970s Ford Pinto over a 2000's Kia Rio. Sure the Kia is crappy and low end but so much better than the alternative.

I'm eagerly awaiting USB 3.1 with up to 100w of power over the single cable, there will be no issue powering a decent quality monitor. The 10Gbps bandwidth is enough for 1080p/60hz.

 

[you2]

Bit confused; can this be used as a regular monitor for a server (i.e, no other display; just used for booting et all) ?

You're welcome! I love these things! Super easy to work on, incredibly small, low power, etc. Way fun to work with! There's a cheaper version ($89) of the neat AOC montior that EliteRetard posted, if you just need something budget-oriented:

http://www.amazon.com/AOC-E1649FWU-U.../dp/B005SEZR0G

They also make USB to VGA/DVI/HDMI adapters, but those just run into standard monitors so not much point since you can just hook those up directly. Might also be worth looking into one of those inexpensive micro-LED projectors if you have any flat surfaces available.

 

[Kaido]

Don't get the older AOC, it's far to crappy. It's USB 2.0 has lower power and lower bandwidth. The case and stand is worse and no Vesa mount either. Like getting a 1970s Ford Pinto over a 2000's Kia Rio. Sure the Kia is crappy and low end but so much better than the alternative.

I'm eagerly awaiting USB 3.1 with up to 100w of power over the single cable, there will be no issue powering a decent quality monitor. The 10Gbps bandwidth is enough for 1080p/60hz.

Yeah but he picked up the Tbolt IVB i3 NUC, which only has USB 2.0 - no USB 3.0 ports.

 

[Kaido]

Bit confused; can this be used as a regular monitor for a server (i.e, no other display; just used for booting et all) ?

Good question, I've never tried booting with one. The USB to VGA/DVI/HDMI connectors are more for adding a third monitor to a desktop with only two video outputs, or a laptop with only one video outputs. If you don't mind spending a few bucks, you can just get an IP-KVM (I think the basic models run $170 to $250) and remotely administer the server.

 

[Kaido]

What do you think of this for my needs?

Good deal, worth buying or should I wait for the new models?

That IS a pretty good price, it's selling for $299 everywhere else. Personally I would go for an i5 model - as a power user, the previous-generation Ivy Bridge i3 models felt a bit laggy to me, but it depends on how you're going to use it. I've been deploying them to your typical office worker and they think it's magically fast, between the SSD & i3 & tiny size, they absolutely love them! So it depends on the usage.

Plus, you will have to get an mSATA SSD instead of a 2.5" SSD. However, this model has USB 3.0 and there's a 4TB hard drive on sale here in the Hot Deals section for $129, so you could get a small 120gb SSD for the OS and then a monster 4TB for data storage and that would work out really nicely.

 

[Kaido]

this thread deserves a birthday party next week

Happy birthday thread! :awe:

I, for one, am very grateful for these little boxes. They make my life soooo much easier in terms of hardware tech support at work, plus I don't have to lug around giant towers for maintenance anymore. Plus they're saving me mad money in terms of power usage! And they're tiny and wall-mountable, so I can be creative in placement instead of taking up half the desktop or half of your legroom under the desk. Plus they're just plain cool - tiny, ridiculously fast mini-computers, can't beat em! :biggrin:

It's also neat how much progress these have made...from being shown as backends for advertising displays to generating consumer interest to being released to consumers for a fairly reasonable price to already being on the second generation with lots of great new features (IR, USB 3.0, more ports, analog audio ports, etc.) and having more stuff in the pipeline (2.5"-drive models, Iris Pro models, a model with a built-in projector from Gigabyte, etc.), so it's cool to be able to get one with the latest-generation CPU & not have to wait until next year!

 

[you2]

Interesting the i5 version comes with a power cord and is 373
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-D54250WY...el+nuc+4th+gen

That IS a pretty good price, it's selling for $299 everywhere else. Personally I would go for an i5 model - as a power user, the previous-generation Ivy Bridge i3 models felt a bit laggy to me, but it depends on how you're going to use it. I've been deploying them to your typical office worker and they think it's magically fast, between the SSD & i3 & tiny size, they absolutely love them! So it depends on the usage.

Plus, you will have to get an mSATA SSD instead of a 2.5" SSD. However, this model has USB 3.0 and there's a 4TB hard drive on sale here in the Hot Deals section for $129, so you could get a small 120gb SSD for the OS and then a monster 4TB for data storage and that would work out really nicely.

 

[Kaido]

Interesting the i5 version comes with a power cord and is 373
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-D54250WY...el+nuc+4th+gen

Ah excellent! Out of stock already haha. I got it at like $430 or so. I'll probably snag some more though, hope it stays cheaper!

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

Kaido,

Appreciate the link. I don't think however that that monitor fits the bill. The beauty of that Gechic On-Lap monitor was that it used the USB to power to the display electrically, but used HDMI for the display. Why that is useful is because then you can watch videos on it instead of using displaylink which had the limited bandwith. Also I beleive you can use that as a boot monitor as well.

In short, if anyone has a small monitor that can be powered via USB but using full HDMI/Displayport as the video interface, that would be great.

Thanks! (I think this would work especially well as a solution to a headless server running off a nuc for everyone)

 

[Kaido]

Kaido,

Appreciate the link. I don't think however that that monitor fits the bill. The beauty of that Gechic On-Lap monitor was that it used the USB to power to the display electrically, but used HDMI for the display. Why that is useful is because then you can watch videos on it instead of using displaylink which had the limited bandwith. Also I beleive you can use that as a boot monitor as well.

In short, if anyone has a small monitor that can be powered via USB but using full HDMI/Displayport as the video interface, that would be great.

Thanks! (I think this would work especially well as a solution to a headless server running off a nuc for everyone)

Ah OK, so you're looking for a standard-connection monitor that has USB for power only, not for the video card connection as well. Personally I don't even like Displaylink for basic stuff like Microsoft Office, but that's just me :biggrin:

As far as HDMI + USB-powered monitors, there's a whole slew of them for applications like in-car monitors (like for backup cameras) & HD video recording. Try searching for terms like "USB powered field monitor"; one good brand is Lilliput (available on eBay). A lot of them have HDMI input and you could probably convert them to USB power if there isn't an off-the-shelf model available. That Gechic unit looks like a pretty niche system, can't say I've ever used a USB-powered monitor with a standard display input!

 

[DoeBoy]

There is so much variety in the Nuc's out there its hard to figure out what I need. I am just looking for a media pc that can stream hd from the network and function as a dvr as well. Being able to stream 1080p FULL HD from the blu-ray in my main desktop is also something I would need. I was looking at the i3's and what not, but I am not sure if they would be capable of handling the tasks I want.

 

[ch33zw1z]

There is so much variety in the Nuc's out there its hard to figure out what I need. I am just looking for a media pc that can stream hd from the network and function as a dvr as well. Being able to stream 1080p FULL HD from the blu-ray in my main desktop is also something I would need. I was looking at the i3's and what not, but I am not sure if they would be capable of handling the tasks I want.

I currently use a 3 year old Lenovo EDGE 14" (win 7 x64) with a Core i3, 4GB ram, 64 GB SSD to stream 1080p from my Linux server. The biggest impact so far has been network speeds. It's not so good over wireless n 2.4ghz, wireless is always YMMV. Wired works much better for the full quality 1080p, of course gigabit is always preferred.

 

[Kaido]

There is so much variety in the Nuc's out there its hard to figure out what I need. I am just looking for a media pc that can stream hd from the network and function as a dvr as well. Being able to stream 1080p FULL HD from the blu-ray in my main desktop is also something I would need. I was looking at the i3's and what not, but I am not sure if they would be capable of handling the tasks I want.

So basically there are 2 models:

1. Ivy Bridge
2. Haswell (newer)

Some questions:

1. How are you planning on doing DVR? (i.e. USB recorder with a large external drive?)
2. What do you mean by streaming Bluray from your desktop? Like MKV rips?

 

[DoeBoy]

I have mkv rips and also a blu-ray drive for actual discs. The DVR I wasn't sure if I would use some kind of external usb drive connected to the nuc or send the data to my main pc for storage. Another thought is to get a larger msata and just drop it on there and remove the usb all together. Its a gigabit network with an asus ac router.

On a side note has anybody tried to use one of these nuc's as an AD box? Or perhaps dropped esxi on it and ran a VM or two on it?

 

[Kaido]

I have mkv rips and also a blu-ray drive for actual discs. The DVR I wasn't sure if I would use some kind of external usb drive connected to the nuc or send the data to my main pc for storage. Another thought is to get a larger msata and just drop it on there and remove the usb all together. Its a gigabit network with an asus ac router.

On a side note has anybody tried to use one of these nuc's as an AD box? Or perhaps dropped esxi on it and ran a VM or two on it?

You could automate the transfer of the records with something like Watch 4 Folder:

http://leelusoft.blogspot.in/2011/10/watch-4-folder-23.html

So have it record to the NUC (and do DVR-type of stuff like pause live TV) and then have it transfer the recorded shows to your main PC for storage. I'm not sure how you'd stream a Bluray disc over the network; maybe if you shared optical drive out and then connected to it using a player, I dunno about the bandwidth & HDCP and stuff though. Might be interesting to try. I mostly just use MakeMKV (or else an ISO) and use Plex, although you'll probably want something like Windows Media Center if you're going to be doing DVR stuff on live TV.

I've considered using it as a backup AD box (second PDC) for one of my network projects, just haven't had the time to mess with ESXi on these babies yet. I'd imagine the combo of the SSD, IVB/Haswell CPU, and Gigabit Ethernet would be pretty great for a ton of networks; it's a lot better than a lot of the aging servers I've worked on, at any rate.

 

[Pheran]

On a side note has anybody tried to use one of these nuc's as an AD box? Or perhaps dropped esxi on it and ran a VM or two on it?

I have hopes of replacing my large clunky whitebox ESXi server with a NUC/Synology combo, but sadly it must wait until I've taken care of some more important expenses, like paying off my new furnace.

 

[Kaido]

I have hopes of replacing my large clunky whitebox ESXi server with a NUC/Synology combo, but sadly it must wait until I've taken care of some more important expenses, like paying off my new furnace.

Dang adult responsibilities!

A review of the BRIX with the built-in Projector is up:

http://uk.hardware.info/reviews/5058/gigabyte-brix-projector-i3-4010-review-mini-projector-pc

Action shot:

http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products/xl/200336-7.jpg

Takeaways:

* Max screen size is 7 feet
* Needs near-darkness due to low 75 lumens
* 864x480 resolution
* Mini-HDMI input, in addition to NUC output
* Noisy projector, despite low heat
* Summary: "Impressive, but not very useful"

It's a cool idea. I have no idea what the application would be. Low-budget Plex player for a kid's playroom maybe? I can't see this being seriously used in business due to the low resolution, non-upgradable hardware (in general), and need for extremely dark conditions. A road warrior would just get a small LED projector like the Aaxa P300 to hook into their existing laptop. I dunno. But kind of cool! Fine for Youtube, DVD movies, that sort of thing for sure.

 

[Kaido]

I'm still interested in one of these as a SteamOS Steambox. The 2.5" model would be great:

http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-h...wykh-spotted-enclosure-2-5-inch-drives_127098

Then add Iris Pro to that, like in the BRIX II model:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/11/4717926/gigabyte-brix-ii-hands-on-photos

In other news, a major bank just rolled out 30k NUCs after finding the thin clients were unable to meet their needs:

http://www.itpro.co.uk/strategy/21030/intel-deploys-30000-nucs-major-us-bank

I haven't used them in a kiosk application, but I have used them in non-touchscreen digital signage & they sure work great. Windows + Windows apps + VNC = SUPER easy digital signage. If you're ever worked with traditional digital signage control systems, this is a HUGE leap forward in usability over those types of integrated systems.

 

[you2]

Can someone summarize the pro/con of the intel model vs brix model. My biggest concerns are ports size and reliability. I don't really care if I use a 60gb msata or regular sata; but I would like wireless to work with linux (i don't care if i have to add a card; but it needs to have good range - i currently use a usb dongle that has exceptional range (upstairs room with router downstairs). This is a build for someone else not htpc and 60gb with linux is plenty for their usage. Right now I'm leaning towards the intel i3 @ 260 (would buy in a couple of months) but I'm concern the wifi is not very good and i wouldn't mind an additional port (though I could use a usb 4:1 - need to support kb/mouse/printer).
The brix looks interesting but no clue how the gigabyte mb compares to the intel.

 

[Kaido]

Can someone summarize the pro/con of the intel model vs brix model. My biggest concerns are ports size and reliability. I don't really care if I use a 60gb msata or regular sata; but I would like wireless to work with linux (i don't care if i have to add a card; but it needs to have good range - i currently use a usb dongle that has exceptional range (upstairs room with router downstairs). This is a build for someone else not htpc and 60gb with linux is plenty for their usage. Right now I'm leaning towards the intel i3 @ 260 (would buy in a couple of months) but I'm concern the wifi is not very good and i wouldn't mind an additional port (though I could use a usb 4:1 - need to support kb/mouse/printer).
The brix looks interesting but no clue how the gigabyte mb compares to the intel.

So there's two models: Ivy Bridge & Haswell. Haswell is the newer model, which adds USB 3.0, more USB ports, and an analog audio jack on the front. The Intel Haswell NUC also has an IR receiver, if you need that. The Intel Haswell i5 model has the better HD5000 graphics, but the Gigabyte BRIX also comes in i7 flavor. So it really depends on your needs, and also what is supported under the OS flavor you want to go with.

So far there have been a couple reports of the Wifi/BT combo on the Gigabyte models being flakey, and one review that the Gigabyte Haswell is slower than the Gigabyte Ivy Bridge model. I do really like the build quality of the new Intel Haswell NUC - I think it's an aluminum wrap with a plastic top, feels very nice. So anyway, the key thing will be researching Linux drivers for the model you're interested in. Which Intel i3 are you looking at - the IVB or the Haswell?

 

[Kaido]

Got my first Haswell BRIX in. Amazingly, it's even more compact than the NUC model. The design is very nice if you're into aesthetics - a nice clean square with slightly beveled edges. Pictures don't do it justice, but here's one anyway:

http://i.imgur.com/X5awYZH.jpg

It is definitely smaller than the other NUC models, including both the Intel IVB & Intel Haswell. Here they are in a lineup: (i5 Haswell BRIX, i5 Haswell NUC, Celeron IVB NUC)

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

I'll post a followup once I get all of the adapters in (Mini-HDMI etc.). I got a variety of wireless cards to test as well, including the new 802.11ac model. These things are like Pokemon, gotta collect em all

 

[you2]

only considering the haswel model. THere were heat issues with the ivy bridge models. Either i3 or i5; but i3 is fast enough for my needs. The question was mostly centered around brix vs intel; i forget if the intel model has wifi or if you need to buy a card; also not sure if the larger intel model has more ports (i know that one is not available today but I think it will be available when I buy).

So there's two models: Ivy Bridge & Haswell. Haswell is the newer model, which adds USB 3.0, more USB ports, and an analog audio jack on the front. The Intel Haswell NUC also has an IR receiver, if you need that. The Intel Haswell i5 model has the better HD5000 graphics, but the Gigabyte BRIX also comes in i7 flavor. So it really depends on your needs, and also what is supported under the OS flavor you want to go with.

So far there have been a couple reports of the Wifi/BT combo on the Gigabyte models being flakey, and one review that the Gigabyte Haswell is slower than the Gigabyte Ivy Bridge model. I do really like the build quality of the new Intel Haswell NUC - I think it's an aluminum wrap with a plastic top, feels very nice. So anyway, the key thing will be researching Linux drivers for the model you're interested in. Which Intel i3 are you looking at - the IVB or the Haswell?

 

[imaheadcase]

Why a NUC over a shuttle barebone? They are around $400 for barebone like these, can install XMBC on them as well.

Plus shuttle gives more options, full video card upgrade if you want, quiet CPU operation., NIC upgrade expansion. standard HD size.

Shuttle is bigger but its only showbox size, plus it looks better than these. The power savings is not noticeable vs NUC.

The only reason a NUC is good is if you are mass buying 100s-1000s at a time. But for pure media streamer/server Shuttle seems a lot better.