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

[alfa147x]

I need to breakdown and order one of these. My RPi is doing terrible with Hadoop

 

[hans007]

I'm looking at getting the new bay trail one that seems to be available at some stores now.

 

[Kaido]

I'm looking at getting the new bay trail one that seems to be available at some stores now.

Yeah, I'm interested to see some in-depth reviews about it. Provantage and J&R have it for $130 - $150:

http://www.provantage.com/intel-boxdn2820fykh0~7ITSP13M.htm

http://www.jr.com/intel/pe/ITE_BOXDN282A00/

http://www.amazon.com/Single-Pack-DN...dp/B00HUYLZ7Q/

This uses the Bay Trail 2.4ghz Celeron N2820 chip:

http://ark.intel.com/products/79052/Intel-Celeron-Processor-N2820-1M-Cache-up-to-2_39-GHz

Specs per Intel's site:

http://ark.intel.com/products/78953/Intel-NUC-Kit-DN2820FYK

* Dual-core 2.4ghz Celeron
* 1.35v 8GB max (single chip)
* Single HDMI output
* (2) USB 2.0 ports & (1) USB 3.0 port
* Includes an Wireless-N 7260 Wifi card + Bluetooth + IR
* Takes a semi-standard 7mm 2.5" drive (based off the tested parts listing, not 100% sure it doesn't support 9.5mm drives though)

This definitely seems oriented towards the HTPC market. There's a listing of tested compatible hard drives & SSD's under the "Drives - SATA" header here:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/dk-dn2820fyk/sb/CS-034622.htm

They also listed a compatible IR remote for Windows (Topseed Technology PRCHD19GIR02-0, P/N TSHD-IR02). Found their website here:

http://www.topseed.com.tw/

I was just cleaning out my old modded Xbox stuff and wished there was a cheaper NUC to play emulators on, so this may be the ticket! Seagate has a nice 7mm 500gb drive for only $55 here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822178125

And a basic 7mm 120gb SSD goes for around $99 these days, so there are plenty of drive options available. I already have the Xbox 360 for Windows kit: (wireless Xbox 360 controller + USB receiver for Windows)

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox...dp/B004QRKWKQ/

I have a second controller to handle 2-player games as well; I like the ergonomics of the controller, plus it's fairly compatible with the layouts of the old NES & SNES controllers. Configuration information is here:

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-other-devices/windows/xbox-controller-for-windows-configure

I also have an X-Arcade 2-player joystick pad, although unfortunately it is not wireless:

http://www.xgaming.com/

But you can get a 16-foot USB cable if you need the length, or else loop an Ethernet cable around using a USB Ethernet Extender kit:

http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY%C2%AE-o...dp/B003BDMK3S/

Then slap on Hyperspin for MAME + emulators:

http://hyperspin-fe.com/

So really, the cost could be pretty low. $140 for the box, $75 for 8GB RAM, $55 for a 500gb HDD, then add your choice of OS & controllers. I've had good luck with Crucial for my Haswell NUC's so far:

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12...dp/B006YG8X9Y/

iPazzport (available on Amazon) has some great mini-keyboard/touchpad combos if you need a compact keyboard/mouse input:

http://ipazzportusa.com/

I've also had good luck with the Logitech "couch mouse", which has a sealed bottom for use on fabrics (armrests, pants leg, etc.):

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Couch.../dp/B004HIN8N2

The Logitech K400 is a great compact keyboard with a built-in touchpad: (I actually use both this & the couch mouse depending on what I'm doing - sometimes a mouse is easier for moving around in stuff like 3D videogames)

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wirel...dp/B005DKZTMG/

Brando has a zillion wireless keyboard & remote options as well:

http://usb.brando.com/usb-keyboard_c034d015

I think this will be a hit in the home theater market, especially if it can handle high-bitrate MKV playback & run XBMC (like OpenELEC off a USB stick so you don't even need a HDD). I haven't had much interest in picking one up for home due to the high total price, but for around $260 for the NUC/8GB/500GB (plus OS/controllers, or use OpenELEC & recycle your existing input devices) that seems like a pretty good deal!

 

[Kaido]

I need to breakdown and order one of these. My RPi is doing terrible with Hadoop

I really wanted to have a use for the RPi, but it's kind of like Arduino - a lot of the time, there's either a more powerful solution (like a $140 NUC barebones) or a pre-made solution (like Z-wave equipment for home automation) available that will fit the project needs better. I'm a big fan of off-the-shelf solutions because then they don't become time sinks - you can simply hop on & use them, and maintenance is easy, so if your end goal is usage instead of tinkering, they offer more value for a slightly higher (but not insanely higher) price.

Like with the NUC's acting as retro gaming stations - Windows installation is easy & familiar, no programming required, and installing apps & other stuff like Plex, XBMC, OpenELEC, Hyperspin, Maximus Arcade, Dolphin, Steam Big Picture, etc. is cake, no special skills required. And actually, I'm very curious about the new Iris Pro NUC models in regards to acting as a nice, basic Steam box. The new $140 Bay Trail model is appealing for old-school gaming, but it might be worth the extra green for a super-compact i5/i7 system that doesn't suck up a lot of power but can handle some basic 3D stuff & higher-power emulators like Dolphin.

 

[Kaido]

Oh yeah, some arcade & media player resources if you're into that sort of thing:

Listing of Arcade front-ends

Hyperspin (well-supported front-end)

Lazarus ROMS

Daphne (laserdisc emulator)

Steam Big Picture (TV interface for your Steam collection)

KADE miniArcade interface board (amazing interface board for connecting DIY controls to players like computers & consoles)

Arcade Controls (hardware parts)

X-Arcade (pre-made arcade controllers, as well as a variety of DIY parts)

OpenELEC (embedded Linux OS specifically to run XBMC)

Plex (media server & media player; more modern & integrated version of XBMC)

You can build your own arcade cabinet out of plywood pretty easily and just slap in a pre-made X-arcade pad, a small television, and one of these inexpensive Bay Trail NUC's and have a pretty sweet setup without too much effort! Duretex is a really good heavy-duty paint used on traveling speaker cabinets that you can coat a cabinet with to help protect it & give it a durable finish:

http://store.acrytech.com/Speaker-Cabinet-Coatings/

 

[you2]

I just don't like this solution; esp with 4k tvs around the corner. The biggest concern I have is the use of the n2820. It has an ivy bridge gpu and it lacks display port. The passmark for this thing (980) is in the ballpark of a snapdragon 800 (but it lacks the faster gpu that comes with the snapdragon). The mobile I3 is 2700 (3 times faster) and the celeron g3220 ($60 part) is 3300 (the celeron uses aruond 40 watt when maxed).
-
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Celeron+N2810+@+2.00GHz&id=2109
-
So while this system is cheap and small it is not as small (or cheap) as a mini-pc (there is a mini-pc based off the n2805 coming out in late q1/early q2
http://media.bestofmicro.com/6/0/417528/original/ecs-mini-lake.jpg
-
and it is not nearly as fast as other cheap solutions (that could fit in the same form factor). The be quite frank the GPU bundle with some of the new arms chipset are significantly faster than this thing at a lower price point.
-
In this segment I would look for a complete mini pc below $200 or a system that is 2x faster.

Yeah, I'm interested to see some in-depth reviews about it. Provantage and J&R have it for $130 - $150:

http://www.provantage.com/intel-boxdn2820fykh0~7ITSP13M.htm

http://www.jr.com/intel/pe/ITE_BOXDN282A00/

http://www.amazon.com/Single-Pack-DN...dp/B00HUYLZ7Q/

This uses the Bay Trail 2.4ghz Celeron N2820 chip:

http://ark.intel.com/products/79052/Intel-Celeron-Processor-N2820-1M-Cache-up-to-2_39-GHz

Specs per Intel's site:

http://ark.intel.com/products/78953/Intel-NUC-Kit-DN2820FYK

* Dual-core 2.4ghz Celeron
* 1.35v 8GB max (single chip)
* Single HDMI output
* (2) USB 2.0 ports & (1) USB 3.0 port
* Includes an Wireless-N 7260 Wifi card + Bluetooth + IR
* Takes a semi-standard 7mm 2.5" drive (based off the tested parts listing, not 100% sure it doesn't support 9.5mm drives though)

This definitely seems oriented towards the HTPC market. There's a listing of tested compatible hard drives & SSD's under the "Drives - SATA" header here:

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/dk-dn2820fyk/sb/CS-034622.htm

They also listed a compatible IR remote for Windows (Topseed Technology PRCHD19GIR02-0, P/N TSHD-IR02). Found their website here:

http://www.topseed.com.tw/

I was just cleaning out my old modded Xbox stuff and wished there was a cheaper NUC to play emulators on, so this may be the ticket! Seagate has a nice 7mm 500gb drive for only $55 here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822178125

And a basic 7mm 120gb SSD goes for around $99 these days, so there are plenty of drive options available. I already have the Xbox 360 for Windows kit: (wireless Xbox 360 controller + USB receiver for Windows)

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox...dp/B004QRKWKQ/

I have a second controller to handle 2-player games as well; I like the ergonomics of the controller, plus it's fairly compatible with the layouts of the old NES & SNES controllers. Configuration information is here:

https://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-on-other-devices/windows/xbox-controller-for-windows-configure

I also have an X-Arcade 2-player joystick pad, although unfortunately it is not wireless:

http://www.xgaming.com/

But you can get a 16-foot USB cable if you need the length, or else loop an Ethernet cable around using a USB Ethernet Extender kit:

http://www.amazon.com/SANOXY%C2%AE-o...dp/B003BDMK3S/

Then slap on Hyperspin for MAME + emulators:

http://hyperspin-fe.com/

So really, the cost could be pretty low. $140 for the box, $75 for 8GB RAM, $55 for a 500gb HDD, then add your choice of OS & controllers. I've had good luck with Crucial for my Haswell NUC's so far:

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-12...dp/B006YG8X9Y/

iPazzport (available on Amazon) has some great mini-keyboard/touchpad combos if you need a compact keyboard/mouse input:

http://ipazzportusa.com/

I've also had good luck with the Logitech "couch mouse", which has a sealed bottom for use on fabrics (armrests, pants leg, etc.):

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Couch.../dp/B004HIN8N2

The Logitech K400 is a great compact keyboard with a built-in touchpad: (I actually use both this & the couch mouse depending on what I'm doing - sometimes a mouse is easier for moving around in stuff like 3D videogames)

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wirel...dp/B005DKZTMG/

Brando has a zillion wireless keyboard & remote options as well:

http://usb.brando.com/usb-keyboard_c034d015

I think this will be a hit in the home theater market, especially if it can handle high-bitrate MKV playback & run XBMC (like OpenELEC off a USB stick so you don't even need a HDD). I haven't had much interest in picking one up for home due to the high total price, but for around $260 for the NUC/8GB/500GB (plus OS/controllers, or use OpenELEC & recycle your existing input devices) that seems like a pretty good deal!

 

[Kaido]

I just don't like this solution; esp with 4k tvs around the corner. The biggest concern I have is the use of the n2820. It has an ivy bridge gpu and it lacks display port. The passmark for this thing (980) is in the ballpark of a snapdragon 800 (but it lacks the faster gpu that comes with the snapdragon). The mobile I3 is 2700 (3 times faster) and the celeron g3220 ($60 part) is 3300 (the celeron uses aruond 40 watt when maxed).
-
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Celeron+N2810+@+2.00GHz&id=2109
-
So while this system is cheap and small it is not as small (or cheap) as a mini-pc (there is a mini-pc based off the n2805 coming out in late q1/early q2
http://media.bestofmicro.com/6/0/417528/original/ecs-mini-lake.jpg
-
and it is not nearly as fast as other cheap solutions (that could fit in the same form factor). The be quite frank the GPU bundle with some of the new arms chipset are significantly faster than this thing at a lower price point.
-
In this segment I would look for a complete mini pc below $200 or a system that is 2x faster.

That's the thing with the NUCs: you have to weigh the small size vs. cost & performance. I can build a pretty nice HTPC for the same cost as a NUC and get better gaming features, but have a larger size & have to spend more per month on power. But it's also nice to have something the size of a set-top player, especially if you're only going to be doing basic HD streaming & low-GPU-usage games like retro emulators.

I think the new NUC with the Iris Pro would be a pretty good fit for how much I game (i.e. not much, as far as 3D Steam stuff goes), but I really don't want to pay $500 - $650 for the privilege because I can build a semi-serious gaming rig for that price.

 

[you2]

Yes but we had this conversation; the thing is that when you start talking about the bay-trail nuc then you are talking about a huge (in size) mini-pc (i.e,t here will be smaller computers with similar performance for less $$). The only issue is when; you can buy the bay-trail nuc today; the newer mini-pc are not yet out but they should be available in the next 2 to 4 months.
-
I'm not sure I see any advantage of this box over the next generation of mini-pc other than perhaps intel warranty and not having to wait a few months.
-

That's the thing with the NUCs: you have to weigh the small size vs. cost & performance. I can build a pretty nice HTPC for the same cost as a NUC and get better gaming features, but have a larger size & have to spend more per month on power. But it's also nice to have something the size of a set-top player, especially if you're only going to be doing basic HD streaming & low-GPU-usage games like retro emulators.

I think the new NUC with the Iris Pro would be a pretty good fit for how much I game (i.e. not much, as far as 3D Steam stuff goes), but I really don't want to pay $500 - $650 for the privilege because I can build a semi-serious gaming rig for that price.

 

[Aikouka]

I'm rather tempted to pick up one of those Atom NUCs to see how well it performs. If only I had a lot of that other stuff (mSATA SSD, DDR3L SO-DIMM) lying around. Those are what really add up to make me cringe a bit.

And actually, I'm very curious about the new Iris Pro NUC models in regards to acting as a nice, basic Steam box.

Gigabyte showed off their SteamBox at CES, which was just their BRIX Pro with hardware already built in. So, if they're willing to show it off, it ought to do an alright job.

 

[hans007]

I'm rather tempted to pick up one of those Atom NUCs to see how well it performs. If only I had a lot of that other stuff (mSATA SSD, DDR3L SO-DIMM) lying around. Those are what really add up to make me cringe a bit.



Gigabyte showed off their SteamBox at CES, which was just their BRIX Pro with hardware already built in. So, if they're willing to show it off, it ought to do an alright job.

its even more tempting for me, i have a 4GB DDR3L already sitting aorund. the 7mm drive requirement is kind of disappointing if that is true. a 9.5mm would really help with the "catering to people with crap laying around" demographic

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

Kaido, new question to see if you've run into this problem.

My red top i3 nuc (last gen) seems to be having some stability issues. it will randomly crash and enter into bootloops.

I have 8.1 install with all the updates. Just curious if you know what it could be. If not, ill start with the basics like memtest and see if its bad ram I should warranty or maybe a dying SSD or nuc itself.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I'm looking forward to the Atom-based NUC, primarily on price alone. A little disappointed that it is so different than the other NUCs (no mSATA SSD, for the OS, in addition to the 2.5" HDD), and no DP for 4K support.

 

[finbarqs]

got around to transcoding on the plex yet Kaido? very interested to see if the i5 will suit me...

 

[Kaido]

got around to transcoding on the plex yet Kaido? very interested to see if the i5 will suit me...

Yeah trying it out on both the Haswell i5 & Haswell i7. I also think my Iris Pro arrives today, not sure if that's in your budget but I can test that as well.

 

[Kaido]

Kaido, new question to see if you've run into this problem.

My red top i3 nuc (last gen) seems to be having some stability issues. it will randomly crash and enter into bootloops.

I have 8.1 install with all the updates. Just curious if you know what it could be. If not, ill start with the basics like memtest and see if its bad ram I should warranty or maybe a dying SSD or nuc itself.

First thing, let it run for awhile (especially with something like Prime95) and see how hot it gets. One of my IVB i3 models got super toasty on top and needed to be replaced; the replacement (same model) was a different revision and had a thermal cooling pad with a metal indent designed to keep the SSD cool. Night & day difference in terms of how hot the top got. My particular issue was that the Ethernet would drop out, I believe from the heat.

Second thing, load up Memtest86+ on a USB stick and let it run 6 passes overnight. If it runs without failure, go ahead and install the HDtune trial to see if anything's funky with the SSD. That's a pretty odd problem to have; usually if it was a memory error, it wouldn't do the bootloop thing. Make sure you have the latest BIOS as well, and drivers while you're at it.

 

[Kaido]

its even more tempting for me, i have a 4GB DDR3L already sitting aorund. the 7mm drive requirement is kind of disappointing if that is true. a 9.5mm would really help with the "catering to people with crap laying around" demographic

Yeah I'm not sure, I haven't seen an official spec on it. It'd be far nicer to have 9.5mm drives supported since those are a dime a dozen if you don't have one lying around.

 

[Kaido]

I'm rather tempted to pick up one of those Atom NUCs to see how well it performs. If only I had a lot of that other stuff (mSATA SSD, DDR3L SO-DIMM) lying around. Those are what really add up to make me cringe a bit.



Gigabyte showed off their SteamBox at CES, which was just their BRIX Pro with hardware already built in. So, if they're willing to show it off, it ought to do an alright job.

Yeah, I wish they had changed the Ultrabook chip requirement to accept 1.5V RAM on the desktop model, since that is more easily accessible. Oh well.

I like to run through Half-Life & Portal about once a year, and occasionally fire up something new over the holidays, so my gaming requirements aren't really high. But my family really likes the older stuff like Super Mario 3, so even that $139 Bay Trail Celeron model would be totally fine.

The only thing I don't really like is that the USB adapter for Windows for the wireless Xbox 360 controller is kind of big compared to the tiny box (and you kind of need to leave it out because it has a physical sync button to tie into the controllers), so it'd be a tad messy next to the TV. Then that makes me think, well why not just build a low-powered Mini-ITX box and stick it behind the TV with a real gaming card, you know? Decisions, decisions.

 

[Kaido]

Yes but we had this conversation; the thing is that when you start talking about the bay-trail nuc then you are talking about a huge (in size) mini-pc (i.e,t here will be smaller computers with similar performance for less $$). The only issue is when; you can buy the bay-trail nuc today; the newer mini-pc are not yet out but they should be available in the next 2 to 4 months.
-
I'm not sure I see any advantage of this box over the next generation of mini-pc other than perhaps intel warranty and not having to wait a few months.
-

Yup, if you're in no rush, something else is always bound to come out. It is interesting to see the NUC offered with an Iris Pro GPU, however. Lunchbox-sized PC with decent graphics...not bad, just wish it was cheaper than $500+!

 

[Kaido]

Got the red Iris Pro BRIX in. Impressions:

1. MUCH tinier than the pictures make it out to be
2. Holy cow, the PSU is HUGE!
3. The red looks surprisingly good in person
4. It holds a standard 9.5mm 2.5" drive (I tested), as well as an mSATA drive
5. BIOS tweak to install Windows 7: BIOS > Boot > CSM Parameters > Launch CSM (Enabled), Boot option filter (Legacy only)

Mouse & 3.5" HDD for scale:

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

Ridiculously-sized power adapter:

http://i.imgur.com/69ZXDnq.jpg

 

[Aikouka]

The only thing I don't really like is that the USB adapter for Windows for the wireless Xbox 360 controller is kind of big compared to the tiny box (and you kind of need to leave it out because it has a physical sync button to tie into the controllers), so it'd be a tad messy next to the TV. Then that makes me think, well why not just build a low-powered Mini-ITX box and stick it behind the TV with a real gaming card, you know? Decisions, decisions.

I have one of those adapters, and it isn't so unsightly that I wouldn't be willing to put it next to my NUC. Well, unless you have the white one, which would most likely stick out like a sore thumb!

I've gone the full-fledged gaming HTPC route, and it's nice to have the power available. However, they size difference is massive... especially if you want a decent GPU.

 

[alaricljs]

The physical sync is only necessary if you are swapping controllers back and forth between multiple systems. My receiver is stuck in the back of the entertainment center. Controls still work just fine but yes it would be a hassle to sync a controller to it.

 

[Kaido]

I have one of those adapters, and it isn't so unsightly that I wouldn't be willing to put it next to my NUC. Well, unless you have the white one, which would most likely stick out like a sore thumb!

I've gone the full-fledged gaming HTPC route, and it's nice to have the power available. However, they size difference is massive... especially if you want a decent GPU.

Guess which unsightly color I have :whiste:

 

[Kaido]

I found a black Mini-DP to HDMI adapter for $14:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812200740

It works great & matches the NUC a lot better than the white ones I used previously, and works with a standard HDMI cable, so I'm not stuck with a custom cable (i.e. Mini-DP to HDMI cable).

 

[finbarqs]

no need for iris pro, as this will be purely a low powered plex transcoder

 

[Kaido]

To recap, this is the red i5 Iris Pro model for $500:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856164011

The first review on Newegg is not so good:

Within hours of assembling (which took no more than 10 minutes, the machine started giving me problems. It would hang up for minutes and then restart. Then it would just start randomly restarting even under minor load. Additionally the fan has a high pitched whine. If you're going to use this for an HTPC you will definitely notice the noise even inside an entertainment center. You definitely can't mount this behind a monitor using the attached VESA mount without hearing it.

It does have a slight high-pitched whine to the fan, and separately, the fan does have a fan "grind" to it if you're within a foot or so of the box (not the nice laptop whirrr that the other non-Pro BRIX models have). Sort like a cheap fan in a computer desktop tower, instead of a quality one. The fan does kick in audibly upon load (tested with Prime95), sort of similar to the noise my 17" Sager made. It has varying levels of volume based on heat/load, so it can go up & down, but not annoyingly so - it seemed to stay at a set speed/sound level for a little while before going louder, so that's decent.

CINEBENCH OpenGL: Error: "CINEBENCH R15.0: OpenGL Reference Matching Test Failure! Errors in rendering are displayed as red pixels, the difference with the reference image is too great. The result is invalid for testing with." Ran updates, got the latest GPU driver, etc. no dice.

CINEBENCH CPU: 382 cb

Boot time is very fast, both the BIOS & Windows. AJA System Test clocked my 240gb Mushkin at 466.4 MB/s read & 473.9 MB/s write. This is not a hyper-threaded chip, so you get 4 cores only, but at least they're a "real" 4 cores and not 2 cores + 2 threads:

http://ark.intel.com/products/76640/Intel-Core-i5-4570R-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_20-GHz

I set this up in a quiet environment and I do think the fan noise would be annoying. In a shop or other noisy environment, no problem. Same for a home theater PC - if you're six feet away, you can't really hear it at all, and any audio output at all from your speakers would completely drown it out. But I don't think I would put this on a regular user's desktop in a quiet area like an office or cubicle due to the fan noise, especially compared to a mostly non-noticeably-audible tower PC that has larger, quieter, less harsh fans. Not that the BRIX Pro fans are harsh, just more noticeable than your average desktop computer fan.

Anyway, I'm not sure why the GPU test failed. I ran all the Windows updates, I installed the GPU driver off the CD, off Gigabyte's website, and finally off Intel's website. No idea.