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kleinkinstein
 Post subject: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:39 am 
Clawhammer
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And I can attest that the best things do come in small packages. If you're not familiar with the Intel NUC, it's basically a micro-PC @ 4" x 4" x 2". It's so small it'll make you grin. Originally designed for kiosks, but powerful enough for basic desktop use. Very very cool for a lot of applications. It only uses 6-12 watts (30% 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, home server, office rig, internet/cloud machine, etc. It passed my litmus test of playing a 1080p 3D movie fullscreen with OpenXBMC without choking. 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! I'll stop short of calling them a game changer, but these are clearly the future - especially with Haswell, Broadwell and Skylake looming with the high powered 40eu IGP.

I'm sitting here with about ten towers on my bench, ranging from midstream ATX and mATX builds to 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 this tiny NUC test rig that blows them all out of the water, uses no power, makes no noise, takes up no space, has nothing to break, and can vanish via it's VESA mount.

These are easily gaming console killers. The future is here and it ain't no snot smeared tablet.
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LatiosXT
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:54 am 
Northwood
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As cool of a concept as this is, it's really a hard sell and I feel like it'll cater to a niche market at best.

Mainstream desktops seem to be going in the way of AIOs. And it's not just because of the touch interface, it's because it's convenient and simple. The less you have the average person do, the less problems they'll likely generate. A customer wants to play with his or her toy ASAP. Having them take more time to set up eats away at the overall satisfaction. And I think that's probably the reason why a majority of computer users would rather buy an OEM unit that build their own: they don't want to spend hours getting something up and running.

As for a media box too, it has to compete with smart TVs and other boxes that people own that essentially do the same thing.

As for a game console killer?... Nah. PCs can never kill game consoles, as much as you want to believe. Besides, if I wanted to game on a keyboard and mouse, I'd do it on a real desktop, because they're awkward to use elsewhere. As for horsepower, sure, but games only need horsepower in graphics, and a lot of gamers are on the complacent side of graphics. I don't think anyone's still demanding something that looks like "Madden Next Gen" from 2005.
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Chumly
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 12:32 pm 
Boy in Black
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Have you tried a little Raspberry? I'd like to know how it stacks up. I've got a little Raspberry as an experiment and plan to use it more once I get my HAM license, but until not it's just a toy.
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kleinkinstein
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:02 pm 
Clawhammer
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It's only a toy if you're unimaginative. Be optimistic with the possibilities and think expansively. Do what LXT doesn't. Because both are the secret ingredients in our post Apocalyptic World with our new pico form factors, TDP enslavement and BGA realities.
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LatiosXT
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:14 pm 
Northwood
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kleinkinstein wrote:
Do what LXT doesn't.

You mean not think critically if the tool would be useful or not and not waste my money when I figure out that it's redundant? Some of us here don't hoard systems for shits and giggles you know.
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kleinkinstein
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:04 am 
Clawhammer
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So right. You go girl!
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g.m.waters (red ranger3)
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:31 pm 
Team Member Top 10
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a stripped down mac mini. :roll:
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diyguy4
 Post subject: Re: Just built my first NUC...
PostPosted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 9:16 am 
8086
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Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:34 am
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whats kiosk?
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