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Intel Updates NUC Mini PC Line With Broadwell-U, Tested and Benchmarked

Posted by samzenpus on from the check-it-out dept.

MojoKid writes Intel recently released its latest generation of NUC small form factor systems, based on the company's new low-power Broadwell-U series processors. The primary advantages of Intel's 5th Generation Core Series Broadwell-U-based processors are better performance-per-watt, stronger integrated graphics, and a smaller footprint, all things that are perfectly suited to the company's NUC (Next Unit of Computing) products. The Intel NUC5i5RYK packs a Core i5-5250U processor with on-die Intel HD 6000 series graphics. The system also sports built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, M.2 SSD support, and a host of other features, all in a 115mm x 111mm x 32.7mm enclosure. Performance-wise the new 5th Gen Core Series-powered NUC benchmarks like a midrange notebook and is actually up for a bit of light-duty gaming, though it's probably more at home as a Home Theater PC, media streamer or kiosk desktop machine.

11 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. Media streamer? by Enry · · Score: 2

    The first generation Raspberry Pi did SD pretty well and could do HD with a few caveats. The RPi 2 has even more CPU and memory and does quite well with the HD movies I've thrown at it. And it's 1/10 the price of the Intel offering.

    1. Re:Media streamer? by jedidiah · · Score: 5, Insightful

      While the NUCs are overkill for HTPC duty, the PIs are also not sufficiently there either. A PI just has problems keeping up with the user interface (XBMC).

      Something like a Chromebox is the sweet spot. Decent enough GPU for video decoding and a CPU that's not ridiculously anemic.

      --
      A Pirate and a Puritan look the same on a balance sheet.
    2. Re:Media streamer? by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Insightful

      While the NUCs are overkill for HTPC duty, the PIs are also not sufficiently there either. A PI just has problems keeping up with the user interface (XBMC).

      No, I don't think a NUC is overkill for HTPC. The only reason a Rpi works for HD is because of hardware acceleration for video playback. But throw it a file in a format that doesn't meet the qualifications for acceleration and pbbbbbt! So, no 10-bit h264 or HEVC, let alone if you want to do rendering of subtitles, filtering, or chroma upscaling to improve the picture quality of normal 4:2:0 video.

    3. Re:Media streamer? by Enry · · Score: 2

      That's the fault of the processor and not the GPU. People care more about the actual playback performance more than the UI (which could be done via a tablet or laptop anyway). Anyway, the faster performance of the RPi 2 makes this a bit of a moot point.

    4. Re:Media streamer? by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

      Unless your source video isn't supported by the hardware decoder. Or the audio stream isn't supported by the hardware decoder.
      I suppose you could transcode it, but that would take a day on the quad-core ARMv7 CPU. A week on the original Raspberry Pi's ARMv6 CPU.

    5. Re:Media streamer? by nadaou · · Score: 2

      The brand new RPi 2 boards are quad core 900 MHz and can easily keep up. The original single core 700 MHz Pi boards could just get away with XBMC, but it wasn't all that pleasant.

      The GPUs on both versions were designed and built for this task (they were originally out of set-top boxes) and have no problem at all with HD video.

      --
      ~.~
      I'm a peripheral visionary.
  2. Tiny enclosure with a fan? No thanks. by PhrostyMcByte · · Score: 3, Informative

    I'm excited to nab a Shuttle DS57U. The package is larger but still very small, VESA mountable, Broadwell-powered, and is fanless so you don't need to worry about dust or noise.

  3. Re:nobody wants U by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 2

    you raise a good point but the NUC isn't a *desktop*. It's a small x86-64 box, not much bigger than a vhs cassette, that screws into the back of a monitor.

    This is designed for large corporates with lots of cubicle monkeys for whom performance of those Core 2 Duos from 7 years ago was sufficient but they want to save a heap of money on electricity bills. These will be popular when adopting Windows 10. XP --> 10, HDD --> SSD and with better integrated graphics. Did I mention the energy savings?

    Relax, you can still buy a performance smashing i7 residing in an enormous watercooled tower if you wish.

  4. if it has a fan, you are doing it wrong by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 4, Interesting

    a nice fanless i7 (haswell) build, with the magic being a heatpipe heatsink case and a 45w i7 chip:

    https://farm8.staticflickr.com...

    search for streacom fc8 as the case. then, stay under 65w (to be safe) and you can be fully fanless.

    for htpc use, there is NO reason to ever have a fan, again. even the i3 has a 35w chip that works just fine for movies and desktop stuff.

    --

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  5. ECS LIVA by redelm · · Score: 3, Informative

    I looked at these NUC, but happily settled on the ECS LIVA. It doesn't have SATA, but the USB3 works and the internal 32 SSD is fast enough. Alot less $$$.

    I run mine caseless, and it is really like a x86_64 RPi (even the RPi2 is not fast enough to run even chrome).

  6. Re:Gigabyte Brix Pro is still the mini-PC champ by Sudline · · Score: 2

    I have an intel NUC i5 and with an SSD+HD, 8 GB memory, Windows 7, it is a perfect and very fast computer for the desktop.