When buying a computer, many people may often encounter such a question: how to choose between desktop and laptop?
I think that choosing a desktop or a laptop mainly depends on what your actual usage scenarios are. If the performance requirements for computers are particularly high, or if the demand for mobile applications is not strong, you can consider a desktop. If the demand for mobile applications is strong, for example, if you often need to work mobile or often go out with a computer, you can choose a laptop.
Seeing this, some people may have such a question: Is there a computer between a desktop and a laptop? Perhaps, a mini PC host like Intel nuc should be able to meet this need:
Mini pc and INTEL NUC
Intel nuc, Sottech ZBOX, GIGABYTE BRIX and MSI Cube/Trident are all typical examples of the minicomputer field.
Among them, INTEL NUC, also known as “Next Unit ofComputing”, is a mini-type bare-system desktop PC launched by Intel in 2012, with a length and width of only 4 inches * 4 inches, about ten centimeters square, and the size of the palm.
Internally, it adopts I3 3217u CPU, dual-core quad-thread, HD4000 graphics card, thunderbolt interface, HDMI, wireless card, USB3.0. The performance is much higher than the existing mini machines on the market, which is exactly the same as the performance of the ultrabook with the I3. You can play 1080P smoothly, play most games, office and traditional computer applications.
According to Intel, the Intel nuc is a powerful 4×4-inch mini PC with entertainment, gaming, and work features a customizable motherboard that supports a variety of memory, storage devices, and operating systems you need.
Therefore, such a device as INTEL NUC is very scalable, generally can be disassembled and replaced by memory and hard disk and other devices, you can also choose to buy an empty machine to configure yourself, is a small and convenient PC device.
According to Intel’s official website, INTEL NUC is divided into integrated computer hosts, barebones-style host kits, and separate motherboards. You can flexibly build the configuration you need. The advantage of such a MINI machine is that it can place a computer with good performance in a relatively small space, and the INTEL NUC is thicker than the average laptop, the heat dissipation efficiency will be much higher, and the INTEL NUC will generally use the strongest core graphics card of the same era, while maintaining a small size while maintaining sufficient performance.
intel nuc for users to build a set of standard “skeleton” (including chassis, adapters, processors, cooling systems, wireless network card), users only need to buy and install additional memory and hard disk can become a standard mini host, DIY difficulty is almost zero, coupled with its stylish, compact, portable body design, snatched away a lot of the original all-in-one computer and notebook market cake.
Intel nuc defaults to a “barebones” kit without memory and hard disk, and is more affordable. However, Intel officials and major e-commerce companies (including physical stores) will directly provide a complete mini computer host with memory, hard disk and Windows 10 system installed. The price is slightly more expensive than buying hardware by yourself, suitable for users who are too lazy to toss and choose, the following content we will focus on the INTEL NUC barebones system.
The mystery of intel nuc’s model numbers
INTEL NUC is the oldest barebones system, and there are new and old models on the market today equipped with Intel’s 6th generation Core to 8th generation Core, which can be called the same as the third generation.
At the same time, INTEL NUC also includes two product forms of “full height” and “half height”, as well as “Skull Canyon” or “Pluto Canyon” customized for enthusiast players, which is easy to mess up for users who are not familiar with it. In fact, the INTEL NUC of different periods and configurations can be distinguished from the Chinese and English characters in the model.
What’s inside intel nuc
As a barebones system, intel nuc offers an ultra-easy disassembly design that can be DIYed by removing the top cover. For full-height INTEL NUCs such as intel nuc8I5BEH, removing the top cover can see the 2.5-inch hard disk bay, as well as the PCB motherboard further down, as for the half-height INTEL NUC is equivalent to a slimming mini version by eliminating the 2.5-inch hard disk position.
Recent generations of INTEL NUCs have adopted an on-board wireless card design (which cannot be upgraded and replaced, but also eliminates the cost of self-purchase), an M.2 SSD hard disk slot that supports pcIe channels, and 2 notebook memory slots. Although the half-high INTEL NUC will also reserve the SATA interface, how to place it after installing a 2.5-inch hard disk will test the user’s hands-on ability.
Tip: If you want to play 100% of the performance of INTEL NUC integrated core graphics card, you need dual-channel memory support, so it is recommended that you choose a combination of 4GB+4GB or 8GB+8GB, Core Edition INTEL NUC can support up to 32GB of memory.
Therefore, if you don’t have the need to go out with a PC and play large 3D games, DIY is a more reliable choice than buying a notebook directly on the basis of the INTEL NUC barebones system, and it also saves more desktop space than traditional desktops and all-in-one computers.
There are currently four models of sales: complete host, barebones, motherboard, accessories (custom radiator, calculation component, assembly component, custom chassis).
At present, it is divided into home version and enterprise version:
▲As a home version, it is suitable for home entertainment htpc, simple game experience, mini light office platform, home server and so on.
▲Enterprise-level is mainly for conference room solutions, such as projection equipment, interactive whiteboards, office terminals, industrial embedded hosts, education and intelligent computer deployment in public places. Most of the INTEL NUC product sales are in the enterprise direction, the enterprise level supports the development of INTEL NUC
▲For information about NUC, you can browse the special NUC blog. Support for custom NUC in the United States and Asia, there are detailed reviews out of the box, and there are many DIY guides.
Naming conventions
Intel nuc currently has a total of 11 generations, the same generation of different uses will have different names, the host uses canyon naming distinction, the kit uses lake distinction. Naming conventions tend to be regularized from generation 5 onwards, such as NUC8i7HnKQC4.
NUC8 i7 HN K Q C 4. Where NUC8 is the code name, 8 stands for 8th generation processor using Intel.
i7 means the use of i7 processors, in addition to Xeon V, Atom A, Celeron C, Pentium Pentium P, i3, i5, i7, i9.
HN is the family code, for example DN is Dawson Canyon, HN is Pluto Canyon, BE is Bean Canyon, FN is Frost Canyon, and so on.
K is the kit type, B is motherboard only (no chassis, power supply, components, or accessories), K is Slim Kit (without 2.5″ drive bay), H is high kit (contains 2.5-inch drive bay), and S is high L101 system (kit with RAM, storage, and operating system).
Q is the storage and memory information, where:
- A: 256GB NVMe solid state, 1TB hard disk, 16GB memory;
- C: 256GB NVMe solid state, 1TB hard disk, 8GB memory;
- F (XF): 1TB hdD, 16GB Optane memory, 4GB memory (8GB for INTEL NUC10);
- G (XG): 2TB HDD, 32GB Optane MEMORY, 8GB RAM;
- J: 1TB HDD, 16GB Optane MEMORY, 8GB RAM;
- L: 32GB eMMC, 4GB RAM;
- M: 1TB hard disk, 8GB RAM;
- N: 1TB hard disk, 4GB RAM;
- P: 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM;
- Q: 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM;
- T: 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM;
- V: 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM;
- Z: 128GB SSD, 1TB RAM;
- X: No storage;
- X1 : Special bundle of the 7th generation NUC, 16GB Optane memory, no memory, no pre-installed operating system;
C is the operating system, and nuc did not have this code before the 8th generation. Among them, A is the win10 home version, C is the win10 professional version, and U is the win10 professional version with intel Unite.
4 is the power cord information, no number is no power cord, there is a number is to have a power cord, where:
- 1: Contains American wire;
- 2: Contains EU wire;
- 3: Uk wire included;
- 4) Including AU wire;
- 5: Power cord included;
- 6) Including Chinese wire;
- 7) Including CH wire;
- 8: CONTAINS AR wires;
- 9: Including JP/TW power cord;
The commercial version also has the E suffix, which means extended maintenance intervals.
The purpose of Intel nuc
Intel nuc can be used for lightweight office
For some people who usually use text and simple picture processing to be lightweight offices, they may feel that the chassis of ordinary desktops is too occupied, and laptops not only have small screens and keyboards that feel relatively poor. So, for this type of person, INTEL NUC may be a good choice, and it can almost completely replace laptops and desktops. Because INTEL NUC not only saves space and makes their office environment look more comfortable, but also the performance of INTEL NUC can fully meet the needs of computer performance in their daily work.
INTEL NUC can be used for mobile office
Regarding the use of INTEL NUC for mobile work, I thought it might be a joke. However, after talking to some people, I found that there are really people who use INTEL NUC to achieve mobile work. It should be noted that their so-called mobile office is not to carry a INTEL NUC to the café office with a monitor on their back, but under the premise of the company’s policy, sometimes with a mini host such as INTEL NUC back home to connect to the monitor to continue to work, or to do some demonstrations for users.
Intel nuc can be used as a small home audio and video system
Compared with the traditional TV box, intel nuc is superior to the TV box in terms of audio-visual decoding and function expansion. Moreover, the current intel nuc is not only getting smaller and smaller, but also more and more beautiful in terms of appearance. So, in addition to saving space and placing it almost at will, in addition, whether it is placed in the living room or bedroom, it can also be used as a good decoration.
INTEL NUCs can be used to play games
Intel nuc can be used not only to play games, but also to play some heavy games. To be honest, I was seriously skeptical about the fact that INTEL NUC could also be used to play games, before I learned about Intel NUC. Later, it was found that the higher performance INTEL NUC not only had stronger computing power, but also supported scalable discrete graphics cards, and even came with a 2060 discrete graphics card.
Can intel nuc completely replace a desktop or laptop?
Not.
Although, intel nuc’s performance like Mirage Canyon is already quite strong, and it can be used to play some heavy games. However, there may be some people who are more demanding of computer performance. At this time, a desktop with stronger performance may be a better choice. Laptops are a better choice if you often need to work on the go or outside the office and home. However, due to its small size and performance, the mini computer host is more suitable for light office or component home audio and video entertainment systems than traditional desktops or notebooks, and even used to play some large games.
Compared with the previously mentioned Intel latest generation of Cheetah Canyon INTEL NUC and other mini computer hosts, after 9 years of development from 2012 to the present, the volume is smaller, the value is higher, the interface is richer, and the performance is more powerful.
EGLOBAL INTEL NUC MU01
What is it? Is it a TV box, router, radio, DVD, game box? Oh no, the product is made by the domestic mini computer supplier EGLOBAL, called Mini Computer, model MU01. Its size is smaller than the hand, similar to the ordinary Intel NUC, the product size of the mini COMPUTER is only 128x128x38mm, and the net weight is only 0.8kg. You can keep it in your pocket so we usually call it a “pocket pc.”
The MU01 is a powerful INTEL NUC with a very compact size with entertainment, gaming, and productivity features, including a 100x100mm custom board that is ready to accept the memory, storage, and operating system you want. With the Windows 10 operating system as a complete mini PC ready to use.
The system MU01 is cooled with a 95% aluminum alloy material cover and assembled with a silent copper fan as a radiator, with a stable performance of 7×24 hours. There are four types of on-board CPUs to choose from: Intel Core i7-8565u, Intel Core i5-8265u, Intel Core The i3-8145U and Intel Pentium Gold 5405U feature the Intel Whiskey Lake chipset and Intel UHD graphics, but the low-power TDP only saves a lot of energy and is more environmentally friendly. Meanwhile Mini MU01 supports 2xDDR4-2400 1.2V non-ECC laptop slots up to 64GB and 1xM.2 PCIE* 4/SATA3.0 SSD (22×80) + 1×2.5”7.0mm SATA HDD/SSD.
How do I connect a monitor or TV? The INTEL NUC MU01 is equipped with HDMI2.0 + DP 4K @ 60Hz dual display port, allowing you to enjoy movies more smoothly. When you use it at home, if you don’t have a network cable, although the system comes with a Gigabit ethernet port, don’t worry, the mini computer is equipped with an M.2 NGFF slot for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules to connect network signals wirelessly. The INTEL NUC MU01 has a Type-C USB 3.1, 4 USB3.0 and 2 USB 2.0 that can be used with more devices.
To make your desk cleaner and save more space, the INTEL NUC MU01 can be mounted on the back of a monitor or TV, with the free VESA stand that comes with your computer mounted in each box.
Many customers like to market through their own logos. You can easily make your own logo into the boot interface of the MU01 system, and its surface is suitable for laser printing. By the way, the bottom of the mini computer MU01 can also be affixed with your own label.
Why EGLOBAL INTEL NUC MU01?
✔ MU01 is plug & play.
EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 is pre-installed with Windows 11 OS (NO Windows license, Just for test) and equipped with DDR4 RAM Max 64GB and NVMe SSD Max 1TB, WIFI and blue-tooth modules are built-in. Everything was pre-installed. Plug the PC into the power and connect it with a monitor/TV, get your mouse and keyboard plugged in the hub, MU01 will be ready to use.
✔ MU01 is something fast.
EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 is equipped with 8th/10th generation i5/i7 4-core processor, it boots fast-you press the button, less than 5-10 seconds, system is loaded and you may save the waiting time that you wasted on your old computer, much to your relief, simply saves your day. The better CPU you pick, the faster the PC will be.
✔MU01 is something different.
Unlike the traditional desktops that have large body, EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 is built with tiny body, it’s only 5’’ x 5’’ x 1.5’’ (12.8cm*12.8cm*3.8cm) and its gross weight is just 1.5KG (3.3 lb) to save space. In addition, MU01 uses turbo cooling fan for heat dissipation, it’s designed to work 7d/24h well with low noise when running, you wont’ experience the same annoyness as when you use a large desktop.
✔MU01 is expandable.
EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 comes with 8GB/16GB DDR4 RAM (default) and 256GB/512GB NVMe SSD (default), you may expand the memory up to 64GB DDR4，and the storage up to 1TB NVME SSD or 1TB HDD (You will need take out SSD to install HDD). Large memory and storage can meet the hardware requirements of different network security firewall software and others applications.
✔MU01 has what you need. If you used a single USB port laptop, you may understand how your life quality will be improved when your PC comes with multi ports! EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 qualifies on this point! It has HDMI, DP and Type-C for display, RJ45/LAN ports for Internet, and 6 USB ports that allow you plug a mouse, USB disk, keyboard, printer, phone charger, and more at the same time!
Let’s take a look at this model of the EGLOBAL INTEL NUC MU01-8265U.
INTEL NUC Windows 11, Intel Core I5 8265U 4C/8T Up to 3.9Ghz 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD Mini Computer Support 4K@60Hz HDMI DP Dual Band AC WiFi BT 4.2
About this item
- READY TO USE. EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 is pre-installed with Windows 11 OS (NO Windows license, Just for test) and equipped with DDR4 RAM Max 64GB and NVMe SSD Max 1TB, WIFI and blue-tooth modules are built-in. All accessories is included. Plug the PC into the power and connect it with a monitor/TV, get your mouse and keyboard plugged in the hub, you will be ready to go.
- FAST BOOTING. EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 is equipped with 8th generation i5-8265u 4-core processor, it boots fast, I mean it’s really fast-you press the button, less than 10 seconds, system is loaded and you may save the waiting time that you wasted on your old computer, much to your relief, simply saves your times.
- EXPANDABLE CAPACITY. EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM (default) and 256GB/512GB NVMe SSD (default), you may expand the memory up to 64GB DDR4，and the storage up to 1TB NVME SSD. Large memory and storage can meet the hardware requirements of different network security firewall software and others applications.
- MULTI-PORTS. If you used a single USB port laptop, you may understand how your life quality will be improved when your PC comes with multi ports! EGSMTPC INTEL NUC MU01 qualifies on this point! It has HDMI, DP and Type-C for display, RJ45/LAN port for Internet, and 6 USB ports that allow you plug a mouse, USB disk, keyboard, printer, phone charger, and more at the same time!
- [Beyond the INTEL NUC] EGSMTPC provides not only high quality INTEL NUC but also good customer service. We offer 3 years quality assurance and PC lifetime technical support. You may reach us anytime if you have any questions or concerns about our INTEL NUC.