Saying Goodbye to the Intel NUC

On July 11, 2023 - Intel announced it was "discontinuing direct investment" in the Next Unit Computing (NUC) business.

Much like it did with it's server business - selling it to MiTAC - Intel is expecting it's "ecosystem partners" to continue NUC innovation and growth.  Asus will take over board and device building for it's current commitments.

With that being said - the NUC experience for me will just not be the same.   

Intel announced the NUC in 2012 and then released the first generation of devices in 2013.  The goal was to show that you didn't need some big tower PC to have a great computing experience.

While Apple had introduced the Mac-Mini several years earlier - for the Windows/Linux communities at the time there really was no equivalent device.  

Based on what ended up being called the Ultra-Compact Form Factor (UCFF) and the 4" x 4" footprint the NUC was simple and inexpensive and allowed Intel to showcase CPUs, GPU, NICs, Wifi, etc.

Intel sold the NUCs as just the UCFF board or Kits that included the 4 x 4 chassis with no RAM or Storage and then eventually PCs which included RAM, Storage and a Windows pre-load.   

Many 3rd party companies took the UCFF boards and built specialized cases and added fanless cooling or additional ports, etc that provided additional options to customers.   NUCs were used as Media Center PCs, to Industrial and Kiosk uses cases and due to their simplicity were pretty bullet proof.   

For the DIY / Enthusiast - it was great to have a "pure" Intel experience without some of the limits and nuances that the major PC vendors applied top their systems.  In recent years and generations a "NUC Extreme" variant emerged that while departing from the traditional 4 x 4 size offered FLFH slots for 3rd party GPUs and high end CPUs for gamers.  There was even a modular version and a laptop...

The NUC was the NON PC computer.  And while folks like Dell and HP introduced their takes on the NUC concept - for many of us the NUC was it - period.   

I started buying them back in 2015 with the 5th gen NUC5 as my desktop replacement.  I work from home a lot and regardless of the some of the "Small" form factor devices that the major PC vendors offered - nothing was as compact, feature rich and cost effective as a NUC.   

My most recent purchase was a NUC12 Wall Street Canyon and for my use cases of life in Office / Teams / Webex, etc, etc it's been great.  I even use it as the platform the Windows Insider Canary builds and it runs them flawlessly.  

I love the fact that I can go buy a "Kit" for maybe $400 or so and then add the DIMMs, M.2 NVMe I want   Intel does a pretty good job on firmware and driver patches so I really never worry about the device and since I'm not trying to peg the CPU its effectively silent on my desk.  It sites right under the one of my monitors and done.

What is a shame is that Intel had just introduced NUC13 line just before the "discontinuing" announcement and while the NUC13 is an incremental improvement over the 12 it tests better than 3rd party NUC equivalents.  And just having the Intel Logo provided a level of confidence.  It's not that the 3rd parties do a bad job, it's just the NUC was kind of a cult thing.  

The only question for me now is do I go buy a NUC13 just for old time's sake.

So goodbye Intel NUC - you'll be  missed..   

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