Question Intel to stop NUC buisness

[beginner99]

Intel Exiting the PC Business as it Stops Investment in the Intel NUC

Intel is exiting the PC business as it stops investment in the pioneering and popular Intel NUC line of mini PCs

www.servethehome.com

Not sure if right place but seems relevant. Intel is ending their NUC line of PCs completely.

Seems like Intel wants to focus on chips and foundry only. Which kinda makes sense.

 

[moinmoin]

How big of a loss is that? I mean there are other companies offering comparable form factors (mostly from China afaik). How do those compare price, quality, performance and support wise?

 

[mikeymikec]

I only ever sold one Intel NUC which seems to have run into severe stability issues in less than three years. Perhaps my experience is an outlier?

One issue I definitely have with it was that in order to clean out the HSF (fairly standard laptop HSF design, got clogged with dust in about 2 years in an office environment to the point that the CPU overheated), I had to open the NUC from the bottom, go through where the 2.5" SATA drive would be (I used M.2), remove the motherboard through a tricky "angle it just so on one side" affair, all the way through to the top end of the NUC. It wasn't fun, and I'm pretty sure the designer could have allowed the option to take the top off rather than having to take the whole thing apart, not to mention adhesive bits that would no doubt need replacing once the NUC has been opened a few times.

 

[Brainonska511]

It's a shame, since some of the other mini PC manufacturers leave something to be desired regarding support.

I just got a NUC 12 with an i3 to replace a Haswell-era desktop my mom was using for the past who knows how many years. It's a great little box that frees up desk space for her, and provides more than enough computing power for her web browsing, Office, and solitaire needs.

 

[gdansk]

It's a shame, since some of the other mini PC manufacturers leave something to be desired regarding support.

I just got a NUC 12 with an i3 to replace a Haswell-era desktop my mom was using for the past who knows how many years. It's a great little box that frees up desk space for her, and provides more than enough computing power for her web browsing, Office, and solitaire needs.

I think Apple has that market (parent-friendly PC) on lockdown now with Mac Mini. Especially since most of our mothers would be totally OK with the web or Mac versions of Office. And the new bundled version of Microsoft Solitaire feels slimy. There are better versions of Solitaire on the web now. And MacOS doesn't readd bloatware advertisements after each update.

 

[Brainonska511]

I think Apple has that market (parent-friendly PC) on lockdown now with Mac Mini. Especially since most of our mothers would be totally OK with the web or Mac versions of Office. And the new bundled version of Microsoft Solitaire feels slimy. There are better versions of Solitaire on the web now. And MacOS doesn't readd bloatware advertisements after each update.

My mom is very set in her ways, and was fine with the reskinned version that was in Windows 10 (and carried to W11). I've largely set the privacy settings on Windows to not bother her anyway.

I wouldn't dream of getting her a Mac, if only because she comes to me for computer support, and I just don't have any macs to work with to help her out when she runs into issues (and basically I have 0 experience in OSx).

 

[soresu]

My mom is very set in her ways, and was fine with the reskinned version that was in Windows 10 (and carried to W11). I've largely set the privacy settings on Windows to not bother her anyway.

I wouldn't dream of getting her a Mac, if only because she comes to me for computer support, and I just don't have any macs to work with to help her out when she runs into issues (and basically I have 0 experience in OSx).

Sounds like me and my nan who insists on buying iPhones and iPads over and over even though she has problems with them and not the Android phone I directed her to get and she eventually lost 😱😭😩

 

[soresu]

I'm inclined to wonder whether the rumors of AMD Sarlak/Strix Halo APU aren't responsible for this movement on Intel's side, as well as AMD's APU performance in general since Renoir.

As long as AMD weren't producing anything good enough to force OEMs to sit up and take notice they could sew up a brand new market - now with AMD executing really well on this front and possibly poised to bring a current gen console level APU to market next year I could see how they would rather try and scupper the market than try to compete.

Ironically now that they seem to be executing reasonably well with Xe dGPUs it does seem a bit strange to abandon the market right when they could best take advantage of it.

 

[hemedans]

I'm inclined to wonder whether the rumors of AMD Sarlak/Strix Halo APU aren't responsible for this movement on Intel's side, as well as AMD's APU performance in general since Renoir.

As long as AMD weren't producing anything good enough to force OEMs to sit up and take notice they could sew up a brand new market - now with AMD executing really well on this front and possibly poised to bring a current gen console level APU to market next year I could see how they would rather try and scupper the market than try to compete.

Ironically now that they seem to be executing reasonably well with Xe dGPUs it does seem a bit strange to abandon the market right when they could best take advantage of it.

Most Nuc are lowend to Midrange machine, Amd Apu cover mid to highend, those Amd lowend Apu are not good enough to compete with Intel offering.

 

[dullard]

When Intel decided to cut up to 20% of its workforce, some products had to go. It makes sense that this niche product is one of them. I think this has far more to do with the decision to cut staff and far less to do with hypothetical competitiveness of chips between companies. All rumors so far seem to make me think Meteor Lake would have been a fine NUC chip.

It is too bad because I have two small form factor PCs that I use regularly (one Intel CPU and one AMD CPU). But none have been Intel's NUC, because they never quite met my personal needs. HP and Lenovo will continue to fill in that NUC gap for me.

 

[soresu]

Most Nuc are lowend to Midrange machine, Amd Apu cover mid to highend, those Amd lowend Apu are not good enough to compete with Intel offering.

You say AMD APUs cover mid -> hi end, but then you say that AMD lo end APUs are not good enough to compete with Intel's offering.....

What offering would that be exactly?

AMD APUs can scale the power (cTDP) budget to fit a target, so worst case you are talking about cost before AMD introduce their post Mendocino SKU.

Plus as you say INTEL offering.

Unlike Intel AMD do not actually make NUC designs themselves, they just make the chips and assist NUC type OEMs with design for the mobo spec.

I'd actually be interested to see AMD bring back a Project Quantum liquid cooled AIO style mini PC with their latest hardware - that was a very interesting concept introduced at the wrong time sadly 😅

 

[Doug S]

Sounds like me and my nan who insists on buying iPhones and iPads over and over even though she has problems with them and not the Android phone I directed her to get and she eventually lost 😱😭😩

I got drafted into being my mom's tech support for her PC even though I don't use Windows. When she had to give up her flip phone because it was 2G and that was going away and got an Android I told my brother he would be supporting her since I have an iPhone and he uses a cheap Android like hers lol

 

[hemedans]

You say AMD APUs cover mid -> hi end, but then you say that AMD lo end APUs are not good enough to compete with Intel's offering.....

What offering would that be exactly?

AMD APUs can scale the power (cTDP) budget to fit a target, so worst case you are talking about cost before AMD introduce their post Mendocino SKU.

Plus as you say INTEL offering.

Unlike Intel AMD do not actually make NUC designs themselves, they just make the chips and assist NUC type OEMs with design for the mobo spec.

I'd actually be interested to see AMD bring back a Project Quantum liquid cooled AIO style mini PC with their latest hardware - that was a very interesting concept introduced at the wrong time sadly 😅

What i mean they dont have competitive cpu/Apu for lowend, price wise, Most Nuc use Celeron, Pentium, i3 and i5 etc Competitive Amd Apu are Ryzen 5, 7, 9 etc. Most Sold Nuc are Sub $400 or below most Sold Amd Mini pc are Sub $400 or above. So i dont see one replacing other, atleast this generation.

 

[soresu]

What i mean they dont have competitive cpu/Apu for lowend, price wise, Most Nuc use Celeron, Pentium, i3 and i5 etc Competitive Amd Apu are Ryzen 5, 7, 9 etc. Most Sold Nuc are Sub $400 or below most Sold Amd Mini pc are Sub $400 or above. So i dont see one replacing other, atleast this generation.

Ah well, in the price wars Intel will always have the advantage as the established Chipzilla - that's not any kind of surprise there.

 

[aigomorla]

I'd actually be interested to see AMD bring back a Project Quantum liquid cooled AIO style mini PC with their latest hardware - that was a very interesting concept introduced at the wrong time sadly 😅

i actually had to google this because of how cool it sounded... (ignore the pun...)

AMD Quantum: Liquid Cooled Gaming | Mixer Design

Mixer delivered groundbreaking Industrial Design and a revolutionary cooling system to demonstrate the blazing speed of AMD’s Radeon graphic processors. This Virtual Reality PC showcases AMD’s brand leadership in graphics technology. Its unveiling at The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los...

mixerdesign.com

Is this what your talking about?


That is actually so cool, almost on the line of being totally insane... But would need a way to attach a dedicated GPU like how the last gen ultra high end nuc's allowed.
Otherwise it would be best described as a "Super Ultra Console. XTX"

 

[soresu]

i actually had to google this because of how cool it sounded... (ignore the pun...)

AMD Quantum: Liquid Cooled Gaming | Mixer Design

Mixer delivered groundbreaking Industrial Design and a revolutionary cooling system to demonstrate the blazing speed of AMD’s Radeon graphic processors. This Virtual Reality PC showcases AMD’s brand leadership in graphics technology. Its unveiling at The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los...

mixerdesign.com

Is this what your talking about?
View attachment 82944

That is actually so cool, almost on the line of being totally insane... But would need a way to attach a dedicated GPU like how the last gen ultra high end nuc's allowed.
Otherwise it would be best described as a "Super Ultra Console. XTX"

I think that is a dedicated GPU in there with the CPU above it - seems like a single loop system feeding the whole thing?

Not ideal to be sure, but to fit it in that insanely smol volume sacrifices must be made I guess 😅

 

[aigomorla]

OMG... im dying...
I really want one.... That this is really beyond cool now...

 

[moinmoin]

Fun fact: It contained an Intel CPU combined with two Fury X GPUs.

AMD's original video:

A DIY 3D print reusing the design:

 

[aigomorla]

two Fury X GPUs

OMG... with HBM memory?
How did i completely miss this...

 

[A///]

most modern video cards in the dedicate realm can be cut down significantly and use less pcb. there's no incentive for the r and d involved with the associated problems that may arrise from such a move. project quantum was always a very groovy idea amd came up with. amd filed new patents a few years ago means nothing but it's there for them to reconsider in future.

 

[MadRat]

No built in handle?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Whatever happened to the KFC Gaming PC? Did that ever release?

 

[aigomorla]

Whatever happened to the KFC Gaming PC? Did that ever release?

i think they did..
They were the last gen Nuc's with a cooler master case if im not mistaken..

Introducing the KFConsole | Cooler Master

The KFConsole has arrived. Forged from the fires of the KFC ovens and built by Cooler Master from the ground up, there has never been a tastier way to experience the latest titles in stunning 4k, 240fps.

landing.coolermaster.com

 

[igor_kavinski]

Intel NUCs have a curious RAMdrive option in their BIOS. Wonder what's that for?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

KFConsole: When cleaning your PC means using oven spray. Now I want someone to PC mod an easy bake oven. If they haven't already.

It is strange they are shutting down just when their iGPUs are getting good. Oh well, then I'd like to see them go hard on the handheld PC/console market, which is growing rapidly.