NUC & BRIX discussion thread

[cbn]

There is no available VESA mounting kit for the DeskMini yet, and MS announced that Win7 would be supported for SKL until 2020, EOL date for Win7.

I found this picture of a VESA mount on the ASRock Desk Mini website:

(Hopefully this becomes available for sale soon)

 

[cbn]

Skull Canyon uses a "U"-series CPU. Weaksauce.

It doesn't use the 15W CPUs, it has the 45W Skylake 4C/8T with GT4e graphics.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/nuc-kit-nuc6i7kyk-features-configurations.html

 

[cbn]

Not bad... for those with lots of drives lying around. It's like a Drobo with a NUC combined.

Once you have *four* 2.5 drives in there, you could have a single 3.5" and an m2 or 2.5" SSD for bigger+cheaper storage. [shrug] Seems like an odd choice.

...but I'm always happy to see bigger SSD drives!

ASUS does make a Vivo chassis that does take a single 3.5" (which replaces 2 x 2.5"), but I haven't found one with M.2 yet:

https://www.asus.com/Mini-PCs/VivoPC-Products/

 

[Kaido]

Playing around with the Skull Canyon (SC) NUC more. Really like this platform. Have a GTX1080 coming in to test the Razer Core (also going to test some unofficially-supported Quadro cards) under Win7 & Win10.

Had to use one of my SC's as an emergency temp server, ran great! Server 2012 running Hyper-V. Soooooo fast to install (ISO via NVMe boot to NVMe storage) & boot (both the host & VM). Funny how much power modern, tiny computers have!

 

[you2]

Confused how are you hookin ga gtx1080 to the nuc; also kind of odd using a gpu larger than the entire system

 

[Kaido]

Confused how are you hookin ga gtx1080 to the nuc; also kind of odd using a gpu larger than the entire system

On specific computers, you can use an external GPU chassis via the 40 Gbps Thunderbolt v3 USB-C port. This means you still get a small, power-efficient PC, but can pair up to a high-power GPU whenever you want (there are a couple slim Ultrabooks that are compatible with it as well...nice portable laptop on the road, but get home & play!). Great for gaming & DCC (CAD, CGI, etc.). With computers like the Skull Canyon, you get a quad-core i7, 32 gigs of RAM, and a 2,500 MB/s NVMe SSD, all in a compact form-factor. With the Razer Core, you can add on a full-sized GPU:

http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-core

Yes, it is kind of an odd setup. And also really expensive. A 1080 card is like $700 & the chassis is like $500, so it's not exactly the most cost-effective approach. But it is super easy to build...unscrew 4 screws on the Skull Canyon NUC, pop in the RAM & SSD, and install Windows, and then with the GPU chassis, just slide in the video card, then plug that box to the NUC box & voila, liftoff! I'm experimenting with a 4-monitor setup for an engineering buddy who wants a modular computer, curious to see how it turns out!

 

[you2]

I don't know. I have my doubts that will sell well; it just seems insanely expensive and clumsy (external gpu)

 

[Kaido]

I don't know. I have my doubts that will sell well; it just seems insanely expensive and clumsy (external gpu)

It's more popular with laptop owners, especially the thin ultrabooks...take a tiny laptop with you, but then game when you get home. The Razer Core has been crazy popular, keeps selling out!

They will get even more popular once the price drops. If/when they get to $99, it will be the go-to thing for mini-PC's & ultrabooks...a simple add-on box to take your NUC or thin laptop & bring it up to gaming specs. Especially with how thin & small the new 7th-gen i7 chips will make computers!

 

[you2]

You expect the $500 box to go to $99? I have my doubts since it needs a minium of a 300 watt psu for the large gpu. it is basically a tiny case with a (my guess $300 watt psu) and a usb 3.1 port.

 

[Kaido]

You expect the $500 box to go to $99? I have my doubts since it needs a minium of a 300 watt psu for the large gpu. it is basically a tiny case with a (my guess $300 watt psu) and a usb 3.1 port.

Sure, why not? Everything tech-related drops in price eventually. I just checked Amazon & a quality 400w EVGA PSU is available for $30. The previous-gen Thunderbolt 2 eGPU chassis from competitors are already down to the $200 range. The custom Alienware model from Dell is selling for around $150 on Amazon these days:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PCJXN0I

The main problem right now is that the fastest tech is Thunderbolt 3, which is new (=expensive) & afaik requires a license from Intel as well.

 

[you2]

I was going to ask why you didn't buy the alienware model but then noticed it has a custom connector...

 

[Kaido]

I was going to ask why you didn't buy the alienware model but then noticed it has a custom connector...

Yeah, I think TB3 will be the new standard going forward due to both availability & speed (40-gig).

I do see a purpose in this down the road. Given that you can get a quad-core i7 with 32 gigs of RAM & a 2,500 Mbps NVMe drive...other than the GPU, what is there to really upgrade in the PC, you know? You can go with a 6/8/10-core desktop i7 processor, but RAM-wise & SSD-wise, games aren't really going to even take advantage of what's available now. It's really more about the GPU. So as more stuff like the Skull Canyon NUC comes out, where you actually get serious desktop-class hardware in a tiny package, external GPU's will probably become more common. Especially with how cheap laptops are now. I mean, the base Razer Stealth Ultrabook is $999:

http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-blade-stealth

Plug that into the Core eGPU chassis & voila...you get a nice portable computer, plus gaming simply by docking it. I think it makes a lot of sense given how much things are shrinking & how far the prices are dropping.

 

[Kaido]

7th-gen Core chips coming out shortly, bunch of sales on the existing NUC stuff:

http://liliputing.com/2016/09/deals-day-9-15-2016.html

Basically 20% off everything, including the Skull Canyon NUC (brings it down to $520!).

 

[VirtualLarry]

Any word on Apollo Lake / Goldmont Core mini-PCs? Either Chinese ones, or barebones like the Gigabyte Brix units?

(And if Gigabyte comes out with one or more, I pray that they do a bit better job on the BIOS engineering. The BIOS on the J1900 units was pretty awful.)

 

[Blue_Max]

7th-gen Core chips coming out shortly, bunch of sales on the existing NUC stuff:

http://liliputing.com/2016/09/deals-day-9-15-2016.html

Basically 20% off everything, including the Skull Canyon NUC (brings it down to $520!).

The 7th-gen chips' HD 620 graphics are also very impressive; pretty much on par with the Iris Pro 540 before it! This should mean some half-decent gaming without the premium price of an Iris-toting CPU.
Nice.

 

[Kaido]

New toys from Gigabyte. Dual LAN BRIX (FINALLY!) reviewed by AT:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10689/gigabyte-gbbsi7hal6500-dual-lan-skylake-brix-review

Over 20 Skylake BRIX models listed: (6th-gen Skylake-U models)

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104

Reference chart: (per the Anandtech review)

• H = 2.5" drive support
• T = Thunderbolt 3 / USB 3.1 Gen 2 using the Alpine Ridge chipset
• A = Dual USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (1x Type-A and 1x Type-C) using the ASMedia 1142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 controller
• L = Dual RJ-45 gigabit LAN ports
• C = COM (RS-232) port (RJ-45 slot similar to the L SKU, and a RJ-45 to COM cable bundled)

Really interesting Skull Canyon fighter:

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=6002#ov

2.6ghz i7-6700HQ, 32GB RAM max, 4GB GTX950 (quad display output & support for 60hz 4K screens), (2) M.2 22800 slots & (2) 2.5" (7/9.5mm) drives. Noice. I'm curious if the TB3 ports on the new guys will work with the Razer Core. In additional awesome news, new NVMe drives!

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10698/samsung-announces-960-pro-and-960-evo-m2-pcie-ssds

Samsung's 960 PRO M.2 drives available next month in 512gb, 1TB, and 2TB sizes, at a much faster rate of 3,500 MB/s read & 2,100 MB/s write (440k IOPS 4KB random read). I'd be curious if the tall BRIX below would support larger 2.5" drives...they come in 3TB & 4TB sizes, but the catch is that they're 15mm thick. Would make a pretty awesome compact server with a couple of M.2's in RAID & a nice large internal backup drive!

 

[you2]

Nice box but weak gpu. I realize the size is an issue for the gpu; but a mini 1070 would be sweet

 

[Kaido]

Nice box but weak gpu. I realize the size is an issue for the gpu; but a mini 1070 would be sweet

See, that's what's weird...they already have mini 1070 boxes! Zotac's MAGNUS series originally came with a GTX980 & will be offered with a 1070:

https://www.zotac.com/us/product/mini_pcs/magnus-en1070

Granted, it's only with an i5, but for a compact VR machine, that's pretty dang good! The EN980 debuted at about $1500 tho, and the updated models are going to be offered with either a 1060 or 1070, so I don't imagine they will be cheap! The problem with that is that you can already buy a GTX1070-equipped laptop for $1699:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834234297

• 15.6" 1080p G-sync screen
• 2.6ghz i7-6700HQ
• 8GB GTX1070
• 16GB RAM
• 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
• Windows 10

So $1700 for all that, or probably what will be $1500 for a barebones EN1070 with no OS from Zotac (add in another $100 for Win10 = $1600), so for an extra $100 you get a screen, a battery, an i7 instead of an i5, portability, a pair of drives, and RAM included. Way better deal!

 

[Blue_Max]

^^^ Some very nifty NUC's there! (I know that's not the official classification, but it fits!)

Keep your eyes open on the Alienware Alpha -- I know I've seen a prototype board where they replaced the current GTX 960 desktop chip with a 1070. Even a 1060 would be a tasty little box!!

Edit: The alpha is more affordable too.... like... by half!

 

[Kaido]

The Razer Core is an absolute monster compared to the Skull Canyon NUC. rofl.

Pen & Logitech Unifying USB receiver for scale. In this pic, I have the Razer Core, a GTX1080 GPU, and a Skull Canyon NUC. The Razer Core is about the size of a shoebox - surprisingly, extremely large in-person. It feels about the same size as my old G4 Cube (tilted onto the side), except not as wide in the front. Heavy too, very sturdy. You can tell it's a first-gen product...little things like it has a thumbscrew for the card, but your fingers can't fit in the crevice after you install the GPU, so you need to use a long skinny screwdriver to get to it, and the PSU cables internally are locked by zipties (which is funny...huge metal case & then some cheap zipties inside as an afterthought), and there's sliding notch of some sort on the inside ceiling that interferes with the PSU cables when you slide it in (at least for large cards like the 1080).

Currently installing Win10 for testing, then Win7 for compatibility testing. The Skull Canyon NUC has official support for the Razer Core now:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/boards-and-kits/000021752.html

What's supported via Thunderbolt™ 3 on an Intel® NUC Kit NUC6i7KYK?

External graphics card (Razer Core*)

The Razer case is so large (and heavy!), I can literally mount the wall-plate for the NUC on the side & affix the NUC to that if I wanted to. Curious to see noise, temps, performance, Win7 support, etc.

 

[Blue_Max]

That razer core is a monster... considering the expenses involved, I just don't see much benefit over the Alpha if you need some graphic muscle. (Of course, the Razer can handle more than the GTX 960 so...)
Alpha vs. thin NUC

 

[you2]

Do you have a link for the alpha. That looks like an interesting box; the size of a mac-mini (which is not tiny) but it includes (hopefully one day) 1070 or 1080.