Intel’s NUC line of computers are tiny desktop computers that measure just about 4 inches by 4 inches. But that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be smaller: Intel’s next-generation models with 5th-gen Core “Broadwell” processors will likely come in several different sizes, including a model which is about half the height of its siblings.

We got an early look at an upcoming “half-NUC” in September. Now it looks like Intel has updated the official NUC website with a few more images of next-gen models.

nuc next

Pictures show a few different models, including a full-size version which may have room for a hard drive and a slimmer model with an M.2 slot for solid state storage (and possibly passive, fanless cooling).

Both models also have yellow USB ports for sleep and charge functionality.

Intel hasn’t confirmed many other details about these new NUC systems yet, but you can find a list of model numbers for upcoming NUC boards and kits at an Intel support page. We’ll likely start to see these little guys hit the streets in early 2015 and I wouldn’t be surprised to see some at the Consumer Electronics show in January.

via Computer Base and FanlessTech

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15 replies on “Intel gives a sneak peek at new, smaller NUC mini-desktops”

  1. Absolutely adore my 2820 version. The really interesting thing for me here is the performance level of the €99 version and its power consumption. My 2820 runs at 6.1w. If the new version manages to stay within low power consumption (70 degrees. It really is a beautiful thing to use a perfectly silent and relatively powerful desktop daily that slurps down only a few watts in normal operation.

  2. I’m curious to see the CPU specs on this supposed Braswell Celeron NUC that is launching in 2015 (I want to see how much more powerful it is over my DN2820FYKH). The model number is NUC5C-PYH. Intel’s specs show it still accepts 2.5″ HDDs, but still does not accept Msata.

    If it stays around the same $150 price as the old one, it will remain a decent value. Any more expensive, and the Gigabyte Brix 2955u would be a better value.

    1. You could always use an adapter to use a mSATA… It’s still basically just SATA with a different form factor and connector layout…

      For CPU spec, it shouldn’t be that different as the Airmont update for Braswell is mainly changing the GPU architecture and we’ll have to wait for the Goldmont based update for the entire architecture to be advanced…

      Though, the move to 14nm will still provide a small boost… along with a bit better memory bandwidth they’re throwing in mostly to help with GPU performance but should help general performance as well… Max clock speed for the CPU is about 300MHz faster than Bay Trail allows…

      While the whole Braswell platform is being optimized for cost reductions and should make them as cheap, if not cheaper than the present low cost Bay Trails…

      1. Sorry i wasn’t specific enough. I want msata AND a 2.5″bay.

        I want to have my OS on a small SSD and a 1tb drive for all my media.

        1. Yeah, that would be nice but harder to get on a NUC… Especially, with them making it smaller and not yet integrating the WiFi, etc. components to save room… and keep in mind these are intended to be kept hooked in behind a monitor and most people using it as a media center would also tend to have collections much larger than can be kept on a limited 2.5″ drive capacity of only up to 1TB… I’m personally already upgrading my network to use a a network Cloud drive setup with 4TB… and it makes it easier to access my collection from any of my devices… 2.5″ SSDs are also still cheaper and offer larger capacities and with capacities of 256-512GB being fairly common now there’s less reason to really need two drives unless you really need capacity but again most people with those needs will need something larger than a 1TB HDD anyway…

          Though, with Braswell being a cheaper platform for the OEMs to handle it should mean a wider selection of systems to choose from and that should mean more non-NUC solutions that may better fit your needs…

          1. Its not hard to get 2.5″hdd and Msata on a NUC. Every single NUC model with a 2.5 bay also has Msata, with the exception of the Celeron model. All Brix models offer it too.

          2. Sorry, I’m not referring to the older models, but regardless you’re not getting the point, these devices are going smaller and that means reducing redundancy, like having multiple drive options… You’re simply not going to have room anymore and will have to choose either/or going forward unless they keep the larger models as a option… which they probably will but there are trade offs going smaller and thinner, thus why you’re starting to see these trade offs…

            Also doesn’t change what I pointed out about drive capacities and the lesser need for internal HDDs these days, especially as they’re going to start pushing 1TB SSDs before the end of next year…

            Though, HDD capacities are also expected to go up those that actually need capacity are quickly increasing to multiple TB ranges and personal network/cloud storage is getting easier to setup and maintain…

            Helps that SSDs can last up to a thousand years now and HDDs still can die on you pretty easily to help emphasize a system that makes replacing drives easier than internal drives that require you taking your system offline and take the case apart to get to…

            While, regardless, there are competing formats for the card type SSDs besides just mSATA… some offer much better performance and thus there is a question about mSATA’s future going forward as well…

            The next two years will see a lot of changes, LP-DDR3 will start getting replaced by LP-DDR4 for mobile devices and DDR3L should also start being phased out… among other expected changes… So, going forward you’d probably be better suited to using a 2.5″ drive for future proofing until everything gets more settled… otherwise expect to replace the device sooner rather than later…

          3. The specs for the next gen NUCs were released, and except the Celeron model, all models support M.2 storage, even the models with 2.5″ bays.

          4. No, first they haven’t announced all their models yet… This is why this article is clearly stating it’s only a early preview!

            Second, the earlier leaked announcement only mentioned a Intel Atom E3815, for early Q1 2015, which is Bay Trail and not Braswell! So the actual next gen is going to be released later as we won’t see Braswell until end of Q2 to early Q3 of 2015 and many of the other Broadwell ranges won’t be released until later as well before they can start expanding what options they can offer!

            Third, elimination of multiple drive options is par of the course for going smaller and thinner… It’s not just NUCs that do this and not just to Celerons!

            Fourth, you’re apparently glossing over the simple fact I was pointing out the type of changes we’ll have to look forward to over the next two years and not just over the next few months… Fact is mSATA is quickly becoming an outdated format and there are superior options already available and gaining market momentum that definitely puts the future of mSATA in question…

            Fifth, M.2 isn’t mSATA so Intel is already starting to move on to superior standards… Unlike mSATA, which only provided SATA pins in a Mini PCIe form factor, the M.2 specification provides four PCI Express lanes and one SATA 3.0 6 Gbit/s port, exposed through the same connector, allowing use of both PCI Express and SATA storage devices in form of M.2 cards… the form factor is also more flexible than mSATA and the M.2 cards are typically smaller…

          5. Did you actually read that link? It shows even the Core i3/i5 models being offered with only M.2 and not just the Celerons as you claimed… It’s only the list with the lumped together models that doesn’t make that clear but it seems from that to be pretty clear the thinner case model only offers one drive option, regardless of CPU model version… While some M.2’s on the list may require you to sacrifice a WiFi/BT card to make room for a SSD…

            Anyway, like I said before a NUC may not fit your needs but there should be other models that should… The rumored leaks, even for the NUCs, doesn’t even cover the full range they’ll be releasing before the end of 2015 and there will likely be more options available for Braswell than there was for Bay Trail…

          6. So we are in agreement, the new Braswell Celeron model still does not offer an Msata (or M.2 as you corrected me).

            We will have to wait and see if the 2.5″ bay optional models offer M.2 storage. It is certainly worded to suggest the M.2 slot might be intended for Wlan+BT.

            You’re right, there is no NUC model that fits my needs. My DN2820FYKH does okay, but the CPU is a tad slow, and I would like a 2nd storage option. Im probably going to upgrade to a Brix GB-BXCEH-2955.

            I think it would be great if Intel would make a NUC geared towards NAS/HTPC use. It could be as thin as the thinner (non HDD) NUCs, but make it double-wide, with either dual 2.5″ bays, or a single 3.5″ bay.

    1. Blah…Fanless cooling is Old news.

      They’re just trying to catch up.

      1. Walk into a retail store and tell me how many fanless systems you can buy right now.

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