Intel is set to launch its next-gen series of Core family processors later this year. Code-named Skylake, the new 6th-gen Core chips should offer improved performance and efficiency over the Broadwell chips that are currently on the market.
While Intel typically sells chips and not full-fledged computers, the company as offered a line of small desktop computers under its NUC brand for the past few years. And according to Fanless Tech, the first NUC systems with Skylake chips should launch in the 3rd quarter of 2015.
That’s when Intel is expected to release a model with an Intel Core i3 Skylake series chip, according to a leaked roadmap. A more powerful model with a Core i5 chip should be available in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Both models will use 15 watt processors that are part of the Skylake-U family of low-power chips aimed at notebooks and energy-efficient desktops.
Other features will include support for up to 32GB of dual-channel DDR4 1866 MHz memory support, fan M.2SSD card slot, a 2.5 inch drive bay (at least on some models), our USB 3.0 ports, mini DisplayPort 1.2, mini HDMI 1.4a, and an SDXC card reader. Like Intel’s Broadwell NUC models, the new Skylake versions will have upgradeable lids that let you change the color or add features such as NFC.
The systems will be available with Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Intel WiDi wireless display technology. There’s also an IR sensor in case you want to use an NUC as a home theater PC with an IR remote control.
You can find the full leaked roadmap and more details at Fanless Tech.
As a proud NUC owner myself all I can say is it’s about time with the sd card slot … that said nothing here to make me want to upgrade !
Skylake the coolest Intel code-name.
The specs are a little bit behind the Nvidia’s new Shield for Android TV, e.g. full sized ports, HDMI 2.0. It will support the hardware decode of the H.265 (HEVC)?
Yes, the Skylake chips will have hardware decoding support for HEVC.
Personally, I don’t care about HDMI 1.4/2.0. I don’t need 4K above 30fps because there aren’t any 4K movies to watch above 24fps anyways (The Hobbit is the only movie filmed at 48fps). Plus this doesnt have high enough system specs to do 4K gaming above 30fps either.
There is mini display port. Mini display port is more than enough to handle three 4k,60, if you have the monitors. And widi can transfer 4k 60 to two monitors too.
It’s unclear what “supporting” h.265 / HEVC really means. The spec is huge. There is not a single fixed function hardware decoder or encoder that has supported the full h.264 spec, and there has not yet been a hardware decoder or encoder announced yet that will support the full h.265 spec either.
Nvidia’s Android TV shield and Maxwell enc/dec blocks *only* support the Main HEVC profiles, but not High profiles for example
Actually, the real reason most people want HDMI 2.0 is not really for 4K/60Hz, but for 4K Netflix support. Where else would you get lot of 4K content anyway? That’s why the Shield X1 is the only STB that can play 4K Netflix. I guess a 4K TV normally has a built in Netflix player for people who don’t mind switching between the devices.
the 4k 60fps support will let you play 1080 50/60p videos without changing the resolution from 4k 30p down to 1080 50/60p.
Those are Features, not Benefits.
FanlessTech story states: “Out of the box, the Skylake NUC is actively cooled. But fanless cases from Akasa, HDPLEX, Streacom and cirrus7 are to be expected.”
People buy these NUC pcs, take out the mainboard, remove the fan and then put it inside an overpriced Akasa or cirrus7 case. This is exactly like all those people that purchase an iDevice, with the sole reason to jailbreak it on the first day.
If you want a fanless NUC, stop getting excited and buying these shameless NUC pcs. We need to send a signal to Intel that their refusal to passive cool an affordable NUC pc is unacceptable.
You can buy the NUC board on its own. True fact.
Yes, you can buy an Intel NUC board on its own too, but they all have a fan attached to the bottom of them, which is rarely (never) shown in product images. You are led to believe they are fanless, untill you turn the board upside down and find out there is a big giant hairy fan hiding underneath.
If you were led to believe the board was fanless, then you are not very perceptive, because if you look at any of the NUC board product pictures, you can clearly see the fan…
Just thought I should tell you before you do something silly like complain about something you know nothing about. Because that would be silly.
Don’t need to get condense on a 2 month old comment.
no usb 3.1, no m.2 pci-e 3.0, no pcie.. shit every 6 months a new shit for the trash, always the same, thats intel
I’d like to see a power-on with remote option. With OpenELEC, you can do everything with a wireless RF keyboard (Logitech K400) or IR Remote EXCEPT turn the darn thing on.