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With Intel exiting the NUC business, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see an Intel NUC-branded mini PC with a 12th-gen Alder Lake-N processor. But if Intel were going to make an Alder Lake-N NUC, it’d probably look a lot like the Maxtang MTN-ALN50.
This little computer measures 129 x 127 x 48mm (5.1″ x 5″ x 1.9″) and features an aluminum alloy chassis with a heavily NUC-inspired design. But unlike any of Intel’s mini PCs, Maxtang’s mini PC comes with a choice of Intel N100 or Intel Core i3-N305 processor options.
Intel’s Alder Lake-N processors feature 12th-gen Intel Efficiency CPU cores without any Performance cores. They deliver significantly better performance than the previous-gen Celeron and Pentium Silver chips based on “Jasper Lake” architecture, but generally aren’t as powerful as 12th and 13th-gen Intel chips that do have Performance cores.
The Intel Processor N100 is a 6-watt, 4-core, 4-thread processor with speeds up to 3.4 GHz and 750 MHz Intel UHD integrated graphics featuring 24 execution units, while the Core i3-N305 processor is a 15-watt, 8-core, 8-thread chip with support for CPU frequencies up to 3.8 GHz and 1.25 GHz Intel UHD graphics with 32 execution units.
The Maxtang MTN-ALN50 features a single SODIMM slot with support for up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, an M.2 2280 connector for a SATA SSD, and an FPC SATA interface for additional storage.
Ports include:
- 2 x HDMI 2.0
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (w/DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode)
- 3 x USB 3.2 Type-A
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
- 1 x 3.5mm audio
- 2 x 2.5 GbE Ethernet (RTL8125)
The computer has a fan for active cooling, an M.2 connector for an optional wireless card, and support for VESA mounting, allowing you to wall-mount it or attach it to the back of a display,
Maxtang markets the MTN-AL50 as a system for “kiosks, point of sale (PoS) systems, retail environments, and other iOT applications.” But the company’s mini PC often show up at Amazon, AliExpress, and other retail stores, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you can buy one for home use soon.
