There’s no shortage of tiny desktop computers these days. Some models have ARM-based chips, while others have low-power Intel Bay Trail processors. And then there’s Intel’s NUC line of mini-desktops, which have Intel Core series chips.
A Chinese device maker has apparently decided to capitalize on the NUC name by launching its own small form-factor desktop called the Mr.NUC V6. It’s a desktop computer that measures about 4.6″ x 4.6″ x 2″ and which features an Intel core i3 Haswell processor.
The Mr.NUC sells for about $299, although you may have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping from China.
This little computer features a 1.7 GHz Intel Core i3-4010 dual-core Haswell processor with Intel HD 4400 graphics, an mSATA slot for a solid state drive and a 2.5 inch bay for a hard drive or SSD. Some reports say the system comes with a 32GB mSATA SSD, but sales pages at Alibaba and AliExpress make no mention of any included storage.
There are also two memory SODIMM slots with support for up to 16GB of RAM, but you’ll need to provide your memory: the Mr.NUC is sold as a barebones PC kit and it doesn’t come with RAM, or an operating system.
What it does have are 4 USB 3.0 ports, a mini HDMI port, audio jack, Ethernet, mini DisplayPort, an IR port, a VESA plate for attaching the computer to the back of a display, and a 4GB USB flash drive with the drivers you’ll need to install Windows.
If you’re looking for a device of this type in the US or Europe, you’re probably better off buying an Intel NUC or Gigabyte BRIX mini-computer. But it’s interesting to see that Chinese device makers are not only taking their design cues from those companies… they’re even starting to borrow Intel’s naming scheme.
via Mini PC DB
stupidly priced … buy a real nuc for less haha
300 these days seems expensive. Especially for an under powered pc. I am a big arm suppoter and am disappointed three are not enough 4GB arm 64bit 2Ghz choices that are not in a tablet.
What would you do with it, that a 4GB, 64bit x86-powered box couldn’t do?
Save $150 dollars and do the same thing without a fan and large power supply.
Theres the Gigabyte Brix GB-BXBT-2807, and the Zotac ZBOX CI320. Both fanless, and both are $109 right now on Newegg.
You could put 4gb ram, and a 120gb SSD in either of them and keep it around $210. For a few bucks more you could make it a 1tb HDD.
I don’t know of any ARM powered boxes that are this flexible. I don’t see any need to buy ARM powered boxes anymore. $50 more buys you so much.
If Chinese companies want to capture any part of the Mini PC market, they should venture into AMD APU chips. Intel’s lineup is very CPU-heavy. There are some lower-end APUs that have better GPU performance than the i5 NUC.
The $250 Brix GB-BXA8-5545 is a good competitor. But I feel like they could make an APU-powered box closer to the $150 pricepoint of some of the Baytrail boxes, without sacrificing too much GPU power.
Intel Nuc i3-4010 (with 2.5″ hdd/ssd support) goes for 278 + free shipping on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Intel-DisplayPort-i3-4010U-Consumer-BOXD34010WYKH1/dp/B00HOJAVDG/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Yup, even at the non-sale price of $350, I would sooner buy the NUC.
Theres no need to save money buying chinese imitators. Intel has FANTASTIC support for the NUC devices. They provide a large amount of support for Linux users, and they do BIOS updates religiously.
If you’re just talking about driver and BIOS updates (ie. not tech support) then it’s the same for this box. The shopping links say it uses an Intel D34010WYB NUC motherboard. It seems this company just made a different case for a NUC board.
As for the case, I don’t like it. It looks like a tin box that comes with assorted nuts.
Thats good news, for China. Maybe a domestic manufacturer makes this more cost effective for buyers in China?