Archive:Intel NUC

Devices

Intel NUC

Read this page and still need help? Check out the NUC thread on the XBMC support forum.

The Intel NUC is a series of small, awesome, x86-based PCs that works fantastically as an HTPC. Can run a full desktop OS if desired. Reasonable starting price considering size and power. Uses Celeron to i5 CPUs. Can run fanless with a replacement heatsink case.

Known issues

Windows

• Having graphical UI corruption with a NUC that uses Intel HD4000 graphics? Try these beta graphics drivers: 32-bit • 62-bit. [1]

Random notes

Feel free to place various notes, tips, and links here. As this section of the wiki gets more organized, those notes will be properly sorted. Consider this like a dumping ground for when you're not sure where to put something.

So you've found the XBMC wiki on the INTEL NUC.

First things first.

Have a nose of the 100+ page thread on the NUC. Literally is the finest resource on the NUC.

http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=140534

There are 3 flavours of NUC.

Celeron, i3 & i5. All are x86 64bit OS capable. So you can install windows 7, 8 or just XBMCbuntu or openELEC. It doesn't matter. But if you don't need Netflix, SkyGO, then stick with openELEC or XBMCbuntu. They even have the internal pin headers for extra USB ports, but also for power switch, LEDs etc. more on this later.

Celeron - has intel HD graphics, can play everything XBMC can including 1080p SBS 3D. It will struggle with full frame packed 3D. Boot up time direct into XBMC is less than 10 seconds. You can easily build [as they come with nothing] a 32GB mSATA SSD [total overkill for an openELEC build as there are internal USB headers in these which you could use to put a USB memory stick in and run from that. But it'll never beat SSD, But if you want windows. It's the only way to go] plus 4GB ram total build for no more than £200. If you read the thread, there are screen caps of prices to help you compare to today's prices.

Skins wise, running Confluence, Ace or Bello [any light skin] are wonderful to use and very fluid. Running Aeon Nox, MQ3, MQ4 [aka heavier skins] are smooth but not as fluid as what can be enjoyed on the i3 & i5 models. I'm not talking horrible but its not 100% instant. [yes I'm anal on my XBMC experience!]

i3 - has intel HD4000 graphics. Hell, you could switch the graphic acceleration off this baby's so good! Does everything the Celeron can do and full frame packed 3D! But at the £100 premium on top of the Celeron. If you're not running windows with it and doing a bit of light gaming. Then there's [IMO] not much point to it.

i5 - these puppies have USB3 [great if you're gonna do file transfers on/off USB3 drives to/from your NUC] but not so great because you can't boot off them! But the i5 models have built in IR receivers. ***This means you can use your own remotes to control the NUC and possibly power up from remote*** last sentence unconfirmed as of 11/8/13

You can mod anything. So I modded the Celeron NUC. - http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=166886

I added www.simerec.com which is ON/OFF capability via remote. I also added in IR from a Microsoft USB RC6 IR receiver. plenty of pics and detailed description. Even the holes were covered with www.lightdims.com which worked fantastically.

If you want a small, capable of heavy skins, does basic 3D and straight into XBMC in seconds. And is dead quiet. Go Celeron. Don't waste your time with an android box or raspberry pi. Spend a couple hundred and get a Celeron NUC. you won't regret it. I personally think its the best box at the moment. But we'll see how The Little Black Box fares in the coming months.

You can also buy fanless cases for these NUCs.

http://www.impactics.com/d1nu1-b/

Links

• http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/motherboards/desktop-motherboards/nuc.html - Intel's NUC product page
• Wikipedia:Next Unit of Computing - Wikipedia page on the NUC