Best NUC-style computer?

E

ekuest

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
6,094
Hey all! I really like the NUC, but have heard they can be loud. I am looking for something for a server/HTPC to replace my current one, so I want something low power that can be on all the time, as well as nearly silent. I do game on my current HTPC, but the integrated 4400 graphics on a modern i3 or i5 should be fine. Any real gaming, decoding, and other intense tasks will be done on my gaming PC. What do you guys recommend? Thanks!
 
AFD said:
Maybe build a NUC using a fanless chassis?

Here are 2 pre-built examples using Haswell i5..

http://www.atlastsolutions.com/fanless-intel-haswell-nuc-core-i5-pc-4gb-ddr3-60gb-ssd-wyb-newtonh-4-60/

http://www.logicsupply.com/computers/processor/intel-core/ml440/

Akasa makes the Newton H & X fanless NUC chassis if you DIY..

http://www.akasa.com.tw/update.php?tpl=product/product.list.tpl&type=Chassis&type_sub=Fanless
Click to expand...

nah those are way outside my price range. i'm looking for value over anything else. i would prefer a fan, just something that stays pretty quiet at idle or low load, and only gets to a bearable whir when gaming. from what i understand the intel NUC (at least first gen, idk about second) sounds like a jet when you start to stress it.
 
SPCR says the opposite. They say NUC is nearly silent.
Brix, on the other hand...
 
hm you are very correct. spcr seemed to think the originals and the haswell NUCs are both pretty quiet. i think i read in multiple amazon reviews that they could get really loud, but maybe those people had then in an enclosed space or had defective units they didnt RMA or something. i am open to a bigger rig as well, like a zotac zbox or even building an itx rig from scratch in a tiny case. mostly i just want a good value, and i want very quiet and power efficient but still able to play 1080p videos easily and some games on mediu settings.
 
As you've now discovered, the best NUC-style i3 computer is NUC.

The best NUC-style with ATOM is possibly the new fanless zotac. the fanless i3 is inappropriate.
 
yeah im leaning NUC for ultra small form factor, but not sure if i want to go that route or just a low-power itx rig. my current htpc/server is an itx rig but it's getting a little old now and the gpu just died so i thought a NUC might be a competitive alternative. adding up the barebones+ram (already have ssd) though, it's beginning to sound pretty expensive compared to just building a new itx rig. maybe i should head over to general hardware and just make a build thread.
 
Any NUCs yet with more than two USB ports on the back where all the other ports are?
 
FWIW, not all BRIX's are loud. I've been using many GB-XM14-1037's (Celeron 1037U 1.8GHz) in production and they have fans but are pretty inaudible. They were also ridiculously cheap (like $130) but they don't sell them in the US anymore.

If you're looking for reasonably priced silent, Jetway has a number of fanless industrial options that don't cost an arm and a leg, although Celeron / Atom Bay Trail might be too weak depending on what you want to do:

NUC: http://jetwaycomputer.com/JBC310U91.html
3.5" SBC: http://jetwaycomputer.com/JBC375F3A.html
3.5" SBC: http://jetwaycomputer.com/JBC381F39.html
 
I have 3 Haswell NUCs:
D34010WYK (short i3)
D54250WYKH (Tall i5)
D54250WYK (short i5)

I've only heard the fan on hot days, upper 70s inside, other than that, nice and quiet.
The i3 is definitely the quietest of the bunch. I imagine if you try it for a while, you'll pass on buying a passive case for it.

I've been building SSF PCs for a while (started with the P4 Shuttles back in 03), as well as some full & mid tower PCs, this is my favorite form factor by far, and with the low power of the Haswell CPU, I think it's finally a safe bet.

Good luck.

 
martmann said:
I have 3 Haswell NUCs:
D34010WYK (short i3)
D54250WYKH (Tall i5)
D54250WYK (short i5)

I've only heard the fan on hot days, upper 70s inside, other than that, nice and quiet.
The i3 is definitely the quietest of the bunch. I imagine if you try it for a while, you'll pass on buying a passive case for it.

I've been building SSF PCs for a while (started with the P4 Shuttles back in 03), as well as some full & mid tower PCs, this is my favorite form factor by far, and with the low power of the Haswell CPU, I think it's finally a safe bet.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

thanks! yeah i love the tiny NUCs, now that it's actually possible to get a fully-functional computer that small. i'm still just trying to figure out if it's worth the money to me to buy one over just building a new mini-itx htpc in a shuttle-style case. ive built a few sff computers too, including one from scratch, so i'm familiar with the territory, just not familiar with the NUCs yet. i really want one, but it's also working out to be a bit more expensive once you add in the ssd and ram, so im not completely sure. i'm glad they're quiet though, as that was one of my main concerns.
 
I see that the D54250WYKH has a USB2.0 header on the board. Is there any way to use these ports with the chassis it comes with?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top