Computer self-made. Small PC. game terminal. None of them are common, but they are inevitable areas of the personal computer industry where there are people who need them. And all this combined is the Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit. Reviewed by the US Gizmodo editorial department
I like small gaming PCs. It depends on the specs, but the best part is that it's still comparable to a large PC and doesn't take up much physical space. The air cooling system and the small size make it difficult to assemble, which is sometimes a flaw. That's where Intel's NUC 9 Extreme Kit (aka Ghost Canyon) comes in. Although it is small, it is easy to assemble. Also, an air-cooled cartridge that contains parts inside, which I think is worth it even if the performance drops a little.
An ultra-compact PC, NUC (Next Unit of Computing), is a self-made computer kit. The kit includes the CPU, motherboard, and power supply, and the other storage, memory, GPU, and OS are prepared separately by yourself. It's been about 9 years since its release, but we've relied on mobile CPUs in basic desktop packages. However, this time, for the first time, we adopted a card that supports desktop graphics cards and is equipped with a CPU. This means that users can take out the processor and upgrade it at will.
Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit
What is this? : Intel's first desktop GPU-enabled NUC.
Price: Starting at $1,640 (without GPU, memory, storage, OS).
Things I like: Size, style, type and number of ports, ease of assembly/disassembly, customization options without the hassle of building a PC.
What I don't like: The cooling fan is noisy, and the higher options get pretty expensive.
Prioritizes power saving over performance
At first glance, the NUC CPU card looks like a graphics card because it is connected via a PCIe x16 slot. However, the CPU is actually built into an air-cooled cartridge, and the GPU is next to it. The review terminal was equipped with Asus RTX 2070 8GB Mini. The GPU that can be built into the kit is limited to those under 8 inches, but this means that convenience and mobility are prioritized by limiting performance.
The balance with performance is the same for the CPU. It is equipped with an Intel Core i9-9980HK laptop CPU, but this CPU consumes 45W of power, which is energy saving. Considering the i9-9900K desktop CPU power is 95W, this is a significant savings. Intel's high-end desktop processors are overclocked and consume 200W, but it's not suitable for an ultra-compact PC kit with a power supply unit that supplies 495W. About i9-9980HK is appropriate.
Better cost performance than rival machines
Without a graphics card, the NUC 9 Extreme Kit costs $1,640 (about 176,000 yen). Good deal. Of course, depending on capacity, memory, GPU, and OS, it can easily exceed $2,000 (about 215,000 yen). Based on the price and specs, the direct rivals to the NUC 9 Extreme Kit are the Asus ROG Huracan G21 and MSI Trident X.
That said, the ROG Huracan ends up being a clunky power adapter instead of a power supply unit, and it's impossible to find a Trident X with an i9 processor & RTX 2070 for under $2,000, so the NUC 9 has a bit of a lead. I think there are. The same GPU as in the review device is about $ 415 (about 45,000 yen), and if you save about 300 dollars (about 32,000 yen), the RTX 2060 Super mini (performance is almost the same, low power consumption, cheap ) is also an option.
Beware of overclocking
The internals of the Core i9-9980HK can be overclocked (up to 5.0GHz), but don't overdo it. Since the NUC only has an air cooling system, the CPU/GPU can easily overheat when playing games. The NUC 9 has more horsepower, so the air cooling system is louder. If you're gaming with headphones, that might not matter.
It doesn't matter how many games you play. When I played Far Cry 5 in 4K, it dropped to 46 fps, but that's about it. 1440p is the best setting for best performance in terms of frame rate, graphics and image quality. I test played "Far Cry 5" and "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" and thoroughly enjoyed both. Isn't the air cooling fan flying the NUC Kit? I was spinning so hard, but I didn't feel the heat of overheating. The fan worked well to keep the heat out.
The capacity of the SSD is a little...
If you were to complain, it would be that the SSD capacity of the review device was small. 380GB may not be enough, especially for gamers and creators. The Intel Optane 905p 380GB is expensive storage at around $500. It's a pretty good bargain and generous to have this on the NUC Kit. However, games these days take up 50GB, 85GB, and even 100GB of space, so I still want a little more.
There is also a 2TB HDD as an option, but if you use it for rendering videos or creating 3D content, you will need speedy reading and writing, so you will not only run out of space soon, but you will also feel the speed limit of the HDD. increase. However, since it has an M.2 SSD slot, there is also the advantage that you can bring your own storage.
The NUC 9 Extreme Kit allows you to enjoy the benefits of an ultra-compact self-made PC kit. It is easier and easier to customize than making your own from scratch, which takes time and effort. You can choose the parts you need and (in my case) improve your game performance. If you don't like the design of the kit's case, you can buy just the computer unit and find a separate case that you like.
Summary
・8 USB ports: 6 USB 3.1 Gen 2, 2 Thunderbolt 3 USB-C.
・There is an SDXC card slot and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
・The total volume is only 5 liters.
・A terminal that embodies the need for an RGB terminal.
