Intel's quest to deliver the correct mini-desktop keeps with the NUC 12 Extreme, its modern "next unit of computing" DIY kit. Code-named "Dragon Canyon," it's basically a slightly upgraded model of ultimate year's NUC eleven Extreme, which became terrific for being the first of its type that would match a full-sized computer photographs card. Now it has Intel’s hybrid twelfth-gen computing device processors, which promise to be a huge upgrade over the final 12 months' CPUs.
While this modern-day kit is still a piece cramped – and it can effortlessly get steeply priced after you upload your own RAM, SSD, and GPU – the NUC 12 Extreme proves that Intel is sincerely dedicated to the world of tiny computers. And with Apple's Mac Studio coming quickly, it can be greater compelling than ever for PC creators.
Given how much attempt Intel placed into growing a big NUC case closing 12 months, it's now not too surprising that the NUC 12 Extreme stocks the identical eight-liter housing. It's huge sufficient to in shape in a 12-inch pix card, but the rest of its indoors is tightly filled with its power supply and Compute Unit, a removable card that houses its CPU, 3 NVMe SSD connections, and RAM slots.
It's honestly a case intended for gaming fanatics, with the telltale signal being the RGB LED cranium up the front and additional lighting underneath. The NUC 12 Extreme is essentially the PC equivalent to a Honda Civic souped-up for avenue racing: It can't exist without a chunk of glitz.
Despite its small stature, the NUC's case has just about all of the connectivity you'll want from a computer. Upfront, there’s a USB-C Thunderbolt four-port, a USB 3.1 Type-A socket, an SDXC card slot, and a headphone jack. And on the back of the Compute Card, there are two extra Thunderbolt 4 USB-C connections, six USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.0b socket, and two Ethernet jacks (10GbE and a pair of.5Gb). We reviewed the NUC12EDBi9 package, which covered the Core i9-12900 processor, but there's additionally any other package with an i7-12700 to be had.
Typically, Intel sends out pre-built NUC kits for assessment so we will get straight to benchmarking. These 12 months, however, the employer issued the equal DIY kit customers might get, which only consists of the case, PSU and Compute Card. That supposed I needed to roll up my sleeves and prepare for scraped knuckles – it turned into PC building time! I scrounged up 16GB of RAM and a one-terabyte Samsung SSD from the previous NUC Extreme, alongside a spare NVIDIA RTX 3080 card, and were given right down to business.
Getting into the NUC Extreme is pretty simple: You just should get rid of a few screws from the rear, open up the portion of the case blocking off the PCI slot screws and remove an aspect panel to expose its innards. Thankfully, I changed into capable of uploading in the RAM and SSD without eliminating the Compute Card. But if you'd like to take that out, possibly to upgrade to a newer model down the road, you just need to hit a latch to release the three big top enthusiasts, pull the ones again, and yank the cardboard out like every other PCI card.
You'll be cautious when doing away with its antenna cables and power connectors, however, it's clean sufficient in case you've already been given PC building enjoy. Given the sensitive nature of that system, it's no longer something I'd advise doing unless you definitely should, though.
The RTX 3080 effortlessly healthy into the NUC Extreme's PCIe slot, but I wish there has been a piece more internal space to cope with all of its electricity cables. As with maximum powerful GPUs, the RTX 3080 calls for 8-pin PSU connections, which might be connected to the card by using a dongle. It changed into a project stuffing all of these cables into the NUC, and I turned into constantly involved they had to be clipped through the GPU's fan blades. I also had a hard time gaining access to the PCIe latch to remove the 3080 when I established it. I changed into subsequently able to unlock it with a flat-side screwdriver, as I normally do in tight PC builds, but the latch flew off as soon as I removed the cardboard. Clearly, there is room for higher build high-quality.
Once I plugged everything in (and soothed my bad knuckles from being jammed into sharp edges and cables), I booted up the NUC and hooked up Windows 11 through a flash power. Then, I rewarded myself the way each PC builder must: I started gaming. I averaged around 100fps even as gambling Halo Infinite in my reveal's ultrawide (three,440 with the aid of 1,440) resolution with all the photos settings cranked to maximum. That's surprising, however pretty an awful lot what I'd assume from any system powered by using an RTX 3080. More tremendous, I'd say, is that the NUC become able to play video games for hours without overheating.
I commonly see CPU temperatures between 80 and 85 Celsius beneath load, even as the GPU never passed 82C. Not terrible for a system with critically confined airflow and no room for any form of liquid cooling.
Benchmarking the NUC 12 Extreme additionally made it clear that Intel's 12th-gen processors are a serious upgrade. Its GeekBench five CPU rating turned into the very best we've seen on any gadget; the closest suit becomes the Alienware x14, powered via the twelfth-gen Core i7-12700H, observed by Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 Max. The NUC's multi-middle rating become also around four,000 points higher than the ultimate year's model, which makes it an even better desire for creators doing critical rendering work. It also executed the highest PCMark 10 rating we've got visible yet, though it's in part influenced by GPU energy.
While those benchmarks do not inform the entire story, they imply that the NUC 12 Extreme could be a solid workhorse that'll serve you well for years. Of direction, its standard overall performance relies upon on all the other hardware you configure it with. But at the least you are unfastened to improve the RAM, SSD and GPU down the line, something you can not do with a competitor like Apple's Mac Studio.
When I commenced trying out this NUC kit, I changed into worried it become going to be any other overly highly-priced curiosity like its predecessors. Why spend thousands extra than a fashionable mid-tower or mini-ITX laptop machine simply to have a slightly smaller box to your table? It's still quite steeply-priced.
The Core i7 Kit starts offevolved at $1,one hundred fifty, at the same time as the Core i9 version we're reviewing sells for $1,450, and then you will ought to add round $1,000 for a GPU, memory, SSD and OS. But you already know what? Apple's Mac Studio also starts at $2,000, and even as it consists of a hefty 32GB of RAM, you will probable need to add a 1TB or 2TB SSD for an additional $2 hundred or $four hundred. Basically, in case you want tiny desktop power, be organized to pay.
If something, Intel turned into just in advance of the present day mini-desktop second. If you're in the marketplace for one, and also you experience getting down and dirty with PC hardware, then the NUC 12 Extreme will serve you well. While the Mac Studio is sleeker and doesn't require any scraped knuckles, macOS additionally does not have nearly the same degree of gaming guide as a Windows PC, so it is particularly supposed for paintings. Apple Arcade titles are great and all, however they are no substitute for having a tiny container that’ll play Elden Ring.
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