{"id":986,"date":"2023-10-11T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/?p=986"},"modified":"2023-10-17T10:14:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-17T14:14:27","slug":"the-intel-nuc12-extreme-dragon-canyon-preview-pros-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.virlan.co\/tech\/technology\/the-intel-nuc12-extreme-dragon-canyon-preview-pros-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"The Intel NUC12 Extreme Dragon Canyon Preview + Pros & Cons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Intel\u2019s Next Unit of Computing (NUC)<\/strong> mini-PCs are a long-running platform that lets the big chip maker showcase how much performance and functionality can fit in a compact, minimalist desktop design. The NUC 12 Extreme Kit<\/strong> under review here (dubbed \u201cDragon Canyon\u201d during its development) is a gaming desktop barely larger than a game console, but packing in some major firepower: a 12th Generation Intel \u201cAlder Lake\u201d Core desktop processor, plus the space and power delivery for a full-length graphics card. Not only that, but it\u2019s also entirely end-user upgradable, from its SO-DIMM RAM and three M.2 storage-drive slots to its actual CPU, via Intel’s unique Compute Element platform.<\/p>\n

Intel NUC 12 Extreme Pros and Cons<\/h2>\n

PROS<\/strong>
Ultra-compact for a gaming PC
Fits a full-length graphics card
Intel 12th Generation \u201cAlder Lake\u201d CPU elevates performance
Impressive connectivity and M.2 storage support<\/p>\n

CONS<\/strong>
Only available as a barebones unit
Light-up skull faceplate isn\u2019t for everyone
Uses DDR4, not DDR5, RAM<\/p>\n

The Design: Honey, I Shrunk the Gaming PC<\/strong><\/p>\n

The NUC 12 Extreme Kit<\/strong> is a refresh of 2021\u2019s NUC 11 Extreme Kit<\/strong> (\u201cBeast Canyon\u201d), using much the same chassis and internal layout. (See our deep-dive interview with the Intel NUC<\/strong> team around the time of the NUC 11 launch.) It makes the all-important jump to Intel\u2019s 12th Generation Core Alder Lake platform, which is leaps and bounds more capable than the 11th Generation \u201cTiger Lake\u201d silicon that was used in the NUC 11 Extreme Kit.<\/p>\n

Our NUC12EBDi9 review unit features the 65-watt Core i9-12900, a lower-wattage version of the 125-watt Core i9-12900K. (Hit that link for a thorough background on Alder Lake and its hybrid architecture.) The Core i9-12900\u2019s Performance-core (P-core) Turbo Boost is just 100MHz lower (5.1GHz versus 5.2GHz), which means that its peak performance should be similar, but it will produce less heat in long-running tasks since its base clock is much lower. (That’s 2.4GHz versus 3.2GHz; look for our benchmarks later.)<\/p>\n

The NUC 12 Extreme Kit<\/strong> is also available with the Core i7-12700 (the kit dubbed NUC12DCMi7, with Compute Element model NUC12EDBi7), a likewise lower-wattage version of the Core i7-12700K<\/strong>. No budget-friendly (friendlier?) Core i5 options are planned, though Intel will be offering the NUC 12 Extreme Kit with Intel vPro remote management features as separate SKUs.<\/p>\n

Start up the NUC 12 Extreme Kit<\/strong>\u2014after you assemble it, of course, more about which later\u2014and you\u2019re greeted with a fearsome RGB-backlit skull faceplate. Love it or hate it, count me in the former; this is one brash mini-PC, and it makes no pretense of hiding that.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re in the second camp, the faceplate is removable. You can replace the skull with your own design, printed on transparency film, or simply turn off the lighting in the BIOS. The NUC\u2019s side panels are also RGB-lit along the bottom edges, much like a modded-up car with ground-effects lighting.<\/p>\n

Size-wise, the NUC 12 Extreme Kit<\/strong> is 7.4 by 4.7 by 14 inches (HWD), or just long enough to fit a full-length (12-inch), two-slot desktop graphics card. The interior volume is just under eight liters, which makes the compact 12-liter Corsair One i300 seem downright brawny.<\/p>\n