Compact mini PCs have long occupied their niche as convenient devices for business. The small block is great for performing various office tasks and commercial purposes, as well as for watching entertainment content or studying. But in recent years, with the development of technology, these devices began to enter the gaming market. And then one of the leaders in the field of creating computer hardware represented by the company Intel is also trying to find its own niche.
In early 2023, the company introduced a platform for building a fast mini PC – Intel NUC 9 Extreme kit (codename – Ghost canyon), which is based on 9th Gen Intel Core processors. The minimum price for this platform with a processor i5 9300H starts from 67,000 rubles (according to the manufacturer’s website for the spring of 2023).
PACKAGING AND COMPLETE SET
This platform is supplied in a box made of thick blue matte cardboard. It is slightly smaller in size than the Xbox Series X packaging. On the front side, the manufacturer indicated the name of the series of devices in large golden glossy letters, and a little below in a small white font gave the name of the device itself – Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit. The designers also did not forget to put the corporate logo of the Intel Core i7 9th Gen processor in the corner of the front side.
On the back side, the characteristics of the model are listed, as well as what will have to be purchased for the minimum operation of the device, and the logos of various supported technologies.
In order to open the box, you need to not only cut through the seal at the back, but also lay it on the back, and then pull on the cardboard cover with a built-in fixing magnet on the bottom edge. The lid surrounds the bottom and top edges, as well as the front side of the box. On the back of the lid, the manufacturer has drawn a logo in the form of a skull, which, apparently, is the corporate face of Intel’s gaming solutions.
The PC itself is surrounded on all sides by textured black foam polyethylene, and a cardboard frame of the same color as the box itself is glued on top. It should give the packaging additional rigidity in the event of external deformation. Inside, under the computer, you will also find an envelope with brief instructions, safety information and specific modification installed in the case. There is a small box under the envelope with a network cable.
APPEARANCE, TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND UPGRADE POSSIBILITIES
Mini-PC Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit in stock consists directly of a compact case with a power supply and two fans for cooling internal components, as well as the so-called computing unit (Compute Element). The latter is essentially a motherboard with a 9th generation Intel Core processor already installed on it, a cooling system and the necessary external and internal connectors. This module can be pulled out of the computer without any problems and replaced in case of a breakdown or a desire to purchase a version with a more powerful processor. So, the NUC 9 Extreme Kit comes in only three basic configurations: NUC9i5QNX with an Intel Core i5-9300H quad-core processor, NUC9i7QNX with an Intel Core i7-9750H six-core processor, and NUC9i9QNX with an Intel Core i9-9980HK eight-core processor. We got the mid-range version with the i7-9750H for testing.
Outwardly, the nettop is really very small. Its dimensions are 238 x 216 x 96 mm, which gives us a volume of only 4.9 liters, which means it can easily fit even in a small backpack. The weight of this PC with the installed graphics card is 3709 grams, which is slightly less than the Xbox One X. The front, top, bottom and rear are covered with matte black plastic, and the chassis and perforated side walls are made of metal. The case looks quite minimalistic, and the materials are good because they are not easily soiled.
On the front panel, an elongated, capsule-shaped power button is illuminated around it, which glows when the system is turned on. Nearby is an SDXC card reader with UHS-II support, two USB 3.1 gen 2 Type-A, and a 3.5 mm audio jack for headphones or headsets. The side panels feature a honeycomb mesh structure and an Intel gaming head logo. At the bottom of the chassis is a compact 500 W power supply, and at the top there is a grill, behind which two 80 mm fans are hidden.
There is the main part of the connectors on the back. On the bottom of the power supply you will find a standard power connector and a small fan hole for the power supply. On the computing module itself, there are 4 more USB 3.1 gen 2 Type-A ports, two RJ-45 connectors for connecting wired Internet, HDMI 2.0a and two USB 3.1 gen 2 Type-C ports. To connect external acoustics, the manufacturer has provided a 3.5 mm audio output, which also combines Toslink for connecting sound via an optical cable. Next to the computing module on the back there are two more holes that are provided for installing a video card that takes up two slots. The manufacturer did not forget about protection by installing a Kensington lock.
To open the case, just unscrew the two screws next to the Kensington lock and pull the top of the case towards you. To remove the side panels, you just need to pull up a little and then to the side. Further, for easy access, it is worth unscrewing the stiffener that held the left side panel. It is secured with two small screws. This is required if you want to install a graphics card.
Inside, the computing module is connected to the case via several wires (for controlling the fans, connectors on the front panel and the built-in Wi-Fi) and a PCI Express x16 slot. By means of the latter, the computational module is connected to an expansion card, on which there is another PCI Express x16 slot for connecting a video card, a PCI Express x4 slot for installing additional controllers or a board, if, of course, a discrete video card takes only one slot or it does not exist at all. Also between the two PCI Express x16 there is a radiator, under which is a slot for connecting an additional SSD M.2 disk.
Directly the computational module itself resembles something in between a motherboard and a video card. All main connectors are located directly on it. The board has a connector for additional power supply for 8 pins, as well as several connectors for connecting additional fans and external chassis connectors. The main part of the board is covered with a matte black plastic casing with the Intel logo and an 80-mm turbine. Directly under the casing there are two slots for installing an M.2 SSD and 2 slots for installing SO-DIMM DDR4 RAM with a total volume of up to 64 GB. Between them is an L-shaped evaporation chamber, under which there is a central processor soldered on the board. There are also two heatsinks with thermal interfaces for cooling M.2 drives on a plastic shroud with a fan.
It is worth mentioning the power supply included in the Extreme Kit. FSP’s Flex ATX FSP500-30AS was designed for the Intel NUC. According to the manufacturer, this unit has a power of 500 watts and has received 80 Plus Platinum certification, which means it is very resistant to overheating and has a very quiet cooling system and high efficiency.
As we mentioned, the 14nm Intel Core i7-9850H processor is at the heart of our test sample. The processor is 6-core and operates in 12 threads, has 12 MB of L3 cache, and the maximum frequency is 4.6 GHz. The processor has an integrated Intel UHD 630 graphics core, clocked at 1.15 GHz. The accelerator in this solution supports the connection of up to three 4K screens at the same time.
Among other features of the computing module, it is worth noting two ports for connecting wired Internet with a bandwidth of up to 1 gigabit for each. They are needed to increase bandwidth, a more stable connection, and the like. Of the wireless connections, this platform is equipped with an Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6-module with two internal antennas and Bluetooth 5.
As for the possibilities for improvement, the Intel NUC 9 Extreme Kit in stock comes with a case with a power supply, a computing module and an expansion card. Directly the choice of what kind of RAM, SSD and (whether to install) a discrete video card falls on you. You should be especially careful when choosing a video card, since the space in the case is limited, and only certain models will be able to stand there, and the case is limited in power supply to a 500-watt block, so the maximum for this PC today is a GeForce RTX 2070 for two slots. and no more than 205 mm long. As for the replacement of the processor, since it is soldered on the board of the computational module, you will have to buy a separate module to replace it, which costs a lot.
TESTS
To test this mini-PC, we installed two sticks of RAM from HyperX (HX426S15IB2K2 / 32 with a total volume of 32 gigabytes, operating at a frequency of 2666 MHz, as well as one M.2 760p series SSD from Intel (SSDPEKKW010T8) for 1 terabyte. So As we are interested in the maximum capabilities of this PC as a gaming device, we installed a discrete ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2070 MINI card with 8 gigabytes of GDDR6 memory.
At idle, AIDA64 shows the following temperatures on average:
- CPU – 54 ° C
- Intel UHD 630 – 49 ° C
- ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2070 MINI – 43 ° C
- Intel SSDPEKKW010T8 – 40 ° C
With a long maximum load in tests, the CPU heats up to 99 degrees, and on average, under load, the temperature was kept at the level of 75-85 degrees. In the multi-threaded test Cinebench R20, the processor was able to score 2778 points, and the frequency was kept in the region of 3.3-3.5 GHz. In a single-threaded CPU, I was able to earn 459 points at an operating frequency of 3.9 to 4.3 GHz.
The heatsinks and thermal interfaces do a fairly good job of cooling the M.2 drive. CrystalDisk Info benchmarks indicate an average solid state drive temperature of 41 ° C. The disk speed in Crystal Disk Mark was 2194 MB / s for reading and 1478 MB / s for writing. The AS SDD test this time shows more modest results on reading – 1460 mb / s – and close to the results of Crystal Disk Mark on writing – 1431 mb / s.
The system performs well in graphics tests and games. All tests were carried out at maximum graphics settings and mostly at Full HD resolution.
In the Superposition benchmark test on the Unigine 2 engine in 1080p mode at extreme settings, the system showed from 29 to 48 frames, while in the optimized mode in 4K the GPU was able to show from 41 to 60 frames.
In the Chinese 1080p ray-traced Boundary benchmark, the nettop was able to average 118fps with DLSS in ultra performance mode. In quality mode with the same settings, the average FPS was 47 frames.
In the Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition benchmark at high settings in 1080p graphics, the device was able to earn 8494 points and a rating of “High”, and in 4K – 3772 points and “Standard”.
As usual, we also tested the hardware solution in three in-game tests – Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2:
- In the race from Playground, the nettop with a discrete card at maximum graphics settings was able to produce an average of 100 frames per second.
- Gears 5 with ultra settings, maximum beams for global illumination and the ultra texture pack installed, showed an average frame rate of 71 FPS.
- The in-game RDR2 benchmark was run on ultra settings with Vulcan API and TAA anti-aliasing and ended up with an average of 65 FPS.
Directly in terms of gameplay, we decided to test this mini-PC in two quite demanding games – Control and Cyberpunk 2077:
- We launched the project, as always, in 1080p resolution with maximum graphics settings with RTX and DLSS and 720p rendering resolution. With these settings, the game gives a good picture and performance in Full HD. In scenes during battles, the average frequency fluctuates around 50-70 frames. While moving around the Bureau, the average frequency is usually kept between 70 and 80 frames.
- We also tested Cyberpunk 2077 in Full HD at maximum graphics settings with incredible ray tracing and DLSS in Performance mode, as the picture quality in Ultra Performance leaves a lot to be desired. On average, in closed locations during battles, the frequency is kept at around 55-60 frames. In the city, while moving by transport and on foot, the average frame rate is fixed in the range of 40-45 frames, but in rare moments with a large number of NPCs on the street there are drawdowns below 25 frames. In the wastelands, frame rates range from 55 to 75 frames.
In general, this system is enough for playing in Full HD at high-ultra settings with ray tracing. The maximum GPU temperature during the tests was fixed at around 71 degrees, and the TDP was 181 W.
It is also worth noting that some CPU throttling was recorded during tests in some games and benchmarks. The reason is pretty commonplace. The reason for this phenomenon is the maximum compactness of the case, or rather the location of the video card. Since the printed circuit board heats up next to the evaporation chamber of the central processor, the efficiency of the latter decreases, which means that the processor heats up.
As for the noise indicators, in a simple mini-PC it is practically inaudible at a room noise level of 30-35 dB. Under heavy loads, the fans of the video card begin to work actively, accelerating to 2 thousand revolutions, and the average noise level rises to 40-45 dB. It is generally not loud and does not interfere with games.
RESULTS
The NUC 9 Extreme Kit is Intel’s exciting endeavor for gaming PCs. Overall, this is a good device for anyone looking for a gaming computer that not only can outperform a console, but also has a compact form factor and low noise levels.
Although the compact Extreme Kit case still has a drawback in the form of cooling, it can be replaced with an analog from partners, for example, Cooler Master, where it could be better. Where this device is not able to compete with consoles is the cost. The price for our test sample starts at 83 thousand rubles, and this is without RAM and storage, which will cost another 10-30 thousand, depending on your appetites. And we are silent about discrete graphics, which at this time it is virtually impossible to find miners and resellers at an adequate price.
Author: Sergey Dyakonenko (Madnfs)
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