The more graphics intensive the less viable NUCs become. My exposure to them is merely because of XBMC. People LOVE to use them for HTPCs. In that regard they are almost perfect.

It can have a great processor, lots of fast ram, speedy SSD HDD, and for most things be super fast. But integrated graphics still leave much to be desired.

Oh and mounting them on the back of monitors via VESA is awesome. All-in-one wannabe!

 

For PS/Lightroom I think I'd also want 4 cores instead of 2.

 

So move up to the better processor models...

The Gigabyte Brix's are pretty sweet too. Same thing really.

Edit: If the FireTV hadn't of been rooted I would have one of the i5 NUC models.

 

I guess I'll wait a bit longer and attempt to save some funds

 

The i5 NUC is only two cores.

 

I'm thinking Brix. They offer i7 models.

Intel targeted a very particular group of tasks with these machines. And high-end processing wasn't one of them.

 

The i7 Brix look cool but the reviews/tests I've seen say they run awfully hot and the thermal management may not be up to snuff. I'd go no smaller than ITX on an i7 machine so I could fit a water cooler of some kind in the case.

 

Yea well when you get to the price point the i7 Brix models are you might as well just build your own ITX box... and then do as you please. That way you can have your own discrete graphics.

 

I am going a home esx route.
I was contemplating building a server, but I found from the dell outlet I can get a much better machine that I was going to build myself.

I got a Precision workstation T7610 with 32GB memory and dual Xeon 6core processors.
the rest of it didn't really matter as I already have the drives I would put in it.
SSD, 60, 120 and a 500GB and 2 4TB sata drives.

The OS will go on the 60 and the vm's on the other SSD's. and data drives will be the 4tb's

This is going to combine 3 machines into 1.
I had a machine just for downloading, a old esx server that ran my work session and a couple small machines and my crash and burn machine.

 

I am going a home esx route.
I was contemplating building a server, but I found from the dell outlet I can get a much better machine that I was going to build myself.

I got a Precision workstation T7610 with 32GB memory and dual Xeon 6core processors.
the rest of it didn't really matter as I already have the drives I would put in it.
SSD, 60, 120 and a 500GB and 2 4TB sata drives.

The OS will go on the 60 and the vm's on the other SSD's. and data drives will be the 4tb's

This is going to combine 3 machines into 1.
I had a machine just for downloading, a old esx server that ran my work session and a couple small machines and my crash and burn machine.

 

built a budget gaming cpu for my bro last night

 

^ specs?

And clean up that wire mess.

 

I'm currently trying to decide between a NUC or just getting a laptop to replace the kitchen computer mid-tower. Laptop would be so much more useful, but the NUC would probably last longer.

 

OK, expanding on the last post a bit:

The kitchen/main area computer is a tower I put together five years ago. In fact, it's the 2009 build in this post, just in a cheap case: https://acurazine.com/forums/technol.../#post13057025

The place where it sits is a depressed section of kitchen counter, set at desk height. Open area underneath. However on one side are kitchen cabinets, the other side that leads out to the living area has a plywood wall supporting the end of the counter. Outlets are above the counter, but none below.

The issue is that I have the tower, the monitor, a 2.1 speaker set and all the cords taking up the entire desk area. It's a mess, and I'm tired of it. As I see it I have four options:

1) Floor: I move the tower and do whatever I want to it under the counter on the floor or suspended. I would have to spawn an outlet from up top, plus route audio, video and USB to above the counter. Cheapest initially, but involves sheetrock.
2) Laptop: most practical. Could find a way to mount to wall or behind monitor. Could travel. Laptops technology tends to need to be upgraded more quickly, though. Power cable bulky.
3) AIO: most elegant. Looking in particular at the Lenovo C560 non-touch. Only two cables from back of AIO (power, ethernet) but the power cable is same as laptop. Cost less than #2 though because bigger monitor is included.
4) SFF: bulky power cable, most don't include ODD. OTB or DIY. Can build over time.

As for use, it's mainly used to stream Hulu while my wife is in the kitchen, and my kids use it for school/learning activities. I've considered a Chromebox/base, however I think we still need to have Windows compatibility for some programs, and that includes ODD-based games and such. She also puts together some documents, handled by OpenOffice software. Nothing too taxing, and except for the kid software Chrome OS would probably work.

I have been tempted to just put the guts of the computer in a slimmer, smaller case for the time being and go from there, perhaps grab a nicer monitor with built-in speakers. However doing that means I'm already at $200, and while the computer works fine, I should entertain newer options.

 

LOL that is clean!

VERY budget.
AMD 6300
msi MB
radeom r9 280 graphix
8 gigs of ram.

my bro only gave me a budget of $600 and I had to compromise in a lot of areas, even going over budget...

 

And AIO is probably best if you need an optical drive and only want one cord, or if you don't care if it's a little messy you can put a USB-powered ODD underneath an SFF computer.

I have a single ODD that I walk to my SFFs when I need it (which is usually when I install the OS; in other words, once).

The NUC I set up for my wife is very clean -- with one monitor with built-in speakers, it's got just the power cords for the NUC and display, and the HDMI cable for the video/audio to the monitor. Everything else is wireless. One of the big reasons I build my own computers is that I can load just the OS I want (which is Win7 64 Pro) and only the software I want. Laptops tend to come with Win 8.1 Home and a bunch of bloatware. Not to mention less-than-optimal pointing devices and keyboard.

 

Most of the NUC/Brix are VESA mountable on the back of a monitor too. To save room and add to that clean look. FYI

 

Unfortunately that leaves less-than-optimal control and port locations. I prefer to leave the NUC loose.

 

Control and ports change when it's on the back of a monitor??

O_o

 

Children and wives have to plug USB sticks into a wart on the back of the monitor instead of into the readily visible box on the desk, and the power button is also on the back of the monitor facing the wall.

So, yes, control and port locations change when the location of the NUC is changed, and it's not as optimal as when the NUC is sitting on the desk.

 

If children and the Mrs having access to USB ports is the issue I'd go so far as to say you don't want them constantly plugging into the real machine anyway. Buy a $20 USB hub and $3 pack of adhesive velcro and mount the hub on the bottom edge of the monitor...

Clean and protects the goods.

 

The above isn't big issues. We don't use USB ports typically, or don't need access to them but in rare instances. The power button I will take into account and choose a case and orient it wisely, if I go that route.

The problem still with the NUC/SFF is the laptop-style power supply: I have to do something with it, and if my goal is to make everything look nice, it won't do to have it flopped down on the counter. On the back of the monitor/NUC makes the depth that much greater, and in a perfect scenario I could mount the monitor (even with the NUC) on the wall. Such are dreams.

I'm still up in the air.

 

great now you guys got me thinking about an ITX build... just want something smaller on my desk.

 

Wife and I decided to do a laptop in that spot. I'm going to keep an ITX build in mind for a HTPC, though.

 

My next build is going to be a Raspberry Pi for some home automation tinkering.

 

i forgot, but many moons ago i bought a system builder version of Win 7 pro.

If i build a new PC is it possible to install that copy on the new build? or would that not work because too many new components?

 

No reason I can think of it wouldn't work. I've yet to build a Win8 gen machine (excepting my Server 2012 box).

 

well lemme rephrase that, will it pass windows activation?

 

It will probably have you call in, but it shouldn't be a problem.

 

This. I've done it a time or two for mobo, proc, ram upgrades. Its always been an automated phone system. Takes 2 minutes and it gives you a code to put in to activate. Easy peasy.

 

I thanks.

I ended up getting a 2012 i7 Mac mini , hopefully works for bootcamp.



If not I'll wait until I build my real computer.


Waiting for more funds to build a mini-ITX build with an i7. Probably wait for skylake(?


The mini is just to hold me over since my core 2 duo e6600 build is slow like molasses even after putting in an SSD with a fresh win 7 install.

 

Skylake, DDR4, USB 3C, DP 1.4, yes please.

Seriously Samsung's new 20nm DDR4? 128GB dimms? Dayyum!

 

128gb dimm????

 

Yea, exactly. Lol

It will take a while for it to reach the regular consumer level though.

Samsung's 20 nm 8 Gb DDR4 Server Memory Enters Mass Production

 

well i wanted to replace the hdd out of an old dell laptop. then when i open the bottom plate, it only showed the ram. so after doing some research i decided to scrap doing it after finding out i have to strip the whole laptop and to find the hdd under the motherboard.

good thing i have a lenovo that can use the ssd and its easier to get to.

 

I am constantly amazed (just this morning in fact) at how easy it is to access HDDs in most Lenovos.

 

Me too. Although I had a problem transferring the data using the Samsung migration program. Looks like I need to start from scratch. and it didn't come with a recovery cd.

 

When it comes to windows and new hard drives / SSD it's better to do a fresh install.

 

The new SSD for my Lenovo came in this morning. Got a 480GB Intel to replace the 256GB SSD it came with. After installing everything I wanted to install on it I was left with around 70GB free. That's a little less than I'm comfortable with. After doing a lot of looking around, I'm going to hold off until next week to do it. Apparently the Lenovo one key recovery is very finicky about partition sizes and won't work if everything isn't just right.

And then there's the matter of getting to it. I miss the old days where laptop hard drives were on trays that slid out from the sides. On this one I have to pull the entire bottom cover and the internal battery to swap out the drive. Still haven't figured out how I'm going to mirror it over to the new one unless there's a second SATA port on the mobo that's accessible.

 

Not a build, but a revival. I have a 2005-spec laptop/tablet Toshiba that had been feeling it's age for quite some time. With XP support ended, I decided to put Xubuntu on it. Feels like a missile, and Xubuntu is even easier than I remember (did it to the last laptop that got too old as well). Sudo brings back some memories.