Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
In Q1 2021, Intel launched their NUC 11 line of systems which come equipped with 11 th Gen Intel Core processors and are broken into four different categories: Enthusiast (Phantom Canyon), Performance (Panther Canyon), Pro (Tiger Canyon), and Compute Element (Elk Bay). Each one of these categories is unique and built for a different type of user in mind; for example, the Compute Element, which we previously reviewed , was designed for light gaming, home theater, and content creation. On the other hand, the Intel NUC 11 Pro unit, which we will be reviewing in this article, was designed for edge computing, and home and office use. The demdex cookie, set under the domain demdex.net, is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
The NUC and the iBuypower were close on our Handbrake test, in which we transcode a 4K video to 1080p. Intel's desktop took 6 minutes and 28 seconds, just ahead of the iBuypower. The Corsair One a200, with a more powerful GPU and more cores, tore through the test in 4:44. Software and Warranty on the Intel NUC 11 Extreme Kit (Beast Canyon) At 14.06 x 7.44 x 4.72 inches, this PC is a bit larger than its previous design, but also fits more GPUs and still fits very easily on a desk. The Corsair One a200 takes up less desk space, but is taller at 7.87 x 6.93 x 14.96 inches. Both are smaller than mid-towers like the iBuypower Element CL Pro (18.1 x 18.1 x 8.5 inches). We run the PCMark 10 benchmark to test how well systems run common office applications. Many of these applications have not been optimized to take advantage of the multi-core CPUs or GPUs that modern systems have. This is apparent in the Essentials score where the NUC 9 with its 8-core CPU only slightly beat the 4-core NUC 11. The Productivity and Digital Content Creation scores favored the NUC 9 as it could take advantage of its CPU and GPU but despite this, the NUC 11 performed extremely well with half the cores of the NUC 9 and an iGPU rather than a discrete GPU. PCMark 10 The NUC 11 we received had a CMCM2FBAV Intel NUC Chassis Element (Fort Beach) with a CM11EBv716W Intel Compute Element (Elk Bay) that contained an Intel 11 th generation Tiger Lake Core i7-11857G7 mobile processor and 16GB of RAM. This is one of Intel’s fastest mobile processors and contains Intel’s new integrated GPU (iGPU). This processor is also used in ultra-premium notebooks. This CPU/iGPU should only be slightly less-performant than a low-end discrete GPU.
The Beast Canyon NUC is a small form factor powerhouse
Next, we connected a laptop to the input port and a monitor to the pass-thru port on the NUC. We launched OSB Studio on the NUC and configured it to connect to the capture card. We recorded a few minutes of video streaming from the laptop, then compared the captured content to the original content and could not detect any difference. The Compute Element contains the “brains” of the computer: the CPU and RAM. The NUC 11 Compute Elements range from having an Intel Celeron 6305 Processor with 4GB of RAM to an Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM. You can find the complete Computer Element line-up here. Our Intel NUC 11
The same thing happened on Grand Theft Auto V's benchmark on very high settings. It ran at 91 fps at 1080p, but wasn't playable at 4K, while more powerful graphics cards had no problem. As this was the first NUC that we received with a 2.5GbE NIC in it we were curious as to how well it would perform. As we didn’t have another system with an onboard 2.5GbE NIC we attached a CableCreation USB 3.0 to 2.5 Gigabit LAN Ethernet Cable Adapter to the NUC 11 CE that we previously reviewed. We connected the two NUCs together using a MikroTik CRS305-1G-4S+IN 10GbE 5-Port Desktop Switch using Cat 6 cables. The bottom of the case is attached by four captive Phillips-head screws. By removing these screws, we were able to remove the bottom; this exposed the NUC 11 Compute and Board Elements. The Board Element had two slots for M.2 devices; one had a screw for a full-length M.2 drive, while the other had a screw hole to accommodate a full or half-length M.2 device. The full-length (2280) M.2 drive was populated with a Crucial MX500 SATA SSD. Similar to its predecessor, the NUC 9 Extreme Kit, the NUC 11 Extreme Kit fits into a very small case. And while you can upgrade it in many ways similar to a desktop, the process is a bit different here. It is the second system we have reviewed that has the Iris Xe iGPU, and it solidifies our position that it is a solid graphic processor for casual gamers, and for everyday use with home and office applications. It provides performance that could have previously only been achieved with a discrete GPU.For some people, no PC tower is too big, especially if you want all of the airflow and every bell and whistle you can get. But there are other schools of thought, like those from people who like small form factor desktops or want to fit something with the power of the best gaming PCs on their desk. We then used iperf3 to test the bandwidth between the two systems. The results showed a transfer rate of 2.37 Gbps. As this chart shows, and the results from our testing supports, the NUC 11, with its 4-cores and advanced iGPU, is a very capable system and only comes second to the NUC 9 which has a discrete graphics card for graphic intensive work. Feature We then ran the SPECviewperf 12 benchmark on the NUC 11. The SPECviewperf 12, considered to be the worldwide standard for measuring graphics performance based on professional applications, runs 9 benchmarks called viewsets, which represent graphics content and behavior from actual applications, and include categories such as: 3D Max, CATIA, Creo, Energy, Maya, Medical, Showcase, Siemens NX, and Solidworks. System and Maximum TDP is based on worst case scenarios. Actual TDP may be lower if not all I/Os for chipsets are used.
If NUC piques your interest, the Intel NUC 11 th generation NUC11PAQ has it all. Sure, I will get more excited when I see the Pro and Enthusiast versions, but this is a perfect device for now. It is about 20% faster than the 10 th generation, and the Intel Iris X3 graphics are 300% faster than the UHD 620. We tested with dual-channel ram – that is the only addition I think you should make for top performance. And the SSD speeds are amazing. To remove the Compute Element, we would have needed to remove the Element Board, which we opted not to do. The RAM is contained within the Compute Element and cannot be replaced or updated. The solder traces on the system board were very clean, and the system board itself was substantial yet uncluttered. This is one of the cleaner boards that we have seen yet. The motherboard has an Intel AX201NGW Wi-Fi module, an unpopulated full-sized M.2 slot labeled “NVMe ONLY,” a 2242 B-Key slot populated with a Transcend 512GB TS512GB device, and two 1.2V DDR4 slots populated with a single Kingston KVR32S22DR8/16 SO-DIMM. Overall, the results are aligned with what we expected to see with this system as systems with more and faster cares or discrete GPUs performed better. SPECworkstation 3The Intel NUC 11 Extreme not only looks the part with RGB lighting but is also able to keep up with any benchmark you throw at it. With an 11th-gen Core i9 processor that features 8 cores and 16 threads as well as support for a top-of-line graphics card, this little box can rival performances of much larger towers. Noise varies from a whisper to about 35dB, but we heard it go louder on 100% load to around 50dB. Power use is quite good. Under load, it reached 400W, but most of the time, it was about half that. In cost terms, less than 20 cents an hour. The latest Intel i7-11375H (desktop) has a 5GHz Turbo. This only runs in larger form factor desktops and is an average 14% faster. The real difference no TDP constraint and 37% faster at maximum speed. Graphics – 30% faster than Intel UHD
While I was testing the Extreme Kit, I took Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 for a spin. I could game at 4K on this lightweight title, hitting between 85 and 90 frames per second on the maximum preset (at 1080p, it ran between 180 and 200 fps). This test really highlights the 96 EU in the iGPU of the NUC 11 Pro as in some tests was about 50% more performant than the NUC 8, and twice as performant as the NUC 10 Pro as they have less powerful iGPUs. It had a third of the performance the NUC 9 Pro which has a discrete GPU. SPECviewperf 12.1 Based on the performance of the benchmarks that we performed on the system, we feel that it would be well-suited for home and office power-users that use office applications, demanding web-browsing, and content-creation. With its single 8K, or four 4K video outputs, and wired and wireless networking options, it would also make a good system for digital signs and edge applications. We ran the SPECviewperf 12 benchmark on the NUC 11 Pro. The SPECviewperf 12, considered to be the worldwide standard for measuring graphics performance based on professional applications, runs 9 benchmarks called viewsets, which represent graphics content and behavior from actual applications, and include categories such as 3D Max, CATIA, Creo, Energy, Maya, Medical, Showcase, Siemens NX, and Solidworks. TapAd sets this cookie to offer personalized content, social media features, and traffic analysis for its retargeting of online advertising.The Intel NUC 11 Pro that we will be reviewing in this article is the TNKi5 which comes with 16 GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2-based SATA SSD, a Core i5-1135G7 processor with an integrated Iris Xe Graphics GPU, and Windows 10 Pro. The device’s connectivity is very good as it has six USB ports, two HDMI ports, WiFi, and a 2.5Gb wired ethernet. Intel NUC 11 Pro Specifications For the initial boot and testing of the device, we connected it to a Dell UltraSharp 32” 4K Monitor (U3219Q) via HDMI. The Dell monitor has a keyboard, mouse, and video (KVM) switch built in to it, which proved extremely useful throughout our testing as it allowed us to switch between the NUC 10 Pro and our laptop with the push of a button. We plugged a Dell wireless keyboard and mouse (part number KM636) dongle into the monitor’s upstream USB port. RGB under-chassis lighting and replaceable RGB front logo means each kit can have its own signature design inside and out. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. Indicates whether MUID is transferred to ANID, a cookie used for advertising. Clarity doesn't use ANID and so this is always set to 0.
Great Deal 
New Comment