Socketed desktop processors have capacity for graphics cards
Socketed desktop processors have been added to Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing) form factor portfolio. The NUC 12 Extreme (code-named Dragon Canyon) and the NUC 12 Extreme Compute Element (code-named Eden Bay) are modular desktop PC kits engineered for high-end gaming and content creation tasks.
Based on the 12th Gen Intel Core desktop processors, they have the capacity for full-size 12-inch discrete graphics cards and a full range of I/O ports including Thunderbolt 4. The Intel NUC 12 Extreme introduces Intel’s new performance hybrid architecture and a socketed motherboard to the NUC line. According to the company, it is a powerful, versatile system with a small footprint.
Described as Intel’s most powerful Intel NUC yet, in addition to the hybrid architecture, the NUC 12 offers access to faster PCIe interfaces to accelerate load times, all in a footprint that can fit on any desk.
The modular Intel NUC 12 Extreme Compute Element provides gamers and creators with the ability to create small form factor designs and the option to be creative and configure the system footprint to their liking.
The NUC 12 Extreme offers breakthrough speeds with up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, featuring eight Performance-cores (P-cores) and eight Efficient-cores (E-cores), 24 threads and up to 5.1 GHz turbo boost max frequency.
Additional features include Intel UHD Graphics 770 (32EU), support for up to 64Gbytes dual-channel DDR4-3200 MHz SODIMMs and support for PCIe Gen5 x16 graphics cards.
The NUC 12 is backwards compatible with PCIe Gen4 and Gen3 devices and offers support for up to three PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSDs.
There are also two Thunderbolt 4 ports, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211, a 10Gbits per second Ethernet port standard and additional 2.5Gbits per second Ethernet port on Intel Core i9 processors.
The Intel NUC 12 Extreme will be available starting in Q2 2022, with more rolling out through the year.
