Intel pushes out NUC mini PC with Arc graphics
- Reference: 1663699507
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/09/20/intel_nuc_12_enthusiast/
- Source link:
Previously codenamed Serpent Canyon, the [1]NUC 12 Enthusiast is based on Intel's 12th Gen Core processors and the Arc A770M with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM, which is a high-end gaming laptop version of the company's GPU family. The combination should provide a decent amount of processing power for graphics-intensive workloads in a small form factor system.
According to Intel, the NUC 12 Enthusiast also features Intel's [2]Deep Link technology in a desktop system for the first time. The function of this is to adjust the balance of the power and thermal envelope of the system between the CPU and GPU in order to deliver optimal performance for the task in hand, as well as enabling some sharing of processing tasks between the two.
[3]
Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast
The latest NUC system supports Alder Lake CPUs, specifically the 4.7 GHz Core i7-12700H with 14 cores, combined with up to 64GB DDR4-3200MHz memory. Three M.2 PCIe slots provide the storage options, with two of these supporting PCIe Gen4, for up to 1TB of NVMe storage.
However, as with other NUC systems, Intel offers the NUC 12 Enthusiast as a pre-built mini PC, or as a kit that can be customized. The mini PC version can only fit 16GB of memory.
[4]Don't say Pentium or Celeron anymore, it's just Processor now, says Intel
[5]Intel's stock Raptor Lake chip will do 6GHz and overclock another 25%, if it keeps cool
[6]With its Ohio fab under way, Intel's next challenge: Keeping its promises
[7]Intel, Broadcom show off interoperable Wi-Fi 7 kit
An array of I/O ports are also provided, in the shape of two Thunderbolt 4 ports and six USB 3.2 ports, a pair of DisplayPort 2.0 ports, and one HDMI 2.1 port. Network connectivity is via an Intel i225-LM 2.5Gbps Ethernet interface and Wi-Fi 6E. The system fits all of this into a box measuring 230 x 180 x 60mm (9.1 x 7.1 x 2.4in), and a stand comes with the system so it can be oriented vertically or horizontally.
Intel's VP and general manager of the NUC Group, Brian McCarson, enthused about the new edition, claiming it as an ideal system for anyone trying to create and game.
[8]
"The Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Kit is one of the most exciting NUCs to launch because it's the first to pair an Intel processor with discrete Intel graphics," McCarson said in a statement.
[9]
The system provides a combination of high performance in content creation and gaming usages, and a wide array of I/O that would typically be found in larger systems, he added.
According to Intel, the NUC 12 Enthusiast Mini PC and Kit are both expected to be available from late September, with US prices ranging from $1,180 to $1,350, depending on the configuration. Intel also said that fully equipped desktop systems will be available through retailers and system integrators at a later date. ®
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[1] https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/details/nuc.html
[2] https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/adaptix/deep-link.html
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2022/09/20/intel-nuc-12-enthusiast-2.jpg
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/16/intel_pentium_celeron_processor/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/12/intels_raptor_lake/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/12/intel_foundry_challenges/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/09/intel_broadcom_wifi_7/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Yyo38We5kEkuz8Hsq1-QzwAAABA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Yyo38We5kEkuz8Hsq1-QzwAAABA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Unfortunately...
Unless drivers are better (and frequently updated anyways) I suspect ARC might vanish beneath the waves. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time discrete graphics from Intel became so discrete they disappeared.
They are however having to lie in the bed they made having promised cards would be available, offer good performance and be a reasonable cost. So far they haven't had the best start to this and instead of a good start, which promises more they've disappointed and made no mention on if a second gen is on the way.
Linux support
NUCs are, in my extremely limited experience, great fo installing Linux upon.
Is this one any different?
-A.
Re: Linux support
For now, the ARC driver is an issue -- I mean, apparently it's also an issue in Windows, but Phoronix article from just 3 weeks ago showed a desktop but no 3D stuff demo'ed on it yet, they said you MUST have Linux 6.0 git kernel (i.e. newest kernel) and Mesa 22.2 (newest Mesa) to have it run at all, they say Ubuntu 22.10 and other 2nd-half-2022 distros were not shipping with support for it yet.
That said, the Linux ARC driver is in fact just the current development version of the Intel graphics driver, they're essentially finishing out support for discrete (on-video-card) memory (since the previous Intel GPUs only used shared memory.) So I'm not expecting ARC support to be some huge slog.
Not this Gamer...
I'll pass on ARC until the tech matures. Or at least gets decent drivers.