Intel NUC NUC5i5RYH with Intel Core i5 Processor and 2.5-Inch Drive Support

We use these to prototype network appliances that we build commercially, and they've been a godsend. We do our development work on the Intel NUC platform, and when we get all the kinks worked out, we specify the same motherboard/disk/memory, built into custom fanless cases.This is our third generation of NUCs, and all have worked extremely well for us. We like that this particular one allows for both SSD and a 2.5" conventional drive - we use a 256GB SSD plus a 2TB drive, making for quite a potent package in something that fits in the palm of your hand. We like the i3 version as well, but the i5 chip in this puppy gives us a little more flexibility for debugging and so forth. It's as fast as any similarly configured system, and unless you know you're on a small form factor system, you'd never figure it out from the performance you get out of it.One thing that's noteworthy is the issue around Linux and the video hardware in this particular NUC. Our normal build starts with a Ubuntu 14.04 image, but it turns out 14.04 lacks kernel support for some of the features needed by the video driver. We spent a few days trying to get the system working on 14.04, but there seemed no way to get stable video without upgrading to a newer kernel.Rather than building an updated kernel by hand and worrying about whatever incompatibility issues that might cause, In the end, we bit the bullet and upgraded to the (then) beta version of Ubuntu 15.04. We held our breath, but with some minor upgrades, we've been able to get everything working at least as well as 14.04 did, and now the video works fine. Windows users and folks running other Linux distributions shouldn't have any of these issues, but it's something to be aware of if you hope to run Ubuntu on your NUC.One other issue to be aware of is that the input voltage for this particular system is an unusual 19V. The included power adapter works fine, of course, but if you have the need to run it in a mobile setting (say, off a 12V motor vehicle power supply, which is what we do), you'll need a bit more than a simple 12V adapter.Otherwise, nothing bad to say about the NUC...it's met or exceeded our expectations in every way, including price, performance and ruggedness.

First off: I recommend buying a 7th-gen (Kaby Lake) or later NUC unless you want to run Windows 8.1 or earlier (most likely for Media Center DVR). Kaby Lake NUCs (e.g. NUC7i5BNK or BNK) have better graphics, can output 4K at 60 Hz, and (in the case of the 7i5 but not the 7i3) come with Thunderbolt ports, which can be used for a variety of peripherals (from high-res monitors to external GPUs).Second: If you buy a tall model (which usually ends in H) to add a HDD for data, make sure the HDD is 7mm tall or less. Some 2.5" HDDs (such as the 3TB or 4TB models) are 15mm tall and therefore won't fit in this machine.Now: I decided to buy a NUC for my home theater PC (HTPC) and settled on this unit due to its price (on sale at the time) and its compatibility with Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, which still run Media Center. (I previously bought a Kaby Lake model, but only Windows 10 is supported on it.) I've had it running 24x7 for several weeks with 8 GB of RAM, a 250 GB SSD, a 2 TB HDD (2.5", 7mm height), and a USB-attached tuner box installed, and its performance has been excellent. The IR feature is particularly cool; it works with RC6 remotes without any configuration whatsoever (although I've read that you can install programs that will let you remap keys).The biggest downsides of this unit are:- Mini-HDMI port is only HDMI 1.4 -- that means 4K at 30 Hz, not 60 Hz, which is fine for video but kind of unbearable for navigating Windows or an Internet browser. (You can purchase an adapter for less than $30 to convert the DisplayPort to HDMI 2.0, but see my second bullet.)- While the mini DisplayPort can supply 4K/60 and (active) adapters are available to convert that to an HDMI 2.0 port, it doesn't appear to work with the DRM that Windows Media Center employs (PlayReady), preventing CableCard-based tuners from working. I'm not sure whether this is a limitation of DisplayPort or the adapter. (My TV doesn't have a DisplayPort, so I can't test that.)- Occasionally the display will turn to snow -- like a bad analog channel, except more digital -- while we're watching a recorded show. I don't know whether this is an issue with my TV or the NUC (possibly a video driver issue), but I never saw this with my previous HTPC and this TV. I haven't tried a different mini-HDMI to HDMI cable or tried different display drivers, but those would be the next things to check. It's very infrequent (less than once per day) and I fix it by changing the HDMI input on the TV to a different one and changing it back, so I live with it.That's it, though. Everything else about the box is great. If you want to do more than what a TV stick or set-top box provides (like run a DVR or Plex server or play games with relatively low graphics intensity), then I highly recommend this NUC.

This little computer is amazing! I installed 16 gb 1600 RAM and installed a 250 gb PCIe M.2 card to use as the hard drive. With ubuntu, the computer boots in 1 sec and is much faster than even the big memory boxes that I use at the office. Fantastic performance. But my wife wanted Windows 7, so now it still boots reasonably quickly but is burdened by the overhead and other BS that plagues all Windows computers. Using a SSD instead of a spinning HD for the operating system is a good choice, and you still have room to install a 2.5-inch drive for data storage. Maybe the best thing about a bare bones computer like this is you install whatever operating system you want and are not burdened with the useless bloatware that comes on HPs or the trashy computers you buy at a big box store. Anyway, 2 months of use and all is well. Note: some people have commented on the fan. On our unit, it is barely audible. The audio output is very good quality. Highly recommended. This is an efficient way to replace the standard refrigerator-size floor-standing computer with its big power supply, cooling propellers, and wasted interior space. Change rooms or go on a trip: unplug your NUC and take it with you.