Next Unit of Computing

Next Unit of Computing is a line of small-form-factor barebone computer kits designed by Intel. Previewed in 2012 and launched in early 2013, the NUC line continues to develop over generations of Intel-based CPU launches, spanning from Sandy Bridge-based Celeron CPUs in the first generation, to Raptor Lake-based mobile and desktop CPUs in the thirteenth, and more recently Meteor Lake-based processors with AI capabilities.
The standard barebone kits consist of the NUC board, in a plastic case with a fan, an external power supply, and a VESA mounting plate. The plastic case is typically offered on one of two chassis, Tall or Slim. The NUC motherboard measures approximately, although some models have had different dimensions. Intel also sells bare NUC motherboards, which have a built-in CPU. However, the price of a NUC motherboard is very close to the corresponding cased kit; third-party cases for the NUC boards are also available.
In July 2023, Intel announced that it would no longer develop NUC mainboards and matching mini PCs.
They subsequently announced that NUC products will continue to be—and since that time have been—manufactured, sold and supported by Asus under a non-exclusive license.

First generation

Sandy Bridge

The first generation Intel NUC launched in the first quarter of 2013. This UCFF motherboard and system kit are codenamed Ski Lake and Deep Canyon respectively.

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking
		Celeron 847	17 W	HD Graphics 2000	16 GB	HDMI 1.4a	USB 2.0	Gigabit Ethernet

Second generation

Ivy Bridge

The base UCFF motherboard and kit without Thunderbolt or USB 3 are codenamed Golden Lake and Ice Canyon respectively. The Thunderbolt capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Campers Lake and Box Canyon respectively. The USB 3 capable UCFF motherboard and kit are codenamed Rend Lake and Horse Canyon respectively.
The stripped-down DC3217BY model has a signature red top cover and no Ethernet. This model, while stocks were still available, generally sold for a deep discount. The absence of Ethernet may be mitigated by using a USB 2.0 to 10/100 fast Ethernet dongle based upon the Kawasaki LSI one-chip adapter, or a similar dongle based upon a Realtek chip; the Kawasaki Logic dongle requires a proprietary driver for macOS X, whereas the driver for the Realtek dongle is built into macOS X. The DC3217BY runs macOS X flawlessly as the processor's HD4000 is fully supported by macOS X.

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking
		Core i3-3217U	17 W	HD Graphics 4000	16 GB	HDMI 1.4a	USB 2.0	Gigabit Ethernet
		Core i3-3217U	17 W	HD Graphics 4000	16 GB	HDMI 1.4a ; Thunderbolt via mDP 1.1a	USB 2.0
		Core i5-3427U	17 W	HD Graphics 4000	16 GB	HDMI 1.4a ; mDP 1.1a	USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet

Third generation

Bay Trail-M

This UCFF motherboard and system kit model were codenamed Forest Canyon. The DN2820FYKH product itself is mis-marked DN2820FYK, but the retail package, all retail documentation, and Intel's web site correctly identify this product as DN2820FYKH. The "H" indicates support for internal 2.5" media, SSD or HDD. There is no "non-H" version of this product as it does not include an on-board mSATA connector, hence media which is external to the board is mandatory, and hence the "H" version.
This product introduced a new 12V 3A "wall wart" power supply in place of the previous 19V 3.42A laptop-style power brick and its IEC 60320-C5 "Mickey Mouse" type AC power cord. Four region-specific plug-on adapters, including North America and three overseas countries, are included in the retail package.
These models shipped with the problematic BIOS revision 13, however this revision did not recognise most low voltage SO-DIMMs and would report as having zero capacity. Keyboard escapes for BIOS interfacing had been problematic, legacy booting was not supported, and it had been elected to only include UEFI booting. BIOS revision 48 has been released and resolved the problems, enabling the recognition of most low voltage SO-DIMMs, keyboard escapes and legacy booting.

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking	Internal 2.5 SATA
	DN2820FYB	Celeron N2820 or Celeron N2830	7.5 W	HD Graphics	8 GB	HDMI 1.4a	USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet ; Wi-Fi 802.11bgn, Bluetooth 4.0

Bay Trail-I

This UCFF motherboard and system kit models were codenamed Thin Canyon. This is a fanless system with a larger case than previous NUCs The board remains 4" x 4".

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking	Internal 2.5 SATA
		Atom E3815	5 W	HD Graphics	8 GB	HDMI, VGA, embedded DisplayPort	USB 2.0 ; USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet

Fourth generation

Haswell

UCFF motherboard and system kit models were designated Wilson Canyon containing Haswell processors were revealed in June 2013. In recent years, Intel NUC models beyond the fourth generation have focused heavily on performance per watt and modular upgrade options. Later designs included support for Thunderbolt 4, DDR5 memory, and PCIe Gen 5 storage, reflecting the trend toward compact yet powerful workstation-grade systems.

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking	Internal 2.5 SATA
		Core i3-4010U	15 W	HD Graphics 4400	16 GB	Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet
		Core i3-4010U	15 W	HD Graphics 4400	16 GB	Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet
		Core i5-4250U	15 W	HD Graphics 5000	16 GB	Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet
		Core i5-4250U	15 W	HD Graphics 5000	16 GB	Mini HDMI 1.4a and mDP 1.2	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet

Fifth generation

Broadwell-U

In early 2015 a new generation of NUCs, powered by 5th generation Intel processors was released and in Q2 2015 the first NUC with Core i7 processor became available. The collection of 5th generation of NUCs include adaptive/smart performance technology and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0.
UCFF motherboard and system kit models were designated Rock Canyon. UCFF motherboard and system kit models were codenamed Maple Canyon.
In Q4 2018 and Q1 2019 two new SKUs of "Rock Canyon" - Refresh have been launched and become two of a few available models still supporting Windows* 7. These modes have updated CPU revisions and other minor changes.
All models include:

Dual-channel DDR3L SO-DIMM, 1.35 V, 1333/1600 MHz, 16 GB maximum
One Gigabit Ethernet port
Internal support for M.2 22×42, 22×60, and 22×80 SSD card supporting PCIe 2.0 and SATA 6 Gbit/s
Two USB 3.0 connectors on back panel
Two USB 3.0 connectors on front panel
Two internal USB 2.0 ports via header
Up to 7.1 surround audio via mini HDMI and mini DisplayPort
Headphone/microphone jack on the front panel

Model	Board	CPU	TDP	GPU	Mini HDMI¹	Mini DisplayPort²	eDP	Wireless connectivity	2.5" SATA3 bay	Charging port	Infrared sensor
		i7-5557U	28 W	Iris 6100				IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display
		i5-5250U	15 W	HD 6000				IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display
		i5-5250U	15 W	HD 6000				IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display
		i3-5010U	15 W	HD 5500				IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display
		i3-5010U	15 W	HD 5500				IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, Intel Wireless Display

Version 1.4a
Version 1.2

Braswell

These UCFF system kit models, formerly known as Pinnacle Canyon, are based on 5th generation Celeron and Pentium-branded Braswell 14 nm processor family. There is also the UCFF complete system model, formerly known as Grass Canyon, which is based on 5th generation Pentium-branded Braswell 14 nm processor family and comes with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC with Windows 10 installed.
All models include:

One memory channel DDR3L SO-DIMM, 1.35 V, 1333/1600 MHz, 8 GB maximum
One Gigabit Ethernet port
802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0
Internal support for M.2 22×30 wireless card supporting PCIe 2.0 ×1, and USB 2.0
Two USB 3.0 connectors on back panel
Two USB 3.0 connectors on front panel
Two internal USB 2.0 ports via header
Up to 7.1 surround audio via HDMI
Headphone/microphone jack on the front panel
Headphone/TOSLINK jack on the rear panel
SDXC slot with UHS-I support on the side
CIR Sensor
According to the Intel Technical Product Specification, these models have fans.

Model	Board	Processor	TDP	GPU	Max RAM	Display	External USB ports	Networking	Internal 2.5 SATA
		Celeron N3050 or N3060	6 W	HD Graphics	8 GB	HDMI 1.4, VGA	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0
		Pentium N3700	6 W	HD Graphics	8 GB	HDMI 1.4, VGA	USB 3.0	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0