However, considering that it's integrated (non-upgradable) RAM and that the price includes a mandatory 1 TB hard drive I guess I'll pass on this one. In my opinion there's no point not offering SO-DIMMs in this form factor. (For ultrabooks I understand it, but would still prefer SO-DIMMs.) Does anyone know if there are any Ryzen-powered NUC-competitors out there?
Maybe via statistics gathered Intel knows that not many people use USB C. It does seem odd to drop the port but there has to be a logical reason somewhere.
So when you say the PCH is integrated into the CPU, it's not on the same die, right? Like it's the same arrangement of two does that we've seen in previous U processors?
This a seriously disappointing piece of hardware. At 10nm I would expect this level of performance to produce something closer to 6 watts of heat and be passively cooled. It really makes me wonder if Intel's 10nm will be the new 20nm planar.
Intel's first gen 10nm node appears to be wildly inefficient, on top of providing poor yields*. Either of these is very bad, both are an engineering and financial nightmare. This is why Intel is going to skip its (and Cannon Lake's) high volume release and release 10nm+ Ice Lake CPUs in high volume instead in late 2019.
*Having the same base clock and a lower boost clock with an equivalent 14nm+ CPU at the same TDP, while retaining the same architecture (with an added AVX-512 block that is never going to be used), means that Intel saw no power efficiency gain *at all* by moving from 14nm to 10nm, despite the 2 - 2.2 times smaller die, and in fact power efficiency even regressed a little. There are no words to describe adequately how bad and embarrassing this is for Intel.
This CPU is literally an explanation "in the flesh" of Intel's serious problems with their 10nm node and why its release was delayed for so long.
This sole Cannon Lake CPU that Intel released looks and feels and smells like a beta CPU. Its clocks are low because Intel's first gen 10nm process is utter crap, it is unknown how well and how long it will be able to hold that boost clock, and above all, of course, its yields are so poor that Intel had to disable its iGPU. Since Intel will release 10nm+ based Ice Lake CPUs at the end of 2019, not 10nm based Cannon Lake ones, this CPU might turn out be the singular Cannon Lake release, proving that Intel is effectively beta testing its 10nm node after being deployed.
I read that ASML helped Intel overcome their issues with their 10nm node, and now they are testing and validating the fixes. It appears that Intel will apply these fixes to 10nm+, not to 10nm (Cannon Lake was always going to be a stop gap before Ice Lake anyway), so the latter will remain for all intents and purposes a beta node, and thus Cannon Lakes will remain beta CPUs.
Agree that this first 10 nm Cannon Lake release has a more than a whiff of "early beta" to it. The combination of lower clock speeds than similar 14 nm processors BUT yet with AVX 512 enabled suggests that these are either for developers (although I am not sure I'd like to use NUCs for testing out software) or for those who hope that embedded VEGA graphics will help the NUCs make it to gaming territory. The only reason these NUCs are not completely stillborn is that AMD or its vendors don't have a "NUC-alike" based on 4 core Ryzen plus embedded Vega. Wonder why, there is a market here and money to be made, a 2400G class machine with lowered TDP (or keep the TDP, and add a good thermal design with quiet fans) would sell like hotcakes.
With all the hinting from Charly my impression is twofold: 1. They have tons of wafers with 10nm chips where the iGPU portion has close to 0% yields, but at least the CPUs are functional, if only at voltage/performance levels which preclude mobile use (worse than their 14nm counterparts) 2. They need to "assure" their investors, that 10nm is indeed shipping, while they do not expand on the fact that it's currently shipping crap at low yields overall
So if things were anywhere close to normal, they'd probably convert these chips back into sand. But given the state of the fab, they opt for doing "something special" that anyone visiting this site shouldn't touch with a long pole.
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AdditionalPylons - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
I'm tempted getting one of these for playing StarCraft II.AdditionalPylons - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
However, considering that it's integrated (non-upgradable) RAM and that the price includes a mandatory 1 TB hard drive I guess I'll pass on this one. In my opinion there's no point not offering SO-DIMMs in this form factor. (For ultrabooks I understand it, but would still prefer SO-DIMMs.)Does anyone know if there are any Ryzen-powered NUC-competitors out there?
MikeChou - Friday, August 17, 2018 - link
ZOTAC MA551, which is still not releasedEricZBA - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
No USB Type C port? What the f*ck? My i3 NUC from 2017 has one. Why the regression?damianrobertjones - Monday, August 20, 2018 - link
Maybe via statistics gathered Intel knows that not many people use USB C. It does seem odd to drop the port but there has to be a logical reason somewhere.DanNeely - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
Is this the same GPU on die but disabled 10nm chip on that showed up on one or two china only laptops a month or two back?yeeeeman - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
Yes, it is.skavi - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
So when you say the PCH is integrated into the CPU, it's not on the same die, right? Like it's the same arrangement of two does that we've seen in previous U processors?skavi - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
*diesHStewart - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
I see these as potential lower cost box for developers that desire to work with AVX 512 in preparation for Ice Lake next year..Wilco1 - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
An Apple phone outperforms this both single and multithreaded by a good margin. Any serious developer would avoid this like the plague.OFelix - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
Dissapointed that it does not have Thunderbolt.Also, won't buy without 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM.
damianrobertjones - Monday, August 20, 2018 - link
What device were you going to add, to the nuc, that would use thunderbolt? Just asking as this is an i3 so hardly mega-powerful.SquarePeg - Thursday, August 16, 2018 - link
This a seriously disappointing piece of hardware. At 10nm I would expect this level of performance to produce something closer to 6 watts of heat and be passively cooled. It really makes me wonder if Intel's 10nm will be the new 20nm planar.Santoval - Sunday, August 19, 2018 - link
Intel's first gen 10nm node appears to be wildly inefficient, on top of providing poor yields*. Either of these is very bad, both are an engineering and financial nightmare. This is why Intel is going to skip its (and Cannon Lake's) high volume release and release 10nm+ Ice Lake CPUs in high volume instead in late 2019.*Having the same base clock and a lower boost clock with an equivalent 14nm+ CPU at the same TDP, while retaining the same architecture (with an added AVX-512 block that is never going to be used), means that Intel saw no power efficiency gain *at all* by moving from 14nm to 10nm, despite the 2 - 2.2 times smaller die, and in fact power efficiency even regressed a little. There are no words to describe adequately how bad and embarrassing this is for Intel.
This CPU is literally an explanation "in the flesh" of Intel's serious problems with their 10nm node and why its release was delayed for so long.
Santoval - Sunday, August 19, 2018 - link
This sole Cannon Lake CPU that Intel released looks and feels and smells like a beta CPU. Its clocks are low because Intel's first gen 10nm process is utter crap, it is unknown how well and how long it will be able to hold that boost clock, and above all, of course, its yields are so poor that Intel had to disable its iGPU.Since Intel will release 10nm+ based Ice Lake CPUs at the end of 2019, not 10nm based Cannon Lake ones, this CPU might turn out be the singular Cannon Lake release, proving that Intel is effectively beta testing its 10nm node after being deployed.
I read that ASML helped Intel overcome their issues with their 10nm node, and now they are testing and validating the fixes. It appears that Intel will apply these fixes to 10nm+, not to 10nm (Cannon Lake was always going to be a stop gap before Ice Lake anyway), so the latter will remain for all intents and purposes a beta node, and thus Cannon Lakes will remain beta CPUs.
eastcoast_pete - Sunday, August 19, 2018 - link
Agree that this first 10 nm Cannon Lake release has a more than a whiff of "early beta" to it. The combination of lower clock speeds than similar 14 nm processors BUT yet with AVX 512 enabled suggests that these are either for developers (although I am not sure I'd like to use NUCs for testing out software) or for those who hope that embedded VEGA graphics will help the NUCs make it to gaming territory.The only reason these NUCs are not completely stillborn is that AMD or its vendors don't have a "NUC-alike" based on 4 core Ryzen plus embedded Vega. Wonder why, there is a market here and money to be made, a 2400G class machine with lowered TDP (or keep the TDP, and add a good thermal design with quiet fans) would sell like hotcakes.
abufrejoval - Monday, August 20, 2018 - link
With all the hinting from Charly my impression is twofold:1. They have tons of wafers with 10nm chips where the iGPU portion has close to 0% yields, but at least the CPUs are functional, if only at voltage/performance levels which preclude mobile use (worse than their 14nm counterparts)
2. They need to "assure" their investors, that 10nm is indeed shipping, while they do not expand on the fact that it's currently shipping crap at low yields overall
So if things were anywhere close to normal, they'd probably convert these chips back into sand. But given the state of the fab, they opt for doing "something special" that anyone visiting this site shouldn't touch with a long pole.
Sifa - Monday, August 20, 2018 - link
As per my observation, these as potential lower cost box for developers and web developers...Sifa - Monday, August 20, 2018 - link
Intel Crimson Canyon NUC PCs... great article what you have to write..again want to see the specification of Canyon specification.