I was recently tasked with building a new entry-level computer for a relative, and it gave me the opportunity to try one of these NUC builds. After pricing it relative to other options (laptop, tower, etc) it was a decent contender for entry-level use... IF your main goal is keeping to a small form factor. It does have a solid build quality, and the metal frame gives it some heft- I wasn't worried about it getting yanked off the table by the errant tug of a USB cable.
With 4 GB of RAM and an SSD, this thing will scream on Windows 7, and run respectably well on Windows 8 for single-task use. My intended recipient loves it- though she was upgrading from an 8-year old system, so I had that going for me. Note that it uses "mini" HDMI and displayport inputs, so you will likely need adapter dongles or a cable that will go from mini- to fullsize. There are just enough USB ports for a casual user, but it is worthwhile to get a cheap USB2.0 hub to give you more breathing room on peripherals. I recommend getting a wireless mouse+keyboard combo that uses a single receiver, to maximize available ports. Decent portable DVD-RWs can be had for $30 online.
The biggest caveat to these kits is that they are truly bare-bones, and the miniature modules you buy for it are not cost-competitive with their full-sized, generic brethren. That means any perceived savings will evaporate if you add enough peripherals to provide the same features as a comparable tower or laptop. I found cheaper laptops with the same core specs as my build, and they included Windows, a wireless card, a DVD drive, mouse+keyboard, and a screen... all of which I would have to buy separately for the NUC. In any case, at the time of this review you can keep it within $100 of an equivalent tower if you shop around (and don't mind having less disk space for the money).
Until Intel and AMD pump out enough units to get an economy of scale going, I think these will remain a niche item- but if you want something with a truly small form factor, these are a great option that won't break your budget. Just don't go in expecting to save money with such a build.
| Processor | core_i3 |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB DDR3 1066 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel Iris 6100 |
| Chipset Brand | Intel |
| Card Description | Intel HD Graphics 4400 |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
