Intel NUC Kit D54250WYK Review

[crossblade]

Hello again

I came while surfing the net across some Images of the variant of this nuc that can include a 2.5" HDD.
These I'd like to share with you guys, Seems it is essentially the same case but a little bit higher. (I dont know as of now the exact measurements)









I personally find it not as sleek as the base model but the posibilitty to add a spindle-HDD would make it the perfect desktop replacement.

If someoe of you knows I'd love to know what the exact model number will be and what ist the maximum height of the HDD soket? Is it possible to mount a larg 12.5mm 2TB HDD?

Also somebody knows the availability of this slightly different case?

[Apoptosis]

That NUC case you have pictures of is coming in December and is the one I mentioned on my review and on this thread.

The model number is D54250WYKH and D34010WYKH as there are two processors you can get with the 2.5" HDD/SDD supported version. The dimensions are 116.6mm x 112mm x 49.5mm

Hope this helps and I agree this is the best NUC for desktop replacement! You can run mSATA and have a larger 2.5" drive for mass storage!

Just curious... Where did you find those images? I've had them for some time, but didn't know they were public yet.

[crossblade]

Thank you for the informations – that was exactly what I was hoping for. So the model number is just a added H (maybe for hight). Now I am in a bit of dilemma. Buy the flat one when it’s available (essentially now) or wait two months for the improved one…

I hope I don’t get someone into trouble – especially if they just jumped the gun on these pictures. These pictures are from a news feed of an established usually trustworthy computer information site. They claim intel provided this pictures themselves so I thought they were released freely. I will wait for a little more time if these get removed from the site before posting a link here, so they have the chance to do some damage control. It they really are not public yet (still under NDA) I will of course remove them from the post or you can do this preventing you from getting into trouble as well.

Maybe you could talk to your sources at intel if you also could give us a sneak peek of what is to come ;-)

[Apoptosis]

No worries and here is an updated news post that I just did with some more photos of the cables that Intel is playing around with - http://www.legitreviews.com/intel-hawel ... ves_127098

[Platypus2]

The Intel NUC Kit D54250WYK should be coming to market this month and Amazon already has it listed for $379.51 shipped.

Curious, are you sure its coming this month? On the intel forums the reps seem to have no idea, best can get out of them is

as far as we know, the launch will be by the end of October or November.

And as far as retailers go, there aren't many listing it and the ones that are have no confirmed date what so ever. To me its looking a lot like November now
Do you have any idea on what the delays are due to? Should we be worried lol?

[Apoptosis]

As with any new product that is coming to market they are making sure it's good to go. Take a look at their driver page to see all the work they are doing - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Search ... +D54250WYK

In the past week they have released a new BIOS (0021), graphics drivers and so on. From my understanding the graphics performance issues some saw are fixed with BIOS 0021, but the memory overclocking limitation I ran into is still present when running 16GB over 1600MHz. The last 'big' issue deals with overclocking and trust me that isn't going to stop Intel as it works at rated speeds just fine, so if you are buying a 16GB DDR3L SO-DIMM just be sure to get a 1600MHz kit.

[Platypus2]

As with any new product that is coming to market they are making sure it's good to go. Take a look at their driver page to see all the work they are doing - https://downloadcenter.intel.com/Search ... +D54250WYK

In the past week they have released a new BIOS (0021), graphics drivers and so on. From my understanding the graphics performance issues some saw are fixed with BIOS 0021, but the memory overclocking limitation I ran into is still present when running 16GB over 1600MHz. The last 'big' issue deals with overclocking and trust me that isn't going to stop Intel as it works at rated speeds just fine, so if you are buying a 16GB DDR3L SO-DIMM just be sure to get a 1600MHz kit.

Thanks, I understand, its just annoying , seems like its been around for ages and yet nothing is being released, let alone a solid date for release

[Major_A]

Thanks, I understand, its just annoying , seems like its been around for ages and yet nothing is being released, let alone a solid date for release

The Haswell Gigabyte Brix is available.
http://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/342/i ... odels.html

[UltraNerd]

Through Google I found the review on the D54250WYK and this forum thread. Great stuff, very informative!
I am very interested in this device and plan to get one of the models late this year.

Anyway, I have a question and I hope someone has some tips. About the internal SATA and power header. I had planned on connecting a 3.5" HD, so I was disappointed to read the sata power header does not supply the required 12V for a 3.5" HD. (Then again, if the review had not mentioned it I would have discovered this during the assembly.)

My question:
What approaches exist to get 12V or SATA power from 'somewhere else'?


I noticed an internal power header. Maybe this could solve the issue?

I know I could use USB3 to connect a 3.5" HD, but that requires yet another power supply so would I prefer not to do that.

Some soldering would be OK if that would be a solution!

[Apoptosis]

Through Google I found the review on the D54250WYK and this forum thread. Great stuff, very informative!
I am very interested in this device and plan to get one of the models late this year.

Anyway, I have a question and I hope someone has some tips. About the internal SATA and power header. I had planned on connecting a 3.5" HD, so I was disappointed to read the sata power header does not supply the required 12V for a 3.5" HD. (Then again, if the review had not mentioned it I would have discovered this during the assembly.)

My question:
What approaches exist to get 12V or SATA power from 'somewhere else'?


I noticed an internal power header. Maybe this could solve the issue?

I know I could use USB3 to connect a 3.5" HD, but that requires yet another power supply so would I prefer not to do that.

Some soldering would be OK if that would be a solution!

I didn't know you couldn't run a standard 3.5" hard drive off the internal power, so thanks for your post. I contacted Intel to confirm this and here is their response:

"Yes, it is. If we had went ahead and included 12V to the power connector to support a 3.5” HDD we would have had to add another DC – DC vreg.

We do not really have the room on the board to include another Vreg. Sorry"

So, it comes down to not being able to include another Vreg due to available board space! Not sure what the best way to go about powering one would be.

[UltraNerd]

"Yes, it is. If we had went ahead and included 12V to the power connector to support a 3.5” HDD we would have had to add another DC – DC vreg.

We do not really have the room on the board to include another Vreg. Sorry"

So, it comes down to not being able to include another Vreg due to available board space! Not sure what the best way to go about powering one would be.

But if a voltage regulator for 12V was not included at all that means that I also can not get a 12V signal from anywhere else on the board.
I had already expected this from the technical docs, and thank you for confirming. So soldering will not be solution...

That leaves the internal power supply (or just give up and connect a standard 2.5" after all)
I imagine a certain class of power supplies exist that connect to the internal power connector and that also have a sata power connector with the correct 12V signal for a standard 3.5" HD.
But I have no experience with this type of power connector, so I don't know what to search for.
Any tips and/or links to power supplies for the internal connector?

[ngeo]

Hi,

The end of October has gone and still no nuc 54250.
Do you have any clue about availability?
You seem to have intel contacts, any news? Did a major problem occur? Or is it they want to deliver perfect product?

Is there only me waiting for it?

Ngeo.

[kquebec]

Is there only me waiting for it?

Ngeo.

Surely your are not alone. But there are reports of people getting it in some forums. At Amazon, there are many vendors who claim they have it in stock. But not Amazon itself. Hope the wait won't be long anymore.

[Apoptosis]

Hi,

The end of October has gone and still no nuc 54250.
Do you have any clue about availability?
You seem to have intel contacts, any news? Did a major problem occur? Or is it they want to deliver perfect product?

Is there only me waiting for it?

Ngeo.

I just sent an e-mail to Intel asking for an update. Amazon does have it listed and you can purchase it for $399 direct from them. It's just out of stock right now. If you pre-order, you'll be included in the first batch and Amazon has always been good to me about price matching before something arrives.

[Apoptosis]

From Intel:

"The Wilson Canyon NUC’s have launched. They are moving from the Intel Warehouse to the Disti’s. "

[ngeo]

Great! Thanks.

Things are moving. I already pre-order it (on a french website as I live in France), but it was nearly a month ago.
Even in France serious retailers begin to put that available on next Monday (since yesterday).

I found legit looking for nuc, and since then, I'm getting back to it. You do a very good job, thanks.
Ngeo.

[bigonbricks]

Hello,

I just joined here.

The D54250WYKH is exactly what I want. The inability to fit a 2.5" hdd in the NUC has held me off from buying one.

Has it been confirmed this new model is coming in December? Do we know if it's early or late Dec?

Thanks

[Apoptosis]

Hello,

I just joined here.

The D54250WYKH is exactly what I want. The inability to fit a 2.5" hdd in the NUC has held me off from buying one.

Has it been confirmed this new model is coming in December? Do we know if it's early or late Dec?

Thanks

Yes, but note how long it took the base models to come out. It's coming in December, but it might take a bit for Amazon and others to get it in stock near the 'normal' prices.

[Generalkidd]

I'm planning on getting one of the new Haswell-based Intel NUC's, however I'm not sure if the i5 version is worth it. There's a $90 price difference between the two. The cheaper version uses the Core i3 4010U with HD 4400 graphics while the more expensive version uses the Core i5 4250U with HD 5000 Graphics.

Is there going to be a huge noticeable performance difference between the two?

I plan to use it for a lot of application development including mobile apps. That means it will be running emulators a lot. I also plan to be using it to run virtual machines (1 at any given time) and for the entire machine to act as a remote desktop. Aside from that, I will also be using it for streaming media such as movies, tv shows, and music. I will also use it to play some BluRay movies every now and then as well as some light gaming. The games I'll be playing will mainly be in the area of Call of Duty Ghosts, Dead Space 3, Halo 2 Vista, Geometry Wars, Age of Empires HD, Bioshock, and so on.

If I were to settle for the Core i3 with HD 4400, will it take a huge toll on the system's performance when running the programs I need it to?

[Apoptosis]

I'm planning on getting one of the new Haswell-based Intel NUC's, however I'm not sure if the i5 version is worth it. There's a $90 price difference between the two. The cheaper version uses the Core i3 4010U with HD 4400 graphics while the more expensive version uses the Core i5 4250U with HD 5000 Graphics.

Is there going to be a huge noticeable performance difference between the two?

I plan to use it for a lot of application development including mobile apps. That means it will be running emulators a lot. I also plan to be using it to run virtual machines (1 at any given time) and for the entire machine to act as a remote desktop. Aside from that, I will also be using it for streaming media such as movies, tv shows, and music. I will also use it to play some BluRay movies every now and then as well as some light gaming. The games I'll be playing will mainly be in the area of Call of Duty Ghosts, Dead Space 3, Halo 2 Vista, Geometry Wars, Age of Empires HD, Bioshock, and so on.

If I were to settle for the Core i3 with HD 4400, will it take a huge toll on the system's performance when running the programs I need it to?

Yes, and if you are on the fence it is worth going with the higher-end skus. The price gap of $90 might be a significant difference up front, but if you keep this system 3-4 years you are talking about a 6-8 cent per day difference. Since you mentioned gaming on the NUC... You most certainly want the Intel HD Graphics 5000 as you want the most performance you can get.