After spending the best part of a week with the NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK, it’s fair to conclude that we’ve been mightily impressed. For such a compact unit, we have a very capable machine which is able to deliver solid all-round performance.
Fusing together the latest Intel Core i7-8809G and Radeon RX Vega M results in a resilient partnership. CPU performance in a range of scenarios is more than pleasing and it gets even better when the latest AAA gaming titles are ran. Gamers can expect NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK to deliver 60fps+ at 1080p with the detail preset on “high”.
With a plethora of USB ports, we’re able to connect up to USB 3.1 Gen2 devices and there are of course no concerns for VR compatibility either – two HDMI 2.0 ports are supplied and we even get a supercharge port for mobile devices.
If the intended use is for general day-to-day tasks and entertainment then this NUC is also the ideal candidate. Under full load we get low temperatures and very low-noise.
There are however a few reservations. We were disappointed to see no HDMI cable included in the bundle – this is something which we regard as one of the essentials to get up and running with any Mini-PC. Somewhat puzzling was the inclusion of the Windows 10 DVD – NUC features no optical drive and yet has 10+ USB ports. Providing Windows 10 via USB dongle would have been a much more sensible option.
At a cost of UK £899 – AU $1385, NUC8i7HVK is quite an investment, especially since this is a barebones unit. Adding in SO-DIMM DDR4 and M.2 storage will hike the outright cost up to the region of £1200 - $1800, which is stepping into the region of capable gaming laptops.
By pairing up the Intel Core i7-8809G and Radeon RX Vega M, the NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK is able to offer up solid, competent, all-round performance.
Pros
+ Small-footprint
+ Impressive 3D performance
+ Opportunity to expand
+ Charging port for mobile devices
+ Low-temperatures
+ Very low-noise
Cons
- Expensive
- No HDMI cable
- OS DVD supplied
- Memory & storage need to be factored in
+ Small-footprint
+ Impressive 3D performance
+ Opportunity to expand
+ Charging port for mobile devices
+ Low-temperatures
+ Very low-noise
Cons
- Expensive
- No HDMI cable
- OS DVD supplied
- Memory & storage need to be factored in
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