In a surprising move, Intel has announced that it will no longer manufacture its popular NUC PCs directly. Instead, the company will be exploring partnerships to continue the production of NUCs in the future.
While the details of these partnerships have not been revealed yet, Intel is determined to find a way to keep the NUC business alive.
The reason behind this strategic decision remains undisclosed. However, experts suggest that the ongoing challenges in the computer market could be a contributing factor.
With the recent fluctuation in demand, the PC industry has been experiencing a downturn, resulting in a significant decline in Intel’s revenue over the past two quarters. Among all of Intel’s divisions, the PC group has been hit the hardest.
It is disheartening to see this change, especially considering the exceptional performance and compact design of the NUCs. The NUC 13 Extreme, in particular, closely matched the functionality and capabilities of Apple’s acclaimed M-series desktop computers.
This powerful machine delivered impressive results for photo and video editing tasks, providing an experience that was almost as good as building a custom PC.
However, there were a few drawbacks worth considering. The NUC 13 Extreme didn’t come ready for use out of the box, as users still needed to acquire a Windows license, RAM, an SSD, and a GPU separately.
This additional cost and effort might have deterred some buyers who preferred a more convenient option, while attracting those who enjoyed the freedom of building their own machines.
Moreover, due to its compact form factor, the NUC 13 Extreme faced issues with thermal throttling, compromising its overall performance compared to the cost involved in assembling it.
Furthermore, it became increasingly challenging for Intel to fit high-end hardware into the small NUC cases that boast their signature design. As a result, the latest 4000-series GPUs from NVIDIA couldn’t be accommodated in the compact NUC 13 Extreme.
Although Intel’s decision brings an end to an era of NUC PC manufacturing, many photographers and tech enthusiasts will surely be disappointed.
Thankfully, other alternatives exist in the market, and aspiring photographers shouldn’t settle for less in their quest for powerful editing machines.