Is this the fastest NUC ever? The Hades Canyon NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK is armed with Intel Core i7-8809G, Radeon RX Vega M graphics and promises to deliver outstanding performance!
Product on Review: NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK
Manufacturer Intel
Street Price: UK £899 – AU $1385
Mini-PCs have been in circulation for many years – often providing a baseline for basic home theatres and the like. Such a device would ordinarily rely on integrated graphics due to technology constraints and limited space – translating to acceptable but far from impressive 3D performance. Fast forward to the beginning of 2018 and Intel unveils their Hades Canyon-based NUC – a converging of the new Intel 8th Generation CPU architecture and AMD’s discreet graphics GPU, Radeon RX Vega M. The fusing of the two components might surprise avid enthusiasts, but the intention to leapfrog the typical iGPU performance is something of a smart move.
The NUC Kit NUC8i7HVK is a petite computer system which takes advantage of the Intel Core i7-8809G. This new CPU is superior to anything we’ve seen in previous NUCs so it should be very interesting to see what the performance figures are like later in the review. While we may not get memory and storage out of the box due to this being a barebones kit, there is support for up to 32GB DDR4 and PCIe M.2 SSDs – combine this with the Radeon RX Vega M and its 4GB HBM2 and we have a mini-powerhouse on our hands.
Intel on their NUC8i7HVK
Built with an unlocked 8th gen Intel Core i7 processor ready for overclocking and with Radeon RX Vega* M graphics so you can clearly see every single movement, the Intel NUC8i7HVK kit is optimized to give you every GHz of performance you need for extreme experience in the virtual world. There’s room for up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM and two M.2 slots for SSDs so you can store data locally and load maps fast.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical specifications surrounding the NUC kit – information supplied by Intel:
Dimensions
221 x 39 x 142 (mm WxHxD)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8809G (3.10 GHz – 8MB L3 Cache)
Memory
Up to 32GB (Dual Channel DDR4 SO-DIMM).
Graphics
Radeon RX Vega
Intel HD Graphics 630
Storage
1 x M.2, 2242/2280, PCIe/SATA
1 x M.2, 2280, PCIe/SATA
Network
Wireless 802.11ac + Wired 10/100/1000 Mbps
1 x Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 Card + BT4.2
1 x Intel® I210AT (Gigabit LAN)
1 x Intel® I219LM (Gigabit LAN)
I/O Ports
6x USB 3.0
3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type A
2x HDMI 2.0
2x Mini DP 1.2
1x SDXC Card Reader (UHS-I Support)
Headphone/Microphone jack
OS Support
Windows 10
221 x 39 x 142 (mm WxHxD)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8809G (3.10 GHz – 8MB L3 Cache)
Memory
Up to 32GB (Dual Channel DDR4 SO-DIMM).
Graphics
Radeon RX Vega
Intel HD Graphics 630
Storage
1 x M.2, 2242/2280, PCIe/SATA
1 x M.2, 2280, PCIe/SATA
Network
Wireless 802.11ac + Wired 10/100/1000 Mbps
1 x Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 Card + BT4.2
1 x Intel® I210AT (Gigabit LAN)
1 x Intel® I219LM (Gigabit LAN)
I/O Ports
6x USB 3.0
3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C
1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type A
2x HDMI 2.0
2x Mini DP 1.2
1x SDXC Card Reader (UHS-I Support)
Headphone/Microphone jack
OS Support
Windows 10
Packaging & Bundle
Our Intel NUC is presented in a small, trendy box which is fairly non-descript. On each of the sides there is more than adequate information and detail surrounding the product – there is a schematic diagram of the front and rear of NUC showing the ports which are available and the hardware specification listing.
All of the included items are well-packaged inside.
The accessories bundle features all of the items you need in order to get up and running in next to no-time. The only thing omitted is a HDMI cable which is somewhat disappointing. Included are the following:
• Instructions manual
• Windows 10 DVD
• 230W Charging Unit
• Regional power cable
While it’s encouraging to see the Windows 10 DVD included with our NUC, supplying it in DVD format is something of a catch 22. In order to make use of this media you will need a portable DVD drive as there is no integrated optical drive with this unit. A far better idea would be to include a USB dongle with the OS installation files – DVDs are now almost obsolete and our NUC comes with over 10 USB ports… why aren’t we using them?
Closer Look
Unveiling the NUC, we have a rather refined mini-PC. The actual dimensions for this unit are a mere: 221 x 39 x 142mm. The outer shell of this unit is enclosed in a plastic cover. The top section has a surface texture which blends from semi-rough honeycomb to a smooth matt design.
All around the edges there is honeycomb mesh ventilation to help discharge unwanted heat from the internal components.
Flipping the NUC over onto its reverse, there is a sturdy metal under carriage which contains the product label with respective serial number.
There is more ventilation on the underside and three large rubber strips which act as feet to prevent the unit from slipping on smooth surfaces.
At the front there is a power button, activity LED, SDXC card reader slot, two USB 3.0 ports – one of which (yellow port) allows users to charge devices such as smartphones and tablets by offering greater power, a HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C port and finally a headphone and microphone jack for audio functionality.
Turning our attention to the rear of the unit there are even more ports to make use of. We have: another audio port – this time optical, the 12-19V DC port which works with the charging unit, two USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C ports, two Mini DP 1.2, twin Gigabit LAN ports, four USB 3.1 Gen2 Type A ports and another HDMI 2.0 port.
So, there are no shortage of I/O ports on this product and if you need plenty of USB ports, you’re unlikely to run out!
Care should always be taken when going inside such a product like this and after removing the necessary screws, it’s fairly easy to gain entry. Initially the top panel unclips from the chassis, which reveals the skull logo and respective LEDs. As shown on the intro page of this review, when powered the skull illuminates.
After detaching the panels on our NUC we can inspect the internal hardware of this mini-PC. All of the components are neatly installed onto a miniscule PCB. Along with our review sample, Intel supplied the storage and memory devices. Usually, if you opt to purchase NUC, it will be on a barebones basis – meaning, that storage and memory need to be purchased separately. So, this unit contains the following:
Processor
Intel Core i7-8809G (3.10 GHz – 8MB L3 Cache)
Memory
16GB HyperX 3200MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 630
Radeon RX Vega M GH 4GB HBM2
Storage
1x Intel Optane SSD 800p (PCI Express 3.0 X2 NVMe)
1x Intel 545S Series 512GB SSD (SATA 6Gbps)
Intel Core i7-8809G (3.10 GHz – 8MB L3 Cache)
Memory
16GB HyperX 3200MHz DDR4 SO-DIMM
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 630
Radeon RX Vega M GH 4GB HBM2
Storage
1x Intel Optane SSD 800p (PCI Express 3.0 X2 NVMe)
1x Intel 545S Series 512GB SSD (SATA 6Gbps)
Based on this configuration, NUC is ideal to use for a home theatre, entertainment and even some gaming as we’re going to see over the following pages. The new RX Vega collaboration lends itself to offering some very capable 3D performance.
Benchmarks: Temperatures
For our first benchmark test we observe the max. CPU/GPU temperatures of the system while allowing Unigine Heaven 4.0 to run on a 30 minute loop. To report back on the temperatures we use RealTemp and GPU-Z which provide the peak figures.
Benchmarks: Windows 10 Boot & Power Consumption
We install Windows 10 Pro on the NUC, bring it right up-to-date and then use a digital stopwatch to time the bootup period. To measure the power consumption, we load up 3DMark and then use a power energy monitor to view wattage.
Benchmarks: Cinebench R15 & PassMark
In order to test the efficiency of the CPU within our NUC, Cinebench is used first of all – this gives a processing score. We then use PassMark to demonstrate how the CPU performs in other scenarios.
Benchmarks: WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
As a reference point, a system bearing the Intel Core i9-7900X managed the same 10MB test in 9m50s @ 17,866 KB/s.
Our NUC achieved the below result @ 9.483 KB/s.
Benchmarks: PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is the latest version in our series of industry standard PC benchmarks. Updated for Windows 10 with new and improved workloads, PCMark 10 is also faster and easier to use. PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With express, extended, and custom run options to suit your needs, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
Benchmarks: 3DMark TimeSpy & Unigine SuperPosition
The new 3DMark includes everything you need to benchmark your hardware. With three all new tests you can bench everything from smartphones and tablets, to notebooks and home PCs, to the latest high-end, multi-GPU gaming desktops. And it’s not just for Windows. With 3DMark you can compare your scores with Android and iOS devices too. It’s the most powerful and flexible 3DMark we’ve ever created.
Benchmarks: TW Warhammer, RoTR, Dawn of War 3, DOOM
Our NUC uses Radeon RX Vega for graphics delivery. To test how effective the 3D capabilities are we run a group of gaming benchmarks.
Conclusion
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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