ZBOX CI660 detailed

The upcoming flagship fanless ZBOX from ZOTAC will rock a brand new look and Intel's mighty i7-8550U (although we suspect that i3 and i5 models are in the cards too). The barebone is designed to handle the 25W configurable TDP-up of the chip, which makes us even more curious about the cooling system.

Source: TechPowerUp

Meet the Intel Radeon NUCs

In an unprecedented move, Intel's upcoming gaming NUCs will be rocking Radeon graphics. The NUC8i7HNK (65W TDP) features the quad-core i7-8705G (3.1GHz up to 4.1GHz) and Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics, while the VR-capable NUC8i7HVK (100W TDP) features the i7-8809G (3.1GHz up to 4.2GHz) and Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics. Cooling these beasts passively will require a tremendous amount of copper and aluminum.

Source: Le Comptoir du Hardware

Update: The barebones will be available for $799 and $999 according to AnandTech.

Habey BIS-6862 Vs Shuttle DS77U

Another great review from Ganesh over at AnandTech comparing the horizontal HABEY i3-7100U barebone and Shuttle's vertical Celeron 3865U Slim PC.

"The Prime95 power virus test shows the protection mechanism kicking into action in the Habey system. After 15 minutes of continuous load, we see the power consumption at the wall going from around 30W to start oscillating between 18W and 32W. Correspondingly, the package power oscillates around the 15W mark. The protection against the power virus workload starts kicking in as soon as the package temperature reaches the 80C mark...

The Shuttle XPC Slim DS77U, on the other hand, shows that the package is actually configured for a maximum power of 10W. Thanks to the large number of ventilation holes and orientation requirements, the temperature of the package does not exceed 60C even under heavy loading."

Special thanks to Kannon for the tip.

Source: AnandTech

ZOTAC unveils its most powerful fanless ZBOX yet

ZOTAC's whole C series is about to be revamped with a brand new design and much, much more power. The new models will be rocking 10W Gemini Lake SoCs or (upcoming) 25W Coffee Lake-U processors. The mini PCs will be showcased at CES Las Vegas next week. We're hoping to finally see copper involved.

Source: TechPowerUp

Fully Silent PCs launched

Based in California, Fully Silent PCs features probably the most extensive collection of fanless computers. They are available in pre-configured systems or as fully-configurable builds. From this stylish low-power Silverstone/Mitac combo, to the highly sought-after Galactico, to this unique open-air setup, there's really something for everyone.

Turemetal UP7A available

Turemetal's second chassis is now available for $249 (free shipping to the US). The 187 x 250 x 395mm case handles 65W processors passively, can fit a regular ATX power supply and up to five storage drives. This looks tempting but we're in uncharted waters here...

4 Dawson Canyon cases

Akasa launches no less than four chassis for the dual HDMI and Intel vPro enabled Kaby Lake NUC: the consumer-oriented Newton S7D, the industrial Newton D3, the ultra-slim Plato X7D, and the IP65 waterproof / ready for outdoor usage Pascal MD. The cases will be available early 2018 at similar prices to previous generation (the Newton and Plato are both currently priced at $180).

HDPLEX H3 (V2) in pictures

New details are emerging about HDPLEX's upcoming chassis featuring the same height as the H5, and the same length as the H1 (V2). The H3 (V2) supports a low profile card without riser or a full height single slot card with riser. As always with HDPLEX, the case is built like a tank and supports one 3.5" HDD as well as the brand's 160W NanoATX and 300W ACDC+400W DC-ATX power supplies.

Source: HDPLEX

BREAKING: NOFAN CR-95C BLACK PEARL DISCONTINUED

One year after its copper sibling, the king of fanless CPU coolers is no more. We always knew that passive cooling was a niche market, but niche markets can be very profitable too. Unfortunately, Nofan failed to secure enough support from resellers, and finding the CR-95C was often a struggle. The last remaining units are available in QuietPC systems or on Amazon for a whopping $150.

Upgrading the Cubi 3 Silent

Despite a cooling system that leaves much to be desired, MSI's fanless NUC is pretty easy to access and upgrade. The Pentium 4415U version, featuring 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC (with Windows 10 Pro) and a 500GB HDD, is now available for $410.

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Final units of the Skull Canyon NUC

It's still time to buy the NUC6i7KYK, the most powerful NUC to date (i7-6770HQ / Iris Pro Graphics 580) and pair it with Akasa's Galactico for a truly fanless gaming machine under the Christmas tree.

i3-8100 / Nofan CR80 build

"The new 8th gen i3 makes the PC very responsive with its 4 cores (even if compared with my previous i5-7500). I consider i3-8100 one of the best choices for a mid-low budget PC.

In conclusion, this configuration satisfies the needs of a decent every-days duties PC without producing any audible noise."

Source: PCPartPicker

Logic Supply launches fanless Dawson Canyon NUC

The all-new ML100G-31 includes a wide range of upgraded features. The new Intel Kaby Lake Core i3 processor offers benchmarked numbers similar in performance to the previous generation i5, while maintaining the same low power consumption. The Dawson Canyon industrial NUC from Logic Supply will also soon be 4G capable, making it the first ever commercially available NUC to offer globally compatible cellular connectivity. Other upgrades from previous NUC offerings include the latest Intel HD Graphics chipset for dual monitor and 4K support and options for adding special I/O such as DIO and Terminal Block Power.

As the fourth member of the ML100 family, the ML100G-31 uses Logic Supply's proven HardShell™ Fanless Technology to passively cool the device, improving reliability and helping ensure dependability in challenging computing environments across a range of industries from manufacturing and automation, to industrial digital signage, logistics and even remote security and surveillance.

For more information, full specs and pricing or to configure the system online, visit www.logicsupply.com/ml100g-31, or contact a Logic Supply Solution Specialist directly at +1 802-861-2300 in the US or +31 (0)85 2733760 in Europe.

Rethinking fanless design

We don't really care for exotic and noname PCs but we've got to admit that this one is kind of cute, despite convection flaws. At least they're trying something different. Colors and new form factors could pave the way for mainstream acceptance.

HDPLEX pico PSUs

Seasonic PRIME 600W Titanium Fanless available worldwide

Seasonic's already legendary PSU is available in the US, France, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal.

The fully modular 80PLUS Titanium power supply simply features the highest quality components available, Seasonic's MTLR (Micro Tolerance Load Regulation) for enhanced stability, and a jaw-dropping 12-year warranty.

Update: First review.

The ultimate HTPC ?

Our favorite artist is now sharing his Kaby Lake-powered HTPC, and despite being much smaller than his PlayStation project, temperatures are incredibly good (the 35W i3-7300T barely reaches 62°C under heavy load). Time to mass-produce it?

Source: Facebook

Quiet PC Nofan A890S review

HEXUS takes a look at Quiet PC Nofan A890S with mixed results. No throttling, yet relatively high temperatures that we attribute to both the graphics card, and a top mesh panel that simply does not meet our standards.

"Championing what's possible from today's passive PCs, the reviewed Nofan A890S Silent Desktop employs a top-of-the-range Intel Core i7-8700K processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 250GB M.2 SSD and fanless graphics courtesy of a Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti KalmX.

Wrapped inside a tidy aluminium chassis and aided by a giant CPU heatsink, the serene test PC delivers hexa-core processing power with no perceptible noise. True, heat build-up is dramatic under maximum load, and there's an inevitable price premium attached to a fully-passive build, yet for those select few who appreciate the difference between reasonably quiet and truly silent, this is a rig that ought to be on your radar."

Source: HEXUS

Classy fanless setup

An elegant and minimalist setup showing off Akasa Telsa NUC case, and the impressive Edifier R1280T speakers. Got a cool setup? Feel free to share it with us and the fanless aficionados!

Source: SFF FORUM

Reeven Okeanos passive mode

Reeven tells us that their flagship CPU cooler can handle a 35W processor entirely passively. The 1 kg Okeanos is a quite unique dual tower featuring two 8 mm and four 6 mm heat pipes. As always, make sur to use a case with mesh on top. The Okeanos retails for $80.

We're expecting more "35W fanless approved" CPU coolers in the coming months, stay tuned.

Image credit: Enos Tech

Akasa Galileo build video

A pretty straight forward build featuring the Akasa Galileo, the 35W i3-7100T, ASUS Q170T Thin mini-ITX motherboard, and Crucial's MX300 M.2 SSD. Please note that we don't support the rice grain or line method (too less thermal grease is often applied) and strongly recommend the spread method.

Video courtesy of Fully Silent PCs.

MSI Cubi 3 Silent promo video

Production values on par with cooling.

Inside the fanless GIGABYTE BRIX

Finally a closer look at the i3-7100U-powered GIGABYTE GB-EKi3M-7100 courtesy of WiredSystems. Despite considerable interest from our readers, the fanless BRIX is only available here and there. Definitely a missed opportunity from GIGABYTE.

Source: Facebook

From Ivy Bridge to Kaby Lake

The beauty of buying a quality fanless chassis is that it's reusable. Our reader Bogdan owns a 1st generation HDPLEX H3 and went from a i3-3225 (from 2012) to a substantially more powerful i5-7500 in no time.

His biggest challenge was finding a motherboard with a CPU socket and layout similar to the previous Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI, and the Thin mini-ITX ASUS Q170T fits the bill. Playing 4K content, the Kaby Lake i5 idles at only 39°C.

Silent gaming cube

An interesting and compact (almost too compact) entry-level gaming rig featuring the 35W i3-6100T, the Palit 1050 Ti KalmX, the super cute Cooler Master Elite 110, and the dirt-cheap Arctic Alpine 11 Passive.

"I chose this case because it let me top-mount my passive PSU, venting up and out of the case, which kept its waste heat out of the system. This case also mounts the graphics card vertically, which is the best orientation for the passive GPU I was using. And, it has good ventilation - full front mesh plus large side and top vents - so there is scope for some convective airflow around the GPU and also the passive CPU cooler I got for the low-TDP CPU."

Source: PCPartPicker