The NUC Essential that never was?

We might have found a batch of Intel NUC prototypes. The chassis comes from an official NUC, and more importantly, it houses a genuine Intel-branded motherboard. The only noticeable difference is the heatsink mounted on top, which passively cools a Pentium J5005. Intel frequently built proof-of-concept units like this to inspire third-party manufacturers. In fact, this $229.99 system may very well have inspired the extremely popular MINIX 0db series.

This waterproof case is surprisingly easy to assemble

The Akasa Pascal MX will be available in the coming days.

Gorgeous Ryzen mod

This DIY project from Korea turns a Geekom A8 Max mini PC (AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS) into a completely silent  AI server designed to run 24/7 quietly in a bedroom. The stock fan is replaced by a large LED light cooler and a 3D-printed chassis delivers a stunning final result. Thanks KwonHan for the tip!

Source: Reeal Lab 

ZBOX CI360 available

ZOTAC did it. For the first time in years, one of ZOTAC's fanless mini PCs is shipping on time. The DDR5-ready, Intel N150-powered CI360 is now shipping in Europe from €230. For that price you get a 127.8 x 126.8 x 56.8mm (5.03 x 4.99 x 2.24in) machine featuring two M.2 slots, two Ethernet ports, two HDMI ports, and a full size DisplayPort. This system doesn't include memory or storage, so you can bring your own preferred RAM and SSD.

Turbocharged Turemetal

Back to 2021 with this impressive Turemetal UP10 build featuring an Intel Core i7-10700 CPU with an ASUS Phoenix GTX 1660 Super graphics card on an ASUS ProArt Z490-Creator motherboard. The 12kg case uses rarely seen 8mm heatpipes and enormous cooling panels. Thermals demonstrate stable performance, with temperatures topping out at 83°C for the CPU and 76°C for the GPU during extended stress testing. 

Source: Patreon

ShareVDI enters the arena

This fanless router / firewall / mini PC from ShareVDI is a tiny, silent, high-performance network engine designed to turn your home network into a enterprise-grade fortress. Powered by Intel’s efficient N150 processor, it acts as a custom gateway, firewall, or virtualization server without making a sound. The system features two 10G SFP+ ports (fiber-optic ready!) and four 2.5GbE LAN ports with rock-solid Intel controller stability. The 8GB RAM / 128GB storage version is available for $399.

Thickest MeLE Quieter yet

The new N150-powered Quieter HD is the latest storage-oriented mini PC from MeLE. Memory and expansion options are updated with support for up to 32GB of DDR4 in a single SO-DIMM slot. The diminutive PC supports an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD up to 4TB alongside a full 2.5-inch SATA drive. The MeLE Quieter HD measures 150 mm (5.9 in) in length, 105.4 mm (4.15 in) in width, and 39.6 mm (1.56 in) in height. It's available today from $389.99.  

Steampunk memories

Taking a trip down memory lane with this 2018 Steampunk build. It features the legendary Nofan CR-95C CPU cooler, still one of the most timeless and majestic pieces of hardware ever made. 

Kubb now available in blue or bronze

It's remarkable how much computing power engineers have packed into such a tiny, unassuming cube. The 120 x 120mm Kubb Fanless is powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 5 340, Intel Core Ultra 5 255H, or Core Ultra X7 355H (if money is no object). The machine is now available in Bronze or a striking Royal Blue. Why hide your fanless PC when it looks this good?

https://kubb.eu/en/mini-pc-kubb-fanless.html

Let's normalize dual 10GbE

This spectacular mini PC / firewall appliance is powered by a rare AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, comes with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, and features dual 10GbE plus dual 2.5GbE Ethernet ports. The system also features an OCuLink expansion interface alongside dual USB Type-C ports for fast data transfers or external GPU support. The only concerning detail is what appears to be a mounting location for a fan, suggesting all these high-performance components might still require active cooling under heavy loads.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HCB3YY4S