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Intel's tiny desktop PC for DIYers coming this month

Later this month, online retailers will begin selling a pint-size Ivy Bridge tech-based Intel desktop PC.

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Brooke Crothers
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Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Intel's diminutive desktop is strictly for Do-it-Yourselfers. It should be priced at around $300 at retailers later this month.
Intel's diminutive desktop is strictly for Do-it-Yourselfers. It should be priced at around $300 at retailers later this month.

Online retailers will begin selling a 4.5-inch-wide Intel-branded desktop PC for do-it-yourselfers later this month.

The product name is a mouthful -- the "Next Unit of Computing," or NUC for short.

"It's geared more to home theater/home media center," said Intel spokesperson Dan Snyder. One usage scenario he suggested: slap it on the back of a wide-screen display (see photo below).

But note: as Anandtech points out, it is truly a bare-bones system aimed at DIYers.

So, don't expect to get built-in memory, storage, or even a power cord. "It is not sold as a full system, but just the board and chassis," Snyder said.

That said, let's look at what you do get:

  • Processor: 1.8GHz Intel Core i3 3217U power-efficient Ivy Bridge processor
  • Chipset: Intel QS77 Express Chipset
  • Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
  • Ports: Dual HDMI Ports, USB 2.0
  • Network: Integrated Intel 10/100/1000 Ethernet
  • Slots: 1 full (supporting mSATA) and 1 half-length mini-PCIe slots
  • Memory: support for Dual-channel DDR3; 1600/1333/1066 MHz.

A couple of models will be available -- both offering Windows 8 compatibility -- in a few weeks on Amazon, Newegg, and other online retailers.

The DC3217BY is one model (spec'd above) that Intel will offer to online retailers this month.

Pricing is expected to be around $300.

An Intel demonstration shows it being mounted on the back of a wide-screen display.
An Intel demonstration shows it being mounted on the back of a wide-screen display. Intel