We have already seen an official appearing datasheet explaining the latest generation Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast tiny PC which has only recently been available. Hardware hawk HXL recently discovered this datasheet on Weibo, a popular social media platform in China.
The upcoming Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast mixes an Intel Alder Lake CPU with one of Intel's own DG2 graphics cards, while the Intel NUC 11 Extreme will only be available pre-built or in pre-build kits, allowing you to choose from Intel's Rocket Lake and your desired discrete GPU from Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3080. It does not specifically say what CPUs and GPUs will be utilized, but since newer processors will be used, it will naturally use the next generation of processors (ADL). The user will have a choice of discrete graphics with 8/12/16GB of GDDR6 or with integrated graphics with 8/12/16GB of GDDR6. Furthermore, the GPUs have three ports: an HDMI 2.1 port, an SP 2.0 port, and a MiniDP 2.0 port.
- RAM: Support for up to 64GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory
- Storage: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe x4 Gen 4 NVMe slots, 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen3 slot for NVMe or SATA storage, Intel Optane ready
- Network: 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5
- Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 6 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, 2 x USB 2.0 internal headers, SDXC card slot
- Audio: 3.5mm front stereo headset jack, 3.5mm rear stereo speaker/TOSLINK combo jack, up to 7.1 audio via HDMI or DP, 4 x microphones with beam-forming and Alexa support
- Other: IR port for a remote control, RGB backlit top logo with user replaceable mask, vertical stand provided
Unfortunately, Intel missed a great opportunity by not including DG2 or Xe-HPG on this datasheet, as it would have been greatly simplified. Additional mention of GPU core/processor numbers coinciding with the VRAM limitations could have been nice to see. Overall, we find that systems will be available with PSUs that have 19V and 230W, as well as 330W power supplies. Obviously, system configurations vary by CPU/GPU combination.
It is not certain how many simultaneous displays the system will be able to support because of the system's three video outs and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. I am curious to see the cost of the Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast, but because the Alder Lake launch is slated to be done by enthusiast desktop parts (K), it may not be coming out anytime soon. It should be unveiled at CES 2022 (once Alder Lake has been launched). We do not know what other NUC 12th gen models will be released.
Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast datasheet has leaked.
