The Strongest NUC: Intel Skull Canyon is Here
In the world of technology, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.
As long-time rivals in the semiconductor industry, the feud between Intel and AMD has a long history, with over forty years of competition in the x86 processor market. Although Intel has held a significant advantage for most of that time, AMD made a surprising move by acquiring ATI, allowing its GPU business to flourish, while its APU gained significant traction. In contrast, Intel’s integrated graphics have remained lukewarm, relying on its processors to capture some market share. In mid-2017, rumors began swirling about Intel and AMD collaborating on hybrid chips, with Raja, the chief architect of AMD’s Vega graphics division, jumping ship to Intel to assist in integrating the eighth-generation Core processors with AMD’s RX Vega graphics cards. Earlier this year, Intel’s hybrid chip took shape, with five products announced, including the i7-8809G. This processor, which integrates the AMD RX Vega discrete graphics, belongs to the Kaby Lake-G series, allowing Intel to fill the gap in its GPU performance.
In 2012, Intel proposed the Next Unit of Computing architecture, known as the “NUC” concept, which is essentially a mini PC. Over the years, NUCs have been limited by their size, primarily using Intel’s integrated graphics, which still lag behind discrete graphics cards and even AMD’s APUs. With the recent collaboration, both companies have complemented each other, leveraging their strengths in CPU and GPU fields, resulting in a combined processor featuring AMD’s RX Vega M and Intel’s eighth-generation Core, finally achieving a CPU with high graphical processing performance.
Against this backdrop, the most powerful mini PC in history has emerged. At CES 2018, Intel announced an update to its NUC product line, introducing the NUC8i7HVK and NUC8i7HNK (initially codenamed Pluto Canyon but later named Skull Canyon) versions. The NUC8i7HVK features the unlocked version of the new eighth-generation Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics, with the CPU being the i7-8809G, boasting a base frequency of 3.1GHz and turbo boost up to 4.2GHz, and the graphics card default frequency ranging from 1063MHz to 1190MHz, with memory expandable to 32GB DDR4.
The significant performance improvement of Intel’s eighth-generation Core, combined with the excellent performance of the AMD RX Vega M graphics, makes us curious about how this NUC will differ. Is it a weak machine with a great reputation, or a true powerhouse? Let’s find out.
Design: Skull Lighting Full of Style
In terms of design, since it’s a NUC, it naturally has the NUC spirit. This product has the dimensions of a mini host, measuring 22.1 x 14.2 x 3.9 cm, with a volume of around 1.2 L and a weight of 1.3 kg, comparable to that of a thin laptop.
However, the brick-like power adapter is comparable in size to a desktop PC. This large size is likely due to the overall power consumption considerations. The power adapter is manufactured by LITEON, with an output voltage of 19.5V, current of 11.8A, and a maximum power of 230W.
This NUC host is overall black, with a metal bottom, while the top cover and middle frame are made of plastic. The middle frame is filled with honeycomb-shaped cooling holes, and the left side of the top cover has a honeycomb-shaped decorative protrusion. The right side of the top cover has a matte finish. Why are the two sides treated differently? There must be a secret.
Trust me, when you plug in the power and press the power button, you will definitely exclaim, “Wow, that’s so cool!” This stylish skull lighting instantly adds a halo to the dark top cover. Moreover, it supports RGB adjustment.
The BIOS interface of the Intel NUC8i7HVK is called Visual BIOS, which has both a simple mode and an advanced mode, supporting management of USB/SATA and other devices, as well as CPU overclocking adjustments and system security and boot item settings, similar to conventional motherboard BIOS.
In the device’s LED control tab, you can adjust the LED lights of the entire NUC, as shown in the image above, the skull LED can be set to always on, breathing light, and other modes, and you can individually adjust the light colors of the skull and its eyes, but the RGB digital adjustment method is not very user-friendly and lacks an intuitive color palette style.
In terms of interface expandability, the NUC8i7HVK’s front offers an SD card reader, USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A (supports fast charging), HDMI 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, and audio headphone interface.
The rear interfaces, from left to right, include optical audio, power, two Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps), two mini DP 1.3 video outputs, two gigabit networks, four USB 3.0, and HDMI 2.0 interfaces. The number and variety of interfaces are quite rich and meet the current advanced mainstream specifications.
Hardware Benchmark Testing: A True Performance Powerhouse
Since this NUC is a barebone system, our test version NUC8i7HVK is equipped with Intel Optane 800P, 545s SSD, and two Kingston Hyper X DDR4-3200 memory. The Intel Core i7-8809G adopts the Kaby Lake architecture with a four-core design, and it also integrates the HD 630 integrated graphics. But the key part is the AMD RX Vega M GH integrated graphics, which has 24 CU units and 1536 stream processors, with specifications between RX 560 and RX 570.
Moreover, it is equipped with 4GB HBM2 video memory, equivalent to a 1024-bit width, with a bandwidth of 205GB/s, significantly exceeding the specifications of shared DDR4 memory in previous integrated graphics. Therefore, this CPU, which combines the efforts of Intel and AMD, has performance worth looking forward to.
CINEBENCH R15 Testing
In terms of performance testing, let’s first look at the CPU benchmark performance. CINEBENCH R15, compared to the R11.5 version which supports a maximum of 16 cores, can support up to 256 logical cores. Additionally, the new version has improved assessments for shaders, anti-aliasing, shadows, lighting, and reflection blur, making CPU performance detection more accurate. The tests include: multi-core score, single-core score, and graphics computing capability, with higher scores being better.
CINEBENCH R15 Performance Testing Comparison
The Core i7-8809G has a base frequency of 3.1GHz and can reach a turbo frequency of 4.2GHz. In the tests, the single-core score was 170 cb, and the multi-core score was 851 cb, showing performance comparable to the desktop version Core i7 7700K. As a “mobile version” processor with a TDP of only 45W, this performance is commendable.
AIDA64 Memory and Cache Testing
The Intel NUC8i7HVK uses 16GB DDR4-3200 memory, and under AIDA64 testing, the memory read speed was 41646MB/s, write speed around 46169MB/s, and copy bandwidth of 38397MB/s, which is quite impressive.
CrystalDiskInfo Hard Drive Information
The NUC8i7HVK is paired with two solid-state drives, both from its own product line. The system drive is a 120GB Optane 800P, using PCIe 3.0×2 channels and supports NVMe protocol, while the storage drive is a 512GB 545S, using SATA interface, with detailed hard drive information as shown above.
CrystalDiskMark is a specialized testing software for SSDs from Germany, which can test the continuous read/write, 4K random read/write, and response time of solid-state drives, providing an overall score.
CrystalDiskMark Hard Drive Test Results
The test results show that the Optane 800P has a read performance of 1521MB/s and a write performance of 625MB/s, which is normal. However, the 4K random read/write exceeds 100MB/s, which is a good performance. The 545S storage drive, due to its SATA interface, has a more ordinary performance.
PCMark 10 is the latest version of the standardized PC benchmarking tool series. PCMark 10 has improved workloads for Windows 10, making it faster and easier to use. PCMark 10 offers “Express,” “Extended,” and “Custom Run” options to meet various user needs.
PCMARK 10 Professional Edition Testing Interface
We used the PCMark 10 Extended test, which covers a broader range of activities and adopts more stringent tasks than typical office work, helping organizations comprehensively evaluate system performance. PCMark 10 Extended includes some demanding tests focusing on GPU and CPU performance, broadening the scope of the PCMark 10 benchmark.
The test results show that this NUC’s overall performance is outstanding, with a score of 5792, surpassing most mid-range gaming laptops equipped with GTX 1050Ti or even GTX 1060.
3DMark, developed by FutureMark, is a software specifically designed to test the gaming performance of PC products. This software runs a complex 3D game environment and calculates a total score based on certain algorithms, which can measure the overall gaming performance of the PC platform.
3DMark Time Spy Testing
The new 3DMark Time Spy benchmark is specifically designed for DX12 environments. This test was developed from scratch in collaboration with numerous benchmark development partners (BDP) such as Futuremark, AMD, Intel, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, fully oriented towards DX12, with a core engine completely based on DX12, capable of fully unleashing the potential of the new API, including reducing processor load, efficiently utilizing GPU hardware, asynchronous computing, hybrid multi-GPU, multi-threading, and so on. The test results show that the NUC8i7HVK scored 3096, surpassing GTX 1050Ti by about 15%.
3DMark FireStrike Testing
In the DX11 FireStrike performance test, the AMD RX Vega M’s performance was also fully unleashed, with overall graphics performance exceeding GTX 1050Ti by about 26%, significantly surpassing Intel’s HD630 integrated graphics.
Through benchmark performance testing, it is clear that the Intel Core i7-8809G is a formidable contender, with CPU performance comparable to the desktop version i7 7700K, and the GPU performance, thanks to the addition of the RX Vega graphics, shows surprising strength, even outperforming the GTX 1050Ti discrete graphics. Therefore, theoretically, it can handle some large mainstream AAA titles without pressure, such as PUBG and other popular games, maintaining playability at high graphics settings. This performance is comparable to a mid to high-end gaming laptop or gaming console, making this NUC a true “performance powerhouse.”
Dual Load Testing: Temperature Control Performance is Acceptable
With impressive hardware performance, equivalent to a gaming laptop, we need to discuss stability and cooling. We used AIDA64 and FurMark for dual load testing on this gaming laptop for half an hour (ambient temperature around 26°C), and then recorded the CPU temperature and frequency to see how the machine performed in terms of stability and cooling.
Standby Testing
First, during standby testing, the overall CPU temperature was only 46°C, maintaining a frequency of 4.0GHz, and running very quietly. If you don’t deliberately listen, you can hardly perceive the sound of the host running.
AIDA64 and FurMark Dual Load Testing
Next, we used AIDA64 and FurMark for dual load testing, running for half an hour. At this point, the spatial disadvantage became apparent, with the CPU core temperature reaching 99°C, and the frequency throttling was very noticeable, maintaining a frequency of only 2.8GHz. At this time, the system’s fan speed increased, and the noise became obvious, measuring around 55dB with a decibel meter, which is quite loud in a quiet environment.
Review Summary: Almost Perfect Except for the Price
Intel has been pushing NUCs of this specification for several years, but they haven’t gained much traction, remaining a toy for only a small segment of consumers. The reasons lie in the difficulty of balancing performance, space, and power consumption, especially GPU performance. Although the Intel Skull Canyon NUC8i7HVK can be seen as a trial product after the merger of Intel and AMD, its performance truly surprised us, marking a good starting point.
Intel CPU + AMD GPU Performance is Impressive
From the above tests, the NUC8i7HVK with the Core i7-8809G processor shows commendable CPU and GPU performance, with overall performance comparable to a gaming host with an i7-7700 + GTX 1050Ti, sufficient to handle the vast majority of current mainstream games, with the AMD RX Vega M bringing us considerable surprise.
As for the downsides, the excessively high CPU temperature and throttling under full load, as well as the noise performance, are unsatisfactory for discerning consumers, and the large power adapter affects its portability. The biggest issue is the price; the $900 version does not include memory or hard drives, equivalent to nearly 6000 yuan, while a complete version with memory and hard drives can easily exceed 10,000 yuan. At this price point, it might be difficult for gamers to accept a NUC.
However, seeing that stylish faith light, many consumers are likely to be tempted. The NUC8i7HVK, equipped with the outstanding i7-8809G, perfectly combines the excellent performance of Intel’s eighth-generation Core with AMD’s powerful RX Vega GPU, delivering impressive graphical performance, making it a true mini high-performance host.
If you don’t hold the NUC8i7HVK to such high standards as a gaming host, then this compact, powerful, and highly expandable mini NUC will be a heart-thumping choice for “skull enthusiasts” whether placed at home or in the office.
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