Well-known tipster 9550pro recently shared a photo on Twitterphoto, the content is said to be internal pictures of the Alder Lake version of the NUC console that Intel will launch in the future. According to the consistent logic of NUC design, Intel usually equips it with a mobile processor so that it can still perform well in a chassis with limited space. But this time Intel’s design is different from the past. As can be seen in the picture, the motherboard of this suspected Alder Lake version of NUC does not see a BGA packaged CPU core, but a large LGA socket prominently appears on the motherboard. It can be seen from this that Intel obviously intends to provide a version for installing desktop processors in this generation of NUC, and the name is also believed to be named NUC 12 Extreme:
▲The Intel NUC mini host is very attractive for users who want a host that does not take up space.
In addition to having excellent CPUs for players to name, Intel actually also offers NUC as its main product in the field of mini computers. The design goal of NUC is to allow players to achieve a certain degree of performance and expansion capabilities even when the chassis space is limited, allowing them to assemble semi-customized computer consoles. In order to match the size of the mini host, most motherboard expansion specifications choose BGA packaged CPUs, and use So-Dimm memory slots to expand system memory. Display functions usually use internal graphics chips, but a few high-end models still support independent graphics cards to a certain extent.
Intel will launch the first NUC with swappable CPU?
The current 12th generation NUC is known to have one model, the NUC 12 Enthusiast, which is expected to use an Alder Lake processor and an Intel Xe-HPG DG2 independent graphics card. However, the processor part is still the same as previous NUC models, using a BGA package, which is similar to a notebook computer motherboard, where the CPU is directly welded. Therefore, when purchasing, you must understand the specifications of the built-in processor of the NUC model in advance so that you can choose the model that meets your needs:
▲This generation of NUC will have an optional Intel Xe-HPG DG2 independent graphics model. Whether it can be accepted by users depends on how favorable it is in terms of performance and pricing (Image source）
What’s interesting is that another NUC 12 model that has not yet been released is expected to be named NUC 12 Extreme. This NUC model is even more interesting. According to the internal configuration pictures currently exposed, in addition to the obviously visible LGA socket on the motherboard, there are also two So-Dimm memory slots that support DDR4 memory. There is also a PCI-e 4.0 NVMe storage slot. Although the So-Dimm slot that supports DDR5 has already been released, and the Alder Lake platform can also support DDR5 memory, at this stage, Intel may plan to launch the DDR4 version of the NUC 12 Extreme first, and then launch the DDR5 version of the product:
▲It is said to be the motherboard configuration screen of the new generation NUC. The LGA 1700 specification CPU socket can be clearly seen in the picture (Image source）
Logically speaking, since the LGA socket is supported, most desktop processors should theoretically be supported. However, this also involves a question, that is, whether the power supply specifications of this NUC design can withstand the power consumption requirements of high-end processors. With the current conditions unclear, we can only judge that Intel will allow Alder Lake processors of about 35W to 65W to be supported. If the power supply conditions are wider, and the NUC motherboard materials can be used to determine more power supply designs for high-wattage processors, perhaps using Core i9-level processors in computers as small as the NUC will not be a distant dream.
Source: KOCPC Chinese