A Intel NUC, as the name suggests Mini PC is a small box-shaped computer that contains an entire system crammed into- which won’t be more than a few inches across or deep. People have started moving away from desktop computers that are often large and cumbersome devices. But now as the technology has advanced, the desktop PCs can fit into small spaces. These are sold as barebone kits that need to be assembled and customised with Intel NUC accessories to get it working and set up a reasonable trade-off for the additional performance they offer over a laptop or a desktop. That is, an Intel Next Unit of Computing (NUC) is a barebones PC. You will need to supply yourself with some accessories to make it a working computer.
When you leverage Intel NUC you will realise what this small technology could do. It will allow your laptop or desktop to shrink in size and increase the performance. These commonly come with one or more M.2 slots, and often accommodate a SATA storage device. Needless to say that it doesn’t come with a keyboard, mouse or screen just like other desktop computers out there.
So, let’s go through what all Intel NUC accessories you’ll need to make yourself a great working PC.
STORAGE
Intel NUC supports both 2.5 drive and M.2 SSD. When you will be looking towards the SSD storage of your NUC, the type of SSD you get will depend on which NUC you bought but you can use both 2.5 drive and M.2 SSD at the same time to get storage. Opting for SSD will be a better option as they are way faster than HDD. If you want to spend less, a 250GB SSD would also be a good choice. For the same price and capacity you can get it in m.2 form if you need that instead, which is a solid choice. You can also stick to an NVMe SSD, these can prove to be the fastest type of consumer storage drives on the market today.
RAM
Intel NUC has two RAM slots and your NUC kit will tell you how much RAM the system supports and what type of RAM to buy, it can support up to 32 GB of RAM. certainly more affordable, cheaper and entry-level NUCs will be using DDR3 which is more on a pocket friendly side. DDR4 is a high powered version of the NUC and more on the expensive side. Whether you will need a DDR3 or DDR4 will depend on the NUC you bought but the kit will indicate which one to buy.
MOUSE, KEYBOARD & MONITOR
When it comes to getting a mouse and keyboard, there is no one size fits all answer.
This is no brainer, you will need a screen, keyboard and mouse to use your Intel NUC system. And a HDMI connection to connect your monitor. You may prefer a wireless keyboard and a mouse that is small and easy to move around.
OTHER SUPPORTING ACCESSORIES
You will need a HDMI cable to connect your monitor. If you have a commercial use for the NUC, you might need some extra features to increase its performance. You can simply add extra ports by using Intel NUC replaceable lids. You can buy them according to your needs and requirements.
