Intel NUC10i5FNKPA: the full Review

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We no longer present them, the Intel NUCs. These are the small desktop PCs designed by the founder of Core processors and which are real workhorses. And since they don't take up space, hiding them behind a screen, on or under a desk is child's play. Their specialty? Everything except the game. Of course, depending on the processor housed in this tiny metal case, you will have more or less ease in running certain applications. But, know that for everything that is office, light multimedia production and – of course – viewing multimedia content, they are at the forefront.

The version we put to the Review – the Intel NUC10i5FNKPA – is not the most powerful in the range but offers a rather satisfactory value for money, especially since it is pre-equipped with RAM and storage. . Not to mention the Windows 10 health home license. We find it between 700 and 800 euros on the Web, it all depends on the signs.

While the Review of the most gamer of Intel NUCs, the NUC Extreme Kit, is approaching, we have meanwhile set our sights on a mini PC more … wise. It is one of the latest models for office automation designed by the founder of Santa Clara, the NUC10i5FNKPA. As its name suggests, it is equipped with the Core i5-10210U, a tenth generation chip, which is quite capable of running everything on its four cores clocked at 1.6 GHz and whose maximum power can reach 4.2 GHz in some apps.

The registration number "FNKPA" indicates – even if it is not clearly – that the DDR4 RAM (8 GB), storage (256 GB) and Windows 10 license are also on the menu. So, just out of its small box and once smart health connected to the current via the AC adapter, this mini PC is ready to use.

Note also that the AC adapter is the same as that present on many laptops. Too bad Intel did not think of using a USB Type-C device that looks like a simple plug to feed this little machine. It consumes only 59.1 watts at full load – which it is unlikely to achieve often – and 3.9 watts when calm.

Small, well-equipped steel case

You will be able to connect to this box an HDMI screen (full format output) or DisplayPort (via Thunderbolt 3 on the back), conventional USB devices (3) or Type-C (2 in all) and connect it by wire or wireless (Wi-Fi 6) to the health home network. There is also what it takes to connect speakers or a headset and, if you have a compatible remote control, an infrared module is hidden in the casing so that you can control this NUC remotely.

Photographers and other video producers will be delighted to learn that on the right side is an SD card reader. Practical for quickly emptying photos or sequences and retouching them. Because, make no mistake, the Core i5 housed in the beast allows you to do some editing or editing work in addition to office or multimedia tasks and daily surfing sessions. His favorite areas in which, frankly, he excels.

All the results obtained in our analytical and practical tests are very similar to those that could be obtained from a laptop PC equipped with a similar configuration. No wonder: the Intel processor is a model for mobile devices.

In PC Mark 10, he flirts with 4000 score points Global, which is pretty good. It scores the best scores in office, web and traditional application applications. Digital creation and games, as we said, are less its radius. So the scores are fairly average, even low in both cases.

In the case of gaming, it is however possible to improve the services of the NUC a little. By boosting memory to 16 GB? Yes. But especially by limiting itself to 720p with levels of detail Low, Medium or Intermediate depending on the generation of the games.For example, in the racing game Dirt 3 – which does not date from yesterday – we did not exceed 30 frames per second in Full HD, with all the details worked out thoroughly. Going to 720p and letting the game choose the best settings, we achieved between 30 and 40 fps. It was not very beautiful but playable.

The processor Intel Graphics UHD graphics controller remains – in any case – very limited. Fortnite and Call of ': Warzone 1080p are prohibited. If you risk it, you will be entitled to nice jerks, few frames per second on the screen (5 to 10) and you will trigger the ventilation system.

It doesn't look like that but this little NUC10i5 gives voice if you tickle it too hard. The integrated fan (visible below) pushes the song until it reaches 37.1 dB. This is really high for a mini PC, and it helps to lower the index of Performances of the machine.

Good development possibilities

Regardless of the generation of NUC mini PCs, the processor has always been soldered to the motherboard. It is therefore impossible to barter it for a more powerful one a posteriori. It is sometimes better to take a model with a processor a little more powerful than necessary (between 100 and 150 euros more, if the finances allow it) even if it means taking only a limited amount of memory and SSD at first. Because they, unlike the CPU, can evolve. When this time comes, disassembly of the machine is done with four strokes of the screwdriver and requires no advanced knowledge. You just have to pay attention to one or two little tablecloths but nothing very difficult.

As shown in the photo below, the motherboard of the NUC10i5FNK is equipped with two DDR4 memory slots in SO-DIMM format, the same as for laptops. Provided you respect the voltage (1.2 V), you can add up to 64 GB, the maximum supported by the processor.

Storage can also be extended since the M.2 slot (bottom left in black) is double-entry. Be careful however to take one that is in the right format. And, in the absence of SSD, if you want to try the Intel Optane solution, this is also where the cards of this format are smart health connected. Intel even provides you with the small screw for future assembly.

The verdict of the Review

Intel NUC10i5FNKPA

The NUC10i5FNKPA from Intel is a great alternative to so-called office configurations, less expensive than this mini PC certainly, but which take up more space and are sometimes much less aesthetic. This NUC, on the other hand, makes you pay for its sober design, its compactness, its cutting-edge connectivity and its talents.This little machine is and will remain an excellent working tool, since upgrading memory and storage – the two elements that we change most often on a PC – is entirely possible.

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