Questions Regarding Intel NUC

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Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#162106 29-Jan-2015 12:35

I am looking at buying a barebones Intel NUC BOXD34010WYKH

In a nutshell I am hoping to re-purpose some components from a Dell Laptop (Inspiron 15R N5010) to complete the unit

I would be looking at using the HDD, ram, and hopefully the wifi card - Is this feasible? I'm fairly confident the ram and HDD will be fine but unsure about the wifi card

My other question is around running dual monitors from this, is it as easy as running one off HDMI and the other off Displayport?

afe66

3181 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#1224659 29-Jan-2015 12:48

Check the intel website for compatibility of components.

In my box there was a separate "Orange" sheet specifically listing which components were acceptable.

A.

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#1224668 29-Jan-2015 13:02

I have this model. Hard drive can use. The ram you may not be able to. The nuc requires sodimm ddr3l ram which is 1.35volt. it wont work with 1.5volt ram. Not sure your wireless card but if it is same format it will with correct driver.
I had a lot of trouble with mine with no video using hdmi. once in 100 restarts it work show video. So frustrating. Beginning of this month I bought an mini display port to hdmi adapter and it has been flawless. No idea why but it works for mine. I use Samsung TV and tried on the Sony as well.
It is a great unit apart from that.

HTPC Intel Pentium G3258 cpu, Gigabyte H97n-wifi motherboard, , 8GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 5500 tuner, Silverstone LC16M case, Windows 10 pro 64 bit using Nextpvr and Kodi

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1224696 29-Jan-2015 13:39

Thanks for the responses, all good stuff and very helpful!

Will need to dig a little deeper re: ram to see what i have, Im sure wifi is mini pci and I know drivers are available from Dell so that's probably ok. Laptop has Win7 home premium license so that will do until that magical Win10 free upgrade becomes available plus I have Office 2013 (thanks MS HUP :D )

I'll be stoked if i can get a fully working i3 nuc up and adam for under $500, far better WAF than a mATX G3240 based setup in a generic big case

richms

28168 posts

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#1224701 29-Jan-2015 13:48

Even if you cant use the wif, an 802.11AC card is like $30-35 so no big deal there. Many laptops only (Still!) come with rubbish single band 802.11n cards in them so if thats all you have its probably not worth the effort

Richard rich.ms

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1224777 29-Jan-2015 15:22

Agreed but having to grovel to wifey for an additional $30~35 can be a relatively painful exercise in itself :P

I think the Dell card is a a/b/g + BT so sufficient for my current needs if i can get it to work, that said I have found the nuc at computer lounge for $25 cheaper then anywhere else so the budget is increasing :P

toyonut

1508 posts

Uber Geek

#1224780 29-Jan-2015 15:30

NUC only takes mini pci-e for wireless. about half the size of mini pci.
Something like this: Intel 7260.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

TwoSeven

1623 posts

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Subscriber

#1224832 29-Jan-2015 17:39

Out of interest, is there a NUC variant that has the Wifi already?

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Gilco2

1556 posts

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#1224846 29-Jan-2015 18:10

TwoSeven: Out of interest, is there a NUC variant that has the Wifi already?

celeron based DN2820 model has wifi preinstalled. My Gigabyte Brix also had 1 preinstalled so all I had to get was ram and hard drive

HTPC Intel Pentium G3258 cpu, Gigabyte H97n-wifi motherboard, , 8GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 5500 tuner, Silverstone LC16M case, Windows 10 pro 64 bit using Nextpvr and Kodi

Xeon

302 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1224848 29-Jan-2015 18:15

Gilco2:
TwoSeven: Out of interest, is there a NUC variant that has the Wifi already?
celeron based DN2820 model has wifi preinstalled. My Gigabyte Brix also had 1 preinstalled so all I had to get was ram and hard drive

The new i5, i3 Broadwell NUCs coming out in the next few months have a soldered down Wireless AC-7265 card.

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1224881 29-Jan-2015 18:45

Gilco2: I have this model. Hard drive can use. The ram you may not be able to. The nuc requires sodimm ddr3l ram which is 1.35volt. it wont work with 1.5volt ram. Not sure your wireless card but if it is same format it will with correct driver.
I had a lot of trouble with mine with no video using hdmi. once in 100 restarts it work show video. So frustrating. Beginning of this month I bought an mini display port to hdmi adapter and it has been flawless. No idea why but it works for mine. I use Samsung TV and tried on the Sony as well.
It is a great unit apart from that.

Just googled the part number and yes it looks like the 2x 2GB SODIMMS fitted are in fact DDR3L so win win!!

paulmilbank: NUC only takes mini pci-e for wireless. about half the size of mini pci.
Something like this: Intel 7260.

My bad,yes according to youtube it is mini pci-e and looks the same form factor as the card you linked :D

So overall it looks like I can recycle dead laptop into a nuc for pretty much the cost of the nuc!!

Wade

2225 posts

Uber Geek

#1224884 29-Jan-2015 18:52

Xeon:
Gilco2:
TwoSeven: Out of interest, is there a NUC variant that has the Wifi already?
celeron based DN2820 model has wifi preinstalled. My Gigabyte Brix also had 1 preinstalled so all I had to get was ram and hard drive

The new i5, i3 Broadwell NUCs coming out in the next few months have a soldered down Wireless AC-7265 card.

Hmm so will this drive down the price of thehaswell nucs or am i best to wait for the broadwells?

Gilco2

1556 posts

Uber Geek

#1224885 29-Jan-2015 18:52

Wade:
Gilco2: I have this model. Hard drive can use. The ram you may not be able to. The nuc requires sodimm ddr3l ram which is 1.35volt. it wont work with 1.5volt ram. Not sure your wireless card but if it is same format it will with correct driver.
I had a lot of trouble with mine with no video using hdmi. once in 100 restarts it work show video. So frustrating. Beginning of this month I bought an mini display port to hdmi adapter and it has been flawless. No idea why but it works for mine. I use Samsung TV and tried on the Sony as well.
It is a great unit apart from that.

Just googled the part number and yes it looks like the 2x 2GB SODIMMS fitted are in fact DDR3L so win win!!

paulmilbank: NUC only takes mini pci-e for wireless. about half the size of mini pci.
Something like this: Intel 7260.

My bad,yes according to youtube it is mini pci-e and looks the same form factor as the card you linked :D

So overall it looks like I can recycle dead laptop into a nuc for pretty much the cost of the nuc!!

good win. Things gotta go right sometimes

HTPC Intel Pentium G3258 cpu, Gigabyte H97n-wifi motherboard, , 8GB DDR3 ram, onboard graphics. Hauppuage HVR 5500 tuner, Silverstone LC16M case, Windows 10 pro 64 bit using Nextpvr and Kodi