Intel NUC Hades Canyon - Hands On Review

Six Years Ago in Tow Started Producing the Next Unit of Computing Better Known as Nook: A Line of Compact PCs Aimed Mostly at Businesses But Recently They've Started Producing Nuts for Gaming as Well, Such as This.

The Hades Canyon nook is a new addition to the nook line of compact PCs, which were initially aimed at businesses but have recently started producing gaming-capable models. What's notable about this system aside from its size is that it features an Intel Core i7-8809G processor. The "G" in the processor model stands for graphics, specifically AMD Radeon Vega graphics, which pair Intel with AMD and represent a unique alliance between the two companies.

The Hades Canyon nook is actually the largest nook system available to date, but its compact size belies its capabilities. It measures approximately 8 inches by 5 inches and weighs less than 2 inches thick, making it one of the most compact gaming-capable PCs on the market. This compact design makes the Hades Canyon nook an attractive option for those looking for a powerful gaming PC that can be easily transported or stored.

One important feature of the Hades Canyon nook is its ability to be customized with RAM and hard drive upgrades. The system comes without these components, allowing users to upgrade them as needed. This approach reflects Intel's strategy of targeting enthusiasts who are interested in building their own PCs and customizing them to meet their specific needs.

The Hades Canyon nook's design is also noteworthy for its sleek, compact aesthetic. When the system is turned on, the keyboard lights up with a skull design, providing a unique visual effect that shows off the PC's gaming capabilities. The LED lights can be adjusted or turned off as needed, allowing users to customize their experience.

The port selection on the Hades Canyon nook is also impressive, featuring two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, a USB-C port, a headphone jack, and a card reader. This comprehensive set of ports makes it easy for users to connect their devices and peripherals, providing ample opportunities for expansion or upgrade.

In terms of performance, the Hades Canyon nook's Intel Core i7-8809G processor provides strong gaming capabilities. Although it may not match the performance of a full-sized gaming PC with a more powerful processor, such as the Intel Core i7-8700K, the 8809G still delivers impressive results.

The system's multi-core score in Geekbench 4 is an impressive 15,100, which puts it on par with entry-level gaming tower PCs that cost significantly more than this model. This performance level makes the Hades Canyon nook a viable option for those looking to play popular games at high settings without breaking the bank.

One notable example of a game that can be played on the Hades Canyon nook is Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which is one of the most demanding games available for PC. In this test, the system was able to maintain around 33 frames per second at 1080p resolution and ultra detail settings. While it may not be enough to achieve high frame rates or resolutions on more powerful hardware, the Hades Canyon nook still provides an excellent gaming experience.

In real-world use, we found that the Hades Canyon nook provided satisfactory performance when playing popular games like Overwatch. However, there are some limitations to consider, such as the fact that it may not be able to maintain high frame rates or resolutions on more demanding titles or at higher settings. Nevertheless, for casual gaming and general use, this PC provides a great balance of power and portability.

The price of the Hades Canyon nook is $1,000 without RAM, hard drive, or operating system, making it an affordable option for those looking to build their own gaming PC. While it may not be the cheapest option available in the market, its performance capabilities and compact design make it a compelling choice for enthusiasts who want a powerful gaming PC that they can customize themselves.

In Conclusion

The Hades Canyon nook is a unique addition to Intel's nook line of compact PCs, which has recently expanded into the gaming market. With its compact size, impressive port selection, and strong performance capabilities, this system provides an excellent option for those looking to build their own gaming PC or upgrade their existing hardware with a more portable solution.

Intel's decision to focus on enthusiasts who are interested in building their own PCs reflects the company's commitment to providing solutions that cater to the needs of specific user groups. By targeting these users, Intel can provide high-quality components and systems that meet their unique requirements without being too expensive or complex for mainstream consumers.

Overall, the Hades Canyon nook is a great option for those looking for a powerful gaming PC that they can customize themselves. Its performance capabilities, compact design, and impressive port selection make it an attractive choice for anyone who wants to experience high-quality gaming on their own terms.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ensix years ago in tow started producing the next unit of computing better known as nook a line of compact pcs aimed mostly at businesses but recently they've started producing nuts for gaming as well such as this this is the new hades Canyon nook now what's really notable about this aside from its size is the fact that it has in toast core i7 88 oh nine G processor now the G stands for graphics specifically AMD Radeon Vega graphics this is the chip that pairs Intel with AMD and some sort of unholy alliance so let's see how it performs now the hades Canyon nook is actually the biggest nook so far but you wouldn't know that really by looking at it it's about 8 inches by 5 inches and a little less than 2 inches thick so really quite compact one of the most compact gaming capable pcs you're gonna find something important to note about this is that you can see here we've got some conveniently located screws on the top you can actually take those off take the top off and that's where you get access to the RAM and the hard drive which can be changed out in fact the system isn't sold with RAM or hard drive which is a little strange but your thing is Intel's not really looking to be a system builder they're really targeting this at enthusiasts so if you want to buy one of these you do have to keep in mind that you've got to customize with whatever in RAM and hard drive you want and install them yourself now hideous Canyon is a respectively handsome little black box of a computer when it's turned off but when you turn it on it does have a cool surprise there you go these skull lights up and it actually is a kind of a neat little touch it's not so bright that it really becomes annoying you've also got some LEDs that flare up to life up here so that shows off the gaming credentials if you don't want to see that though you do have the option to turn it off something else that shows how serious of a system this is the spidered size is the port selection up here we've got two USB 3.0 ports we've got HDMI USB type-c headphone jack even a card reader and that's just getting started we turn it around you've got to either net Jax you've got four more USBs as well as some Thunderbolts some dual DisplayPort in another HDMI that is kind of an insane amount of connectivity for a system this size it can support up to six display simultaneously or if you want to try some VR you actually do have enough ports here to connect all the VR headsets that are currently available now of course it's crucial that even a small system like this can perform and luckily it really can the processor itself isn't as fast to say a core i7 8700 K of course not and you know that's a much larger chip for a much larger classic computer but it does quite respectively hit a multi-core score of just over 16,000 in Geekbench 4 and that really keeps it on par with all the entry level gaming tower pcs you can expect to buy around the same price gaming performance that's also really important this is the first example of the Vega with Intel pairing that we have seen and that AMD Radeon Vega chip really does a great job of providing game performance it's somewhere between a gtx 1050 TI and gtx 1060 overall and that means it can run pretty much any game at 1080p resolution most of those games are gonna run at high detail settings in 60fps some of them will have to go down to 30fps and settle for that for example Deus Ex mankind divided which is one of the more demanding games we test you know that could not hit any more than 33 frames per second at 1080p and ultra detail but on the other hand considering that's one of the most demanding games you can possibly buy and play on a PC these days that doesn't seem so bad considering the size of this computer also we used it for real-world gaming over the course of a weekend and we found that was generally satisfactory playing games like overwatch for example no problem at all as long as you don't expect to play cutting-edge titles at 60 frames per second on a really high resolution monitor this little system is just fine now this model of haiti's Canyon is $1,000 and that's without the RAM without the hard drive without the operating system so not exactly inexpensive with that said though if you're looking for a powerful pint-sized gaming machine you're really not going to find anything better than thissix years ago in tow started producing the next unit of computing better known as nook a line of compact pcs aimed mostly at businesses but recently they've started producing nuts for gaming as well such as this this is the new hades Canyon nook now what's really notable about this aside from its size is the fact that it has in toast core i7 88 oh nine G processor now the G stands for graphics specifically AMD Radeon Vega graphics this is the chip that pairs Intel with AMD and some sort of unholy alliance so let's see how it performs now the hades Canyon nook is actually the biggest nook so far but you wouldn't know that really by looking at it it's about 8 inches by 5 inches and a little less than 2 inches thick so really quite compact one of the most compact gaming capable pcs you're gonna find something important to note about this is that you can see here we've got some conveniently located screws on the top you can actually take those off take the top off and that's where you get access to the RAM and the hard drive which can be changed out in fact the system isn't sold with RAM or hard drive which is a little strange but your thing is Intel's not really looking to be a system builder they're really targeting this at enthusiasts so if you want to buy one of these you do have to keep in mind that you've got to customize with whatever in RAM and hard drive you want and install them yourself now hideous Canyon is a respectively handsome little black box of a computer when it's turned off but when you turn it on it does have a cool surprise there you go these skull lights up and it actually is a kind of a neat little touch it's not so bright that it really becomes annoying you've also got some LEDs that flare up to life up here so that shows off the gaming credentials if you don't want to see that though you do have the option to turn it off something else that shows how serious of a system this is the spidered size is the port selection up here we've got two USB 3.0 ports we've got HDMI USB type-c headphone jack even a card reader and that's just getting started we turn it around you've got to either net Jax you've got four more USBs as well as some Thunderbolts some dual DisplayPort in another HDMI that is kind of an insane amount of connectivity for a system this size it can support up to six display simultaneously or if you want to try some VR you actually do have enough ports here to connect all the VR headsets that are currently available now of course it's crucial that even a small system like this can perform and luckily it really can the processor itself isn't as fast to say a core i7 8700 K of course not and you know that's a much larger chip for a much larger classic computer but it does quite respectively hit a multi-core score of just over 16,000 in Geekbench 4 and that really keeps it on par with all the entry level gaming tower pcs you can expect to buy around the same price gaming performance that's also really important this is the first example of the Vega with Intel pairing that we have seen and that AMD Radeon Vega chip really does a great job of providing game performance it's somewhere between a gtx 1050 TI and gtx 1060 overall and that means it can run pretty much any game at 1080p resolution most of those games are gonna run at high detail settings in 60fps some of them will have to go down to 30fps and settle for that for example Deus Ex mankind divided which is one of the more demanding games we test you know that could not hit any more than 33 frames per second at 1080p and ultra detail but on the other hand considering that's one of the most demanding games you can possibly buy and play on a PC these days that doesn't seem so bad considering the size of this computer also we used it for real-world gaming over the course of a weekend and we found that was generally satisfactory playing games like overwatch for example no problem at all as long as you don't expect to play cutting-edge titles at 60 frames per second on a really high resolution monitor this little system is just fine now this model of haiti's Canyon is $1,000 and that's without the RAM without the hard drive without the operating system so not exactly inexpensive with that said though if you're looking for a powerful pint-sized gaming machine you're really not going to find anything better than this\n"