Intel NUC 12 Pro, Newest 12th Gen Core i5-1240P (12 Cores & 4.4GHz) Low Power, 16GB DDR4 RAM & 512GB NVMe, Intel Iris Xe Graphics 8K, WiFi 6E, Vesa Mounting Bracket, Built-in Windows 11 Pro

This device replaced my 5 year-old, larger desktop. My motivation was to have a quiet, small form factor and more powerful machine for home use. The initial Windows 11 boot up was smooth and I easily installed all the applications I used previously. This included a 2004 version of Quicken and 2010 MS desktop. To increase the overall memory capacity I added a separate 500GB SSD, see photo, to increase the overall memory to 1TB. In addition, I purchased a CD drive to assist in application installation and some Thunderbolt 4 to USB 3.2 adapters. You will also need to purchase a power cord to connect the transformer to you home outlet. This evidently frees Intel from having to have different version for international sales. All these items are available on Amazon My current setup Front USB 3.2 – unused USB 3.2 – unused Back: Thunderbolt 4 - SSD Thunderbolt 4 with USB adapter - camera HDMI – monitor HDMI – unused USB 3.2 – mouse USB 2.0 – keyboard RJ45 - Unused Wireless – printer What I really like is the large number of high performance connections. This provides a lot of flexibility for new devices. For example, I can easily connect my slide scanner or CD drive to the front when needed. I’m not a gamer, so I can comment on that performance aspect. The most processing intensive application I perform is 35mm slide scanning. This requires multiple scans per slide, specifically visible light, Infrared, for dust removal and a third scan to remove inherent scan jitter. The scan time is much less than my previous I5-8400 series processor. It’s also very quiet, even when the fan runs occasionally. Overall it looks sharp, performs well and is very well made.

I am a serious user of NUCs. I own a number of 10th Gen i5s, and I'm very happy with them. But this 12th Gen i5 just absolutely blows me away! I immediately ran my benchmarks on it and got results fully FIVE TIMES those on my 10-i5s! (YMMV) Intel's mechanical work on this is the very best I've ever seen on the NUC product line; well-framed, with lots of very nice, useful features (such as dual HDMI and dual thunderbolt, sockets for both NVMe and SATA, and a large HDD bay for large, high-capacity 2.5" drives that are too thick for laptop bays). I'm just about speechless. I have not tried out the 2.5Gbps NIC yet, but you can bet I will! Calling this thing anything less than "outstanding" would just be an insult.

Everything was perfect!!!

I build my own computers for a couple of reasons. Mostly, I like the flexibility of choosing each component, but also the ability to add hard drives or other peripherals as needed. However, my home office is VERY compact and the tower under my desk was seriously cramping my legs. When I discovered that a "mini PC" could be configured the way I wanted it, I was thrilled. Now I have room to stretch out my legs AND a faster PC! The only limitation for me is hard drive space. That used to be a problem, but now that 2.5" drives come with very large capacities, I have room in a cubbyhole on my desk for all the space I need. Well, that and the fact that we recently added a large NAS system in another spot in the office. ANYWAY, I LOVE THIS NUC!

I do play games, mostly Second Life which requires a lot of graphics, and specifically a Nvidia graphics card, so I was afraid this would not be sufficient but it is, and I am so happy. There are only a few USB ports, but enough for a keyboard, mouse, bluetooth speakers and an external storage device. You can hook up the monitor via the Thunderbird ports or HDMI. I couldn't build a PC for this price especially since it comes with Windows 11. The seller seems responsive and helpful, and the warranty is 3 years and Intel is wonderful to work with.