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Intel NUC for XBMC and emulation

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  • 21-03-2014 5:04pm
    #1
    CJLX
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭


    Hi all,

    Really keen on the NUC form-factor and I'm thinking of going for the newer haswell i5:

    http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/nuc/nuc-kit-d54250wyk.html

    I'm aiming for smooth XBMC performance and I want to be able to run retro emulators (only as high end as N64 and PS1) to give me an all in one solution.

    The question is, is this powerful enough to do everything to a very high standard (1080p movies, no slowdown in games etc)? Better yet, is an i5 overkill for this and would an i3 be good enough?

    The other question is the OS. I bought a toshiba laptop about 6 months ago that had win 7 on it but they included windows 8 discs in there as well. I've never used them, because I much prefer win 7. Am I able to use them in the NUC to save me the costs of buying a new OS (I'm sticking with the idea of windows over linux - for now - due to compatibility and the fact that I'm familiar with it)? Or are those discs somehow tied to the laptop even without installation? I've read stuff about the activation key being buried in the BIOS of the machine it comes with.

    Thanks in advance for your help and knowledge.

    CJ
    Tagged:


Comments

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    #2
    vibe666
    Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    I have the older i3 DC3217BY running Win8 with 4gb RAM and a 128gb SSD and it flies along even playing heavy duty 1080p videos.

    not tried any games on it, but I could give something a lash if you wanted me to as a test?


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    #3
    CJLX
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭CJLX


    Thanks a million for the offer.

    I guess the best test would be project64 running any graphically intensive game (Zelda/Mario etc). If youre able to test and let me know that'd answer the major question.

    Again, thanks for being so generous with your time. :)

    CJ


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    #4
    Gran Hermano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,330 ✭✭✭Gran Hermano


    I'd go for the NUC over any android box. Most of the android boxes have one weakness or another. I played with several over the last year and ended up going the small form factor HTPC route. XBMC on a small PC offers all you want for XBMC without any compromising.


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    #5
    CJLX
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭CJLX


    sugarman wrote: »
    Oh yeh definately, I just meant if hes on such a tight budget an android box would be perfect for his needs.

    It is hard to beat the i3 NUC on amazon I linked to in the other thread for £120.

    Thanks for the advice. Yep I've had an ouya for a while now. Its fine, just a bit buggy and slightly unreliable. So I'm looking to upgrade to something better.


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    #6
    L'prof
    Registered Users Posts: 11,996 ✭✭✭✭L'prof


    Is the NUC just a shell that you need to add components to? What would the overall cost be? Thinking of upgrading from my ATV2 as I'm looking for a smoother XBMC experience, but not in any rush just yet.


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    #7
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    You guys are missing the fact that emulated games are CPU intensive and do not run on the GPU. 1080p video is no great shakes to an i3, but emulation is another story. I'm not sure i3 would be fast enough but the Nuc is available in everything up to i7.

    Edit: apologies, on a re_read I see he's opting for an i5, not an i3, better choice


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    #8
    same ol sh1te
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,837 ✭✭✭same ol sh1te


    sugarman wrote: »
    :rolleyes: A ten year old Dual Core/Core2 etc can run PS1/N64 emulators flawlessly. I some how think an i3 can sure hell handle it

    Yes, but an i5 would emulate everything up to PS2


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    #9
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,980 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    You have to buy ram and a specific card type ssd to get them up and running.


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    #10
    squonk
    Registered Users Posts: 8,453 ✭✭✭squonk


    I'm looking at putting a NUC HTPC together at the moment! Damn you guys! I read this thread and got excited about the NUC form factor and the power of the i3 so decided to go for it as I needed a new project and a second HTPC for the parent's house will come in handy, plus it's small enough to be a mobile HTPC as well.

    I'm planning on using OpenElec and XBMC. Has anyone done a build along those lines already? I went for the new base Haswell i3 with a 120Gb mSATA SSD on board. I opted for the following WiFi card: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E7QGHE6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but I've a feeling I might run into problems with it. It seems like OpenElec might not support this out of the box on stable versions so it might take a kernel upgrade. I'll be eager to try anyway once the kit and parts arrive.

    Any pointers you'd like to offer if you've put this kit together yourself?


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