Intel will discontinue NUC products, license to partners instead
Photo by Intel.
By Joshua Levin
Published July 25, 2023 | Updated February 18, 2024 at 10:26 am
Intel announced July 18 that they will stop producing “New Unit of Computing” mini-computers, instead relying on partners like ASUS to produce NUC devices.
According to reports from ServeTheHome, Intel initially told partners they would stop “direct investment” in the product line July 11. They announced the change publicly a week later.
“Intel is pivoting its strategy to enable ecosystem partners to continue NUC systems product line innovation and growth,” Intel stated. “ASUS’s expertise and track record delivering industry-leading mini PCs to customers make it ideally suited to continue driving innovation and growth in NUC systems products.”
Under the terms of their agreement, Intel will allow ASUS to produce existing 11th, 12th and 13th Gen Intel NUC designs, and develop their own in the future. The license is non-exclusive, so Intel could allow other manufacturers to do the same.
“Our NUC systems product team delivered unique products that spurred innovation in the ultra-small form factor market,” stated Sam Gao, vice president and general manager of Client Platform Solutions at Intel. “Our priority is to ensure a smooth transition for our customers and partners.”
Intel launched the first-generation NUC kit in 2013, featuring a Celeron 487 processor with support for an mSATA SSD and two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of RAM, according to Intel. The original kits did not come with storage or memory, though they later expanded to fully-assembled systems.
Since then, Intel has released more than 15 generations of NUC devices. NUCs are especially popular in the home server space, but are also widely used for commercial applications such as running Kubernetes at Chick-Fil-A restaurants.
“Thank you, Intel, for your confidence in us to take the NUC systems product line forward. I am confident that this collaboration will enhance and accelerate our vision for the mini PC,” ASUS Chief Operating Officer Joe Hsieh stated. “We are committed to ensuring the excellent support and service that NUC systems customers expect.”
Intel did not respond to The Terabyte Tribune’s request for comment.
Joshua Levin is the publisher and executive editor of The Terabyte Tribune, handling all aspects of operations and coverage. He can be reached via email at [email protected]
