Intel NUC roadmap: next-gen CPUs in mini PCs later this year

Raptor Canyon is the code name of the new high-end NUC, which will have an even larger housing than the NUC 12 Extreme. Instead of 8 liters, it should be 13.9 liters, but the mini PC can then accommodate all processors, including a next-gen Core i9-K CPU.

Significantly larger housing for more power

Intel wants to go even higher in the next generation than with the last two NUC Extremes. The current NUC 12 Extreme Dragon Canyon relies on an 8-liter chassis for high performance, but this is exactly what imposes certain limitations on the hardware: a CPU with a maximum of 65 watts and a graphics card that is limited in length, width, and height. The problem is ultimately the interaction in the small housing. Once the CPU’s turbo kicks in, the fan gets overwhelmed.

The three fans in the lid don’t help either. The problem could be actively addressed with a 13.9-liter case, as the upcoming “Raptor Canyon” NUC – based on the presumably used Raptor Lake CPU – should use. But it’s also a must-have for picking up K processors. Because these are in the same TDP class as Alder Lake as K processors, presumably with a 125-watt TDP and 230 to 250 watts as PL2 rating. Whether almost 14 liters can still be considered a mini PC is another question.

Intel NUC roadmap (Image: reddit) The calculator probably installed in Raptor Canyon is called Shrike Bay. It, therefore, has the same possibilities in terms of processors used – just like the Eden Bay compute element in the NUC 12 Extreme Dragon Canyon. Until the middle of next year, the roadmap does not contain any new NUCs for other areas, especially the classic variants.

Here it could be that Intel skips Raptor Lake there and waits for the real newcomer Meteor Lake, because Raptor Lake’s bonus as a mobile processor over Alder Lake-H/P/U should be rather marginal. “Wall Street Canyon” and “Serpent Canyon” are based on the mobile Alder Lake and aim to represent the pro and enthusiast NUCs in the market starting this summer. Meteor Lake is scheduled for release in the second half of 2023.