According to a NUC consumer roadmap leaked by Fanless Tech, Intel has some exciting new hardware planned for release over the next couple of years. This is especially good news for fans of tiny computers capable of packing a big punch. Intel’s new 7th-gen Core chips will replace the Skylake processor line, and will launch this year. Cheaper, lower power versions of the Celeron and Pentium chips are also on schedule to launch this year, and will replace Intel’s Braswell chips, according to Liliputing.
Intel is not as widely known for its computers as it is for its processors, but the ones it does produce are small, fast, and versatile. The NUC systems are no exception. Some saw Intel’s launch of the NUC line as simply a response to the Apple Mini, but time has shown that Intel brings a lot to the table with its small computer lines. The chipmaker offers its four-by-four inch motherboard separately, giving a high power option for the Raspberry Pi and limitless possibilities for integration into the IoT.
The roadmap shows that Intel will make its new Celeron processor available in the fourth quarter of 2016 with its Arches Canyon model. Its 7th-gen Core chip looks like it will be available at beginning of 2017 within the Baby Canyon i7 model. In the meantime, Intel continues to offer current models, and of course the recently launched Skull Canyon. The Skull Canyon is projected to be produced through 2017, and offers a 6th-gen Core chip.
Based on the leaked information, Intel has plans to continue its NUC line at least through 2018, offering progressively faster hardware with more options to meet custom applications of the device. While Intel may never be known primarily for its computers, it has a strong footing the niche market of quality small computing options with its NUC line.
