Overall and Final Verdict

Man even just reading back through everything is a lot to take in. What it comes down too is the Hades Canyon NUC, especially the NUC8i7HVK model that I tested here, is a unique beast. Both because AMD and Intel can both be found in this one and because the combination of the quad-core Intel Core i7-8809G and the Radeon RX Vega M GH GPU makes this a very versatile product. Intel has been doing the NUC thing for a while now and they have been capable, but when it comes to gaming it can sometimes be hit and miss. In this case, though you really can expect to play just about anything, some will have to be turned down, but short of a fully built PC with a real dedicated GPU, you aren’t going to reach this performance. Gaming is great, but having the Intel iGPU still in there means you can take advantage of that in some video and photo editing programs, not to mention the 8809G is actually relatively fast. Coming in close to the 7700K desktop CPU in some of our testing even. So the Hades Canyon can be a portable production workhorse or a small LAN rig, or both. You can even hide the whole thing on the back of a monitor with the included VESA mount and save more space at LANs, but I suspect you are going to want to be able to see this one.

Now the form factor isn’t going to be for everyone, but I was really digging it. You get a decent amount of USB connections especially when you take into account the multiple Gen 2 USB 3.1 ports including a Type-C and then the two full thunderbolt ports on the rear. My only real complain when it came to connection options was the use of the mini-DP ports. They work and you do have the ability to hook up three monitors without even getting into thunderbolt monitors, but mini-DP ports are easy to break and much harder to come by when looking for cables in a retail shop.

Beyond that, I was impressed with Intel’s BIOS, especially the built-in search functionality as well as the software used to control the LED lighting. There is a need for a program to control the fan profiles without getting into the BIOS though and overall I had some confusion when checking temperatures when you have to combine the Radeon and Intel software not to mention sometimes other programs just to see what is going on. One program that ties that all together would have been huge.

There were a few other downsides as well. If you actually plan on using the NUC when traveling or for LANs you will also have to bring along the power brick that is almost as large as the PC. The two blower fans that keep everything cool can also get really loud when you push the limits of things. In real-world use, you won’t get them up to 100% like I did. But don’t expect it to be silent when gaming or under heavy CPU load.

The overall package is really nice and I’m really glad that Intel stepped up their game to start to compete with the other barebones SFF PCs that companies like Zotac have been bringing out. Is it enough? Well, there are come SFF options with GTX 1080’s so this isn’t the fastest thing out there. But it comes down to size and price. The MSRP for the NUC8i7HVK is $999 but right now you can already get them for $899. You still have to put in an SSD and memory as well as get a windows key. The Crucial MX500 1TB SSD that I used in ours would run you $219.99 and the 32 gigs of Ballistix Sport SODIMM would run you $348.45, neither are cheap. I personally would stick with the SSD for the capacity and maybe get a 16GB kit. With that cheaper configuration, you could put together the system for about $1300.

So how does that compare to other SFF options? Well if you are trying to compare this to any ITX build its really in a different class. You could build a faster ITX build for the same price, but it wouldn’t be this small. Now there are a few barebones with GTX 1060’s that would out game this configuration at a similar price so keep that in mind. This one does at least currently come with some great software bundles that really help add some value. Without a doubt, the Hades Canyon NUC isn’t going to be for everyone, but it is a great SFF build for someone who travels wants to game or get some production work on the go. All you really need are memory prices to come down so those DDR4 SoDIMMs don’t break the bank. Personally, I think I’m going to try to replace our current VR PC with this and maybe try to get it out to a few LANs.

fv5editorschoice

Live Pricing: HERE

Special thanks to Crucial for the RAM and SSD used when testing this

Author Bio
garfi3ld
Author: garfi3ldWebsite: http://lanoc.org
Editor-in-chief
You might call him obsessed or just a hardcore geek. Wes's obsession with gaming hardware and gadgets isn't anything new, he could be found taking things apart even as a child. When not poking around in PC's he can be found playing League of Legends, Awesomenauts, or Civilization 5 or watching a wide variety of TV shows and Movies. A car guy at heart, the same things that draw him into tweaking cars apply when building good looking fast computers. If you are interested in writing for Wes here at LanOC you can reach out to him directly using our contact form.

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