Notebookcheck Logo

Intel Frost Canyon NUC offers 6 cores and 12 threads

More than just an office computer! The new Intel Performance Kit NUC10i7FNHAA packs two storage devices, 16 GB of memory and a modern hexa-core SoC into a tiny case. We have summarized here how well the Intel NUC 10 performed in the test.

With the Intel Comet Lake SoCs, the 10th generation of Core processors is already available. Intel now also packs them into its Mini PCs, which are known as NUCs. We received two of these new bare-bones units from Intel to put them through their paces. We have already taken a closer look here at the smaller model with the Intel Core i5-10210U. In this review, however, we want to focus on the faster model based on the Intel Core i7-10710U.

Intel offers both NUCs in a flat version (36 millimeters/~1.42 in) but also in a slightly taller version (51 millimeters/~2 in). The advantage of the 51-millimeter (~2 in) variant is the available space for a second storage device. Our loaned unit is fully assembled and equipped with 16 GB of memory, an SSD and an HDD. This bundle that includes the Windows license is listed on various price comparisons, but without a price. According to Intel, the NUC10i7FNH is expected to cost $935 (~1,019 Euros). Of course, the 120-watt power adapter is also included in the box. 

Intel NUC - Frost Canyon (NUC10i7FNH)
Processor
Intel Core i7-10710U 6 x 1.1 - 4.7 GHz, Comet Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, 26.20.100.7262 DCH
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4 2666, dual-channel, 2 out of 2 installed, Max. 64 GB
Mainboard
Intel Comet Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1, 256 GB 
, 1 TB HDD (Seagate ST1000VT001-RE172), 1200 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek Audio
Connections
4 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: SD
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-V (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 51 x 117 x 112 ( = 2.01 x 4.61 x 4.41 in)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Additional features
36 Months Warranty
Weight
697 g ( = 24.59 oz / 1.54 pounds), Power Supply: 372 g ( = 13.12 oz / 0.82 pounds)
Price
935 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case and connectivity

In terms of the case, there's not much new to report. Visually, the new NUCs are similar to the devices already available. There are also two case heights, 36 (~1.42 in) or 51 millimeters (~2 in). Our test device weighs 697 grams (~1.5 lb) fully equipped. In addition, the Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH comes with a 120-watt power adapter, which is also particularly heavy at 372 grams (~13 oz). For more information on the case and connectivity, please refer to the Intel NUC NUC10i5FNK review.

Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA) front (source: Intel)
Front (Source: Intel)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA) back (source: Intel)
Back (source: Intel)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA) (source: Intel)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)
Intel NUC (NUC10i7FNHAA)

Performance - More than just an office computer

The Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH isn't just a simple office system, because the Intel Core i7-10710U, with its 6 cores, offers a lot of performance that goes beyond normal office work. Therefore, we see this Mini PC rather in the field of content creation, for example in image editing. Equipped with 16 GB of memory, which works in dual-channel mode thanks to two modules, Intel gets all the power available from the SoC. The 256 GB SSD houses the operating system, and the built-in HDD with 1 TB of storage space completes the system.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO

Processor

The Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH uses a mobile SoC with 6 cores and 12 threads as processor. This makes the small PC ideal for multithreaded applications. With the Intel UHD Graphics 620, this SoC also offers an integrated graphics unit for image output. Since the Intel Core i7-10710U is primarily mobile, the SoC is very energy-efficient. The base clock speed is 1.1 GHz. Nonetheless, the Core i7-10710U can reach up to 4.7 GHz in Turbo. If all cores are loaded, however, the maximum is reached at 3.9 GHz.

In our test, the Intel Core i7-10710U was definitely able to convince with good values. Thanks to its 6 cores, it clearly leads in the multithread benchmarks. But the single-core performance is also impressive, because the hexa-core processor is able to take the lead here too.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
194 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (138 - 194, n=8)
174.9 Points -10%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
168 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
165 Points -15%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
117 Points -40%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
108 Points -44%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
84 Points -57%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1067 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (513 - 1113, n=8)
957 Points -10%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
790 Points -26%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
687 Points -36%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
298 Points -72%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
261 Points -76%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
220 Points -79%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
211 (209.9min - 211.39max) Points -80%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
2.19 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (2.07 - 2.19, n=3)
2.15 Points -2%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1.91 Points -13%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1.88 Points -14%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
1.33 Points -39%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
1.28 Points -42%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (10.9 - 12.3, n=3)
11.7 Points +7%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
10.89 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
8.66 Points -20%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
7.55 Points -31%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
3.26 Points -70%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
2.86 Points -74%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
676 Seconds * -44%
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (468 - 892, n=4)
649 Seconds * -39%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
585 Seconds * -25%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
468.3 Seconds *
wPrime 2.10
1024m
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
732 s * -313%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
620 s * -249%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
558 s * -215%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
217.8 s * -23%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
177.4 s *
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (171.1 - 177.4, n=2)
174.3 s * +2%
32m
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
23.1 s * -353%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
19.5 s * -282%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
18 s * -253%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
6.78 s * -33%
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (5.1 - 5.38, n=2)
5.24 s * -3%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5.103 s *
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 2
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (58.9 - 63, n=3)
60.8 fps 0%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
60.5 (60.4min - 73.5max) fps
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
49.35 (49.1min - 51.6max) fps -18%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
19.3 fps -68%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
16.46 fps -73%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
13.75 fps -77%
Pass 1
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
206 (204min - 208max) fps
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (196 - 206, n=3)
202 fps -2%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
184.5 (184min - 186max) fps -10%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
105 fps -49%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
88.5 fps -57%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
74 fps -64%
TrueCrypt
Serpent Mean 100MB
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (0.57 - 0.731, n=3)
0.67 GB/s +18%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
0.57 GB/s
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
0.48 GB/s -16%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
0.166 GB/s -71%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
0.142 GB/s -75%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
0.133 GB/s -77%
Twofish Mean 100MB
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (1 - 1.2, n=3)
1.133 GB/s +13%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1 GB/s
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
0.79 GB/s -21%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
0.283 GB/s -72%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
0.245 GB/s -75%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
0.199 GB/s -80%
AES Mean 100MB
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (4.6 - 7.1, n=3)
6.03 GB/s +31%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4.7 GB/s +2%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4.6 GB/s
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
1.7 GB/s -63%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
1.5 GB/s -67%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
1.3 GB/s -72%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
22969 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (11871 - 22969, n=2)
17420 Points -24%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
16172 Points -30%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
13949 Points -39%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
5066 Points -78%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5271 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4871 Points -8%
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (3959 - 5271, n=2)
4615 Points -12%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
3680 Points -30%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
2613 Points -50%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
480 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (429 - 480, n=4)
457 Points -5%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
428 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
418 Points -13%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
200 Points -58%
CPU (Multi Core)
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
2303 Points
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (1181 - 2598, n=5)
2012 Points -13%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1820 Points -21%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1581 Points -31%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
491 Points -79%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
7.95 fps
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
6.28 fps -21%
Average Intel Core i7-10710U
  (4.2 - 7.95, n=4)
5.94 fps -25%
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5.16 fps -35%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
0 fps -100%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R20
Cinebench R20

Cinebench R15 multi-loop

The stress test with the Cinebench R15 multi-loop shows that the cooling system also handles the hexa-core processor well. The first result shows the run with the increased TDP, which is only available for a short time. After that, performance decreases somewhat and later settles at a stable 946 points.

0551101652202753303854404955506056607157708258809359901045Tooltip
Intel NUC10i7FNH Intel Core i7-10710U, Intel Core i7-10710U: Ø946 (834.01-1067.02)
Intel NUC10i5FNK Intel Core i5-10210U, Intel Core i5-10210U: Ø755 (749.68-790.62)

System performance

The Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH easily completes the synthetic benchmarks for system performance and secures high scores. The installed components work very well together and with the generous memory (16 GB), users are very well equipped for multithreaded applications. This also applies, of course, primarily to the SoC with its 6 cores. The smaller NUC with the Core i5-10210U follows with a respectful distance in our test results.

PCMark 10
Score
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4418 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4248 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3448 - 4742, n=33)
4046 Points -8%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4019 Points -9%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (2247 - 4192, n=36)
3744 Points -15%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
2391 Points -46%
Productivity
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
6876 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
6874 Points 0%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (5980 - 7332, n=33)
6717 Points -2%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
6494 Points -6%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (2941 - 6755, n=36)
6114 Points -11%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
4084 Points -41%
PCMark 8
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5102 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (4286 - 5114, n=24)
4878 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (3132 - 5223, n=29)
4723 Points +2%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4631 Points
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
4588 Points -1%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4286 Points -7%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
4046 Points -13%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
3732 Points -19%
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4227 Points +7%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
3938 Points
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
3667 Points -7%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3182 - 4284, n=24)
3601 Points -9%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
3526 Points -10%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (2747 - 4244, n=30)
3505 Points -11%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
3062 Points -22%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
2901 Points -26%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5312 Points +9%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5005 Points +3%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4853 Points
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (3454 - 5440, n=11)
4497 Points -7%
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
4395 Points -9%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (3473 - 5959, n=12)
4373 Points -10%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
3594 Points -26%
Storage Score v2
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
5088 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i5-8265U
  (4832 - 4999, n=4)
4923 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-10210U
  (4233 - 5088, n=5)
4865 Points +3%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4729 Points
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
4233 Points -10%

Storage

CrystalDiskInfo (SSD)
CrystalDiskInfo (SSD)
CrystalDiskInfo (HDD)
CrystalDiskInfo (HDD)

Our i7 test system is equipped with two storage devices. The operating system is located on the M.2 2280 SSD from Kingston. Of the 256 GB of storage space, the user will have a good 200 GB left for frequently used programs. In addition to the fast flash memory, there's still room for a 2.5-inch storage device in the taller NUC. In our case, a 1 TB hard drive from Seagate is installed, which doesn't produce an outstanding result in our test at just under 100 MB/s. The same applies to the built-in SSD. It uses the M.2 interface and offers PCI Express speed (PCIe x4). We expected better values in our tests though. However, the built-in SSD is not slow and for most users, the performance provided will be more than enough. If you buy the stripped device that lacks storage and memory, you can install a faster storage device. We recommend that you assemble an SSD-only system instead of using the traditional hard drive. In this way, you can bypass the bottleneck that the latter causes.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark 3
CrystalDiskMark 3
CrystalDiskMark 5
CrystalDiskMark 5
CrystalDiskMark 6
CrystalDiskMark 6
HD Tune
HD Tune
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Transfer Rate Minimum: 61 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 131.7 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 97.9 MB/s
Access Time: 19.9 ms
Burst Rate: 10.58 MB/s
CPU Usage: 3.6 %

Graphics card

The already familiar Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU also serves as an integrated graphics unit in the NUCs. Compared to the Intel NUC NUC10i5FNK, the 3D performance of the Core i7 model is slightly better. However, the iGPU is only partially suitable for games.

You can find further benchmarks for the Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics unit here.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
2322 Points +17%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1983 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1914 Points -3%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1853 Points -7%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points -12%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
1458 Points -26%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
1175 Points -41%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
79747 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
76488 Points -4%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (13790 - 102010, n=66)
67871 Points -15%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
61979 Points -22%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
58199 Points -27%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
48446 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
47803 Points -1%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (26409 - 59483, n=71)
42924 Points -11%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
40670 Points -16%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
40532 Points -16%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Intel NUC6i5SYH, Intel Core i5-6260U
1800 MHz, Intel Iris Graphics 540
1479 Points +4%
Intel NUC10i7FNH, Intel Core i7-10710U
1100 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1418 Points
Lenovo ThinkBook 15 , Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1309 Points -8%
Intel NUC10i5FNK, Intel Core i5-10210U
1600 MHz, Intel UHD Graphics 620
1202 Points -15%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -18%
Intel NUC5i5RYH, Intel Core i5-5250U
1600 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 6000
1033 Points -27%
Intel NUC5i3RYK, Intel Core i3-5010U
2100 MHz, Intel HD Graphics 5500
770 Points -46%
3DMark 11 Performance
2283 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
73725 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
10923 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1298 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
614 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
512 points
Help
low med. high ultra4K
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 81.3 52.5 22.4 19.9 7.3
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 11.6 13.5 11 6.61
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 13 7
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order (2019) 8.68

Emissions and energy

Temperature

3DMark 11 after the stress test
3DMark 11 after the stress test

Even under load, the temperatures of the Intel NUC10i7FNH remain in the uncritical range. The case's surface only heats up slightly. Under load with Prime95, we measure a good 40 °C (~104 °F). The cooling unit can keep the Intel Core i7-10710U in check without it having to be throttled due to heat. We didn't observe thermal throttling in our model. We measure 84 °C (~183 °F) as the maximum value in the stress test with Prime95. In the process, the hexa-core processor continues to operate at an average of 2.7 GHz. The thermal load is highest in the load test with Prime95, because in the stress test with FurMark, we measure only a maximum of 79 °C (~174 °F). If both applications are run in parallel, the SoC heats up to 81 °C (~178 °F). This had no lasting impact on 3D performance.

Stress test: Prime95 only
Stress test: Prime95 only
Stress test: FurMark only
Stress test: FurMark only
Stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Heat development top (load)
Heat development top (load)
Heat development back (load)
Heat development back (load)

Noise emissions

The Intel NUC10i7FNH is rather restrained when idle and under moderate load. During the stress test, however, the fan turns up properly and the high-frequency fan noise becomes a bit unpleasant in the long run. Unfortunately, the fan rarely stops even when idle, which is why a silent operation is impossible. Since our test device is equipped with a hard drive, it can also be heard under low load. In office operation, the fan operates much quieter than under full load, which improves noise pollution. Subjectively speaking, the work noise of the hard drive remains somewhat equally loud and is quietly audible.

Energy consumption

The small Mini PC scores points when it comes to power consumption. Nevertheless, 86 watts is pulled out of the wall socket under load. However, compared to a large desktop computer, the Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH is still very energy-efficient. When idle, we measure 8.4 watts for our test device. This rises under load to an average of 60 watts though. The power adapter has a capacity of up to 120 watts. Therefore, the load peaks can be easily balanced.

Energy consumption when turned off
Energy consumption when turned off
Energy consumption in idle usage
Energy consumption in idle usage
Energy consumption during the stress test (Prime95)
Energy consumption during the stress test (Prime95)
Energy consumption during the stress test (FurMark)
Energy consumption during the stress test (FurMark)
Energy consumption during the stress test (FurMark and Prime95)
Energy consumption during the stress test (FurMark and Prime95)
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.8 /  Watt
Idledarkmidlight / 8.4 /  Watt
Load midlight / 86 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Pros

+ stable case
+ very space-saving
+ low energy requirement
+ very good system performance
+ Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5
+ USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3
+ 36-month warranty
+ SD card reader

Cons

- annoying fan noise
- relatively expensive in the test configuration

Verdict - energy-efficient workhorse in small format

Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH, provided by Intel
Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH, provided by Intel

The Intel NUC NUC10i7FNH is a powerful Mini PC. The new Comet Lake SoC offers 6 cores and 12 threads, which make the device very interesting for multithreaded applications. If you go for the hexa-core NUC, you will receive 16 GB of memory, an SSD with 256 GB of storage space and a 1 TB HDD in addition to the Intel Core i7-10710U. There's also a Windows 10 license. If you want to equip the device yourself, you can also acquire the NUC without storage and RAM. Nevertheless, a Windows license must also be purchased separately then. At least 570 Euros (~$622) are needed for the "empty" NUC.

Six cores in a Mini PC – Intel combines this in the NUC 10 NUC10i7FNH. In this way, multithreaded tasks can be completed in no time.

Intel has chosen to install state-of-the-art components, because with Wi-Fi 6 and the Intel Core i7-10710U, one is well equipped for the future. In addition, the small computer has a very modern port configuration. The fact that the current NUC has only one HDMI output is not a problem, since the Thunderbolt 3 port is far more productive and versatile. There is also an SD card reader including UHS II support.

Unfortunately, not much has been changed in terms of optics, which makes it hard to tell the NUC apart from its predecessors. However, connoisseurs will quickly recognize the current version based on the existing ports. The aesthetics of the Mini PC are true to the idea that what is familiar is good and it shouldn't be changed. In doing so, its look and workmanship are convincing, although we would've liked a slightly more robust alternative for the top. We also criticize the cooling system, because the high-frequency noise is exhausting in the long run.

But which NUC is the better one? In the end, it is up to each user to decide which priorities prevail. Having such a small system with 6 cores and 12 threads is quite something. But it also comes with a price. The slightly cheaper Core i5-10210U model is not noticeably slower in everyday life. If simple office applications are required, the smaller model is enough. However, the NUC 10 NUC10i7FNH is also suitable for more processing-intensive applications such as image editing or simple video editing. But the high-performance NUC is also suitable as a small workstation for virtual machines.

Read all 8 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Intel Frost Canyon NUC offers 6 cores and 12 threads
Sebastian Bade, 2020-02-14 (Update: 2020-04-17)