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MagyarIntel NUC 12 Pro Kit (Core i5-1240P) mini PC review: Snappy with great connectivity
Intel's NUC lineup continues to be a leader in the mini-PC market, and the latest Wall Street Canyon NUCs are no exception. With powerful and efficient 12th-Gen Alder Lake CPUs and Intel's Iris Xe Graphics, the Wall Street Canyon NUCs should make short work of most home and office computing work. We recently reviewed the NUC 12 with an Intel Core i7-1260P and found a lot to like about the tiny desktop. Today, we'll look at it's little brother, the NUC 12 with an Intel Core i5-1240P. Specifically, we will look at a NUC 12 Pro Kit, which includes 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB NVMe SSD.
Since our NUC 12 review unit is built in a similar case as the NUC 12 in our prior review, we will focus only on the differences in performance. The key difference in build is that our review unit today is slightly higher than the Core i7-1260P Wall Street Canyon NUC (45.6 mm vs 37 mm) to accommodate a 2.5-inch SATA drive in the base of the case. Otherwise, the port selection, build quality, and all other physical factors are the same between the devices. For details on these items, please refer to our review of the Intel Core i7-1260P Wall Street Canyon NUC.
potential competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
03/2023 | Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 i5-1240P, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 549 g | 45.6 mm | x | |||
11/2022 | Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T i7-1195G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 565 g | 45.6 mm | x | |||
09/2022 | Beelink U59 N5105 Celeron N5105, UHD Graphics (Jasper Lake 24 EU) | 320 g | 42 mm | x | |||
08/2022 | Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM i5-11400T, UHD Graphics 730 | 1.3 kg | 40 mm | x | |||
07/2022 | Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 i7-1260P, GeForce MX550 | 6.8 kg | 434 mm | 23.80" | 1920x1080 | ||
05/2022 | Minisforum EliteMini B550 R7 5700G, Vega 8 | 1.1 kg | 67 mm | x | |||
05/2022 | Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T i5-8259U, Iris Plus Graphics 655 | 586 g | 45.5 mm | x | |||
| 78.9 % | 11/2022 | Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 i7-1260P, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 511 g | 37 mm | x |
Performance
Our NUC 12 Pro Kit is equipped with Intel's mid-range Core i5-1240P Alder Lake CPU. Coupled with the included 16 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 GB NVMe SSD, the mini-PC is quite zippy and well-equipped for home and office use. Thanks to the included Intel Iris Xe Graphics (80 EUs), it can even handle some light to moderate photo and video editing as well as some gaming, albeit at lower resolutions.
Processor
The Intel Core i5-1240P is a solid mid-range CPU. The 12-core chip (4 performance, 8 efficiency) is built on a 10 nm FinFET process. As such, it offers a decent balance between performance and power efficiency (although there are 7 nm chips from AMD that offer similar or better performance with less power draw). The 1240P's performance cores are Hyperthreaded, enabling up to 16 threads.
In real-world performance, the Core i5-1240P slots just behind Intel's Core i7-1260P. In most benchmarks, the Alder Lake i5 comes in roughly 5-10% behind its bigger brother. The 1240P competes well against AMD's Ryzen 7 5700G, though Intel's offering falters a bit behind AMD's chip in extended workloads.
In our Cinebench R15 loop test, the Core i5-1240P tails the Core i7-1260P, even mimicking the i7's dip in performance after the first run. Extended performance remains steady, albeit it at 85% of its first-run performance.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Average of class Desktop (174 - 853, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (251 - 653, n=16) | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Desktop (285 - 14891, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (763 - 4456, n=16) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Average of class Desktop (76 - 319, n=32, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (91.8 - 243, n=18) | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Desktop (128 - 6236, n=32, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (407 - 2007, n=19) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Average of class Desktop (82 - 3767, n=30, last 2 years) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (285 - 1926, n=16) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Average of class Desktop (2563 - 8211, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (2197 - 5320, n=16) | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Desktop (3974 - 158242, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (7254 - 47002, n=16) | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Desktop (0.88 - 44, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (1.99 - 12.9, n=16) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Average of class Desktop (33.6 - 144.7, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (46.4 - 120.5, n=16) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Average of class Desktop (0.356 - 1.371, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P (0.4987 - 1.236, n=16) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
Overall system performance is snappy and responsive. The 1240P-based NUC 12 keeps up with competitors in most PCMark 10 benchmarks. However, it falls a fair bit behind AMD-powered machines in digital content creation, likely due to AMD's more powerful Vega iGPUs. Still, the NUC 12 should have no trouble handling home and office work, as well as some light video and photo editing.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Desktop (2317 - 10153, n=22, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (4881 - 5345, n=11) | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (8890 - 10652, n=11) | |
| Average of class Desktop (5425 - 12421, n=21, last 2 years) | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Average of class Desktop (3454 - 12564, n=21, last 2 years) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (6118 - 7058, n=11) | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Desktop (1633 - 20009, n=21, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Average Intel Core i5-1240P, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (5169 - 6213, n=11) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5331 points | |
Help | ||
DPC Latency
The NUC 12 is adequate for real-time audio processing, as per LatencyMon. Video streaming is also smooth; the NUC dropped only 1-2 frames when streaming 4K YouTube videos.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T | |
| Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
The included Lexar NVMe SSD is lightning-fast and outpaces most of the competition. The NUC 12 supports PCIe x4 Gen 4 SSDs via an M.2 2280 slot. This performance shouldn't be overstated, however, as the NUC 12 is typically sold as a barebones kit and users will need to install their own drive. That said, the drive in this particular configuration is impressively fast.
There is a second M.2 drive bay, but it only accepts 42 mm drives and operates at SATA 3 speeds. There is also a 2.5-inch drive bay in the base of the unit for SATA drives.
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 Lexar 512GB NM6A1 LNM6A1X512G-HNNG | Geekom Mini IT11-GM11i7T Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8 | Beelink U59 N5105 Silicon Motion AZW 512G NV428 | Newsmay Neosmay S2-B560TPM Lexar NM610 500GB | Minisforum EliteMini B550 Kingston OM8PDP3512B-AI1 | Geekom Mini IT8-GM08i5T Kingston OM8PDP3512B-AI1 | Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 Transcend M.2 SSD 2200S TS512GMTE220S | Average Lexar 512GB NM6A1 LNM6A1X512G-HNNG | Average of class Desktop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6 | -8% | -70% | -8% | 5% | -40% | -13% | 0% | 13% | |
| Write 4K | 177.8 | 216.5 22% | 86.45 -51% | 124.7 -30% | 161.5 -9% | 114.2 -36% | 193.2 9% | 177.8 ? 0% | 170.1 ? -4% |
| Read 4K | 67.6 | 65.73 -3% | 25.9 -62% | 45.41 -33% | 51.29 -24% | 46.92 -31% | 63.23 -6% | 67.6 ? 0% | 99.2 ? 47% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 426.2 | 573.6 35% | 165.1 -61% | 383 -10% | 437 3% | 220.3 -48% | 405.9 -5% | 426 ? 0% | 374 ? -12% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 500.9 | 338.9 -32% | 146.6 -71% | 451.4 -10% | 602.1 20% | 316.2 -37% | 560.6 12% | 501 ? 0% | 443 ? -12% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 2705.3 | 958.2 -65% | 359.5 -87% | 2382.1 -12% | 1210 -55% | 1227.2 -55% | 1145.6 -58% | 2705 ? 0% | 2121 ? -22% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 3566.7 | 1653.5 -54% | 528.3 -85% | 995.1 -72% | 2554.3 -28% | 2510.5 -30% | 2608.6 -27% | 3567 ? 0% | 2517 ? -29% |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 428.5 | 832.5 94% | 1084.4 153% | 1045.2 144% | 408.6 -5% | 429 ? 0% | 968 ? 126% | ||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 937.5 | 340.2 -64% | 481.7 -49% | 857.4 -9% | 741.3 -21% | 938 ? 0% | 1019 ? 9% | ||
| AS SSD | -40% | -74% | -2% | -22% | -42% | -38% | 0% | -20% | |
| Seq Read | 2902.75 | 1356.17 -53% | 503.32 -83% | 2203.6 -24% | 2303.9 -21% | 1907.57 -34% | 2723 -6% | 2903 ? 0% | 2236 ? -23% |
| Seq Write | 1486.78 | 854.29 -43% | 443.45 -70% | 2189.3 47% | 1145 -23% | 1039.43 -30% | 1405 -6% | 1487 ? 0% | 1572 ? 6% |
| 4K Read | 59.71 | 61.08 2% | 18.93 -68% | 56.28 -6% | 57.87 -3% | 43.19 -28% | 34.41 -42% | 59.7 ? 0% | 48.6 ? -19% |
| 4K Write | 216.44 | 191.79 -11% | 72.63 -66% | 119.31 -45% | 152.35 -30% | 57.24 -74% | 100.35 -54% | 216 ? 0% | 141.1 ? -35% |
| 4K-64 Read | 883.18 | 325.14 -63% | 146.3 -83% | 791.75 -10% | 711.88 -19% | 772.77 -13% | 348.68 -61% | 883 ? 0% | 800 ? -9% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1418.48 | 532.6 -62% | 181.26 -87% | 1378.5 -3% | 984.11 -31% | 385.27 -73% | 164.61 -88% | 1418 ? 0% | 1231 ? -13% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.045 | 0.091 -102% | 0.085 -89% | 0.035 22% | 0.105 -133% | 0.131 -191% | 0.084 -87% | 0.045 ? -0% | 0.1218 ? -171% |
| Access Time Write * | 0.129 | 0.045 65% | 0.188 -46% | 0.1 22% | 0.029 78% | 0.03 77% | 0.035 73% | 0.129 ? -0% | 0.1461 ? -13% |
| Score Read | 1233 | 522 -58% | 216 -82% | 1068 -13% | 1000 -19% | 1007 -18% | 655 -47% | 1233 ? 0% | 1073 ? -13% |
| Score Write | 1784 | 810 -55% | 298 -83% | 1717 -4% | 1251 -30% | 546 -69% | 406 -77% | 1784 ? 0% | 1529 ? -14% |
| Score Total | 3592 | 1598 -56% | 628 -83% | 3347 -7% | 2722 -24% | 2035 -43% | 1340 -63% | 3592 ? 0% | 3019 ? -16% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 1499.91 | 652.4 -57% | 1744.99 16% | 1635.71 9% | 1018.16 -32% | 612.15 -59% | 1500 ? 0% | 1568 ? 5% | |
| Copy Program MB/s | 360.32 | 77.24 -79% | 314.25 -13% | 361.36 0% | 378.31 5% | 334.59 -7% | 360 ? 0% | 469 ? 30% | |
| Copy Game MB/s | 1008.89 | 445.98 -56% | 895.29 -11% | 414.46 -59% | 322.02 -68% | 882.35 -13% | 1009 ? 0% | 1104 ? 9% | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -24% /
-26% | -72% /
-72% | -5% /
-4% | -9% /
-12% | -41% /
-41% | -26% /
-29% | 0% /
0% | -4% /
-8% |
* ... smaller is better
GPU Performance
Graphics performance is the Achilles' Heel of the NUC 12 as it only has integrated graphics. The 80 EU version of Intel's Iris Xe Graphics iGPU is adequate for streaming UHD media, some light video and photo work, and some lighter gaming, but it struggles with demanding 3D tasks. That said, this iGPU offers a substantial boost over the older Intel Iris Plus Graphics used prior to the 11th-Gen Tiger Lake chips; the NUC 12's 3DMark performance is double that of the Geekom Mini IT8, which uses the older Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655.
The inclusion of two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the unit opens the possibility of external GPUs. As Sebastian Bade pointed out in his review of the Intel Core i7-1260P variant, even a mid-range GPU can result in an astounding improvement in graphics performance.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 6191 points | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 85587 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 21793 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3941 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score | 1882 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
Because of its lackluster graphics performance, gaming options are limited on the NUC 12. The mini PC can play most recent games at 1280x720 and low settings only. Older titles or lighter games like DOTA can be played at 1920x1080/medium, but that still stretches the iGPU and manages only about 30 FPS. Mini PCs with AMD's Vega iGPU perform noticeably better in games, likely because of better driver support.
Long-term performance is quite unstable. While attempting to run our hour-long performance test in the Witcher 3, the game would routinely crash 5-10 minutes into the test. As such, long-term gaming performance may be erratic, depending on the game.
| The Witcher 3 | |
| 1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (30.2 - 97.4, n=98) | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| 1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (21.8 - 56.9, n=100) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| 1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9.3 - 33.5, n=98) | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSKi7 | |
| Intel NUC 12 Pro Kit NUC12WSBi5 | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| 1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) | |
| Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 24IAP7 | |
| Minisforum EliteMini B550 | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (6.26 - 15.7, n=89) | |
| Beelink U59 N5105 | |
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 42 | 31 | 15 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 35.9 | 35.7 | 34.6 | 34 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 38.3 | 19.6 | ||
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) | 45 | 16 | 15 | |
| F1 2021 (2021) | 73 | 34 | 28 | |
| Farming Simulator 22 (2021) | 50 | 32 | 23 | 22 |
Stress test and power consumption
The Intel Core i5-1240P generates quite a bit of heat under stress. The chip averages 83º C during our hour-long Prime95 stress test while hovering around 2.5 GHz. This is a bit hotter than the Core i7-1260P fared in the same test. The 1240P does not seem to suffer from thermal throttling; it jumps to its PL2 TDP limit at the beginning of the test before leveling out at its PL1 limit of 40 Watts. Adding FurMark to the mix results in slightly lower clock rates (1.8 GHz) but lower temperatures (79º C) as well.
Pros
+ good performance
+ lightning fast SSD included in kit
+ compact size
+ excellent port selection, including 2x Thunderbolt 4
Cons
– CPU runs hot under stress
– poor graphics/gaming performance
– pricey compared to competitors
Verdict
The Core i5-1240P NUC 12 Pro Kit is a solid mini PC for home and business use. Its compact case belies its excellent performance. It can handle most any kind of home or office work without breaking a sweat, although gaming performance will leave users wanting. This weakness can be alleviated by an external GPU, which can be connected via one of the machine's two Thunderbolt 4 ports. However, this is an expensive solution.
Speaking of expense, herein lies a major sticking point for Intel's NUC desktops. They are fairly expensive for what they offer. This particular unit can be purchased as a barebones unit for roughly US$500-550, but it won't have RAM, a storage drive, or a Windows license. These are all added expenses that can easily push the total price of the NUC to $800. For that price, consumers can buy a budget gaming laptop that offers similar CPU performance, significantly better gaming performance, and comes with a built-in keyboard and screen.
If Thunderbolt 4 is a must-have and you have some RAM and an NVMe drive lying around, the NUC 12 may be just what you're looking for.
If you're hunting for a mini PC, there is no shortage of devices from competitors. Geekom, Beelink, and Minisforum each offer mini PCs with similar CPUs for what may be a lower overall cost, as these machines include RAM, storage, and a copy of Windows. However, these competitors lack the dual Thunderbolt 4 setup of the NUC 12, which makes Intel's mini PC quite versatile.
Price and availability
The NUC 12 Pro kit we looked at in this review is available via Geekom's Geekplus Store on Amazon. As configured, the NUC 12 Pro kit is listed at US$849.99. You can use coupon code 329K4CID now through March 22 to save $33 on top of any other discounts currently offered.
More articles related to this device
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Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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