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Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 (Intel Provo Canyon NUC8v7PNB) Mini PC Review: Passively-Cooled Whiskey Lake for Enterprise

Fanless mini PC from the Swiss Alps. Featuring a passively-cooled Whiskey Lake vPro processor and good connectivity options, the Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 aims to offer a sustainable, low-maintenance, and long-term desktop computing solution for businesses. While the PrimeMini 5 has the potential to deliver on these promises, it comes with some performance compromises that should not be overlooked.
The PrimiMini 5 looks to offer fanless Whiskey Lake vPro goodness for the enterprise. (Image Source: Prime Computer)
The PrimiMini 5 looks to offer fanless Whiskey Lake vPro goodness for the enterprise. (Image Source: Prime Computer)

Last October, Swiss IT company Prime Computer launched the PrimeMini 5 fanless mini PC based on the Intel NUC8 Provo Canyon platform. The PrimeMini 5 can be purchased by individuals but is primarily geared towards enterprises who need an easily deployable and serviceable solution with the peace of mind of a five-year support period.

The PrimeMini 5's configuration can be customized to a large extent. Buyers can choose between Core i3-8145U, Core i5-8365U, and Core i7-8665U (the Core i5 and Core i7 are offered as vPro options) processors, 8 GB to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, and a desired combination of NVMe and SATA storage. A choice of Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Windows Server 2016/2019, or Ubuntu can also be availed. 

Our PrimeMini 5 unit is equipped with a passively-cooled Core i7-8665U Whiskey Lake vPro processor, 16 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM in dual-channel mode, 256 GB Samung 860 EVO M.2 SSD, and comes with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. At a retail price of €1,322 (US$1,548) that includes a Windows 10 Pro license, the PrimeMini 5 isn't exactly a low-cost offering. Can it perform well to tackle the vagaries of daily office work? Let's find out.

Changelog:

01/25 - Added photos of device internals.

Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Processor
Intel Core i7-8665U 4 x 1.9 - 4.8 GHz, 16 W PL2 / Short Burst, 16 W PL1 / Sustained (Intel Core i7), vPro
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Graphics Driver DCH 27.20.100.9126
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2400 17-17-17-39, Dual-Channel SO-DIMM
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Point-LP
Storage
Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2, 256 GB 
, 196 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 VGA, 2 HDMI, via Thunderbolt 3 DisplayPort, 2 RJ-45
Networking
Realtek USB GBE Familiy Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Wireless-AC 9260 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 55 x 177 x 114 ( = 2.17 x 6.97 x 4.49 in)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Additional features
60 Months Warranty, IP51 Rating, fanless
Weight
1.3 kg ( = 45.86 oz / 2.87 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
1322 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
01/2021
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg55 mmx
02/2020
Intel NUC10i7FNH
i7-10710U, UHD Graphics 620
697 g51 mm0.00"0x0
11/2018
Intel NUC8i7BE
i7-8559U, Iris Plus Graphics 655
683 g51 mmx
06/2019
Intel NUC8i7BEH Asura NVMe SSD
i7-8559U, Iris Plus Graphics 655
683 g51 mmx
12/2020
Beelink SEi10
i3-1005G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU)
350 g41 mmx
10/2020
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
472 g51 mmx
12/2019
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
499 g22 mm0.00"x

Case

The PrimeMini 5 sports a premium design and this can be felt right from the time of unboxing to using the actual product itself. Having a length of nearly seven inches and weighing about 1.3 kg, the PrimeMini 5 is not the sleekest mini PC on the market. Having said that, the device still has a small footprint with a minimalist design and will easily fit in most workspaces.

The PrimeMini 5 sports an all-aluminum construction, and we didn't observe any cracks or creaks. The top side of the device has a finned design possibly to keep the device light and also help with better heat dissipation. There is provision for VESA mounting on the bottom plate, but no mounting accessory is provided in the packaging itself.

The PrimeMini 5 is IP51-rated for limited dust ingress and water condensation protection.

177 mm / 6.97 inch 114 mm / 4.49 inch 55 mm / 2.17 inch 1.3 kg2.87 lbs179 mm / 7.05 inch 88 mm / 3.46 inch 22 mm / 0.866 inch 499 g1.1 lbs128 mm / 5.04 inch 126 mm / 4.96 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 472 g1.041 lbs117 mm / 4.61 inch 112 mm / 4.41 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 697 g1.537 lbs115 mm / 4.53 inch 111 mm / 4.37 inch 51 mm / 2.01 inch 683 g1.506 lbs124 mm / 4.88 inch 113 mm / 4.45 inch 41 mm / 1.614 inch 350 g0.772 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

The PrimeMini 5 offers a decent port selection. Apart from the standard set of ports that includes Thunderbolt 3, buyers can also choose to have an additional RJ-45 LAN port, RS-232 serial port, VGA port, and a set of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports if desired. The ports are upside-down because of the way the motherboard is oriented inside the chassis.

Unfortunately, an SD card slot, IR port, and audio jacks are not available.

Front (left to right): Power, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A.
Front (left to right): Power, 2x USB 3.1 Type-A.
Rear (left to right): Wi-Fi antenna port, Power, Protected UHD HDMI, VGA, 2x RJ-45, USB 3.1 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, Wi-Fi antenna port.
Rear (left to right): Wi-Fi antenna port, Power, Protected UHD HDMI, VGA, 2x RJ-45, USB 3.1 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, Wi-Fi antenna port.
Reference Intel Provo Canyon board. (Image Source: Simply NUC)
Reference Intel Provo Canyon board. (Image Source: Simply NUC)

Maintenance

Update 01/25: Upgrading the PrimeMini 5 is easy and only requires removing four screws at the bottom. Unfortunately, our review sample came with two of the four screws stripped, which meant that we could not remove them with the available tools at hand. Therefore, we had requested Prime Computer to send us a few pictures of the innards and are including them below.

Communication

The Intel Wireless AC 9260 Wi-Fi card can be easily replaced.
The Intel Wireless AC 9260 Wi-Fi card can be easily replaced.

The PrimeMini 5 comes equipped with an Intel Wireless AC 9260 WLAN card with Bluetooth 4.2 support. While a more modern wireless AX solution would have been preferable, the wireless AC 9260 can still offer a total theoretical throughput of up to 1.73 Gbps on the 5 GHz band in the 160 MHz channel.

The PrimeMini 5's Intel 9260 WLAN card showed a highly consistent send and receive performance offering up to 1.2 Gbps throughput when placed exactly at a distance of 1 m from our Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 router.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
1210 (603min - 1247max) MBit/s
Beelink SEi10
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
742 (470min - 902max) MBit/s -39%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
604 MBit/s -50%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
553 MBit/s -54%
Average of class Desktop
  (200 - 821, n=2, last 2 years)
511 MBit/s -58%
iperf3 receive AX12
Beelink SEi10
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1212 (1060min - 1309max) MBit/s +2%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Wireless-AC 9260
1186 (1167min - 1219max) MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
643 MBit/s -46%
Average of class Desktop
  (338 - 880, n=2, last 2 years)
609 MBit/s -49%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
602 MBit/s -49%
60365370375380385390395310031053110311531203Tooltip
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1186 (1167-1219)
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1189 (603-1247)

Accessories

Inside the box, we find the PrimeMini 5 unit itself, the AC adapter, two antennas for Wi-Fi connectivity, and a VGA to HDMI adapter along with some paperwork.

Warranty

Prime Computer offers a neat five-year warranty for all kinds of customers. B2B customers can also lease the PrimeMini 5 for periods ranging from three to five years as part of the Prime Computer as a Service program.

Performance

The PrimeMini 5 is based on the Intel NUC Provo Canyon platform. We checked with Prime Computer as to why it didn't opt for the newer Comet Lake-based Frost Canyon base. The company said that Provo Canyon boards were the only ones available with 15 W vPro processors, which is an important factor when catering to B2B customers.

Apparently, Intel ran into some issues that delayed the Provo Canyon Pro launch, which meant that it would be available only around the time the PrimeMini 5 was being developed. Prime Computer said that it is focused on offering long-term support for businesses rather than chasing the newest CPU generation.

 

Processor

Since the PrimeMini 5 is a fanless PC, we do see some reduction in performance of the Core i7-8665U compared to its implementation in conventional laptops such as the Dell Latitude 5500 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019. Both the PL1 and PL2 of the Core i7-8665U have been restricted to 16 W.

Though the PL1 and PL2 can be changed in the BIOS, Prime Computer tells us that these values have been found to be optimal for this design keeping in mind the five-year warranty. The company cautioned that raising the PL1/PL2 values may damage the M.2 SSD over time if the system runs at full load. We conducted our testing at the factory-default PL1/PL2 values.

In the Cinebench R15 loop, we see that the PrimeMini 5 does not sustain too well, but the performance drop isn't drastic either. The lack of a fan and the constrained TDPs clearly show their effects as even the Coffee Lake Core i7-8559U-powered Intel NUC8i7BEH shows higher scores and a more consistent performance in the Cinebench R15 multi-core loop test.

Understandably, the same Core i7-8665U in laptops performs better overall with consistent sustained performance.

Check out our dedicated page on the Core i7-8665U for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720760Tooltip
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB Intel Core i7-8665U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø451 (440.42-458.07)
Beelink SEi10 Intel Core i3-1005G1; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø405 (402.55-406.84)
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano Intel Core i5-10210U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø514 (504.41-521.83)
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano Intel Core i5-8265U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø513 (491.14-523.79)
Dell Latitude 5500 Intel Core i7-8665U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø611 (599.53-729.94)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2019-20QE000VGE Intel Core i7-8665U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø632 (574.56-701.36)
Dynabook Tecra X50-F Intel Core i7-8665U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø491 (471.7-499.81)
Intel NUC8i7BE Intel Core i7-8559U; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø681 (671.37-798.44)

The Core i7-8665U's in the PrimeMini 5 lags behind the overall processor average in benchmarks such as Cinebench R15 and R20, 7-zip, Blender, and HWBOT x265. That being said, those using this mini PC for regular office work should find no major troubles as long as the workload does not involve highly complicated spreadsheets or documents.

Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Desktop
  (174 - 853, n=30, last 2 years)
557 Points +47%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
480 Points +27%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
472 Points +25%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
466 Points +23%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (379 - 472, n=5)
427 Points +13%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
418 Points +10%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
403 Points +6%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
379 Points
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Desktop
  (285 - 14891, n=30, last 2 years)
5197 Points +395%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
2303 Points +119%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
1691 Points +61%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
1530 Points +46%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (1050 - 1530, n=5)
1329 Points +27%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
1183 Points +13%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
1050 Points
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
848 Points -19%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Desktop
  (76 - 319, n=34, last 2 years)
232 Points +51%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
199 Points +29%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
194 Points +26%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
188 Points +22%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (143 - 199, n=7)
174 Points +13%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
167 Points +8%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
158 Points +3%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
154 Points
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Core i5-8265U
148 Points -4%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Desktop
  (128 - 6236, n=34, last 2 years)
2501 Points +446%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
1067 Points +133%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
798 (671.37min - 798.44max) Points +74%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
688 (599.53min - 729.94max) Points +50%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (458 - 701, n=7)
612 Points +34%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel Core i5-8265U
524 Points +14%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
522 (504.41min - 521.83max) Points +14%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
458 (440.42min - 458.07max) Points
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
406.8 (402.55min - 406.84max) Points -11%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
1126 Seconds * -15%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
978 Seconds *
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
892 Seconds * +9%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (716 - 978, n=4)
801 Seconds * +18%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
740 Seconds * +24%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
682 Seconds * +30%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
650 Seconds * +34%
Average of class Desktop
  (82 - 3767, n=32, last 2 years)
577 Seconds * +41%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
468.3 Seconds * +52%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
6171 MIPS +42%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
4826 MIPS +11%
Average of class Desktop
  (2563 - 8211, n=28, last 2 years)
5637 MIPS +30%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
4988 MIPS +15%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
4727 MIPS +9%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (4338 - 4988, n=4)
4684 MIPS +8%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
4338 MIPS
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
4303 MIPS -1%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
4041 MIPS -7%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Desktop
  (3974 - 158242, n=28, last 2 years)
58577 MIPS +299%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
30570 MIPS +108%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
22033 MIPS +50%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
29948 MIPS +104%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
20015 MIPS +36%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (14665 - 20023, n=5)
18146 MIPS +24%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
16971 MIPS +16%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
14665 MIPS
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
10536 MIPS -28%
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Desktop
  (556 - 2241, n=29, last 2 years)
1550 Points +49%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
1229 Points +18%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
1118 Points +8%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
1111 Points +7%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
1039 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
 
1039 Points 0%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
723 Points -30%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Desktop
  (844 - 24033, n=29, last 2 years)
10095 Points +278%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
5839 Points +119%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
3877 Points +45%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
3660 Points +37%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
2671 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
 
2671 Points 0%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
2153 Points -19%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Desktop
  (0.88 - 44, n=28, last 2 years)
16.2 fps +324%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
7.95 fps +108%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
5.9 fps +54%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
5.523 fps +45%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel Core i7-8665U
5 fps +31%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
  (3.82 - 5.2, n=5)
4.54 fps +19%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
4.15 fps +9%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
3.82 fps
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
3.48 fps -9%
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
68.8 s * -4%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
66.2 s *
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
 
66.2 s * -0%
Average of class Desktop
  (33.6 - 144.7, n=28, last 2 years)
61.4 s * +7%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
55.8 s * +16%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel Core i7-8665U
0.876 sec *
Average Intel Core i7-8665U
 
0.876 sec * -0%
Beelink SEi10
Intel Core i3-1005G1
0.763 sec * +13%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel Core i5-10210U
0.695 sec * +21%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel Core i7-10710U
0.649 sec * +26%
Average of class Desktop
  (0.356 - 1.371, n=28, last 2 years)
0.629 sec * +28%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Core i7-8559U
0.6275 sec * +28%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
458 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
47.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
154 Points
Help

System Performance

Though the effects of the power and cooling limitations imposed upon the processor are evident, the overall system performance is good. The PrimeMini 5 shows marginal advantages over the Beelink SEi10 and the Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano in most PCMark tests.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Desktop
  (2317 - 10153, n=24, last 2 years)
6137 Points +63%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
4580 Points +22%
Dell Latitude 5500
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
4515 Points +20%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
4418 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3763 - 4515, n=7)
4070 Points +8%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3876 Points +3%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
3791 Points +1%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
3763 Points
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
3420 Points -9%
Essentials
Dell Latitude 5500
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
9790 Points +21%
Average of class Desktop
  (5425 - 12421, n=23, last 2 years)
9601 Points +19%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
9013 Points +12%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
8994 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (8071 - 9790, n=7)
8758 Points +9%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8551 Points +6%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
8071 Points
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
7787 Points -4%
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
7766 Points -4%
Productivity
Average of class Desktop
  (3454 - 12564, n=23, last 2 years)
8211 Points +23%
Dell Latitude 5500
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
7281 Points +9%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
7236 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6506 - 7281, n=7)
6946 Points +4%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
6876 Points +3%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
6694 Points
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6337 Points -5%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
6333 Points -5%
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
5353 Points -20%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Desktop
  (1633 - 20009, n=23, last 2 years)
8585 Points +221%
Intel NUC8i7BE
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
4007 Points +50%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3777 Points +41%
Dell Latitude 5500
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3506 Points +31%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2677 - 3506, n=7)
3016 Points +13%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
3000 Points +12%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
2917 Points +9%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
2677 Points
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
2614 Points -2%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Intel NUC8i7BE
Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
4674 Points +26%
Dell Latitude 5500
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV1T02
3959 Points +7%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
3938 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3547 - 4211, n=6)
3799 Points +3%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
3703 Points
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
3455 Points -7%
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
2900 Points -22%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average Intel Core i7-8665U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (4696 - 5195, n=5)
4902 Points +2%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
4879 Points +2%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
4783 Points
Intel NUC10i7FNH
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
4631 Points -3%
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
2575 Points -46%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3703 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4783 points
PCMark 10 Score
3763 points
Help

DPC Latency

Since the PrimeMini 5 runs on standard Intel hardware without any additional third-party driver overheads, we see that the highest measured latency is just 647.20 µs in LatencyMon.

Frame drops in our sample YouTube 4K playback test were minimal at about 9 frames out of a total of 2,098. That being said, the integrated UHD Graphics 620 looks to be stretching itself in order to ensure fairly smooth 4K playback. 

Measured DPC latency during YouTube 4K playback
Measured DPC latency during YouTube 4K playback
The dxgkrnl.sys is the driver with the highest execution time.
The dxgkrnl.sys is the driver with the highest execution time.
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
Beelink SEi10
UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1, Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
1231 μs * -90%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
647 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Full-length M.2 2280 SSDs can be installed.
Full-length M.2 2280 SSDs can be installed.

Our PrimeMini 5 unit came equipped with a 256 GB Samsung 860 EVO M.2 SSD. The read/write performance is on par with what can be expected from a high-performing SATA SSD. Users can also install an NVMe SSD and/or a SATA 2.5-inch drive if desired.

The Samsung 860 EVO showed no throttling in the DiskSpd read loop test.

Refer to our dedicated HDD/SSD benchmarks page for more storage performance comparisons.

Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3256GJ1
Beelink SEi10
Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
AS SSD
37%
-40%
-23%
108%
Seq Read
526
1306
148%
1111
111%
507
-4%
1668
217%
Seq Write
492.8
611
24%
323.5
-34%
413.8
-16%
1150
133%
4K Read
43.79
21.53
-51%
33.1
-24%
36.75
-16%
48.46
11%
4K Write
95.8
53.5
-44%
66.2
-31%
88.5
-8%
116.5
22%
4K-64 Read
372.2
652
75%
357.3
-4%
369.4
-1%
726
95%
4K-64 Write
331.8
648
95%
154.8
-53%
193.7
-42%
1074
224%
Access Time Read *
0.048
0.114
-138%
0.066
-38%
0.103
-115%
0.039
19%
Access Time Write *
0.104
0.07
33%
0.616
-492%
0.095
9%
0.032
69%
Score Read
469
804
71%
501
7%
457
-3%
942
101%
Score Write
477
762
60%
253
-47%
324
-32%
1305
174%
Score Total
1200
1944
62%
983
-18%
1023
-15%
2716
126%
Copy ISO MB/s
488.8
976
100%
1160
137%
482.5
-1%
Copy Program MB/s
377.5
346
-8%
121.1
-68%
191.9
-49%
Copy Game MB/s
383.9
735
91%
364.4
-5%
248.9
-35%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
170%
117%
-3%
144%
Write 4K
113.7
442.4
289%
203
79%
105.9
-7%
130
14%
Read 4K
44.61
371.1
732%
63.2
42%
39.15
-12%
45.61
2%
Write Seq
408.1
900
121%
1114
173%
Read Seq
541
1582
192%
1765
226%
Write 4K Q32T1
318.8
373.8
17%
423.9
33%
320.5
1%
365.3
15%
Read 4K Q32T1
342.6
374.9
9%
389.2
14%
342.1
0%
350.2
2%
Write Seq Q32T1
517
893
73%
1104
114%
514
-1%
2986
478%
Read Seq Q32T1
559
1582
183%
1990
256%
554
-1%
3565
538%
Write 4K Q8T8
348.2
399.1
15%
330.8
-5%
368.7
6%
Read 4K Q8T8
396.9
688
73%
391.8
-1%
790
99%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
104% / 93%
39% / 17%
-13% / -16%
126% / 123%

* ... smaller is better

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

There is no discrete graphics in the PrimeMini 5, and the mini PC relies solely on the integrated UHD Graphics 620 in the Core i7-8665U. Given the TDP limitations, the performance is not surprising. Additionally, the slower DDR4-2400 RAM also impacts the scores.

The same UHD Graphics 620 in the Intel Frost Canyon NUC10i7FNH and the Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano is between 10% and 18% faster as these mini PCs do not have such stringent TDP restrictions and also come with faster DDR4-2666 RAM.

3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
3081 Points +79%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
2006 Points +17%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
1983 Points +15%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +2%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
1717 Points
Beelink SEi10
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1
1684 Points -2%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
2583 Points +61%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
2142 Points +33%
Dell Latitude 5500
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
2084 Points +30%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
1608 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (927 - 2505, n=244)
1578 Points -2%
Beelink SEi10
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1
1252 Points -22%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
16698 Points +77%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
11065 Points +18%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
10057 Points +7%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
9590 Points +2%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
9413 Points
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points -2%
Beelink SEi10
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1
7448 Points -21%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
2260 Points +84%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
1418 Points +15%
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1232 Points 0%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
1228 Points
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U
1183 Points -4%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points -5%
Beelink SEi10
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1
960 Points -22%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Intel NUC8i7BE
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655, i7-8559U
633 Points +68%
Intel NUC10i7FNH
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10710U
443 Points +18%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (299 - 797, n=88)
389 Points +3%
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8665U
377 Points
Beelink SEi10
Intel UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), i3-1005G1
320 Points -15%
3DMark 11 Performance
1912 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
8187 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1111 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
432 points
Help

The PrimeMini 5 is not a gaming machine by any stretch. The UHD Graphics 620 can only play older titles such as Dota 2 Reborn at low settings. Those seeking a mini PC capable of gaming should look elsewhere.

low med. high ultra
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 76 45.9 20.1 18
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 12.3
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 12.6 12.2 11

Emissions

System Noise

The PrimeMini 5 is a fanless mini PC, so the operation is pretty much silent. We also did not notice any whine or sounds emanating from other internal components during stress testing with a combination of Prime95 and FurMark for about an hour.

Temperature

Being power-limited does have its advantages at least when it comes to temperatures. We recorded a maximum of 50.5 °C surface temperature under stress. The bulk of this heat seemed to localize mostly around the middle region of the device.

As a result, the PrimeMini 5 can be handled away from the center without much discomfort if the device is under stress. The AC adapter warmed up to just 40.1 °C under full load.

PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Top
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Top
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Front
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Front
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Rear
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Rear
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Left
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Left
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Right
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - Right
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - AC Adapter
PrimeMini 5 - Temperature - AC Adapter

Stress Test

We stressed the PrimeMini 5 with Prime95 and FurMark for about an hour to see how they affected clocks and temperatures. Though the Core i7-8665U can boost up to 4.8 GHz, it can do so only momentarily. Prime95 stress showed the CPU clocks settling around 1.7 GHz on all four cores resulting in an average core temperature of about 62 °C. Adding FurMark to the mix results in a reduction of clocks to 0.89 GHz as the available thermal headroom needs to be shared with the iGPU.

System idle
System idle
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle 0.69 -- 44 37
Prime95 Stress 1.7 -- 62 54
Prime95+FurMark Stress 0.89 698.3 62 56

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The PrimeMini 5's power consumption is generally economical though the consumption at idle seems to be a little on the higher side as evidenced by the occasional spikes seen.

Under a combined Prime95+FurMark stress, the consumption peaks to a maximum of 38.38 W but later averages out at 33.1 W.

In 3DMark 06, we see an average power consumption of 29.95 W during the entire benchmark run. The average consumption drops to about 26.16 W during the CPU phase of the benchmark (between 3 min and 4 min) as the GPU clocks down to nearly zero.

The PrimeMini 5 cannot run on USB power and must be used with the supplied 90 W power brick. The AC adapter uses a standard 2-pin power connector though a 3-pin one would have been preferable for proper earthing.

PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Off
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Off
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Standby
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Standby
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Idle
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Idle
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Prime95
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Prime95
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Prime95+FurMark
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - Prime95+FurMark
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - 3DMark 06
PrimeMini 5 - Power Consumption - 3DMark 06
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.01 / 2.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.19 / 11.16 / 30.04 Watt
Load midlight 33.1 / 39.38 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.
Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 NUC8v7PNB
i7-8665U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD 860 Evo 256GB M.2, , x,
Beelink SEi10
i3-1005G1, UHD Graphics G1 (Ice Lake 32 EU), Silicon Motion AZW 256G M.228 NVMe 4X 200725 D, , x,
Zotac ZBOX MI642 Nano
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620, Western Digital WD Blue 3D WDBNCE5000PNC, , x,
Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, , x, 0.00
Intel NUC8i7BE
i7-8559U, Iris Plus Graphics 655, , , x,
Power Consumption
24%
-1%
33%
6%
Idle Minimum *
6.19
6.3
-2%
8.9
-44%
4.4
29%
2.7
56%
Idle Average *
11.16
6.6
41%
9
19%
4.4
61%
3.1
72%
Idle Maximum *
30.04
6.7
78%
9.9
67%
4.7
84%
6.3
79%
Load Average *
33.1
25.9
22%
33
-0%
27.7
16%
59.7
-80%
Load Maximum *
39.38
46.7
-19%
58
-47%
49.9
-27%
78
-98%
Witcher 3 ultra *
47.2

* ... smaller is better

Pros

+ Durable aluminum construction
+ Decent configuration options
+ Good port selection
+ Consistent Wi-Fi speeds
+ Five-year warranty
+ Fanless silent performance
+ Low DPC latency
+ Consistent SATA SSD performance
+ Manageable surface temperatures under stress

Cons

- No VESA mounting accessory in the box
- No SD card reader, 3.5 mm audio jacks, and IR port
- Still on Whiskey Lake
- No Wi-Fi 6
- PL1/PL2 capped at 16 W by default
- Throttling under stress
- CPU performance lower than most other Core i7-8665U devices
- Slightly higher power consumption in idle

Verdict

PrimeMini 5. Review unit courtesy of Prime Computer AG, Switzerland.
PrimeMini 5. Review unit courtesy of Prime Computer AG, Switzerland.

With configuration choices up to the Core i7-8665U vPro, up to 32 GB of RAM, and a combination of NVMe and SATA storage, the PrimeMini 5 has a lot to offer for businesses that require a robust computing solution that can be deployed with minimum fuss. The all-aluminum construction lends a premium look to the device while also offering IP51 protection to keep dust out.

Connectivity options are good, and buyers will be glad to know that Prime Computer also allows adding a few additional ports in addition to what the Intel NUC8 Provo Canyon Pro board already offers.

The PrimeMini 5 will appeal to enterprises looking for simple IT administration and long-lasting product support, and to those who don't mind an older generation platform as long as it offers an overall low total operating cost. This is definitely not a mini PC aimed at performance connoisseurs.

There is still room for improvement, though. For the asking price, we would like to see more accessories in the box such as a VESA mounting plate, for example. Though additional peripherals can be added via USB docks, presence of an SD card slot, 3.5 mm audio jacks, and a Kensington lock slot would have been welcome. Some users may also feel the need for an IR port and biometric authentication. 

On the processing side, the overall performance should be just about sufficient to cater to regular office work such as word processing, basic spreadsheets, and presentations. The passively-cooled, TDP-limited chip means that there's only so much performance that can be squeezed out of the machine before hitting throttling thresholds. That being said, a slightly higher power limit may be useful for that occasional boost.

Price and availability

Prime Computer confirmed that it is no longer selling products via its webshop. Individuals and B2B customers can purchase the PrimeMini 5 from the company's list of official resellers and distributors.

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Prime Computer PrimeMini 5 i7 (Intel Provo Canyon NUC8v7PNB) Mini PC Review: Passively-Cooled Whiskey Lake for Enterprise
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 2021-01-25 (Update: 2021-01-25)