Simply NUC launches Ruby and Topaz mini PCs powered by AMD Ryzen 4000U and Intel Tiger Lake processors, respectively
Simply NUC initially started out as a custom Intel NUC mini PC builder, but, ever since the introduction of the Zen-based APUs from AMD, the company slowly diversified its offer with Ryzen-based mini PCs, as well. The rising popularity of the AMD Renoir APUs has not gone unnoticed by Simply NUC, as the company now offers its first AMD Ryzen 4000U mini PCs along with new Intel Tiger Lake models.
Both AMD and Intel systems feature Simply NUC’s identical Universal Chassis with replaceable lid that allows for easy hardware upgrades. The only distinctive design feature that sets the systems apart is the lateral LED lighting. As such, the AMD Ryzen 4000U Ruby systems feature red LEDs, while the Tiger Lake Topaz systems include blue LEDs.
The Ruby mini PCs present a choice between the Ryzen 3 4300U, Ryzen 5 4500U and Ryzen 7 4800U APUs with Vega graphics. For the Intel Tiger Lake systems, Simply NUC includes options such as the Core i3-1115G4, i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7 CPUs with Iris Xe graphics. Other features that are identical for both lineups include 2x USB-C + 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, an HDMI 2.0a video output, 2.5 Gbps and 1 Gbps Ethernet NICs and Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5 connectivity. We are not sure why the Topaz systems feature the updated DisplayPort 1.4 video out, while the Ruby models only get the DisplayPort 1.2 version. Also, the Intel mini PCs get “Thunderbolt capable” USB-C ports, although they are not specifically rated for Thunderbolt 4 speeds.
There is a base configuration for all variants, which includes only 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of SSD storage and at most a pre-installed Ubuntu Linux OS. Users may opt to upgrade the systems on their own, but Simply NUC also offers more expensive options that add up to 64 GB of RAM, up to 10 TB of storage and a Windows 10 OS. Base configurations for the Ruby lineup will begin shipping this month and start at $519 for the Ryzen 3 model, $619 for the Ryzen 5, and $768 for the Ryzen 7. The Topaz systems will be available in January 2021 starting at $559 for the i3 model, $659 for the i5 and $789 for the i7.
