Intel Bean Canyon NUC Review: 8th Gen CPU With Iris Plus Graphics

Name: Intel NUC8i7BEH1
Brand: Intel

by Marco Chiappetta — Friday, February 15, 2019, 12:20 PM EDT

Performance Summary: The Intel NUC8i7BEH performed very well throughout our entire battery of tests. Thanks to its relatively speedy quad-core processor, it is among the fastest NUC systems produced to date for everyday desktop computing tasks. It is only the more powerful and more expensive Hades Canyon NUC with discrete Vega graphics that is faster in some circumstances. Versus full-sized desktops system, the NUC8i7BEH1 is typically faster than AMD Ryzen 5 2x00G series APUs and competes well with previous-gen Core i7 quad-core processors or newer mid-range Core i5s.

Intel NUC8i7BEH Small Form Factor System -- Find Them At Amazon

We really like the Intel NUC8i7BEH. For about $450 for the barebones kit, the NUC8i7BEH offers performance roughly equivalent to a 7th Gen Core i7 quad-core processor, with solid integrated graphics, in a diminutive chassis that can accommodate multiple storage devices. There is a bit of premium to pay for the form factor versus assembling a full-sized desktop in the same performance class, but that is to be expected. For many users though, a system like the Intel NUC8i7BEH, when equipped with enough RAM and a speedy storage solution, will offer more than enough performance in a far more attractive and easy to manage package.

Small form factor machines typically require sacrificing some expansion possibilities, but that’s likely a non-issue for no-nonsense corporate users and a large swath of mainstream computer users who never open up their machines one they’ve been initially set up. Anyone in need of a speedy desktop system that digs the tiny form factor should give the Intel NUC8i7BEH a look. This little machine packs a big punch.


Strong Performance Ultra Small Form Factor Iris Plus 655 With eDRAM Built In Card Reader	Slight Price Premium Could Use A Few More USB Ports

Tags: Intel, SFF, mini-PC, NUC, (NASDAQ:INTC), bean canyon

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com