GDC 2016: Intel unveils $650 NUC with i7 6770HQ and Iris Pro 580 GPU

Intel announced an updated NUC platform at GDC 2016 . The highlight of the update was an Intel i7 6770HQ powered beast that features a brand new, Iris Pro 580 graphics unit. The 6770HQ is a 45W chip codenamed “Skull Canyon.” It’s clocked at 2.6GHz, is capable of a 900MHz boost, and includes Iris Pro 580 graphics. The 580 series GPU incorporates 78 graphics execution units (as Intel calls them) and 128MB of ultra-fast eDRAM. The chipset also supports Thunderbolt 3.0, USB 3.1 gen 2 (10Gbps), DDR4 memory, M.2 and PCIe SSDs, 802.11ac and Bluetooth. Also included are an HDMI 2.0 port, mini DisplayPort 1.2, four USB 3.0 ports, and the usual headphone jack, SD card slot, LAN port, etc. ArsTechnica points out that the Thunderbolt 3.0 integration is the first since the original and that support for external graphics cards can be expected. For those not in the know, the NUC platform is a chipset that incorporates a CPU, motherboard, connectivity options and excludes RAM and storage options. Intel is pricing this i7 6770HQ NUC at $650 (around Rs 43,300) and estimate that a 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD and Windows 10 toting build could retail for $999 (around Rs 66,600).