Intel NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon - Never Underestimate NUC

It seems like most of my reviews are about working from home these days - or at least hybrid working. This is probably because I've been a hybrid worker for decades now, without even realising it. My gadget addiction means I've had a pretty high-functioning desktop setup at my place for a fair old while - inevitably it's become more productive and more sophisticated as I've reviewed more and more devices. 

For someone like me, it's easy to get carried away with all the latest and greatest tech on offer when, to be perfectly honest, all I'm really doing is filling out a few text boxes on the backend of a website. 

I could probably do it on my phone. (In fact, I have done it on my phone)

But for most people, realistically if you're only now committing to a genuine WFH or hybrid lifestyle, it makes sense to use the tools available to you and just upgrade the essentials. You don't have to be a tech addict to have accumulated peripherals like keyboards, mice and monitors over the years.  

So if it's just a brain in a box you need, I've got a big brain for you in a very tiny box.

The Intel NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon really is genuinely small; not even 12cm X 12cm. At first glance, you could easily mistake it for some kind of streaming box you plug into the back of your TV.

But closer inspection reveals there's a lot more to this NUC (Next Unit of Computing) than that.

For starters, there are ports galore on this thing; starting with four USB-A (Full-size) ports - two USB 3.2 on the front for easy access and another on the back along with a standard USB 2.0 slot. There are two high-speed USB 4 (Type-C) Thunderbolt ports around there too, as well as an ethernet socket for a hardwired LAN line. There's not one, but two full-sized HDMI 2.1 slots - also on the now rather crowded back panel while the standard 3.5mm headphone jack is on the front - again, very easy to access.

That's assuming you put the NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon somewhere easy to access. That's the true beauty of this little box - you can stash it anywhere. In fact, it even comes with a bracket and hardware to attach it to the underside of your desk or even to the back of your monitor, essentially converting it into an all-in-one PC.

Of course, if you choose not to screw it down, the NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon is actually quite portable; it's much smaller than a laptop and significantly lighter. If there's an available screen, keyboard and mouse where you're heading to, why not just take it with you?

Depending on how you decide to configure your NUC, you can create a very powerful computer indeed - it'll support up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM and accommodates two slots of superfast M.2 storage. The review unit I was supplied with is kitted out with 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD card. But what comes as standard is the most important component; the 12th-Gen IntelCore i7 processor - capable of up to 4.70 GHz. This is actually one of the most powerful Intel chips I've come across.

While obviously there's no room for a discrete graphics module, the integrated Iris Xe technology is up to the task for most use cases - even when it comes to gaming. No, you won't be able to wind the display settings all the way up but so far everything I've downloaded onto the NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon has loaded up and hummed along without a single pause or stutter.

When I say, "hum" I have to admit, there is a bit of fan noise when the NUC is performing some heavy lifting. Each side of the device is basically all ventilation grille. I'm just impressed they've figured out how to fit such a powerful fan in there.

Speaking of fans, I definitely am one. It's been a few years since I've reviewed one of Intel's mini-PC's and I'd forgotten what a well-put-together bit of kit they are. In the time I've spent with the NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon, I haven't really found any limitations at all - only opportunities. The twin HDMI slots mean you can run a dual display setup and even 8K monitors are supported. In fact, using the USB-C ports you can actually run four screens simultaneously; hard to believe.

Although there are no built-in speakers, you can easily plug in a surround system via HDMI or USB-C to take advantage of Intel's HD Audio Technology and of course, all bluetooth accessories - like controllers and headphones - are easily connected.

Even the Wi-Fi is next level on this thing; literally. The NUC supports the very latest Wi-Fi 6e protocol - and I can attest to very fast and stable downloads when connected to an equally late-model router.

As you can see, you're getting pretty much all the tech in this tiny case. If you already own a lot of the peripherals, a mini-PC like this makes a lot of sense - it's not just a space-saver but potentially a cost-cutter too.

    

Click here for more details and pricing on the Intel NUC 12 PRO Wall Street Canyon.