I switched my desktop PC to an Intel NUC 13 PRO barebone PC.

My previous PC was a 10th generation Intel Core i5, but this one is a 13th generation Core i5.

The CPU is three generations up, and the performance of the built-in GPU has improved, so I feel like it's more comfortable than my previous PC.

However, Intel is really thorough with its NUC business.

I have two NUCs, a NUC 13 PRO (top) and a NUC 12 PRO (bottom), under the monitor. (The one above the NUC 13 PRO is a FOSTEX AP15mk2 small amplifier.)

Installing Windows 11

The installation of Windows 11 is not progressing smoothly.

During the installation, during the network connection step, neither wired nor wireless LAN is recognized.

I also have a NUC 12 PRO, and the same problem occurred.

Both the NUC 13 PRO and NUC 12 PRO have 2.5Gb Ethernet wired LAN, but they don't recognize it, perhaps because it's incompatible with the 1Gb hub or the cable.

The Wi-Fi is 6, and the broadband router's Wi-Fi is 6E, but it doesn't recognize it either.

I'm having trouble recognizing whether the driver included in the Windows 11 installation media is not compatible with the NUC device, or whether it's incompatible with the device or cable.

I have a network adapter that can be connected via USB, so I'm using that to connect to the wired LAN and doing something about it.

After installing and running Windows Update, the built-in wired LAN and wireless LAN are properly recognized and usable.

A USB-connected network adapter is required.

(Would a wireless LAN USB dongle work?)

It seems that you can't proceed with Windows 11 installation if you can't connect to the Internet, is there anything I can do about that?

Storage

There are three M.2 slots, and one of them seems to have a WiFi card inserted.

Sorry. I say "apparently there are" because I forgot to check.

One is that you can use a 2280mm SSD, and one NVMe PCIe4.0x4 SSD can be used.

Finally, you can use a 2242mm SATA3.0 SSD.

There are many SSDs over 1TB, and they are comparable in capacity to HDDs.

If you don't plan on storing high-resolution photo data, 500GB is enough.

When I use a PC with an HDD at work, I wish it had an SSD.

The IO speed is completely different.

I installed Windows 11 on a 2TB NVMe with a maximum read speed of over 7000MB/s.

It's comfortable.

The faster the access speed, the more heat it will generate, so it's something to think about for a small PC.

It's good that Windows starts up quickly.

Expandability

Three 3.2 ports in USB-A shape (two on the front, one on the back).

One 2.0 interface (one on the back).

Two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back.

The USB 2.0 is for a wired keyboard.

Since multiple PCs share a keyboard with a USB switch, we use wired ports as usual.

A USB memory stick is inserted in the USB 3.2 in USB-A shape at the back.

This is the data backup area.

When signing in, the document folder is backed up to the USB memory stick using the robocopy command.

Since there are few interfaces, I tried connecting the USB memory stick via a USB hub, but the access speed was slow, so I connected it directly.

I decided to add more USB devices by connecting a USB hub to the two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Two HDMI monitor connections. Thunderbolt 4 should also support DisplayPort in AltMode, so it looks like up to four monitors can be connected.

If possible, I would have liked to connect via DisplayPort, but this time I connected via HDMI.

Initial impressions

The CPU generation has improved, and the performance of the built-in GPU has also improved.

In addition, the M.2 NVMe has been upgraded from PCIe3.0x4 to PCIe4.0x4, so I feel like the response and other things are faster.

It's a bit disappointing that the only option for adding another built-in SSD was SATA3.

Even if the 2280 standard is not possible due to the layout of the parts, it would have been nice if it was 2242 and NVMe PCIe4.0x4.

In terms of interface, it would have been nice if there was USB-A and two more 3.2 on the back.

I'm also a bit worried about the audio.

There is an interface for a headset on the front, but not on the back.

It's not necessary if you're outputting sound from a monitor via HDMI, but I would have liked an audio interface on the back since I'm playing sound from speakers through an amplifier.

I'm considering buying a FOSTEX amplifier with built-in USB-DAC and connecting it, but the small amplifier I'm using now would leave me with too much power, and the limited USB ports are a problem.

However, by removing my big desktop PC from my desk, the feeling of oppression on it has been greatly reduced.