76 PCWorld MAY 2020REVIEWS
IMAGE: ALAINA YEEIntel Ghost Canyon NUC9i9QNX:
The first modular NUC heralds a
new future for mini PCs
Intel’s latest gaming mini PC is the computer equivalent of LEGO Duplo. BY ALAINA YEET
he NUC 9 Extreme NUC9i9QNX
(also known as Ghost Canyon), like
its forebears, showcases Intel’s
latest, cutting-edge tech—and the
most unpronounceable product names. It
continues a tradition begun in 2016 with Skull
Canyon (go.pcworld.com/skcn) and its
45-watt quad-core processor, followed in
2018 by Hades Canyon (go.pcworld.com/hdcn) and its unique integrated graphics
capable of modern 1080p gaming.
This time, the newest Next Unit of
Computing challenges preconceptions of
mini PCs by swinging away from the silicon
and over to its housing.
Modularity is Ghost Canyon’s star
attraction. Other tiny computers have
soldered parts with restricted upgrade