MAY 2020 PCWorld 87i9-9900K or even a Ryzen 7 3700X as the
desktop processor in this set of comparisons,
the hard numbers would have bigger gaps
between them.) Ultimately, the takeaway from
the benchmarks is that the NUC9i9QNX does
post very good framerates, even if outdone by
beefier CPUs.
ACOUSTICS
Normally in this section, I’d cover both power
draw and acoustics, but I didn’t get the meter
I needed to test power draw in time for this
review. I’m hoping to add that information in
an update.
The NUC9i9QNX kept fairly quiet
throughout testing. Fan noise is audible but low
in pitch, so it hums along as pleasant white
noise. I was a bit surprised, because Ghost
Canyon’s side panels are open grilles and don’t
dampen any sound.
(Incidentally, this mini PC does shed a lot of
heat through those side panels and the two
80mm exhaust fans mounted at the top of the
chassis.)
For graphics card (or other expansion
card) acoustics, your mileage will vary based
on the card you choose.BOTTOM LINE
When decked out with the best in hardware,
Ghost Canyon packs an incredible punch for
its size. Intel has always poured love into its
high-performing mini PCs, and the
NUC9i9QNX’s excellence reflects that.
But after all my hours of benchmarking,
I’m not drawn to the Computer Element
because of its performance. I find it appealing
because of how it blurs lines between form
factors, simplifies the process of building and
upgrading a PC, and enables crammingNUC 9 Extreme systems
can expect some
longevity—Intel tells us
it’s begun development
on 2021 Compute
Element products and is
“actively defining” the
2022 products.