Rumor: Intel releases NUC with Cannon Lake-U CPU and AMD Radeon 500 GPU

Intel is reportedly releasing a NUC mini PC codenamed Crimson Canyon, which will feature a 10nm processor in the Cannon Lake-U line. In addition, Intel would solder a GPU from AMD’s RX500 series to the motherboard of a NUC.

The NUC systems are now available at some web stores and suppliers under the type names NUC8I3CYSM2 and NUC8I3CYSM3, stating that they have a Core i3-8121U processor, 8GB ram, a 1TB HDD and Windows 10. Prices range from about 450 to 600 euros.

A GPU is not mentioned in the pages, but WinFuture reports that the NUC has 2GB gddr5 and that Windows recognizes the video card as a Radeon 500 model. Only the RX550, RX550X and RX560 supplies AMD with 2GB gddr5. A separate video card does not fit in a small NUC system, so Intel probably soldered the GPU to the motherboard.

The German site appears to be basing itself on a page on the Indonesian marketplace Bukalapak, without citing it as a source. A test model of the NUC is offered there, which indeed states that the system has 2GB gddr5 and a Radeon GPU.

What speaks in favor of the rumor is that the processor in question, the Core i3-8121U, was previously referred to as a dual core without integrated gpu. It would also be a Cannon Lake chip produced at 10nm. Intel has not previously released NUCs with dedicated GPUs, but did introduce the Hades Canyon-NUC with Kaby Lake-G processor, which has an AMD RX Vega GPU placed on the package.