QuietPC UltraNUC Pro 7 review: Quieter but no better at its job

The UltraNUC Pro 7 Fanless is an interesting beast, because it’s not really its own machine.

It’s one of Intel’s seventh-generation Next Unit of Computing (NUC) systems, removed from its original housing and installed in a third-party case, along with any upgrades you fancy specifying at the point of order.

QuietPC UltraNUC Pro 7 Fanless review: Processors

The reliance on using an original NUC system as its base means you won’t find the same processor options as other systems in QuietPC’s catalogue.

The seventh-generation Core i3-7100U – the model we reviewed, explaining its poor showing in our multitasking benchmark – and i5-7300U chips are options for the reviewed Akasa Newton S7 case, with the Core i7-8650U limited to the larger Plato X7. This provides improved but still passive cooling at the cost of an increased footprint.

QuietPC UltraNUC Pro 7 Fanless review: Specifications and features

Opening the UltraNUC up – aided by QuietPC’s “open box” warranty terms – reveals the size difference between the original NUC board and its larger new case. There are also workarounds, including USB extension cables to bring the two front-facing USB 3 ports across to the new case’s front panel.

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Switching from the stock NUC case to the UltraNUC is a trade-off. The system becomes a lot larger than it was designed to be, but the annoying stock fan is ditched in favour of using the finned case as a giant passive heatsink. Sadly, there’s not much a new case can do for the NUC’s limited selection of ports.

The front features two USB 3 and two USB 2 ports, while the rear has two HDMI ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and two USB 3 ports, plus rubber-bunged cut-outs for optional Wi-Fi antennas and an included RS232 breakout cable.

QuietPC UltraNUC Pro 7 Fanless review: Verdict

Moving to the UltraNUC won’t win you extra performance, but if you like Intel’s NUC, bar its fan, the UltraNUC family is worth considering.