Today, Intel launched the new Intel NUC 13 Extreme Kit (code-named Raptor Canyon) and Intel NUC 13 Extreme Compute Element, which combine to make the most powerful Intel NUC ever built. The NUC 13 Extreme features unlocked 13th Gen Intel Core desktop processors and space for new triple-slot, 12-inch graphics cards to unleash even more performance for enthusiast gamers and content creators.

"This year marks the 10-year anniversary for our impressive lineup of Intel NUC products, and the Intel NUC 13 Extreme (code named Raptor Canyon) is an excellent representation of how far we've come. Our first ever NUC demonstrated a breakthrough in the miniaturization of a small desktop PC into an ultra-small PC form factor. While much larger than our tiniest mini-PC, our latest Intel NUC 13 Extreme sets a new bar for how to pack stellar gaming performance in a form factor that is 70% smaller than a typical 50L gaming tower. Along with the epic performance you expect from an Intel NUC product, we also deliver exceptional product quality and feature density in a completely modular and customizable design," said Brian McCarson, Intel Vice President and General Manager of the Intel NUC Group.

We've been aware of Intel's upcoming NUC 13 Extreme—codenamed Raptor Canyon—since July this year, with the compute element module having leaked back in August. Now Intel has previewed the NUC 13 Extreme at TwitchCon and we have a better idea what the biggest NUC to date will look like. The chassis has a volume of no less than 13.9 litres, which is bigger than many Mini-ITX cases. The main reason for this is that the NUC 13 Extreme has enough space for a triple slot GPU, although if you're hoping to put a GeForce RTX 4090 inside, then you're out of luck, as it seems to be limited to the length of an RTX 3080 or thereabout. The compute modul appears to have changed somewhat from the early leak, or it's possible it just wasn't a very good render.

As we've known, Intel will be kitting out the NUC 13 Extreme with a range of CPU options and it was confirmed during the stream that it'll handle a "full" Core i9K without specifying which model. The Intel rep mentioned a highly optimised heatsink, which appears to be something along the lines of a modified GPU cooler with a blower cooler. This is because the compute module is largely the same shape and size as a graphics card. The chassis itself looks like a bit of a nightmare to deal with, as it has a lot of removable parts to allow access to the innards of the NUC 13 Extreme. The compute module has to be installed at an angle, or it won't fit inside the chassis, whereas the graphics card looks relatively easy to install. You can find the full video in the link below and it starts just past the four hour mark.

An alleged low-res picture of the next-generation NUC 13 Extreme "Raptor Canyon" compute element codenamed "Shrike Bay," was leaked to the web. NUC Extreme desktops over the past several generations have been using a form-factor where the CPU, chipset, memory, and SSD are located on a single add-on card with custom wiring; while the rest of the system consists of a PCIe backplane (analogous to the ISA backplane systems from the 1980s). The NUC 13 Extreme compute element rocks a 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processor, possibly a switch to DDR5 from DDR4 on the NUC 12 Extreme, and processor options spanning the Core i9-K/KS, i7-K/KS, and i5-K. A liquid+air hybrid cooling solution much like that of the NUC 12 Extreme, could cool the various hot components on the compute element. According to leaked roadmaps, "Raptor Canyon" and the "Shrike Bay" compute element could debut within Q4-2022.

Intel is readying its next-generation NUC Extreme desktop, codenamed "Raptor Canyon," based on the company's 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" processors. Leaked roadmap slides point to the "Raptor Canyon" kit being significantly larger than its predecessor, "Dragon Canyon," with a volume of 13.9 liters, as opposed to 8 liters. This could indicate that "Raptor Canyon" is being designed as a workstation or performance gaming machine, and could pack the company's in-house Arc "Alchemist" discrete GPUs going all the way up to the A770. The company is also developing professional variants of Arc with certifications of content creator software, so the possibility of pro-vis GPUs is also there. At 13.9 L volume, "Raptor Canyon" could be as big as some Micro-ATX cube cases.

The slide mentions that "Raptor Canyon" will come with "next-gen" (read: 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake") processors across all brand extensions, including Core i9, and also pack overclocking capabilities, as they feature "K" SKUs. The NUC will feature a PCI-Express 5.0 x16 slot. Launching alongside "Raptor Canyon" is the "Shrike Bay" Compute Element. For the past several generations of NUC Extreme, Intel has been adopting a variation of the ISA Backplane for PCIe, where the processor, chipset, and memory sit on an add-on card (now referred to as the "Compute Element." The "Shrike Bay" Compute Elements will come with a variety of 13th Gen Core processor options. Intel plans a Q4-2022 launch for "Raptor Canyon" and "Shrike Bay."