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

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

Its one of Intels 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 wont find the same processor options as other systems in QuietPCs 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 QuietPCs 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 cases front panel.

READ NEXT: QuietPC AMD Sentinel Fanless review

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, theres not much a new case can do for the NUCs 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 wont win you extra performance, but if you like Intels NUC, bar its fan, the UltraNUC family is worth considering.