Fanless mini-PC features Tiger Lake and Thunderbolt 4

SimplyNUC’s fanless, $679 and up “Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine” NUC mini-PC runs Linux or Win 10 on Intel’s 11th Gen CPUs and features NVMe, 2.5GbE, 6x USB ports, including a Thunderbolt 4, and quad 4K display support.

Most Intel-based mini-PCs ship with pre-installed Windows, so if you want to run Linux, you are not only forced to do a bit more work, but are paying for more than you want. It seems fitting that as we celebrate the 30th birthday of Linux, SimplyNUC comes along with an 11th Gen Tiger Lake ULP based mini-PC called the Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine that you can order barebones or with pre-installed Ubuntu or Fedora (or else pay $120 or more for Win 10). Applications include digital kiosks, vending machines, and other embedded and desktop duties.

Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine, front and back
(click image to enlarge)

SimplyNUC, which we covered last year with its release of the AMD Ryzen V1000 and R1000 based Red Oak (NP-FP5) and Post Oak (BP-FP5) mini-PCs, has opened preorders on the Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine (AKA NUC11TNF or NUC 11 Pro) starting at $679 (Core i3-1115G4), $809 (Core i5-1135G7), and $929 (Core i7-1165G7). The prices include 4GB of dual-socket DDR4 and a 128GB NVMe SSD, with upgrades of up to 64GB and 8TB, respectively. Shipments are due in September.

Note that these are the original, 15W TDP Tiger Lake ULP processors, not the embedded “E” or industrial “GRE” models or the up to octa-core Tiger Lake H-series. The i7 and i5 parts are quad-core and offer Iris Xe graphics while the i3 is dual-core and is limited to UHD graphics. Intel vPro support is optional.

This is the first commercial NUC that offers a Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4.0) port, claims SimplyNUC. There is also a Thunderbolt 3, 3x USB 3.2 Gen2, and a USB 2.0 port plus two more USB 2.0 headers.

Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine with antennas (left) and side view
(click images to enlarge)

You can drive 4x simultaneous, independent displays via 2x HDMI 2.0b ports with HDCP 2.2, CEC, and 7.1 surround audio support, as well as the option to use the Thunderbolt ports for 2x DP 1.4a. A single display can run up to 7680 x 4320 (8K) resolution, and display emulation features include headless operation, a second virtual display, and persistent displays.

The Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine is further equipped with a DB9 serial port, an optional second RS-232 header, a 2.5GbE port, and TPM 2.0. In addition to the standard M.2-based SSD, there is an optional 2.5-inch SATA bay. An Intel AX201 module with Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1 is optional.

There is a 19VDC jack with 12-24V support plus an 80W adapter, reset and power buttons, and LEDs. A Kensington lock is standard and a lockable VESA mount kit is optional.

There appears to be an optional second M.2 for an optional expansion panel with dual LAN and USB 2.0 ports. SimplyNUC offers plenty of options, including cables, antennas, a mouse/keyboard kit, and a USB OS restore key. Other customizations are also available on special order.

The fanless, 190 x 102 x 76mm Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine, which we saw on Fanless Tech, gets its name from SimplyNUC’s Porcoolpine fanless chassis design. The system offers 0 to 40°C support, EMC certifications, and a one-year warranty.

Further information

The Tiger Canyon Porcoolpine (NUC11TNF or NUC 11 Pro) is open for pre-order starting at $679, with shipments due in September. More information may be found on SimplyNUC’s product/shopping page.