When I got down to a single Intel NUC working, I was forced to build a new lab. I had some NUCs that stopped working or started PSOD or BSOD frequently then completely died within 3-5 years. What is more, my Intel NUCs died relatively quickly. The NUCs ran quiet which was good but they could each only handle a single SSD and were pretty limited with memory capcity. The experience was only an OK, in my opinion. On my NUCs, I installed VMware ESXi on some of the devices. Certain hardware components may not work (like audio drivers) and there may be issues caused with updates like Blue Screen of Death events. I even brought them back to Ireland from the US as they fit easily in my luggage and most NUCs include different plug types as standard so I could easily just plug them in and start using them once back in Ireland but the majority of Intel NUC models do not support Windows Server OS, to run a Server OS on the NUCs, you have to use some generic drivers which can be problematic. I liked my Intel NUCs, they got me over the hump when living in tiny condos. I put a lot of time, money and effort into that lab but when I moved to the US I started renting small unfurnished apartments at a much higher cost than what I paid in Ireland, this meant I could not afford to rebuild my lab to the same spec I left behind and importantly, when living in 1 or 2 bedroom apartments or condos I didn’t have a dedicated space for a lab – particularly a loud lab! Due to these factors, when in the US, I had 5 Intel NUCs and a cheap PC I built myself. I had automated builds in MDT, App-V Sequencing VMs, multiple Hyper-V hosts etc. When moving to the US, I retired my home lab as it was too costly to bring it with me. In the last 10 years I have moved from Ireland to the US and then back to Ireland again.
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