After announcing the launch of five Kaby Lake G CPUs with integrated Radeon RX Vega M graphics, Intel has revealed some new NUCs based on the chipsets. The company says that the NUC 8 Enthusiast---codenamed Hades Canyon---is the smallest VR-capable system ever made.

While previous NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini-PCs have their uses, they've never been what you would call gaming machines. With the two NUC 8 Enthusiast models, however, it seems this is no longer the case.

The first machine, the $999 NUC8i7HVK, comes with overclockable Vega M GH graphics and a 100W quad-core 8th-gen i7-8809G CPU clocked at 3.1 GHz, which can be boosted up to 4.2 GHz. Intel says that the Vega M GH should be an improvement over Nvidia's GTX 1060 GPU---currently the most popular card among Steam users.

The other model, the $799 NUC8i7HNK, features a 65W Core i7-8705G clocked between 3.1GHz and 4.2Ghz, and the less powerful Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU. Intel says it can still outperform the GTX 1050, which means it should manage 60fps at 1080p in many games.

As with previous NUCs, buyers have to add their own memory, accessories, and storage. The new models can accommodate 32GB of dual channel DDR4 and feature two M.2 slots.

The NUCs come with plenty of connectivity options, too. There are two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports at the back, along with two Gigabit Ethernet connections, two Mini DisplayPorts, four USB 3.1 Type-A connections, HDMI 2.0a (which supports 4K at 60fps and HDR content), and a hybrid 3.5mm/optical audio jack. The front, meanwhile, features USB-C, USB Type-A, USB Type-A for charging, HDMI 2.0a, a headphone jack, and an SDXC slot.

All of this tech comes packed into a tiny 1.2 litre, 221 x 142 x 39mm box and ships with a VESA mount. Both models should be available by this spring.

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