HTPC Credentials - Display Outputs Capabilities

The NUC9i9QNX comes with three native display outputs from the Compute Element, and their characteristics are summarized in the table below. From a HTPC use-case perspective, the entries of interest include the ability to support UHD (3840 x 2160) or higher resolutions, along with HDCP 2.2. The latter enables the display output to be used for viewing protected content such as 4K Netflix streams and play back UltraHD Blu-rays.

NUC9i9QNB Display Outputs
  HDMI 2x Thunderbolt 3
Version 2.0a DisplayPort 1.2
Max. Video Output 3840x2160 @ 60Hz 4096x2160 @ 60Hz
HDCP Yes (2.2)
HDR Yes No
HD Audio Bitstreaming Yes

The BIOS of the NUC9i9QNX also allows for switchable graphics. The ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2070 MINI 8GB GDDR6 in our review configuration supports a maximum of four displays using three additional display outputs (the DisplayPort output supports multi-stream transport and can drive additional displays down the chain). The end implication is the ability of the system to simultaneously drive a total of 7 independent displays. The table below lists the display outputs of the RTX 2070 card in our review sample.

ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2070 MINI Display Outputs
  DVI-D HDMI DisplayPort
Version Dual-Link 2.0b 1.4
Max. Video Output 2560x1600 @ 60Hz 3840x2160 @ 60Hz 7680x4320 @ 60Hz
HDCP Yes (2.2)
HDR No Yes
HD Audio Bitstreaming No Yes

Supporting the display of high-resolution protected video content is a requirement for even a casual HTPC user. In addition, HTPC enthusiasts also want their systems to support refresh rates that either match or be an integral multiple of the frame rate of the video being displayed. Most displays / AVRs are able to transmit the supported refresh rates to the PC using the EDID metadata. In some cases, the desired refresh rate might be missing in the list of supported modes.

Display Refresh Rates - NUC9i9QNB

Our evaluation of the NUC9i9QNX as a HTPC was first done using the native HDMI output of the Compute Element (NUC9i9QNB) connected to a TCL 55P607 4K HDR TV via a Denon AVR-X3400H AV receiver. We tested out various display refresh rates ranging from 23.976 Hz to 59.94 Hz. Of particular interest is the 23.976 Hz (23p) setting, which Intel used to have trouble with in the pre-Broadwell days.

The gallery below presents screenshots from the other refresh rates that were tested. The system has no trouble maintaining a fairly accurate refresh rate throughout the duration of the video playback.

Display Refresh Rates - ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 2070 MINI

Our initial HTPC evaluation was followed up by using the native HDMI output of the RTX 2070 connected to a TCL 55P607 4K HDR TV via a Denon AVR-X3400H AV receiver. We tested out various display refresh rates ranging from 23.976 Hz to 59.94 Hz.

The gallery below presents screenshots from the other refresh rates that were tested. Similar to the Intel HDMI output case, the system has no trouble maintaining a fairly accurate refresh rate throughout the duration of the video playback.

UHD Blu-ray Playback Support

UHD Blu-ray playback is currently supported when using the HDMI port driven by select Intel GPUs. It also needs SGX support. The NUC9i9QNX ticks all required items, as shown by the CyberLink Ultra HD Blu-ray Advisor tool in the screenshot below.

Using CyberLink's latest PowerDVD 20, we were able to successfully play back a UHD Blu-ray, as shown above.

GPU Performance for Workstations - SPECviewperf 13 HTPC Credentials - YouTube and Netflix Streaming
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  • Namisecond - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    Thirded, the sandwich design the Dancase A4 popularized really revolutionized the DIY SFF world. We are living in the golden age of DIY SFF. :)
  • Namisecond - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    In this case, what is Intel offering for their for their roughly $500-$600 plastic chassis and proprietary unbranded PSU? Superior Intel marketing? I feel your Dan A4 analogy sarcasm is spot on, but I think the reasons it's spot on does not extend to the NUC 9.
  • imaheadcase - Thursday, April 16, 2020 - link

    Unless you got some very specific need for this, not worth getting. Lots of these are used for home media streaming setups, so needing something this powerful is overkill. You can get 4k streaming/movies or whatever on the price of a low end 5 year old NUC or more.
  • BlazingDragon - Thursday, April 16, 2020 - link

    Agreed.

    The seems like the result of a "hey, we could do this" thought process, rather than "we should do this"...

    Massively overpriced for home use.... Enthusiasts will build their own, much cheaper and more capable system, and normal buyers will never pay this much... they could just buy a much cheaper standard PC [for GPU], or a much cheaper Intel NUC8 or NUC10 [or Zotac, etc., equivalent] if gfx performance is not important.

    GamersNexus has a detailed review on Youtube which aligns with the above.

    Maybe the Xeon based Quartz Canyon will find business customers who need/value the small size, but I'm not convinced...

    For anyone interested, prices for all NUC9 models are available [and for pre-order] here: shopblt.com
  • Deicidium369 - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    Agreed - like I said I have no clue what the use case for this is. Even the Xeon unit...
  • erinadreno - Thursday, April 16, 2020 - link

    There are plenty of sff itx case, I mean really sff case(4~6L), out there. They cost from $30 to $200, plus a $120 Enhanced 7660b, which is a 600w PSU instead of 500. Standard high end itx boards costs $300 at best. If you spend the same $1500 on those stuff, you'd left south of 1000 bucks. Heck, you can even get a Xeon 8136 28c CPU at this point (although your only option for motherboard is that ONE ASRock server board and some janky coolers).

    I just don't see the value of this okay-sized box in 2020. As in the past couple years the itx market just expand that much. Just give up on graphics and buy a regular nuc or build your own stuff.
  • pixelstuff - Thursday, April 16, 2020 - link

    That seems really large for a "Next Unit of Computing" classification.
  • Deicidium369 - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    Agreed - for me the NUC is the 4.5"x4.5" units - even the Hades Canyon to me doesn't meet the classification.
  • Oxford Guy - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    My dream is for people to mature enough to demand that Intel not be idiotic enough to put skulls on things.
  • Cullinaire - Friday, April 17, 2020 - link

    How about a pelvis instead?

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