The desktop PC isn’t dead, it’s just shrinking. There’s a new breed of miniature marvels on the market, and they boast a nonexistent footprint when attached to the back of a display. Unlike some micro-size, micro-priced computers—the $35 Raspberry Pi, for example—these incredibly small machines provide more than enough processing power for all but the most strenuous computing chores.

New generations of powerful but cool-running CPUs are largely responsible for this sudden onset of wee-ness, so it makes sense that AMD and Intel would both conjure tiny PCs to demonstrate what’s possible within the confines of an ultra-small size. Intel has christened its concept the Next Unit of Computing (NUC), while AMD’s primary manufacturing partner, Sapphire Technology, has dubbed its effort the Edge VS8.

Alas, neither the NUC nor the Edge VS8 Is cheap.

Intel’s Next Unit of Computing

What the heck is a Next Unit of Computing? It’s Intel’s vision of a miniature-size computer. It measures four inches square by two inches high, and it’s available in three kits: The $300 DC3217BY features a Core i3 3217-U processor, an HDMI audio-video port, and a Thunderbolt port (supporting DisplayPort 1.1a); the DC3217IYE (also $300) has the same CPU and dual HDMI ports; and the $175 DCCP847DYE is outfitted with a Celeron 847 processor and dual HDMI ports. (Video resolution through HDMI maxes out at 1920 by 1200 pixels for all three models).

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