Intel NUC 11 Pro vs Intel NUC 13 Pro
| Field | Intel NUC 11 Pro | Intel NUC 13 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-1135G7 (Tiger Lake) | Intel Core i5-1340P |
| Cores | 4C / 8T | 12C / 16T |
| Form factor | 0.5 L NUC | Mini PC (NUC) |
| Measured idle power | ~11 W idle wall-measured · Wall meter · source · 2021-03-27 | ~18 W idle wall-measured · Wall measurement (buyer's-guide aggregate) · source · 2025 |
| ECC memory | No cited source — left blank. | No (consumer NUC; DDR4 SODIMM, non-ECC) source · 2025 |
| NIC chipset | Intel i225-LM 2.5GbE source · 2021-03-27 | 1× 2.5GbE Intel source · 2025 |
| RAM ceiling | 64 GB (2× DDR4-3200 SODIMM) source · 2021-03-27 | 64 GB (2× DDR4 SODIMM) source · 2025 |
| IOMMU / passthrough | No sourced passthrough report yet. | No sourced passthrough report yet. |
| AMD reset bug | — | — |
| Price band | $250–400 | $400–600 |
| Proxmox fit (editorial) | good — Efficient 4C/8T Tiger Lake NUC with ~11 W idle and a 64 GB DDR4 ceiling makes a solid small Proxmox node, though the i225-LM NIC warrants the usual i225 caution. | good — Reliable BIOS/Thunderbolt, Intel 2.5GbE; 12C/16T. ~18 W idle is mid-pack. Intel discontinued NUC, now ASUS. |
| Where to buy | Amazon Newegg eBay | Amazon Newegg eBay |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Intel NUC 11 Pro or the Intel NUC 13 Pro use less idle power?
The Intel NUC 11 Pro idles at ~11 W idle (wall-measured); the Intel NUC 13 Pro idles at ~18 W idle (wall-measured). On the cited lower-bound figures, the Intel NUC 11 Pro draws less. Idle varies with OS, 120 V vs 240 V mains and power tuning, so treat these as the third-party measured numbers, not a guarantee for your exact unit.
Intel NUC 11 Pro vs Intel NUC 13 Pro: which has the better NIC for Proxmox?
Intel NUC 11 Pro NIC: Intel i225-LM 2.5GbE (rated caution). Intel NUC 13 Pro NIC: 1× 2.5GbE Intel (rated solid). Intel i226 is the chipset to want; i225 has a documented dropout history and Realtek RTL8125 works on Linux/Proxmox but not VMware ESXi. Confirm the silicon on the unit you receive with lspci -nn.
Which is the better homelab / Proxmox box, the Intel NUC 11 Pro or the Intel NUC 13 Pro?
Intel NUC 11 Pro: Efficient 4C/8T Tiger Lake NUC with ~11 W idle and a 64 GB DDR4 ceiling makes a solid small Proxmox node, though the i225-LM NIC warrants the usual i225 caution. Intel NUC 13 Pro: Reliable BIOS/Thunderbolt, Intel 2.5GbE; 12C/16T. ~18 W idle is mid-pack. Intel discontinued NUC, now ASUS. These are our editorial verdicts derived from the cited fields above — not a spec.
Cited public information, not purchasing advice. Idle draw depends on OS, mains voltage (120 V vs 240 V) and power tuning (powertop); onboard NIC silicon can differ between production batches of the same model — confirm with
lspci -nn before relying on a NIC or passthrough claim. Full per-model detail and every source on the model pages.