Intel NUC is a small form factor computer with a tiny footprint. Short for Next Unit of Computing, Intel NUC puts full-sized PC power in the palm of your hand. These units are my go to for business use as they screw right on to the back of any monitor with VESA mount holes.
The Intel NUC computers are very reliable but on occasion you might run in to an issue where you might need troubleshooting tips, here are some:
Intel NUC Powers On Then Off Again
This particular problem I have encountered quite recently where the Intel NUC was working fine for almost a year and then suddenly developed the issue where if you turn it on, the fan would spin at full speed and then about 8 seconds later the Intel NUC powers off again.
I tested the power supply, swapped out memory and SSD drive but the issue persisted.
In the end I send the unit back to the manufacturer for replacement.
Intel NUC Troubleshooting Tips
The first thing I look at is the power source, is the adapter and cable still in good condition or is there break points in the cable? I'll use a multimeter to check the voltage, on newer NUC's the adapter output voltage should be 19Volts.
Second, look for any POST error indicators, plug a speaker into the headphone jack to hear audible error beeps.
Blink Codes and Beep Codes for Intel NUC:
1 blink every 5 seconds. Power-on circuit may have failed. Contact Intel Customer Support for assistance.
3 blinks (3 beeps), On-off (1.0 second each) three times, then 2.5-second pause (off). The pattern repeats until the computer is powered off.
Things to try:
Remove and reseat the memory.
Make sure the contacts on the memory and the socket are clean.
Check for a faulty memory module by trying the memory in a known good system.
If the Intel NUC has two memory slots:
Try using just one memory module at a time, swapping it between the upper and lower memory slots.
Try using memory modules from the same manufacturer with the same part number and speed.
It's rare that this blink pattern would appear on an Intel NUC that has the memory modules soldered down on the board. If it does, it likely means the soldered down memory has failed. In this case, contact Intel Customer support.
16 on/off blinks (8 beeps). 0.25 seconds on, 0.25 seconds off, 0.25 seconds on, 0.25 seconds off, for a total of 16 blinks. Then the computer shuts down.
Cpu thermal issue. Check that chassis ventilation holes are not blocked and unit has sufficient airflow.
Also, try the Intel NUC No Boot Troubleshooting Wizard
In some cases the above steps might not help and could be caused by a faulty component on the motherboard. If you have swapped out memory modules/s and HDD/SDD drives and the issue persists it could be related to motherboard failure. In this case it would be best to get in touch with Intel support.