Intel NUC overheating (hot), video stuttering

Solution 1:

There is a non-obvious trap with the Intel NUC's, upon inspection the internals can look perfectly clean and dust-free...

However, there is a spot between the cooling fan and the cooling fins, where dust gets trapped and causes overheating. Unusually, this is not possible to see upon a normal inspection, even if you remove the motherboard from the chassis.

Solution:

  1. Open the NUC, via the 4 screws at the bottom.
  2. Remove ram/ssd, and all plugged wires - take a photo first so you know where to plug the wires back in later.
  3. Carefully remove the mother board from the chassis - There are two screws holding the motherboard in on the NUC7.
  4. On the back side of the motherboard, you will find the cooling fan and cooling fins/air intake. (these may look perfectly clean)
  5. Unscrew the two screws holding the fan in, and remove the fan.
  6. You may find a big clump of dust inside - blow out the cooling fins and the fan with a can of compressed air - (perhaps available at your local dollar store).

Credit to Stokanator: https://communities.intel.com/message/570261#570261