Removing different components of a workstation like the CPU to replace them requires a bit of time and experience to do correctly. Sometimes replacing a heat sink is a bit of a drag. Intel's been experimenting and designing modular PC that are compact and contain both a CPU, a bit of memory and the ability to connect peripherals depending on their needs. This small PC is referred to as a Next Unit of Computing (NUC).
These have been floating around trade shows for a while, and Intel has a new version.
The new modular PC is called Next Unit of Computing (NUC) Element, which was previously just referred to as The Element. The NUC Element is a modular PC which has several additional components and features compared to its older counterparts, including Thunderbolt, USB ports, a dual slot PCIe card and network connectivity. The NUC Element is essentially a larger, more robust version of Intel's Next Unit of Computing designs. The company's been somewhat nebulous in obscuring whether they are planning to manufacture them for consumers or bring them to market in some way. There was no explicit indication of releasing them to OEMs either, which would be a possibility in the case of them actually bringing NUC Elements to market.
The target consumers for this hardware product from Intel are computer designers and manufacturers. Intel is likely interested in giving them an ability to universalize a chassis to fit modular PCs like the NUC Element. This would make it easier for manufacturers to modulate and satisfy differently customized server configurations. The NUC Element is big enough to fit a Xeon, USB connectors, Wi-Fi, the rest of the chipset and memory into a replaceable module. Companies, computing groups and government organizations who use server farms may end up consuming many NUC elements. Maintenance and repair operations are costly and dealing with multiple companies for each different component included in Intel's NUC Element would deliver an operational and managerial cost advantage.