Running Windows XP on the Intel NUC DC53427HYE

January 16, 2025

Disclaimer: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links.

If you are just looking for the drivers, you can find them on the Internet Archive.

Windows XP holds a special place in many retro gaming enthusiasts' hearts, serving as the perfect platform for experiencing games from the late 1990s and early 2000s. While most users opt for hardware of the era to ensure maximum compatibility with XP's drivers, there's something intriguing about running this classic operating system on more modern hardware.

I had several Intel NUC DC53427HYE devices lying around. Released in 2013, this model features an i5-3427U CPU with Intel HD Graphics 4000 and supports up to 16GB of DDR3 memory through two 8GB slots. For storage, it includes an mSATA slot. The I/O options consist of one USB 3.0 port on the front, two USB 2.0 ports on the back, Ethernet, HDMI, and two Mini Displayports. My unit also had a Wi-Fi card installed.

Windows XP extended support ended on April 8, 2014. As this Intel NUC is from 2013, it may just be old enough to run Windows XP properly.

So let's give it a shot.

Installing Windows

I created a bootable Windows XP installer USB using WinSetupFromUSB. Upon booting the installer and initiating setup, I encountered a BSOD due to missing SATA drivers.

While this could be resolved by switching to IDE mode in BIOS settings, I opted instead to use a modified Windows XP SP3 image from the Internet Archive that included built-in SATA drivers, allowing for AHCI mode operation.

The installation succeeded, leaving only standard driver installation remaining.

Installing the drivers

It took a bit of searching, but I was able to find the drivers needed to make everything work. I have created a backup of these drivers and uploaded them to the Internet Archive.

All you need to do is mount the ISO file using a tool like WinCDEmu and let the driver wizard search for removable media.

The backup contains the following drivers:

Intel® HD Graphics 4000
Intel® 7 Series Chipset Family SATA AHCI Controller
Intel® Display Audio
Intel® 82579LM Gigabit Network Connection
Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205
Intel® Active Management Technology – SOL
Intel® 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family Universal Serial Bus (USB) Controller – 1E31
Intel® 7 Series/C216 Chipset Family SMBus Host Controller – 1E22
Intel® Management Engine Interface
Intel® Trusted Platform Module

Adding sound

Note: It is possible to get sound via HDMI without any additional hardware, if your monitor supports it

As the NUC does not come with built-in audio ports, we will need to use USB adapters. This Sabrent USB adapter that does not require drivers will do just fine.

Adding Bluetooth

While Bluetooth technically works on Windows XP, from my experience the audio latency is very big. Connecting other peripherals like mice is also hit or miss. For these reasons I do not recommend Bluetooth.

That said, if you still would like to add Bluetooth, the TP-Link UB400 V1 is confirmed to work. TP-Link still has a Windows XP driver for this product on their website. Make sure you get V1 of this product. V2 will not work. Amazon sells the UB400 as well, but it is the V2 version, even though the product description says it supports Windows XP.

Conclusion

For those interested in running Windows XP, whether for retro gaming or other purposes, the Intel NUC DC53427HYE is an excellent choice, combining compact dimensions with robust performance.