Asus has announced five new ultra-compact PCs at CES 2024: ROG NUC, NUC 14 Pro, NUC 14 Pro+, ExpertCenter PN65, and Fanless Chromebox CF40. In this article, we will focus on the NUC 14 Pro and the NUC 14 Pro+, which are the company’s mainstream mini PC models and successors to the NUC 13 Pro from last year.
Asus NUC 14 Pro
The Asus NUC 14 Pro comes in two sizes: Slim (Mini PC) and Tall (Kit). The first model doesn’t support a 2.5-inch SATA drive, whereas, the second model does. While the Slim has a height of 37mm, the Tall has a height of 53mm. Both models are 117mm wide and 112mm deep, putting them in the ultra-compact form-factor (UCFF) category. The chassis of both models is made out of post-recycled plastic.
The Asus NUC 14 Pro features Intel Core Ultra processors (codenamed Meteor Lake). You can choose between five processor options: Core Ultra 7 165H, Core Ultra 7 155H, Core Ultra 5 135H, Core, Ultra 5 125H, and Core 3 100U. All models will feature 40W TDP. While the Ultra 7 and Ultra 5 SKUs have Intel Arc GPU, the Ultra 3 SKU has Intel Graphics. The mini PC comes with 2x SODIMM RAM slots with each slot supporting DDR5-5600MHz memory up to 48GB. As for storage, you get 2x M.2 slots.
At the rear, you get 2x USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 port, 1x USB Type-A 2.0 port, 2x HDMI 2.1 ports, 1x RJ45 LAN port, and 1x DC-in port. Ar the front, you get 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen2x2 port, 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and 1x Kensington Lock. Unfortunately, there’s no 3.5mm audio jack on board. Wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3.
The Core 3 model comes with a 90W power adapter, whereas, the Core Ulta 5/7 models come with a 120W power adapter. You can choose if you want the Windows 11 Home/Pro operating system bundled with the mini PC or not.
Asus NUC 14 Pro+
The NUC 14 Pro+ is a more powerful/advanced version of the NUC 14 Pro. It measures 144mm x 112mm x 41mm, which makes the NUC 14 Pro+ slightly wider and taller than the NUC 14 Pro. It also has a chassis made out of anodized aluminum instead of post-recycled plastic, which makes it heavier, tipping the scale at 800 grams.
This being the more powerful version, is available with Core Ultra 9 185H processor (you can also get it with Core Ultra 7 155H and Ultra 5 125H). Plus, this model has a 65W TDP for all processors as opposed to 40W TDP on the more affordable version. The RAM, storage, wired connectivity, and wireless connectivity options on the NUC 14 Pro+ are the same as the NUC 14 Pro. However, if you get the Core Ultra 9 model, you will get a 150W power adapter, whereas, if you get the Ultra 7/5 models, you’ll get the 120W adapter.
If you want Windows 11 Home/Pro bundled with the mini PC, you will have to buy the Mini PC model. If you don’t want the operating system, you have to buy the Kit model. Asus hasn’t announced the pricing or availability of this model either.
ROG NUC
The ROG NUC, as the name suggests, is an ultra-compact gaming PC with a 2.5-liter from the Republic Of Gamers lineup. According to Asus, you can get it with Intel Core Ultra 9 or Intel Core Ultra 7 processors and Nvidia RTX 4070 or Nvidia RTX 4060 discrete graphics. The company has yet to reveal more details about this product.
ExpertCenter PN65
Coming to the last product in the lineup, the ExpertCenter PN65, it is an ultra-compact PC for professionals. It features the Intel Core Ultra processor with Arc Graphics but Asus hasn’t told the model. You get dual-channel DDR5 memory and two PCIe 4.0 x4 slots (for storage, we assume). Port options include HDMI, DisplayPort 1.4, VGA, 2.5 Gbps LAN, and COM. Asus has yet to reveal its pricing and availability details.
Fanless Chromebox CF40
The Fanless Chromebox CF40 features the Chrome Enterprise version of the ChromeOS operating system. That means this product is targeted towards businesses rather than consumers. In fact, Asus says that it is an ideal choice for “digital signage or kiosk usage” The mini PC, doesn’t come with a fan either, which means that it doesn’t have a very powerful processor but then again, ChromeOS doesn’t need a powerful processor. Asus hasn’t announced its pricing or availability details.
