ASUS's ROG NUC 16 Mini PC combines a powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU with up to NVIDIA's RTX 5080 in a 3-Liter chassis.
ASUS Continues To Expand Its ROG NUC Lineup: NUC 16 Features Packs High-End Intel CPU & NVIDIA GPU In A Compact Chassis
Ever since ASUS took charge of the Intel NUC division, the company has been rolling out some impressive compact solutions, whether they be in its standard NUC or enthusiast-grade ROG NUC offerings.
Today, ASUS has launched its fastest-ever ROG NUC Mini PC, the NUC 16, which features some mighty specifications and a brand new design. Starting with the specifications, the ROG NUC 16 packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX CPU with up to 24 cores, and for the GPU, you get up to the NVIDIA RTX 5080 16 GB laptop variant. These are superb specifications considering that the Mini PC is a 3-liter design.
Besides the CPU and GPU, the ASUS ROG NUC 16 Mini PC comes with support for up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory running at 6400 MT/s speeds. Factory configurations will come with up to 64 GB of memory, but the CSO-DIMM slots allow users to upgrade memory freely as they see fit. Storage comes in the form of one M.2 PCIe 5.0 and two PCIe 4.0 slots, supporting up to 4 TB of memory and a total capacity of up to 9 TB.
IO on the PC is solid too, with a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, 4 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DP 2.1 ports, and an additional 3 USB 3.2 Gen2 ports on the front. There's also a 3.5mm Audio jack. A 2.5GbE LAN, along with Wi-Fi 7+BT5.4, are the onboard networking and wireless solutions. Audio is backed by an ALC3342-CG controller.
For power, ASUS packs a 380W power adapter, which means that you are looking at a big brick rated at 20VDC (19A). As for the design, the ASUS ROG NUC 16 measures 282.4 x 189.5 x 56.5mm and weighs 3.12 kg or 6.88 lbs.
Cooling to the unit is provided through a new QuietFlow Cooling technology, which packs three fans and dual vapor chambers. The CPU thermal coverage has been expanded by 12% plus; you not only get lower temperatures, but you also get solid performance at just 38 dBA noise levels.
Finally, in terms of pricing, the ASUS ROG NUC 16 Mini PC will be available for pre-orders starting today with a pre-release price of 29,999 RMB or $4400 US and a final retail price of 30,999 RMB or $4500 US.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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