In 2023, Intel officially completed the handover of its Intel® Next Unit of Computing (NUC) product lines to ASUS. ASUS will now manufacture, sell, and develop future NUC systems. The newly launched ASUS NUC 14 Pro+, set for release in 2024, features a completely improved design compared to older NUC models.
Today, we will be reviewing the ASUS NUC 14 Pro+. In terms of interface port arrangement, it exactly replicates the Intel NUC models from the twelfth and thirteenth generations. The exterior of the NUC is made with a aluminum casing. For the front panel of the computer includes the usual two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port (20Gbps), and a power button.
Specification
The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a mobile processor with 16 cores, launched in December 2023. It is part of the Ultra 9 lineup, using the Meteor Lake architecture with BGA 2049. Intel Hyper-Threading technology is available and effectly doubles the core-count of the P-Cores, to a total of 22 threads. Core Ultra 9 185H has 24 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.9 GHz by default, but can boost up to 5.1 GHz.
Processor | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H – – P 6 Cores/ E 10 Cores |
GPU | Intel Arc Xe |
RAM | 16Gb Dual Channel DDR5 5600Mhz |
WIFI | Intel Killer WIFI 6E |
SSD | Samsung SSD 1TB Nvme |
PSU | FSP 150w |
Price |
![](https://einfoldtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/intel-core-ultra-chip-infos-scaled.jpg)
With the PC CPU ecosystem now in a full-on sprint to integrate improved AI/neural network abilities into their designs, we’re also going to see a lot of back-and-forth between vendors on their NPU capabilities and performance in these early days. The newest and most recent part to launch, Intel is quick to tout its support for a large array of numerical formats. Helping matters in Intel’s case, the company is coming into this launch with their already well-developed OpenVINO framework to tap the combined CPU, GPU, and NPU AI capabilities of their hardware.
Intel’s in-house testing in the above chart ran the UL Procyon AI inference benchmark, which is a bit of a messy comparison due to the benchmark’s support for different and vendor-specific backends. Again, experiences and performance may vary.
The rear panel includes 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, USB 2.0 Type C, Intel 2.5Gbe LAN (Ethernet), two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port, HDMI 2.1 port and a DC input for power. We are disappointed that the device lacks a DisplayPort.
In any case, the standard power supply is designed for 150 W, providing enough power for both the internal components and the devices connected to the ports.
Benchmark: NUC 14 Pro + & NUC 14 Pro
Model: 2024 | ASUS NUC 14 Pro | ASUS NUC 14 Pro + |
Processor | Intel Ultra 7 165H – 16 Cores/22 Theads | Intel Ultra 185H – 16 Cores/22 Theads |
CPU Cores | 6P + 8E + 2LP | 6P + 8E + 2LP |
RAM | 16Gb DDR5 5600Mhz | 32Gb DDR5 5600Mhz |
GPU | Intel Arc Xe 8 Cores – 2.3Ghz | Intel Arc Xe 8 Cores – 2.35Ghz |
SSD | Samsung SSD 1TB Nvme | Samsung SSD 1TB Nvme |
NPU – AI Cores | 2 Cores Gen 3 – 1.4Ghz | 2 Cores Gen 3 – 1.4Ghz |
The ASUS NUC 14 Pro + offers a compelling blend of performance and design improvements over its predecessors. The inclusion of modern interface ports, such as Thunerblot 4 Type-C, enhances connectivity options, although the absence of a DisplayPort may be a limitation for some users. Accessing firmware updates via the support site can be cumbersome. The device tends to run hot under full processor load .
Overall, the ASUS NUC 14 Pro + impresses with its performance capabilities and thoughtful features, making it a solid choice for users seeking a compact yet powerful computing solution, albeit with some considerations regarding design robustness.”
Here’s a list of ASUS NUC 2024 product reviews:
CPUZ & GPUZ
Cinebench 2024 & R23
Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D‘s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
CineBench R23 | ||
Single Core | Multi Core | |
NUC 14 Pro | 1736 | 15407 |
NUC 14 Pro + | 1854 | 18049 |
CineBench 2024 | ||
NUC 14 Pro | 102 | 843 |
NUC 14 Pro + | 108 | 1009 |
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With a range of performance tests, custom run options, Battery Life Profile, and new Storage benchmarks, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
PCMark 10 | ||||
Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content | Score | |
NUC 14 Pro | 1030 | 8653 | 9341 | 6762 |
NUC 14 Pro + | 9907 | 9078 | 9741 | 6860 |
3Dmark Advanced Edition
3DMark includes everything you need to benchmark your PC and mobile devices in one app. Whether you’re gaming on a smartphone, tablet, notebook, or a desktop gaming PC, 3DMark includes a benchmark designed specifically for your hardware.
3DMark Advanced Edition – CPU Profile | ||||||
1 Thread | 2 Threads | 4 Threads | 8 Threads | 16 Threads | Max Threads | |
NUC 14 Pro | 933 | 1897 | 3422 | 5518 | 6994 | 7392 |
NUC 14 Pro + | 1004 | 2001 | 3737 | 6220 | 7936 | 8662 |
3DMark Advanced Edition | |||||||
Steel Nomad Light | Storage | Fire Strike | Night Raid | Solar Bay | Time Spy | Wild Life | |
NUC 14 Pro | 2432 | 1848 | 6949 | 26265 | 11512 | 3584 | 16349 |
NUC 14 Pro + | 3096 | 1886 | 7025 | 30191 | 12736 | 3974 | 21392 |