ASUS NUC 14 Pro [2024]

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 plastic 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 7 165H is a mobile processor with 16 cores, launched in December 2023. It is part of the Ultra 7 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 7 165H has 24 MB of L3 cache and operates at 3.8 GHz by default, but can boost up to 5 GHz, depending on the workload.

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 120 W, providing enough power for both the internal components and the devices connected to the ports.

Dismantle: Customizable and upgradeable

You can also add an additional SATA 3 drive, either HDD or SSD.

The top cover features a copper plate with a thermal pad to help cool down your M.2 NVMe SSD.

You have the capability to upgrade the RAM up to 48GB DDR5 5600MHz and add two additional NVMe SSDs in the M.2 slots, providing flexibility for storage and memory expansion. One of the M.2 slot limited to 2242 standard.

The inner casing is made of metal.

Benchmark: NUC 14 Pro & NUC 14 Pro +

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:

• ASUS ROG NUC 970
• ASUS NUC 14 Pro
• ASUS NUC 14 Pro +

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.

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.

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.

ASUS NUC 14 Pro

0.00

8.8

Quality

9.0/10

Value

8.5/10

Design

8.5/10

Performance

9.0/10

Pros

• High performance
• NPU AI
• Thunderbolt 4

Cons

• Lack of WIFI 7
• Lack of Display Port
• Hot on full load
• Troublesome with support site