Most people are familiar with mini PCs when it comes to small PCs for office or multimedia tasks. Various manufacturers also have very powerful devices in their portfolio that can even function as gaming PCs. The prerequisite for this is the use of a dedicated graphics card in order to bring modern games to the screen. Asus is pursuing precisely this goal with the ROG NUC. The name alone reveals that it is a gaming PC, as the ROG series is the best Asus offers in its various product ranges. Following the acquisition of Intel's NUC division, Asus now has a wide range of mini PCs in its portfolio. The Asus ROG NUC 14 is currently the top model when it comes to performance paired with compactness.
Asus offers the ROG NUC in two basic versions. In addition to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop GPU as well as 32 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD, which is reflected in our test device. As an alternative to the version we tested, the ROG NUC is also available with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU. The price is at least €1,750 for the entry-level model, although the top model changes hands for €2,499. The barebone variants are slightly cheaper, starting at 1,459 euros. The top model goes for 1,729 euros over the virtual counter. It should be noted that RAM, SSD, and the operating system are not included in the scope of delivery. The barebone option of the Asus ROG NUC is certainly worth considering due to the very high price difference compared to the pre-configured devices. Nevertheless, the prices are relatively high when we look at the current competitors, which we have already tested in detail. We have compiled a list of the comparative devices in the following table.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Version | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 % | v8 | 08 / 2024 | Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 Ultra 9 185H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU | 2.6 kg | 50 mm | |
| 84 % | v8 | 07 / 2024 | Minisforum G7 PT R9 7945HX, Radeon RX 7600M XT | 2.8 kg | 285 mm | |
| 80.7 % | v8 | 06 / 2024 | Acemagic M2A i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2.1 kg | 200 mm | |
| 87.7 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 12 / 2023 | Acemagic Tank03 i9-12900H, GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU | 2.2 kg | 159 mm | |
v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 09 / 2022 | Minisforum NUCX i7 i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU | 2.4 kg | 393 mm |
Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 available here.
Case - Plastic outside, metal inside
The design of the Asus ROG NUC differs significantly from conventional NUC mini PCs. Compared to the other competitors, which address the same target group, we also see some differences in terms of space requirements. The various manufacturers rely on different designs here, which are intended to ensure good cooling or pursue an optical aspect. The Asus ROG NUC is similar in its design and cooling to the Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT. Unlike its rival from the Far East, the Asus ROG NUC can also be operated horizontally. The optional stand does not necessarily have to be used. However, we recommend using it to ensure better cooling.
A mix of metal and plastic is used for the material selection. The latter is the most common choice, as all external housing parts are made of plastic. This is a bit of a shame and reduces the haptic feeling. An LED panel is installed on the side or top (when used horizontally), which shows the Asus logo with a plastic insert. The lighting module, which is compatible with Aura-Sync, can be controlled via the in-house software. Inside, there is a sturdy metal chassis containing all the components.
The weight of the Asus ROG NUC Mini PC is not out of the ordinary at around 2.6 kilograms. The stand weighs 445 grams and the large 330-watt power supply unit adds another 1,012 grams.
Equipment
Asus offers a good selection in terms of connectivity: There are a total of six USB Type-A ports, two of which are located on the front. There is also a USB-C port on the back. This offers full Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and its advantages. To connect screens, you can choose between HDMI, DisplayPort, or Thunderbolt. All options are available and even multiple monitors at the same time are no problem for the mini PC. There is also an SD card reader with UHS-I support and an RJ45 LAN connection. The distribution of the connections is well-designed and also well thought out for vertical use.
SD card reader
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Khadas Mind (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Geekom A5 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Geekom Mini IT13 | |
| Geekom Mini IT12 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Mini PC (15.1 - 214, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Khadas Mind (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Geekom A5 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Geekom Mini IT13 | |
| Geekom Mini IT12 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Mini PC (18.2 - 221, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Zotac ZBOX Magnus EN173070C (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
The Asus ROG NUC is equipped with a modern Wi-Fi module from Intel. More precisely, it is a Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1690i WLAN module, which can also operate in the 6 GHz frequency band. We carried out all measurements with the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000. The test shows a head-to-head duel with the Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT, which turns out to be wafer-thin in favor of Asus. There are clear differences in performance between the 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands. A wired network connection is also possible with the Asus ROG NUC. A 2.5G LAN port is available on the rear.
Accessories
The Asus ROG NUC doesn't come with much: In addition to the device itself, the box contains the large 330-watt power supply unit and the optional stand.
Maintenance
Maintenance work is generally possible on the Asus ROG NUC. The good thing about this is that Asus does not need a flood of screws to access the RAM or SSD. After removing the top panel, we can see that up to three M.2 SSDs can be installed in the device. The WLAN module, which can also be replaced if necessary, is located under the already installed mass storage. The cooling unit for the CPU and GPU is located on the other side of the board and can be accessed with a little manual dexterity to clean the fans if necessary.
Sustainability
The Asus ROG NUC Mini PC is packed in a stylish box, which is huge in relation to the device. There is a lot of foam inside to protect the device from damage during transportation. It is not known whether the manufacturer uses specially recycled materials for the production of the Mini PC itself. The warranty period of 36 months is worth mentioning.
Performance - Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with full power
The Asus ROG NUC is available in the top configuration with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H which, together with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 laptop delivers outstanding performance. The use of the latest hardware is recommended in order to make full use of all the features. The top model is sometimes suitable for QHD gaming, although the slightly cheaper model (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop) of the ROG NUC is more suitable for FHD gaming. We'll take a closer look at the details later.
Test conditions
We used the "Performance" energy profile for all performance tests with this device. Deviations from this were only made in the power consumption and noise measurements according to our test criteria.
Processor
Asus relies on the top model of the Meteor Lake H series from Intel as the processor. The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H offers 16 cores and 22 threads, making the SoC identical to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in terms of the number of cores and threads. The differences between the two SoCs are only in the clock rates. This comparison is interesting because Asus also installs the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in its ROG NUC. Because of this, we have also included the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H in the benchmark overview.
In terms of power consumption, Asus grants the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H a short-term power limit of up to 115 watts, which would theoretically allow the SoC to deliver maximum performance. Under continuous load, the power consumption drops to 90 watts, which still gives the SoC a high power limit. However, we did not reach the maximum power limit in our tests. At this point, we can already say this much. In a performance comparison, the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H can still hold its own in our test sample and achieve an above-average result. Only the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX is not beaten - the native 16-core from AMD is clearly superior to the Intel SoC when it comes to pure multi-threaded tasks.
For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our CPU comparison table.
| Performance Rating - Percent | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| 3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance Physics | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (12693 - 24629, n=20) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (6531 - 23779, n=46) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (646 - 51004, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (3857 - 214250, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (260 - 9399, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (8172 - 184747, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (408 - 29064, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (1987 - 113499, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (3691 - 325960, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (74.9 - 2039, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (350 - 26952, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Average of class Mini PC (4408 - 50500, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
Cinebench R15 multi loop
The Asus ROG NUC has no problems with the Cinebench R15 continuous loop. All 50 runs are mastered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H without any noticeable drops in performance. In the recorded telemetry data, we can see that the SoC's power limit is not fully utilized. Only just under 99 watts are reached at the peak. At a maximum of 86 °C, the SoC does not yet reach a critical value that would result in the processor having to be throttled due to high temperatures.
System performance
The overall system performance is consistently excellent. However, the Asus ROG NUC is clearly behind the Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT in the benchmark results. Surprisingly, the Asus ROG NUC can score excellent results in the RAM tests compared to its competitors.
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Average of class Mini PC (6481 - 89287, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (6914 - 99171, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Average of class Mini PC (6862 - 98583, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Average of class Mini PC (44.9 - 184.8, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
* ... smaller is better
NPU performance
The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H contains a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) which, as a separate part of the SoC, can calculate AI applications particularly efficiently. We use the UL Procyon AI Interface benchmark program to document the performance of the NPU and the dedicated graphics card, which can also be used here. The supposedly faster CPU was already not convincing in the AtomMan X7 Ti mini forum. The picture is repeated with the Asus ROG NUC, and the NPU performance is even lower. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop can achieve an excellent result due to its RT cores and beat the Intel Arc A770.
| UL Procyon for Windows | |
| Overall Score Integer NPU | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14-72 | |
| Minisforum AtomMan X7 Ti | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Overall Score Integer GPU | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A770 OC, 16GB GDDR6 | |
| Acer Predator BiFrost Arc A750 OC | |
| Acemagic F2A | |
| Minisforum Neptune Series HN2673 | |
| Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14-72 | |
| Minisforum AtomMan X7 Ti | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
DPC latencies
The Asus ROG NUC almost suffers a total failure with the DPC latencies. The drivers do not seem to be well-optimized at all. Even when simply surfing with the Edge browser, we reach the maximum value. The 4K video playback and the Prime95 load test cannot push the value any higher. However, the Asus ROG NUC is still suitable as a streaming client. The omitted images were taken shortly after the start of playback. If sufficient data is preloaded, smooth playback of 4K videos is no problem. The Asus ROG NUC is not recommended for professional processing in this form due to the extremely high DPC latencies.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Asus ROG NUC 14-90AS0051 | |
| Minisforum NUCX i7 | |
| Minisforum G7 PT | |
| Acemagic Tank03 | |
| Acemagic M2A | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
An M.2 SSD with 1 TB of storage space is installed in the Asus ROG NUC. The Samsung SSD operates at full PCIe 4.0x4 speed and makes full technical use of the interface. In comparison, the performance cannot quite match the Kingston SSD of the Minisforum G7 PT can keep up. Asus has the cooling issue well under control, as can be seen from the continuous performance. There are no drops in performance. A total of three M.2 2280 SSDs can be installed in the Asus ROG NUC. That's good because, after all, the mini PC is specially designed for gaming. As a result, Asus should have equipped the ROG NUC with a 2 TB SSD directly. After all, the mass storage can be expanded.
For further comparisons and benchmarks, please refer to our Comparison table.
