Asus launches Panther Lake-powered NUC 16 Pro mini PC with 128GB RAM support

Asus has made one of the variants of the NUC 16 Pro mini available to purchase. This system was introduced at CES 2026, and as revealed at the announcement, it will be available with up to the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H from the Panther Lake lineup.

While the top-end option isn't available to purchase yet, Asus has made one of the mid-tier options with the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H available to purchase. This configuration of the NUC 16 Pro is available on Newegg for $999, and it's a barebone system.

There's support for up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM through the two SODIMM slots, and the mini PC has two M.2 slots that can hold up to 16TB of total storage. It's worth noting that among the two M.2 slots, one can hold a 2280 PCIe Gen 5x4 SSD, while the other can be equipped with a 2242 PCIe Gen 4x4 drive.

Getting back to the processor of this configuration, it's worth noting that the Core Ultra 7 356H doesn't feature the performance-focused Arc B390 iGPU. Instead, it has the Intel Graphics 4 Xe3, which can offer a gaming performance comparable to the AMD Radeon 760M.

The good part is that there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which bring eGPU support (Aoostar EG02 dock curr. $219 on Amazon). Speaking of which, in addition to these two, the mini PC has the following port configuration:

• 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
• 2x 2.5G Ethernet
• 2x HDMI 2.1
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C

Other than that, the NUC 16 Pro has a toolless design for easy upgrades and maintenance, a dual-fan cooling setup, and a compact form factor. Check out our CES 2026 coverage to learn more about the mini PC.