ASUS Mini PC NUC 15 Pro Slim Mini Review

This is a compact PC that trades performance for size. Its CPU and GPU rank in the 34th and 38th percentiles, so don't expect heavy lifting. Its value is in its tiny 0.69kg frame, Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 7. Only buy it if desk space is your biggest constraint.

The Asus NUC 15 Pro is a tiny PC that scores a 47.5 out of 100 in our total rating system. That puts it squarely in the middle of the pack for general use, but its compact form factor is its real party trick, landing in the 63rd percentile for size. It's built around Intel's Core 5 210H, an 8-core CPU that sits in the 34th percentile for performance, paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD.

What you're getting here is a modern, well-connected little box that weighs just 0.69kg. It's not built to be a powerhouse, but for everyday productivity, it's got the specs to keep things moving. The highlights are its future-proof connectivity with Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7, and a port selection that's in the 90th percentile, which is impressive for something this small.

Performance is a mixed bag, and that's by design. The Intel Core 5 210H CPU lands in the 34th percentile. That means it's fine for office work, web browsing, and light multitasking, but you're not going to be compiling massive codebases or rendering videos quickly. The integrated Intel Graphics are the main bottleneck, scoring in the 38th percentile. Forget gaming or any serious graphical work. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM is a solid middle-ground at the 53rd percentile, and the 512GB NVMe SSD is decent but sits at the 37th percentile for storage. This PC is built for efficiency, not raw speed.

Priced between $849 and $863, the NUC 15 Pro isn't cheap for what you get performance-wise. You're paying a premium for the mini form factor and the high-end connectivity like Wi-Fi 7. When you compare its 34th percentile CPU and 38th percentile GPU to similarly priced traditional desktops, you're giving up a lot of power for the small size. The value proposition is entirely about needing the smallest possible footprint with modern ports, not about price-to-performance.

Compared to its mini PC rivals, it holds its own on connectivity. But if you look at traditional towers in this price range, like an HP Omen or Dell Alienware, the gap is huge. Those systems will have dedicated GPUs and CPUs in the 70th+ percentiles for similar money. Even other Asus options, like the ROG NUC, are built for entirely different (gaming) tasks. The Lenovo Legion Tower would run circles around it in raw performance. The NUC 15 Pro's only real advantage in a comparison is its physical size and its Wi-Fi 7/Thunderbolt combo, which most desktops still lack.

Gamers and creative professionals should look elsewhere immediately. With a GPU in the 38th percentile and a gaming score of 10.5/100, this PC can't handle it. Anyone needing serious CPU power for rendering, compilation, or data analysis should also skip, as the 34th percentile CPU will feel sluggish. If your primary concern is getting the most performance for your $850, a traditional desktop tower is a vastly better choice.

We can only recommend the Asus NUC 15 Pro if your absolute top priority is saving desk space without sacrificing modern connectivity. Its performance is middling, its graphics are weak, and it's not a bargain. But if you need a tiny, portable, and well-connected PC for basic office work, web tasks, and media consumption, and you're willing to pay for the form factor, it does that job well. For everyone else, a more traditional desktop offers far better performance for the same budget.