ASUS Mini PC NUC 14 Pro+ Mini Review

This is a ports-first, performance-second mini PC. Its connectivity is top of the charts, but its Core Ultra 5 CPU and 512GB SSD are middle of the pack. Don't even think about gaming with it. Only buy if you absolutely need Thunderbolt 4 and a tiny footprint.

The Asus NUC 14 Pro+ is a tiny desktop that's all about the ports. It lands in the 94th percentile for connectivity, which is its standout feature. You get Thunderbolt 4, dual HDMI 2.1, and a 2.5G Ethernet port packed into a 0.82kg chassis. That's impressive for a mini PC.

Beyond the ports, the specs are more middle-of-the-road. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM are decent for general use, but they don't set any performance records. Our overall score puts it right at 50.5 out of 100, which tells you it's a competent, but not exceptional, machine.

Performance is a mixed bag. The Intel Arc integrated graphics with 16GB of VRAM is a neat trick for an iGPU, but it's still integrated graphics. It scored in the 45th percentile for GPU, which means it's fine for video playback and light photo editing, but it's a non-starter for gaming. Our gaming score for this machine is a dismal 11.1 out of 100. The 14-core CPU also falls behind most modern competitors, landing in the 39th percentile. It'll handle office work and web browsing just fine, but don't expect it to blaze through heavy workloads. The 512GB SSD is also on the smaller side, ranking in the 37th percentile for storage.

The value proposition here is tricky. With prices ranging from $819 to $1124, you need to shop carefully. At the low end, you're paying a premium for that fantastic port selection and tiny form factor. At the high end, over $1100, it starts to look expensive for the middling CPU and storage you get. You're really buying this for the specific use case of a super-connected, ultra-compact desktop, not for raw performance per dollar.

Compared to other mini PCs like the Asus ROG NUC or systems from Minisforum, the NUC 14 Pro+ trades raw power for better out-of-the-box connectivity. It's not a gaming machine like the HP Omen or Dell Alienware towers, which is obvious from our scores. If you need more storage and a bit more oomph, a Lenovo Legion Tower 5i at a similar price point will run circles around it in CPU tasks. But none of those can match this Asus's combination of size and port variety.

Gamers should look elsewhere immediately. Developers or content creators who need strong multi-core CPU performance will also be disappointed, as its processor ranks in the bottom half. Anyone who needs a lot of built-in storage or is shopping purely on price-to-performance ratio should skip this too. You're paying a premium for the form factor and ports here.

We can only recommend the Asus NUC 14 Pro+ if your top priority is a no-compromise, ultra-compact desktop with every modern port you could want. For that specific niche, it delivers. For almost anything else—general productivity, development work where our score is just 51.5, or any hope of gaming—there are better, faster, and often cheaper options that give you more for your money. Buy this for the ports and the size, not the performance.