MSI Cubi Cubi NUC AI+ Review

This tiny 0.63kg desktop packs a 64-core CPU but delivers mediocre overall performance, landing in the 36th percentile. Its gaming score is a disaster at 10.5 out of 100. Only buy it if you desperately need a super compact PC for very specific parallel tasks.

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ is a fascinating little box that makes some very specific promises. It packs Intel's new Core Ultra 7 258V processor with a whopping 64 cores and pairs it with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD, all in a chassis that weighs just over a pound. That's a lot of compute in a very small package, and it scores a solid 69.5 out of 100 for compactness in our database. But the numbers tell a more nuanced story. Its overall score sits at 55.7, which puts it firmly in the middle of the pack for general use, and it's clearly not built for gaming, landing a dismal 10.5 in that category. This isn't your average mini PC.

Performance here is a tale of two halves. The headline is that 64-core Intel 258V CPU, but in our testing, its raw CPU performance lands in the 36th percentile. That means it's actually a bit underwhelming compared to many desktops, despite the core count. It's likely tuned for efficiency in this tiny form factor. The integrated Intel Arc Graphics with 16GB of VRAM is interesting, but its gaming performance is a real weak spot, scoring in the 45th percentile. Where this little box shines is in its storage and connectivity. The 1TB NVMe SSD is well above average (71st percentile), and its port selection is a standout, ranking in the 82nd percentile. So you get fast file transfers and plenty of ways to hook things up, but don't expect it to be a speed demon or a gaming rig.

Priced between $1349 and $1414, the Cubi NUC AI+ asks a lot for a mini PC. You're paying a premium for that ultra-compact form factor and the novel 64-core CPU architecture. Compared to a traditional desktop tower at this price, you're giving up a lot of raw performance and upgradeability. The value proposition hinges entirely on how much you need the smallest possible footprint with this specific compute profile. For most people, a standard small form factor PC will offer better performance per dollar.

Stacked against its mini PC rival, the ASUS ROG NUC, the MSI offers more cores but likely less single-threaded speed. Compared to the gaming desktops on the competitor list like the HP Omen 45L or Alienware Aurora, there's no contest for gaming—those machines will run circles around the Cubi. Even the Acer Nitro 60, a budget gaming tower, would be a vastly better choice for games. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i offers a far more balanced performance profile for a similar price. The MSI Cubi carves its own niche with size and core count, but it loses in almost every head-to-head performance metric.

Gamers should run the other way—this is dead last for gaming. Anyone needing strong single-threaded performance for applications like photo editing, coding compiles, or general responsiveness will find it underwhelming. If you're on a budget or want a future-proof system you can upgrade, skip this. Its fixed configuration and mediocre scores in key areas make it a poor fit for most users.

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ is a specialist's tool, not a general-purpose desktop. We can only recommend it if your top priority is an extremely small footprint and you have a workload that can leverage dozens of parallel threads efficiently. For anyone else—home office users, gamers, or people who just want a fast PC—its middling CPU score, terrible gaming performance, and high price make it a hard sell. There are simply better, faster options for the money unless you absolutely need what this specific box offers.