ASUS Mini PC NUC 14 Pro Slim Barebone Kit Review

This is a DIY project in a box, not a ready-to-use PC. You're paying a premium for great ports wrapped around a slow processor.

The Asus NUC 14 Pro Slim is a tiny PC that's all about the ports and not much else. The headline here is simple: you're buying a very small, very well-connected box that you have to finish building yourself. It's a barebone kit, so you'll need to add your own RAM, storage, and operating system. That's fine if you're a tinkerer, but for everyone else, it's a hassle. The one thing to know? This is a niche product for a very specific user who values size and connectivity over raw power and convenience.

Don't expect much from the Intel Core 3 100U processor. It's a 6-core chip, but with a base clock of just 1.2GHz, it lands in the bottom quarter of our performance database. It's fine for web browsing, office apps, and media streaming, but that's about it. The integrated Intel Graphics are predictably underwhelming, making this a non-starter for gaming or any graphics work. The real surprise is the port selection, which is one of the best we've seen on a mini PC. Thunderbolt 4, dual HDMI 2.1 outputs, and Wi-Fi 6E give you more connectivity than most full-sized desktops.

At around $367 for the barebones kit, the value proposition is shaky. You're paying for a fancy, well-connected shell with a slow processor. By the time you add 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a Windows 11 license, you'll be well over $600. For that money, you could buy a complete mini PC with better performance and less hassle.

If you want a ready-to-go mini PC, look at the Asus PN series or a Beelink Mini PC. They cost about the same as this NUC once it's fully built, but they arrive in a box you can just plug in. If you're dead set on a barebones kit for customization, the older Asus NUC 13 Pro often offers a faster CPU for a similar price. The competitors listed in our data, like the HP Omen or Alienware Aurora, are in a completely different league for gaming and aren't really comparable.

If you're looking for a plug-and-play desktop, this isn't it. Go get a Beelink SER7 or an Asus PN64 instead. They're complete systems with better performance out of the box. Also, skip this if you have any interest in gaming or content creation.

We can't recommend the Asus NUC 14 Pro Slim for most people. It's a project, not a product. The only person who should consider this is someone who absolutely needs a Thunderbolt 4 hub disguised as a PC and enjoys the ritual of installing components. For 99% of users looking for a compact desktop, a pre-built mini PC is a smarter, faster, and often cheaper choice.