The Asus ROG NUC 16 is a compact yet powerful mini PC designed with gamers in mind but also ready for creators. Priced at S$6,000, it packs serious hardware into a chassis measuring 282.4 x 189.5 x 56.5mm, making it larger than average NUC PCs but still impressively small for its capabilities.
Under the hood, the review unit features an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 laptop GPU, and 32GB of DDR5 memory, which can be expanded to 128GB. Storage is handled by two M.2 NVMe slots, one Gen 4 and one Gen 5, with a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD in the main slot. This setup is more than enough for demanding photo and video workflows, including switching between editing applications and running background exports.
In terms of performance, the ROG NUC 16 scores 9,903 in PCMark 10, indicating strong everyday performance. Geekbench 7 results show 2,689 in single-core and 23,602 in multi-core tests, demonstrating its capability to handle both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads efficiently. The system also performs well in AI tasks, with scores of 7,052 in single precision, 2,544 in half precision, and 11,379 in quantised score using the ONNX AI framework.
For creators, the ROG NUC 16’s discrete Nvidia graphics processor provides substantial headroom for GPU-accelerated applications and modern games. It achieves an overall score of 21,005 in 3DMark Time Spy, with a graphics score of 21,986 and a CPU score of 16,768. This translates to smoother playback in editing timelines, faster effects processing, and comfortable handling of high-resolution footage, including 4K and some 8K projects.
Asus has addressed the heat management issue with a cooling system that includes three fans and a dual vapour chamber, providing 12% greater CPU thermal coverage than the previous generation. The system operates at just under 38dBA under full workloads, making it quiet enough for voiceover recording and long editing sessions.
The ROG NUC 16 comes with a 1TB SSD, which is reasonable for the operating system and applications but may fill up quickly with large RAW files and high-bitrate footage. Planning for additional external storage is essential. Thunderbolt 4 provides a high-speed connection for fast external SSDs, docks, and compatible displays, making it easy to build a compact editing setup.
Connectivity is another strong point, with one Thunderbolt 4 port, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and two DisplayPort 2.1 ports. This setup supports multi-display configurations, which are crucial for photographers and videographers. The system also includes Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for remote work and wireless peripherals.
Overall, the Asus ROG NUC 16 is a solid choice for creators who need a compact, powerful machine for both gaming and professional tasks. Its robust hardware, efficient cooling, and extensive connectivity options make it a versatile tool for various creative workflows. For more details, check out the full review on Techgoondu.
