ASUS ROG NUC 16 Edition 20 combines Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus with RTX 5090 Laptop GPU
3-liter mini PC with 175W RTX 5090 Laptop graphics.
ASUS has listed the ROG NUC 16 Edition 20, a limited 20th anniversary version of its compact gaming PC. The system keeps the 3-liter form factor but moves the series to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU . ASUS says this GPU can run at up to 175W sustained power.
The new model is based on Intel’s C ore Ultra 9 290HX Plus processor. ASUS lists it as an Arrow Lake-HX Refresh chip. The system supports up to 128GB of dual-channel DDR5-6400 CSODIMM memory. Storage support includes up to 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD space with one PCIe Gen5 M.2 slot and one PCIe Gen4 M.2 slot.
Edition 20 has RTX 5090, the original model has 5080
The main upgrade over the standard ROG NUC 16 is the GPU. The regular model tops out at a GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, while the Edition 20 version adds a GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory. ASUS also lists support for DLSS 4.5 on the product page.
ASUS is using a triple-fan cooling system with a dual vapor chamber design. One of the fans is a dedicated 75 × 75 × 7.5 mm unit for active memory cooling. The company claims 300W combined CPU and GPU heat dissipation and a 21% increase in CPU thermal capacity.
The chassis uses a semi-transparent exterior with gold accents to match other ROG Edition 20 products. ASUS says the system can be placed vertically or horizontally with a removable stand. It also keeps the toolless access design with a front thumbscrew for memory and storage upgrades.
Source: ASUS
This follows the standard ROG NUC 16 , which we covered earlier with Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and RTX 5080 Laptop GPU. That system was already listed at nearly $4,500, so the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU version will likely sit above it unless ASUS changes the configuration or pricing.
ASUS has not confirmed availability or pricing for the ROG NUC 16 Edition 20 yet. I don’t even want to ask.
| ASUS ROG NUC 16 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spec | ROG NUC 16 Edition 20 🆕 | ROG NUC 16 |
| Model | RNUC16JNK9X8ADA6 | Multiple RNUC16JNK SKUs |
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, cTDP 45-75W | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, cTDP 45-75W |
| Chipset | Intel HM870 | Intel HM870 |
| GPU | GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU | Up to GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, also RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU SKUs |
| VRAM | 24GB GDDR7 | Up to 16GB GDDR7 |
| Memory support | Up to 128GB DDR5-6400 CSODIMM | Up to 128GB DDR5-6400 CSODIMM |
| Included memory | 64GB, 2×32GB DDR5-6400 | 32GB, 2×16GB DDR5-5600 or DDR5-6400, depending on SKU |
| Storage support | PCIe 4.0 x4 + PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 2280 | PCIe 4.0 x4 + PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 2280 |
| Included SSD | 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD | 1TB or 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, depending on SKU |
| Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x, Bluetooth 5.4 | Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| LAN | Realtek RTL8125D 2.5G | Realtek RTL8125D 2.5G |
| Rear I/O | TB4 with DP 2.1, 4× USB-A 10Gbps, 2× HDMI 2.1 FRL, 2× DP 2.1, RJ45 | Same rear I/O |
| Power adapter | 380W | 380W |
| Weight | 3.12 kg | 3.12 kg |
| Design | Semi-transparent 20th anniversary chassis with gold accents | Standard chassis, black/white depending on SKU |
| Cooling claim | Triple-fan QuietFlow, dual vapor chamber, +21% CPU thermal capacity, 300W CPU+GPU dissipation | Triple-fan QuietFlow, dual vapor chamber, +12% CPU thermal capacity claim vs previous generation |
Source: ASUS
