NUC 14 Pro from ASUS is expensive
The first ‘true’ NUC from ASUS released.
Last year, Intel announced it will no longer maintain its NUC (Next Unit of Computing) business. Ultimately, this did not lead to the complete abandonment of the NUC series, but later turned out to be a preplanned decision to license the series to ASUS. This Taiwanese manufacturer took the responsibility of maintaining the already released products as well those which were still on a drawing board. This included the Intel Core Ultra series at the time known only as “Meteor Lake”.
NUC 14 Pro, Source: ASUS
ASUS is fulfilling its obligation and the NUC 14 Pro series was just announced, featuring configurations starting from $394. Sadly, this price is not for the Meteor Lake chip, but a refreshed Raptor Lake U as Core 3 100U processor. This is a 6-core and 15 watt processor with 8 threads. This is the only Raptor Lake chip in NUC 14 Pro systems.
NUC 14 Pro, Source: ASUS
Customers will have plenty of other choices from Core Ultra 5, Ultra 7 and even Ultra 9 SKUs. Those SKUs will determine if one gets 14 or 16 core variant as well what is the nominal TDP. As a reminder, the Core Ultra 9 185H is the only 45W TDP SKU in the whole series. Remaining chips come with a default TDP of 28W, but all Core Ultra SKUs in the Core-H series have a maximum turbo power of 115W. In reality and according to ASUS specs, the NUC 14 Pro will be limited to 40W TDP while NUC 14 Pro+ will go up to 65W.
Worth noting that the Core Ultra 9 model requires a 150W power supply, while the remaining Meteor Lake processors require 120W and the Raptor Lake version is 90W.
NUC 14 Pro Pricing, Source: ASUS
NUC 14 Pro (barebone) pricing
- Core 3 100U : $394
- Core Ultra 5 125H : $535
- Core Ultra 5 135H : $729
- Core Ultra 7 155H : $694
- Core Ultra 7 165H : $899
NUC 14 Pro+ (barebone) pricing
- Core Ultra 5 125H : $869
- Core Ultra 7 155H : TBC
- Core Ultra 9 185H : TBC
NUC 14 Pro+, Source: ASUS
Pricing for the NUC 14 Pro+ is not listed for individual models. There are also some small pricing changes when users choose between Tall and Slim models, the former has a 2.5-inch bay for storage.
In the end, the ASUS NUC 14 Pro series appears to target the premium market, where users may need better warranty support and higher quality products. The alternative is cheaper brands from China, but in this case, it seems ASUS has gotten the priority in releasing such products.
| ASUS NUC 14 PRO Specs | ||
|---|---|---|
| VideoCardz.com | NUC 14 Pro | NUC 14 Pro+ |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 165H (16c/22t) Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16c/22t) Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (14c/18t) Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14c/18t) Intel Core 3 100U (6c/8t) (TDP up to 40W) | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H (16c/22t) Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16c/22t) Intel Core Ultra 5 125H (14c/18t) (TDP up to 65W) |
| RAM | Up to 96GB total DDR5-5600 2 x SODIMM slots | |
| Storage | 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 1 x M.2 2242 PCIe x4 NVMe 1 x 2.5 inch SATA support (select models) | 1 x M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 1 x M.2 2242 PCIe x4 NVMe |
| Wireless | Intel AX211 WiFi 6E BT 5.3 | |
| Front I/O | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x Kensington lock | 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A |
| Rear I/O | 2 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A 2 x HDMI 2.1 1 x RJ45 (Intel i226V/LM) 1 x DC power input | 2 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A 2 x HDMI 2.1 1 x RJ45 (Intel i226V/LM) 1 x DC power input 1 x Kensington lock |
| Power Supply | 120W (Core Ultra 5/7) 90W (Core 3) | 150W (Core Ultra 9) 120W (Core Ultra 5/7) |
| Dimensions | 117 x 112 x 54mm (tall) 117 x 112 x 37mm (short) | 114 x 112 x 41mm |
| Weight | 750 grams (tall) 600 grams (short) | 800 grams |
| Starting Price | $394 | $869 |
Source: ASUS , FanlessTech , Liliputing