Mini PCs have managed to carve out their own space within the tech and gaming industry these past few years, and these days there are a lot of machines to choose from. One example is ASUS’ new ROG NUC 16, a compact gaming PC designed for high-end performance. ASUS says that it’s designed the NUC 16 for both productivity and play.
The ROG NUC 16 is available with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor 290HX Plus and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, and on paper can deliver up to a 2.3% boost in 3DMark performance over the previous generation. It also supports up to 128GB of DDR5-6400 memory, and ASUS adds that it’s likewise optimized for AI computing, delivering up to 1334 AI TOPS.
There’s an RTX 5080 GPU inside with 16GB of dedicated GDDR7 memory and supports NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, which uses machine learning for advanced super-resolution, frame generation, and reduced latency. For content and productivity, this translates into faster real-time rendering, video editing, NVIDIA Studio image generation, and up to 8K creative workloads.
The ROG NUC 16 is also equipped with a QuietFlow Cooling system, which uses three large fans and a dual vapor chamber, increasing CPU thermal coverage by 12% compared to prior designs. This works alongside a dedicated SSD heatsink which can reduce storage operating temperatures from 72°C to 59°C to prevent thermal throttling.
For connectivity, the PC features a Thunderbolt 4 port, with display outputs capable of driving up to five 4K displays simultaneously or a single 8K setup for gaming setups.