Intel once made the perfect compact PCs, only to abandon them. NUCs, dubbed the Next Unit of Computing, were small-form-factor computers that lasted nearly a decade before being discontinued.
Since their discontinuation, the mini-PC market hasn’t quite been the same. Even though Intel NUCs didn’t reinvent the wheel, they packed full desktop capabilities, hardware power, and connectivity in a miniature 4×4-inch casing.
Fortunately, NUCs aren’t completely dead, even though Intel stopped manufacturing them and ASUS has taken over the business since then. That said, the Taiwanese company hasn’t fully replicated Intel’s magic, but it’s still the next best thing.
Why did Intel stop making NUCs?
A decade of tiny PCs ended in 2023 as Intel refocused on its core chip business
NUCs helped popularize compact PCs, at least the Windows ones. Starting in 2013, they first came as pre-built PCs with Core i3 processors, then slowly advanced to mid-range processors like the Core i5 and Core i7.
NUCs were meant for everyday computing while staying compact enough to hide behind a monitor or take up less space than a bulky desktop, while retaining the capabilities and features of a fully built PC tower, including connectivity.
Intel even sold NUCs as both pre-configured systems and barebone kits, to which you could attach your own RAM and SSD, if you wanted more out of what the company was offering.
Later, Team Blue also introduced models powerful enough to handle heavy workloads or gaming. The Skull Canyon NUCs featured Intel Iris integrated graphics that still weren’t feasible for gaming. Still, the successor, Hades Canyon, took things up a notch, featuring Radeon graphics that could handle gaming and overclocking.
So, NUCs were divided into three categories: NUC Essential for everyday use, NUC Pro for multitasking and commercial deployment, and NUC Performance for higher-end use and heavy workloads.
Aside from office use, NUCs were and still are used for a wide range of purposes, like use as a secondary gaming PC, DIY projects, servers, or even homelabs.
Unfortunately, Intel passed over this business line to ASUS in 2023 during its dark days, when it was losing sales left and right to AMD and suffering low profitability, and instead shifted its focus to its core chip business.
Who makes NUCs now?
ASUS took over the designs, branding, and support under a non-exclusive deal
ASUS was chosen to continue NUCs because of its expertise in compact PCs and the strong competition it gave Intel, even while Team Blue was still making NUCs.
The agreement was that ASUS would continue the existing NUC designs and develop new models based on them, keeping the core legacy alive even after Intel stepped away.
Since this was more of a handover, ASUS also handled support (warranty claims, updates, replacements, and technical support) for newer NUC models. Intel still covers support for the older NUCs, predating the 7th generation.
Under ASUS, the NUCs got better cooling and became much quieter with new thermal designs, since this is an area the Taiwanese company explicitly said it would focus on, with stricter noise targets (some lighter models are also fanless).
Upgradability has also expanded, and the NUCs are more modular now, with tool-less integration for easier upgrades than Intel’s more complex upgrade path.
How ASUS’s NUC lineup compares
Pro, Pro AI, Essential and ROG models cover office, AI, DIY and gaming use
Although ASUS has kept the Intel NUC branding during the transition, it’s doing its own thing as well. With ASUS NUCs, you’ll still see Intel’s blue branding, since they want people to know it is still the same PC underneath, despite the new tagline.
Under ASUS, NUCs have now expanded in terms of category, suiting all types of needs:
- NUC Pro: Mainstream compact PCs built for everyday tasks in offices, businesses, and similar settings.
- NUC Pro AI: Mini PCs incorporating AI elements, featuring NPUs and Intel Core Ultra processors, ideal for AI tasks and edge computing in a small form factor.
- NUC Essential: Entry-level mini-PCs for DIY projects, self-hosting applications, and lighter workloads.
- ROG NUCs: Flagship-level powerful compact computers that pack a punch above their weight class. ASUS also bundles Nvidia discrete GPUs, in addition to Radeon, in these NUCs, but they differ significantly from Intel ones in shape and size. Think of them as ASUS doing its own thing.
Also, ASUS’s expertise in computing means that they have the strongest mini-PC options out of all, and the ROG NUC 16 Edition 20 is a great example of this, featuring an RTX 5090, Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, and 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM in a 3-liter size.
Whether ASUS NUCs are worth the price
Since Intel left the scene, the mini-PC market has expanded significantly. Lenovo, HP, Dell, and other specialized mini-PC manufacturers like GMKtec and Geekom have made the market highly competitive, at least on price.
For instance, the newer ASUS NUC 16 Pro goes for $1,800 and features a Core Ultra X7 358H, 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics. In contrast, the Lenovo Yoga Mini offers the same specs with slightly more limited connectivity for nearly $210 less.
Still, ASUS has the best build quality and customer service, and the experience alone is worth spending a couple of hundred bucks more, especially if you plan on using these NUCs as homelabs or in a use case where it needs to be running 24/7 for years on end, since ASUS has the longest warranties out of the bunch, and with the expertise and the Intel legacy carrying on, ASUS might be the best bet.
- Brand
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ASUS
- CPU
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Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
- Memory
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No RAM
- Storage
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No SSD
- Operating System
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No OS
- Dimension
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144 x 117 x 42 mm
The ASUS NUC 16 Pro Barebone Kit is a compact DIY mini PC with an Intel Core Ultra 7 356H processor. It ships without RAM, storage or an operating system, so you add your own, and the tool-less chassis allows dual M.2 SSDs. It offers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, dual 2.5G LAN and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and comes with a 3 year manufacturer warranty.