MSI Cubi NUC CUBINUCAI044 2025, Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Black

A tiny, quiet Windows box that's perfect for office work and streaming, but a gaming score of 12.7 means it's strictly business. Buy it for the form factor and ports, not for play.

The Core Ultra 5 125H surprised us. It's a 14-core chip that chews through browser tabs, Office apps, and even light photo editing without much drama. The integrated Intel Graphics are fine for 4K video playback and older titles, but our gaming score of 12.7 out of 100 tells the real story. This is not a gaming PC, and anyone expecting otherwise will be disappointed fast. The 1TB SSD is quick and quiet, and the whole thing sips power at 120W.

Stacked against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 or HP OMEN GT16, the Cubi NUC looks like a toy in raw performance, but that's not the point. Those are gaming towers with dedicated GPUs and big power supplies. The Cubi is for people who want a clean desk and a quiet machine. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is in a different league entirely, both in price and capability, but if you're locked into Windows and need something tiny, the Cubi is a solid pick. The Dell Tower ECT1250 is a more traditional desktop that will give you more upgrade room for similar money, so consider that if you don't need the mini form factor.

At USD 980 to USD 1,143 depending on where you look, the Cubi NUC isn't cheap for what is essentially a tiny office PC. The best deal we're seeing is at the lower end of that range, so shop around before you buy. For the money, you're paying for the form factor and port selection, not raw performance. If you need a compact Windows box with Thunderbolt and dual HDMI, it's a fair price. If you just need a desktop, you can get more power for less in a bigger case.

The MSI Cubi NUC is a tiny box that punches above its weight for office work and streaming, but don't let the 'AI' in the name fool you into thinking it's a gaming rig. This thing is built for desks with no space and people who need a quiet, capable Windows machine. The Core Ultra 5 125H and 16GB of DDR5 handle everyday multitasking without breaking a sweat, and the port selection is genuinely impressive for something this small.

If you're looking for a gaming PC or a machine for video editing and 3D work, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Legion Tower or HP OMEN instead. If you want a traditional desktop with room to upgrade, the Dell Tower ECT1250 gives you more flexibility for similar money.

The MSI Cubi NUC is a great little office and streaming box, but it's not a gaming machine and it's not a workstation. If you want a tiny Windows PC with excellent connectivity and enough power for everyday work, this is a strong choice. If you want to play games or do heavy creative work, look elsewhere. For the right person, this thing is a desk-space miracle.