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MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG ブラック 2026

The 2.3 GHz Intel Core Ultra 7 355 8-core processor with integrated Intel AI Boost NPU drives AI workloads in a 0.50 kg chassis that mounts behind a monitor. Thunderbolt 4, dual 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 7, and a fingerprint reader deliver enterprise-grade connectivity and security in a compact footprint. Best for business users and developers needing a space-saving, AI-capable desktop for productivity and light development tasks, not for gaming.

CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 355
RAM 16 GB
Storage 1 TB
GPU Intel Graphics
form factor mini
psu w 120
OS Windows 11 Pro
MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG ブラック 2026 desktop
55 Overall Score
Also available in:

Snapshot

The 30-Second Version

The Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG scores 54.8 out of 100 overall, with a gaming score of just 11.6 that's one of the worst we've seen. Its port selection is the standout at the 77th percentile, and the built-in NPU makes it a solid pick for AI-assisted office work. But with CPU and RAM at the 48th percentile and reliability at the 36th, this is a niche machine for a specific kind of buyer.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Port selection is strong at the 77th percentile with Thunderbolt 4, dual HDMI 2.1, and four USB-C ports 77th
  • 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD gives you solid storage capacity for a mini PC
  • Built-in NPU handles AI tasks locally without taxing the CPU
  • Wi-Fi 7 and dual 2.5GbE Ethernet ports offer excellent networking options
  • Compact 0.50kg design can mount behind a monitor to save desk space

Cons

  • Gaming score of 11.6 out of 100 is one of the worst we've seen
  • CPU and RAM both sit at the 48th percentile, just average for this category
  • Reliability ranking is mediocre at the 36th percentile
  • Social proof is nearly nonexistent at the 10th percentile
  • Integrated graphics limit any serious creative or gaming work

The proof

Performance

The Core Ultra 7 355 is an 8-core chip running at 2.3GHz, and it's paired with 16GB of DDR5 RAM. That's a solid combo for office work, web browsing, and light multitasking. The built-in NPU is the interesting part here. It's designed to handle AI workloads locally, which means things like Windows Studio Effects and Copilot features should run without hammering the CPU. The 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe SSD gives you plenty of room for files and boots Windows 11 Pro quickly. But the CPU and RAM both sit at the 48th percentile, so we're talking middle of the pack performance. It'll get the job done, but it won't blow your hair back.

The integrated Intel Graphics are the weak link. At the 52nd percentile, they're fine for driving a couple of 4K displays and handling everyday visuals. But the gaming score of 11.6 out of 100 is one of the worst we've seen. This is not a machine for anything beyond casual browser games or maybe some very light indie titles. The 120W PSU tells you everything about the power envelope here. This is an efficiency-first machine, not a performance monster.

Performance Percentiles

CPU 47.8
GPU 51.7
RAM 47.4
Ports 76.6
Storage 51.2
Reliability 36.2
Social Proof 9.8

Specifications

Full Specifications

Processor

CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 355
Cores 8
Frequency 2.3 GHz
L3 Cache 12 MB

Graphics

GPU Intel Graphics
Type Integrated

Memory & Storage

RAM 16 GB
RAM Generation DDR5
Storage 1000 GB
Storage Type SSD

Build

Form Factor mini
PSU 120
Weight 0.5 kg / 1.1 lbs

Connectivity

USB-C Ports 4
USB Ports 2
Thunderbolt Thunderbolt 4 x 2
HDMI 2x HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort 0
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth No
Ethernet 2.5GbE

System

OS Windows 11 Pro

vs Competition

Stacked against the competition, the Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG occupies a weird middle ground. The HP OMEN GT22-3080 and Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 are full-sized gaming desktops that will absolutely crush this thing in graphics performance, but they're also huge and power-hungry. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a more traditional business desktop that likely offers better reliability scores than the Cubi's 36th percentile. The CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM and The Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon PITPJ7JXJ are gaming-focused builds that trade blows on CPU performance but leave the Cubi in the dust on GPU. What the Cubi brings to the table is size. At 0.50kg and mountable behind a monitor, it's in a completely different class physically. If desk space is your primary constraint, none of those competitors can touch it. But if you want any graphical horsepower at all, every single one of them is a better choice.

Spec MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG HP OMEN GT22-3080 Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Dell Aurora Gaming The Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon PITPJ7JXJ
CPU Intel Core Ultra 7 355 Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Apple M5 Max Intel Core Ultra 9 285K 3.3 GHz core_i9
RAM (GB) 16 32 32 36 32 64
Storage (GB) 1000 2048 1024 512 2000 5120
GPU Intel Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Apple M5 Max 32-core NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 OC
Form Factor mini mid-tower mid-tower mini desktop mid-tower
Psu W 120 850 850 480 1000 -
OS Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Home macOS Windows 11 Home Windows 11 Pro
Compare Compare Compare Compare Compare
Product CPUGPURAMPortsStorageReliabilitySocial Proof
MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG 47.851.747.476.651.236.29.8
HP OMEN GT22-3080 Compare 95.890.879.292.891.669.486.5
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 Compare 97.388.282.910072.969.4100
Apple Mac Studio M5 Max Compare 94.39293.19630.799.386.1
Dell Aurora Gaming Compare 97.390.879.298.386.769.491.4
The Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon PITPJ7JXJ Compare 99.184.692.798.997.311.289.6

Price

Value & Pricing

Pricing on the Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, you're looking at USD 1,249 to USD 1,549 across three listings. That's a USD 300 spread for the same machine, which is wild. The lower end of that range feels more reasonable for what you're getting, but the top end pushes into territory where you could start looking at more capable desktops. Canadian buyers face a similar situation with prices ranging from CAD 1,799 to CAD 2,195, a CAD 396 gap. If you're in the US, the best deal is clearly at the USD 1,249 end of the spectrum. At that price, the compact form factor and enterprise connectivity start to make more sense. At the higher end, the value proposition gets shaky fast.

From CA$1,799 1 offer across 1 retailer
Amazon 1 offer From CA$1,799

Price History

CA$1,700 CA$1,800 CA$1,900 CA$2,000 CA$2,100 CA$2,200 CA$2,300 Jun 19Oct 29 CA$1,799

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Overview

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG is a tiny desktop that's all about fitting into tight spaces and handling business tasks. Our database puts its compact score at 63.2 out of 100, which is decent, but the total score of 54.8 tells a more honest story. This thing is built for a specific job, and it does that job okay while leaving a lot on the table elsewhere. The Intel Core Ultra 7 355 with its AI Boost NPU is the headline feature, paired with 16GB of DDR5 and a 1TB SSD. It's a Copilot+ PC, so Microsoft's AI features are baked in, and Windows 11 Pro comes standard.

But let's be real about the numbers. The CPU sits at the 48th percentile, RAM at 48th, and storage at 52nd. That's about average for mini PCs, not exactly a barn burner. The port selection is the one bright spot at the 77th percentile, which makes sense given the Thunderbolt 4, dual HDMI 2.1, and four USB-C ports. The integrated Intel Graphics land at the 52nd percentile, which is fine for spreadsheets and video calls but won't impress anyone. And the gaming score of 11.6 out of 100 is a polite way of saying don't even think about it.

Common Questions

Q: Can the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG handle gaming?

No, not really. The gaming score of 11.6 out of 100 is one of the worst in our database. The integrated Intel Graphics sit at the 52nd percentile, which is fine for desktop use and video playback but nowhere near enough for modern games. Stick to browser games or very light indie titles.

Q: How does the NPU in the Core Ultra 7 355 actually help?

The built-in Intel AI Boost NPU is designed to handle AI workloads locally instead of offloading them to the cloud or taxing the main CPU cores. That means Windows Copilot+ features, background blur in video calls, and other AI-assisted tasks should run more efficiently. It's a forward-looking feature that will matter more as software catches up.

Q: Is 16GB of RAM enough for this machine?

For the intended use case, yes. The 16GB of DDR5 RAM sits at the 48th percentile for mini PCs, which is about average. It's plenty for office productivity, web browsing, and light multitasking. But if you're planning to run virtual machines or heavy creative workloads, you might feel the ceiling pretty quickly.

Who Should Skip This

Skip this if you want any kind of graphical performance. The gaming score of 11.6 out of 100 is a dealbreaker for anyone hoping to play games or do GPU-accelerated creative work. The integrated Intel Graphics simply can't compete with even budget dedicated GPUs. You should also think twice if reliability is a top concern, since the 36th percentile ranking is mediocre at best. And if you're on a tight budget, the USD 1,549 top-end price is hard to justify for a machine with average CPU and RAM performance. This is a specialized tool for compact office setups, not a general-purpose desktop.

Verdict

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG is a niche machine that nails its niche. If you need a tiny, mountable desktop for office work with excellent connectivity and local AI processing, this is a reasonable pick, especially at the USD 1,249 end of the price range. The port selection is genuinely impressive, and the NPU gives it a forward-looking edge for Copilot+ features. But the gaming score of 11.6 and the mediocre reliability ranking at the 36th percentile are hard to ignore. This is a machine for spreadsheets, video calls, and light productivity, nothing more. If that's your world, it'll serve you well. If you want anything beyond that, look elsewhere.

Usage Scores

Overall (54.7)AI/LLM (21.2)Gaming (11.7)Portability (60.3)Creator (22.3)Business (47.3)Developer (48.9)Home Office (52.2)Workstation (43.3)

Other Configurations7

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