ASUS NUC 14 Performance RNUC14SRKU91000UI, Core Ultra 9 185H, 8GB, 4070

The NUC 14 Performance packs an RTX 4070 into a 2.5L chassis, which is impressive, but it ships with just 8GB of RAM and no storage. Our database ranks its storage at the 2nd percentile and its AI performance at 36.5 out of 100. You'll need to spend extra on upgrades before this barebone kit is actually usable.

The RTX 4070 is the star here, sitting in the 81st percentile among mini PCs. That's a legitimately strong GPU for this form factor, and it'll handle 1440p gaming without breaking a sweat. The Core Ultra 9 185H is no slouch either, with 16 cores and a 2.3GHz base clock. But it only lands in the 64th percentile for CPU performance, which tells you the thermal constraints of a 2.5L chassis are holding it back. You're not getting desktop-class CPU performance out of this thing.

The AI story is mixed. Intel's NPU support and NVIDIA DLSS are both here, but our AI and LLM benchmark score came in at 36.5 out of 100. That's the weakest area of this machine by a wide margin. If you're buying this for local AI inference or LLM tinkering, you're going to be disappointed. The 8GB of VRAM on the RTX 4070 (yes, this is the 8GB variant, not the 12GB desktop version) is a real bottleneck for larger models.

Stacked against the competition, the NUC 14 Performance is in a tough spot. The HP OMEN GT22-3080 and Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 are both full-size desktops that'll give you better thermals and more upgrade headroom for similar money. The Apple Mac Studio M5 Max absolutely crushes this thing in AI workloads, though you're locked into macOS. The Dell Aurora Gaming and Horizon Pcs Autherium Dragon are also worth a look if you want a more traditional desktop experience. The NUC's only real advantage is size. If you absolutely need a 2.5L footprint with an RTX 4070 inside, this is one of very few options. But you're paying a premium for that compactness, and you're giving up performance and reliability to get it.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, you're looking at $1,565 to $1,655 across two listings. European buyers face a much wider spread: EUR 1,817 to EUR 2,149 across four listings in Germany, Spain, France, and Italy. That's a EUR 332 gap between the cheapest and most expensive European option, so it pays to shop around. The German listing at EUR 1,817 is the best deal we're seeing in Europe right now. But here's the thing: this is a barebone kit. You're paying $1,565 minimum and still need to buy an SSD and probably more RAM. Factor in another $150 to $300 for those upgrades and the value proposition gets shaky fast.

The ASUS NUC 14 Performance is a weird one. You've got a 14th Gen Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and an RTX 4070 crammed into a 2.5L box, which sounds like a dream for small form factor fans. But then you look at the rest of the package: 8GB of DDR5, no storage included, and a 330W power brick that's probably bigger than the PC itself. Our database puts this thing at 52.7 out of 100 overall, which is about as middle-of-the-road as it gets.

The port selection is actually a highlight here, landing in the 85th percentile. Thunderbolt 4, six USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, dual DisplayPort 1.4a, 2.5G Ethernet, and an SD card reader. That's a lot of connectivity for a box this size. But the RAM situation is rough. 8GB in 2024 is barely enough for Chrome tabs, let alone gaming or AI workloads. And the storage ranking? 2nd percentile. Dead last territory. You're buying a barebone kit, so you'll need to add your own SSD and probably more RAM before this thing is actually usable.

If you want a machine that works out of the box, skip this. The 8GB of RAM and missing storage mean you're buying a project, not a product. The reliability score in the 36th percentile is also concerning for a machine at this price point. And if AI or LLM workloads are on your radar, the 36.5 out of 100 AI score should send you running in the other direction. This is a machine for tinkerers who specifically need a tiny footprint and are comfortable doing their own upgrades. Everyone else should look at a traditional desktop or a more complete mini PC.

The ASUS NUC 14 Performance is a niche product that doesn't quite nail its niche. The RTX 4070 and port selection are genuinely impressive for a 2.5L box, but the 8GB of RAM, missing storage, weak AI performance, and questionable reliability make it hard to recommend at this price. If you need a tiny gaming PC and you're willing to upgrade the RAM and add an SSD yourself, it could work. But most people would be better served by a slightly larger machine that doesn't compromise on the basics. Our data says 52.7 out of 100, and that feels about right.