ASUS NUC 14 Pro RNUC14RVHV50000UI Black 2024

A tiny, quiet productivity monster with more ports than sense. Just don't try to game on it, and don't overpay.

The port selection on this little box is absolutely bonkers. It's in the 98th percentile for connectivity, and you feel it immediately. Dual HDMI 2.1, Thunderbolt 4, and a pile of USB-A and USB-C ports mean you can hook up a full command center without a single dongle. The Core Ultra 5 135H sits right in the middle of the pack for CPU power, which is plenty snappy for office apps, coding, and running a dozen browser tabs. The real surprise is how quiet it stays under load thanks to ASUS's reworked cooling. It's a massive quality-of-life upgrade over the old Intel-designed NUCs that sounded like tiny hair dryers.

Stacked against the Apple Mac mini M4, the NUC 14 Pro is the clear winner if you need a ton of ports and prefer Windows. The Mac mini is faster for creative work and sips power, but it forces you into dongle city. Against other Windows mini PCs like the Dell Tower Plus, the ASUS is more compact and has a better port layout, though Dell's reliability scores tend to be higher. If you're even thinking about gaming, skip all of these and look at the MSI Aegis Z2 instead. That thing has a real GPU and won't make you sad the first time you launch a game.

Pricing on this thing is a rollercoaster. We've seen it listed anywhere from $670 to $1731 across different vendors, which is a wild $1061 spread. At the low end, it's a steal for a compact workstation with this much RAM and storage. At the high end, you're getting fleeced. If you're buying, hunt down the barebone kit and add your own RAM and SSD to save a bundle, or just make sure you're grabbing it from the vendor with the best deal. Don't pay more than $800 for this exact config.

The ASUS NUC 14 Pro is a tiny powerhouse that finally fixes the cooling headaches of the old Intel NUCs. ASUS took over the line and immediately made the chassis easier to open and the thermals way less annoying. This specific config with the Core Ultra 5 135H, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD is a ready-to-roll productivity beast that can drive four displays without breaking a sweat. Just don't confuse it for a gaming rig. The integrated Arc graphics are fine for desktop work and media, but they'll choke on anything more demanding than Minesweeper.

If you're looking for a gaming PC, this isn't it. Go get an MSI Aegis Z2 or a Lenovo Legion Tower 5i instead. Those have actual dedicated GPUs that won't cry when you launch a game from this decade. The NUC 14 Pro is a workhorse, not a racehorse.

The ASUS NUC 14 Pro is the mini PC to beat for office warriors and developers who want a clean desk and a mountain of ports. It's quiet, fast enough for real work, and the tool-less design is a dream for IT folks. Just know what you're getting into. This is not a gaming machine, and the reliability track record is still a question mark. If you find it for a good price, buy it with confidence. If it's marked up near $1700, run away and build a small form factor PC yourself.