MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG-002BUS Barebone
Powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V with integrated Arc Graphics and 32GB of fast LPDDR5x memory, this 0.63kg mini PC is purpose-built for local AI workloads. Its barebone design includes a dedicated Copilot button and fingerprint reader, while dual 2.5G Ethernet ports and Thunderbolt 4 provide extensive connectivity in a chassis mountable behind a monitor. This system is best for developers prototyping on-device AI models who need a compact, customizable node.
CPU Intel Core Ultra 9
RAM 32 GB
GPU Intel Arc Graphics
form factor mini
psu w 120
OS No OS
60 Overall Score
Price $799
Snapshot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong ram (92nd percentile) 92nd
- Strong port selection (71st percentile) 71st
Cons
- Below average storage (3rd percentile)
The proof
Performance
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 |
| Cores | 8 |
| Frequency | 3.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB |
Graphics
| GPU | Intel Arc Graphics |
| Type | Integrated |
| VRAM | 16 GB |
| VRAM Type | Shared |
Memory & Storage
| RAM | 32 GB |
| RAM Generation | DDR5 |
| Storage Type | NVMe SSD |
Build
| Form Factor | mini |
| PSU | 120 |
| Weight | 0.6 kg / 1.4 lbs |
Connectivity
| USB-C Ports | 2 |
| USB Ports | 4 |
| Thunderbolt | 2 x Thunderbolt4 (DP 1.4 alt-mode up to 4K@60Hz /PD-out15W) (Rear) |
| HDMI | 2 x HDMI out (supports 4K @60Hz as specified in HDMI 2.1 & supports MSI Power Link) |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Ethernet | Intel i226V |
System
| OS | No OS |
vs Competition
| Spec | MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG-002BUS Barebone | Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 90YA003GUS | HP OMEN GT16-0364 | Apple Mac Studio M4 Max | Dell Tower ECT1250 | Acer Nitro N60-180-UB33 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 | Intel Core Ultra 7 265F | AMD Ryzen 7 8700F | Apple M4 Max | Intel Core Ultra 7 265 | AMD Ryzen 9 7900 |
| RAM (GB) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 32 | 32 |
| Storage (GB) | - | 1000 | 1024 | 512 | 2000 | 1000 |
| GPU | Intel Arc Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 | Apple M4 Max 32-core | Intel UHD Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 |
| Form Factor | mini | mid-tower | mid-tower | sff | mid-tower | mid-tower |
| Psu W | 120 | 500 | 850 | - | 180 | 850 |
| OS | No OS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home | macOS | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | CPU | GPU | RAM | Ports | Storage | Reliability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG-002BUS Barebone | 47.6 | 54.8 | 91.7 | 71 | 2.8 | 37.8 |
| Lenovo Legion Tower 5i 90YA003GUS Compare | 87.4 | 73.7 | 82.7 | 94.2 | 64.5 | 70.4 |
| HP OMEN GT16-0364 Compare | 69.2 | 82.9 | 87.8 | 98 | 58 | 70.4 |
| Apple Mac Studio M4 Max Compare | 85.7 | 67.2 | 69.7 | 94.6 | 32.1 | 99.3 |
| Dell Tower ECT1250 Compare | 89.6 | 32.8 | 82.7 | 86.7 | 82.8 | 70.4 |
| Acer Nitro N60-180-UB33 Compare | 86.6 | 82.9 | 87.8 | 97.7 | 64.5 | 32.5 |
Price
Value & Pricing
From $799
Newegg 1 offer From $799
Amazon 1 offer From $802
B&H Photo 1 offer From $949
Price History
Usage Scores
A full written review is coming soon. The specs, scores, prices and charts above are always up to date.
