Asus ROG NUC has a $1,629 starting price — entry-level SKU comes with Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and RTX 4060 GPU

Official Asus ROG NUC product render.
Official Asus ROG NUC product render. (Image credit: Asus)

Following the initial January ROG NUC tease and then listing the pricing of its base NUC 14s two months ago, Asus finally decided to release its ROG NUC series pricing and specifications today. The Asus ROG NUCs are listed as two models: a 512GB mid-range Intel Core 7 155H with a discrete built-in RTX 4060 and a 1TB high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with a discrete RTX 4070. The ROG NUC models cost $1,629 and $2,199, respectively.

If the high-end ROG NUC can maximize its discrete RTX 4070, it should prove a capable gaming beast at 1440p and 60 FPS while targeting Ultra settings. Lower settings will, of course, allow for higher resolution and FPS targets on the graphics hardware, though the mobile CPU designs may be slightly limiting the maximum possible framerate.

Besides some reasonably decent core specifications, the Asus ROG NUCs have various features that help compensate for limited expansion due to its compact 2.5-liter form factor. These features include built-in Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support, branding-staple RGB lighting, and an adequate selection of ports.

The Asus ROG NUCs include two front USB 3.0 ports, one front audio jack, one front card reader, two rear USB 3.0 ports, two rear USB 2.0 ports, one 2.5G Ethernet port, one USB Type-C port, one HDMI port, and two DisplayPorts. So overall, you shouldn't be hurting for expansion options besides extra NVMe storage on these units.

While the raw price-to-performance ratio may seem a little questionable from the DIY perspective, it's important to remember that most people aren't able to build something this powerful, this compact on their own. Discrete RTX 40 Series GPUs paired with Intel's latest CPU architecture in this form factor should be a recipe for easy success, though the cautious will want to wait for thermal benchmarks to be sure.

For now, the Asus ROG NUC models are listed as unavailable, though the timing of these pricing reveals that all Asus' new NUCs are impending release.

Christopher Harper
Contributing Writer

Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.

  • Notton
    Do we know if the GPUs in these are desktop or mobile versions?
    Reply
  • Notton said:
    Do we know if the GPUs in these are desktop or mobile versions?

    They are all LAPTOP/mobile GPU variants, not desktop.

    However, unlike the RTX 4060 mobile chip, the mobile RTX 4070 which is also based on the same architecture as its desktop counterpart, has fewer CUDA cores, lower clock speeds, a smaller amount of memory with a smaller bus width, and a vastly lower power draw.

    So the performance gap in 4070's case might be more noticeable.
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    At that price would you recommend it over, say, a regular laptop? The ASUS - ROG Zephyrus M16, currently on sale at BestBuy for $1600, has an RTX 4070, 240hz 2560x1600 screen, i9-13900H, 1TB SD, and 16GB RAM.
    Reply
  • btmedic04
    Rog tax is real. Those prices are excessive for what you're getting
    Reply
  • Notton
    Alvar Miles Udell said:
    At that price would you recommend it over, say, a regular laptop? The ASUS - ROG Zephyrus M16, currently on sale at BestBuy for $1600, has an RTX 4070, 240hz 2560x1600 screen, i9-13900H, 1TB SD, and 16GB RAM.
    That is a steal.
    The regular price for a ROG laptop with a 4070 GPU and 1440p/1600p screen is $2200-$2500.
    Although, if you just want a 4070 with i9-13900H, then the TUF laptops are around $1000-$1200.
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    Notton said:
    That is a steal.
    The regular price for a ROG laptop with a 4070 GPU and 1440p/1600p screen is $2200-$2500.
    Although, if you just want a 4070 with i9-13900H, then the TUF laptops are around $1000-$1200.

    That model is regular priced $1950

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-m16-16-240hz-gaming-laptop-qhd-intel-13th-gen-core-i9-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-1tb-ssd-off-black/6535501.p?skuId=6535501
    Reply
  • Notton
    Alvar Miles Udell said:
    That model is regular priced $1950

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-m16-16-240hz-gaming-laptop-qhd-intel-13th-gen-core-i9-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-1tb-ssd-off-black/6535501.p?skuId=6535501
    It seems that bestbuy has that model double discounted? Everywhere else I looked had the price at $2500 or sold out.
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    Notton said:
    It seems that bestbuy has that model double discounted? Everywhere else I looked had the price at $2500 or sold out.
    Possibly, it is an "older" CPU. I'd love an excuse to buy it.
    Reply
  • CelicaGT
    The compact form factor appeals to a limited market. I know past attempts at machines like this have had limited success. ROG branding may help, but like others have noted, one is better off buying a laptop at that price.
    Reply
  • kealii123
    There are RTX 4080 laptops out there for cheaper, this one is under $1900 and has a faster CPU too. I just don't get these NUCs. Has to be a narrow, narrow audience.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-predator-helios-16-16-240hz-gaming-laptop-wqxga-intel-i9-13900hx-with-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4080-1tb-ssd-black/6546241.p?skuId=6546241
    Reply