Rounding out our mini-series on the new ASUS NUCs that we started a bit ago, we have our ASUS NUC 14 Pro review. For many, this form factor will be the most familiar of the bunch. After ASUS procured the Intel NUC business, lines like this one are now ASUS brands. As such, let us take a look at what we get in the latest generation.
We had a video with this unit and two NUC platforms that you can find here:
This model is technically the ASUS NUC 14 Pro Tall. There is a short version available that lacks some of the expansion capabilities. We did not have the short version to test.
ASUS NUC 14 Pro External Hardware Overview
In the front of the system, we get a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps USB Type-C port. There are also a pair of 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen2 ports and the power button.
A small but nice feature is that ASUS labels its USB ports with the speed. We review plenty of mini PCs, and every single one should do this, yet very few do.
On one side, we get the Kensington lock port.
On both sides, we get vents.
Here is the rear where most of the I/O is. One can see two HDMI ports. There is a 2.5GbE NIC port as well as two USB Type-A ports. One of the Type-A ports is a USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps port, while the other is USB 2.0. There are also two Thunderbolt 4 ports that can be used as display outputs as well.
Below the ports is an expansion slot. We tried an older USB and NIC expansion from a NUC 12, and it did not work here, so check compatibility. It is a bit of a bummer that these are not more standardized.
The DC input has a neat little feature. Here, we can see the power cable retention bracket at work to help minimize unwanted power disruptions.
On the bottom, we get various mounting options as well as a nice label with things like barcodes for the MAC addresses.
Probably the best feature is also the tool-less latching and locking mechanism for removing the bottom cover. This is super easy to use. We wish more mini PCs used tool-less chassis.
Next, let us open that cover and get inside the system.
As a owner of sever NUC13, the Intel i226v sucks. I personally went 10Gbps with a TB4 adapter. NUCs deserve two NICs but of higher quality than the infimous Intel Foxville generation.
I understand the appeal of a second NIC, but at least one can easily add a second (and third) 2.5/5/10G port using Thunderbolt.
Oddly you can still buy these from Intel as the “AI PC Development Kit”
Is there a reason that you don’t discuss the expected MSRP of this NUC? It would be really nice to see perf/watt and then perf/watt/$ comparisons for these small devices to get a feel for overall value.
Congrats on the new baby and good luck!
I have a handful of tiny/mini/micro machines in my home lab. The NUCs have always been enticing to me but I am always astounded by the cost compared to similar sized and spec’d systems.
PS – love your reviews and videos.