The Asus NUC 15 Pro+ delivers impressive power and flexibility in a remarkably trim chassis, pairing Intel’s latest mobile Core Ultra performance with easy upgrades and abundant ports.
When it comes to mini desktops, Apple is probably the best-known name on the market, thanks to the Mac mini. Of course, you can find Windows PCs that are just as diminutive and plenty powerful, like this Asus NUC 15 Pro+ (starts at $615; $1,199 as tested), the latest and highest-end model from Asus‘ take on Intel’s Next Unit of Computing (NUC) initiative that it inherited a few years ago. (NUC systems come either as complete mini PCs or „barebones“ boxes containing everything but the storage, memory, and operating system installed.) The NUC 15 Pro+ packs a lot of potency into a petite frame; however, its price tag doesn’t stay tiny if you start adding upgrades. We still recommend the Editors‘ Choice-award-winning Apple Mac mini for high-end mini desktops, though that requires adopting macOS, of course, and spending more than this NUC if you want the muscular M4 Pro CPU. But if Windows is non-negotiable, the NUC 15 Pro+ is a very solid mini PC option.Configurations: Watch Your Wallet
When configuring the NUC 15 Pro+, you have quite a bit of flexibility. For example, you can buy it without storage or memory for $615 with an Intel Core Ultra 5 255H processor. Adding 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage brings the price to $799. If you select a Core Ultra 7 255H without storage or RAM, you’ll pay $755, while 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage bump the price to $1,049. The highest-end configuration, reviewed here, has a Core Ultra 9 285H processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for $1,199.
Note that if you buy the NUC 15 Pro+ in kit form and add your own storage and RAM, you must provide a copy of an operating system and install it yourself. On the plus side, Asus makes it very easy to access the two RAM slots and the SSD slot: Just remove one screw and pop the latch, and the bottom opens outward.
This model can take up to 48GB of memory via the two SO-DIMM slots. The single slot for M.2 storage supports PCI Express 5.0 SSDs, though the included 1TB drive is a PCIe 4.0 stick. Design: Tiny But Noisy
With its silver all-aluminum chassis, the NUC 15 Pro+ almost certainly takes its design cues from Apple’s Mac mini. It doesn’t look quite as solid, though, and the large vents along each side give it a different vibe; if you turn the machine over, the bottom’s decidedly industrial. (Of course, part of the reason for that look is that you can open the NUC 15 Pro+ and replace the RAM and storage, something you certainly cannot do with an Apple desktop.
