ROG NUC 2025: Compact and Powerful Desktop PC

The new mini-PC ROG NUC 2025 from Asus has the same format as a chunky desktop graphics card placed upright and flanked by an equally large motherboard. Because that’s exactly what it is, and not much more, in as compact a chassis as possible.

The basic idea with NUC is a barebones computer, a small mini-PC with processor and graphics card built in, into which you can then insert your own storage and memory. Since Asus took over as manufacturer of NUC computers, they have been more creative with the mini-PC concept than Intel ever was.

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Asus releases barebones kits in more form factors and also more prebuilt computers complete with memory, storage, and operating system than Intel ever did. Especially those released under the ROG brand, which are primarily aimed at gamers. ROG NUC 2025 can be found with different processors and graphics cards but is sold in Sweden in a well-equipped and very powerful configuration: the laptop processor Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and a desktop-class Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card.

A Complete PC for Gamers and Creators

32 GB of fast DDR5 memory and a 2 TB SSD complete the package. It comes with Windows 11 Home, all drivers for optimal gaming performance, and Asus’ control software Armoury Crate, which can manage cooling, optimize the network connection, and control the RGB lighting of the chassis.

Yes, it has that. A light strip running across the front and a large ROG logo on the side that can glow or pulse in any color, or in all colors. It’s typical ROG design all over the case, with odd, beveled angles in the plastic and futuristic patterns on the sides.

There are plenty of monitor outputs, a fast Ethernet port, and USB ports on the back, including a Thunderbolt 4-compatible USB-C. And more ports on the front. The only thing I feel is missing in terms of connectivity would be an SD card reader.

You get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 7 built in, but I’m not entirely convinced by the Wi-Fi performance. The signal to my Wi-Fi 6 router seems weak, and it doesn’t manage to reach the download speeds I’m used to.

It’s fast enough for browsing and streaming, and I get low latency for gaming, especially when I set up a Wi-Fi 7 router and test against it. But something is missing. Probably the antennas don’t get enough space in the compact chassis. The option to screw on external ones would have been a plus.

Built for Gaming

“Game First” is written under a large fan vent on the side, and it’s clear what Asus thinks the computer should be used for. It’s an excellent gaming machine, and I can push out stable 60 fps in most modern games. I run modded Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2, which delivers an unbeatable experience on the right screen.

With my 1440p monitor on the desk, it works perfectly. I also test setting up the computer as a console and connecting it to the TV. That works smoothly too—at least if I go easy on some effects and instead use Nvidia’s AI-based DLSS upscaling, which provides both image quality and higher performance.

It works great with HDMI 2.1, and all you need is a wireless mouse and keyboard, or a game controller. Quality and performance easily beat a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X by a wide margin, even if the cooling can sometimes get loud. But that’s expected when it costs as much as five PS5s.

Not Just for Gaming

But just because the computer has a gaming angle doesn’t mean you have to use it only for that. The Core Ultra 9 processor makes it an excellent workstation for heavy workloads, from database management and development to 3D modeling and video editing. It doesn’t have a very powerful built-in NPU for tasks like running local language models and machine learning, but that’s what the mighty RTX graphics card is for, delivering more than enough AI performance.

It’s really only under heavy GPU load that the computer gets warm and the fans spin extra loud, and even then it’s bearable. In theory, it should be able to run passively, and right at startup the computer is actually completely silent, but it doesn’t take many seconds before some process triggers cooling at low speed with a faint whoosh from the fans.

Switching to eco mode, which is supposed to reduce both performance and fan noise, doesn’t help much. But at least it keeps it semi-quiet all the time. This can be useful as an energy-saving base mode when you’re just browsing and running Office, but don’t forget to switch to performance mode when it’s time to dive into gaming worlds.

“Finally, it opens

A NUC should be easy to maintain and upgrade, and this computer is—to some extent. You can get inside by loosening a thumb screw on the back, and then the side panels come off. But it takes quite a lot of force the first time, and I almost thought I was breaking something to get the panel loose. But eventually, it worked.

Once inside, the reward isn’t huge. There are two low-profile DIMM slots for RAM, but both are occupied, so if you want to upgrade you’ll need to buy entirely new modules. There’s also an available PCIe M.2 slot for an extra SSD.

Why I can also get into the opposite side of the computer is less clear. There’s nothing there. Just fans for the graphics card. But okay, it’s probably good to have access in case it gets dusty and needs cleaning.

A price of about $3,690 is not pocket change, but for that you get a solid performance computer for both gaming and demanding work. A similarly large desktop PC with an RTX 5080 costs between $2,840 and $4,210, so Asus isn’t too far off price-wise. It doesn’t break any speed records, but it delivers a lot of performance in a very compact package. With its upright design, it can easily fit on any desk.

Specifications

• Product Name: ROG NUC 2025 90AS00I1-M00090
• Release Date: August 2025
• Manufacturer: Asus
• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (8 P-cores up to 5.4 GHz, 16 E-cores up to 4.6 GHz)
• NPU: Intel AI Boost, 13 TOPS
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, 16 GB
• Memory: 32 GB DDR5
• Storage: 2 TB SSD
• Rear I/O: USB-C 4/Thunderbolt 4, 4x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4a, 2.5Gb Ethernet
• Front I/O: USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, headphone jack
• Wireless: WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
• OS: Windows 11 Home
• Expansion: 1x PCIe M.2 slot
• Noise Level: 0–45 dBA
• Power Consumption: 25–310W
• Dimensions: 14.6 x 18.8 x 28.24 cm
• MSRP: ~$3,600
• Test Price: ~$3,200 at Computersalg

Benchmark Results:

• Cinebench 2024 (Multi-core): 1,828
• Cinebench 2024 (Single-core): 131
• Geekbench 6 (Multi-core): 19,929
• Geekbench 6 (Single-core): 3,040
• Geekbench 6 (GPU): 214,256
• 3DMark Fire Strike (DX11): 40,923
• 3DMark Time Spy (DX12): 20,751
• 3DMark Steel Nomad (Vulkan): 5,256
• 3DMark Port Royal (Ray Tracing): 12,055
• SSD Read Speed: 7,040 MB/s
• SSD Write Speed: 6,488 MB/s