ASUS NUC 14 Pro vs ASUS NUC 14 Pro+

For everyday work and coding, only the complete NUC 14 Pro with 16 GB has been judged so far. It is well suited to both, with sixteen cores, Windows 11 Pro, Wi-Fi 6E, two HDMI outputs and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. The two NUC 14 Pro kits are not assessed until built. The NUC 14 Pro+ kits are in the same position, since memory and storage must be added before they run.

Gaming is workable on the complete NUC 14 Pro. Its integrated Intel Arc Graphics, with no discrete GPU, suit esports and older titles at 1080p, and ASUS notes that the graphics need two SO-DIMMs fitted to reach full performance. On the NUC 14 Pro+, gaming can only be judged once you have built the kit.

Local AI is a poor fit on the 16 GB model. There is no dedicated accelerator, and as sold only small quantized models fit, though memory can go to 48 GB later.

Homelab use is workable on both: each has a 2.5GbE port, two M.2 slots and up to 48 GB on two SODIMM slots. Each has one network port. A router with separate physical network links needs another interface. VLAN routing over a single port is possible with a compatible managed switch and suitable network configuration. As a workstation both are a poor fit, with no discrete graphics, no x8 or x16 card slot and fewer than four memory slots.

The memory layout and ceiling are the same on both: two SODIMM slots each, nothing soldered, and a 48 GB maximum from ASUS. On the complete NUC 14 Pro that leaves room to go from 16 GB to 48 GB. On any kit you buy the memory yourself.

Storage follows the same pattern, with two M.2 slots on each machine, one 2280 and one 2242. The complete NUC 14 Pro ships with a 512 GB NVMe drive, so one slot is left free for an added M.2 drive. The 2280 slot on the NUC 14 Pro+ takes up to 4 TB. ASUS does not state the PCIe generation of either slot on either machine, and that matters because a drive runs at its slot's speed.

Networking is the same on both: one 2.5GbE port, Wi-Fi 6E with the wireless module included, and Bluetooth 5.3. Each has two Thunderbolt ports, two HDMI outputs and no DisplayPort output. The NUC 14 Pro has three USB-C and three USB-A ports, while the NUC 14 Pro+ has one USB-C and four USB-A.

For screens, plan on the two HDMI outputs. ASUS states neither the HDMI version nor the maximum number of displays, and 4K above 60 Hz needs HDMI 2.1 at the computer, the cable and the display. Both run from a 19V external adapter, 90W or 120W on the Pro and 120W or 150W on the Pro+. The Pro measures 117 x 112 x 54 mm, and the Pro+ is longer and flatter at 144 x 112 x 41 mm.

The fair match is the NUC 14 Pro kit with the Core Ultra 7 155H against the NUC 14 Pro+ kit with the same chip. Both have 16 cores and 22 threads and both are barebones, so the differences come down to chassis, ports and power adapter. The NUC 14 Pro kit with the Core Ultra 5 125H, at 14 cores and 18 threads, has no Pro+ counterpart. Nor does the Pro+ kit with the Core Ultra 9 185H, which keeps 16 cores and 22 threads. The complete 16 GB NUC 14 Pro stands alone as the only ready-to-run model.

If you need a workstation, both are a poor fit, and the alternative to look at is the MINISFORUM MS-01. It moves from the Core Ultra 7 155H to an Intel Core i9-13900H and raises the maximum memory from 48 GB to 96 GB. Memory capacity decides which local language models fit, so that higher ceiling also matters if local AI is your goal.