ASUS NUC 14 Pro+

It suits someone who already has SODIMM memory and an M.2 drive on hand, or who wants to choose those parts. It also suits a home server builder who wants Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GbE and a VESA mount on something that hides behind a monitor. With four USB-A ports and two Thunderbolt ports, a desk full of peripherals is covered.

Skip it if you want a computer that works out of the box, because memory and storage must be added before it runs. Skip it too for CAD, professional rendering or other workstation jobs, since there is no discrete graphics and no PCIe card slot. If you need more than 48 GB of memory, look elsewhere.

As a homelab box, the NUC 14 Pro+ is workable. Two SODIMM slots take up to 48 GB, and memory is what decides how many virtual machines and containers you can run side by side. Storage comes from an M.2 2280 slot that takes a drive of up to 4 TB, plus a shorter M.2 2242 slot for a second drive. You also get a 2.5GbE port and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. What keeps it from being well suited is that it arrives empty: memory and storage must be added before it runs. There is only one network port, so a router or firewall build that wants separate wired ports will not find them on this box.

For workstation work it is a poor fit. Both versions rely on integrated Intel Arc Graphics with no discrete GPU, and there is no PCIe card slot to add one. Two memory slots and a 48 GB ceiling are also too little for heavy simulation, large datasets or professional rendering.

Two kits exist, both barebones, both new and both released in 2024. The kit with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and the kit with the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H share 16 cores, 22 threads and Intel Arc Graphics. The Core Ultra 9 185H kit uses the same chassis and comes with a 150W adapter; the power supply is a 19V external unit at 120W or 150W. Neither kit comes with stated memory or storage, so you buy both either way. For a home server or office desk, the Core Ultra 7 155H gives you the same cores and threads; pick the Core Ultra 9 185H if you want that chip and its 150W adapter.

Memory goes into two SODIMM slots with a maximum of 48 GB, and none of it is soldered. That means you can start with a smaller kit and add more later, up to that ceiling. For storage there are two M.2 slots, one 2280 and one 2242, and the 2280 slot takes a drive of up to 4 TB. Fill both and you have a system drive plus an M.2 drive for data. There is no PCIe card slot, so internal expansion ends at the memory and the two M.2 drives.

Screens connect through two HDMI outputs, and there are no DisplayPort outputs. ASUS does not state the HDMI version or the maximum number of displays, so check both before pairing it with a demanding monitor. Beyond that you get two Thunderbolt ports, one USB-C port and four USB-A ports, with no USB4. Wired networking is a single 2.5GbE port, and the included wireless module adds Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

This is a kit: memory and storage must be added before it runs, and ASUS does not state an operating system for either version. Memory stops at 48 GB, there is one network port and there is no PCIe card slot. ASUS also does not state the memory type or speed, ECC support, the PCIe generation of either M.2 slot, M.2 SATA support, SATA bays, the HDMI version, the maximum number of displays, OCuLink, an SD card reader or the TDP.

When you compare other compact machines, start with the memory ceiling, since this one stops at 48 GB across two SODIMM slots. Count the network ports if you want a router or firewall, because this kit has one 2.5GbE port. Check whether a rival ships ready to run, as this is a barebones kit, and whether it offers discrete graphics or a PCIe card slot, which this machine lacks. Finally, compare display outputs: this one has two HDMI ports and no DisplayPort.