Introduction of Asus Rog NUC:-
Asus has taken over the NUC brand from Intel and introduced the ROG NUC 970, a compact gaming PC that packs a punch. This mini marvel is housed in a 2.5-liter case, making it one of the smallest gaming desktops available. Despite its size, it boasts impressive performance thanks to its laptop-grade components.
Design and Build
The ROG NUC 970 features a sleek design with a red ROG logo that lights up on the side, adding a touch of gamer aesthetics. The case is densely packed with hardware, and while the plastic shell feels a bit fragile, the device is designed to be used in both horizontal and vertical orientations. Asus provides a sturdy metal stand for vertical placement, ensuring stability.
Performance
Under the hood, the ROG NUC 970 is equipped with a discrete GPU, making it a capable gaming machine. However, it’s important to note that it uses laptop components, which might not match the performance of full-sized desktop parts. Still, for its size, it delivers commendable gaming performance.
Pricing
When compared to full-sized desktops like the Starforge Systems Navigator or the Alienware Aurora R16, the ROG NUC 970’s price seems reasonable. However, since it uses laptop components, a better comparison would be with gaming laptops. For instance, the ROG Zephyrus G16 offers similar specs at a lower price, but it includes a display and keyboard.
Upgradability
Accessing the internals of the ROG NUC 970 is straightforward, though it can be a bit tricky at first. Once inside, you’ll find three NVMe slots and two SODIMM slots, allowing for easy upgrades. The quick-release latches for the NVMe slots make swapping storage a breeze.
As mentioned, the ROG NUC 970 uses laptop components, so it’s important to keep performance expectations in check. You’re not going to get the level of performance out of a desktop Core i9 CPU or RTX 4070 graphics card. I have some desktop comparison points here for context, but the true one-to-one battle is with laptop components.
As Cinebench R24 shows, Asus is getting the most out of these laptop components. It manages to outpace the Zephyrus G16, which packs an identical CPU. It also outpaces the multi-core score of the M2 Pro Mac mini, but falls short on single core performance by a bit. It actually managed to match the Alienware Aurora R16 with a desktop Core i7-13700F, though that’s an older processor.
Geek bench 6 paints a slightly different picture. The ROG NUC 970 falls short of the Lenovo Yogo Pro 9i, which has the same processor, but the more telling comparison is the Alienware Aurora R16. The Core Ultra 9 185H gets beat in both single and multi-core performance. Although the ROG NUC gets the most out of its components, it’s still using laptop components at the end of the day — they aren’t able to upend what you get on a larger desktop.
Conclusion
The Asus ROG NUC 970 stands out for its unique combination of compact size and gaming capabilities. While it may not be the most cost-effective option compared to gaming laptops, its small form factor and performance make it a compelling choice for those looking for a tiny yet powerful gaming PC.
