Asus has released the gaming mini-PC platform ROG NUC 16: three liters, more compact than the PlayStation 5, but priced seven to one and a half times higher.

Asus launches new mini‑PC ROG NUC 16 in China

The company Asus has unveiled an updated gaming system ROG NUC 16, available in black and white. The chassis remains the same 3‑liter size as previous compact gaming PC models.

What’s new
* Processor – now comes with a 24‑core Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.

* Graphics – the base configuration is equipped with mobile GeForce RTX 5080. Additional options include RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5070 and RTX 5060.

* Memory – supports up to 128 GB DDR5‑6400 CSODIMM.

Prices and availability
Color Price in China Approx. USD
Black (Obsidian Black) 29 999 yuan $4 420
White (Moonlight White) 30 499 yuan $4 490

Both versions are already taking preorders. Prices for the international market have not been announced yet.

Power supply and cooling
* PSU – 380 W, which is 15 % higher than the ROG NUC 2025.

* Cooling system – three fans, an evaporative chamber with a 72 % coating and a separate heat pipe for the SSD. Noise level does not exceed 38 dBA.

Chassis and ports
The chassis supports both vertical and horizontal installation. An integrated gyroscope determines the device orientation and automatically adjusts cooling parameters. The port set includes:

* Thunderbolt 4

* DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20

* HDMI 2.1

* 2.5‑Gbps LAN

* USB 3.2 Gen 2

The system can connect up to five 4K displays.

Comparison with gaming consoles
Asus positions the ROG NUC 16 as a compact yet more powerful alternative to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. However, the price is significantly higher: the PS5 without a disc drive costs 3 999 yuan in China, and even after the recent price increase the PlayStation 5 Pro remains almost four times cheaper than the new mini‑PC.

Model history
Previously, the ROG NUC 2025 offered processors up to Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5080 graphics. Its starting price was 24 399–24 999 yuan (≈$3 199 in the US). The new model retains the RTX 5080 but replaces the processor with a more powerful Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus.