In July,Intel left the NUC business andgave Asus a licenseto produce its own designs. AtCES2024 in Las Vegas, Asus is showing off its first gaming-focused design, theAsus ROG NUC.There will be two configurations: one with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, and another with a Core Ultra 9 185H and RTX 4070 Laptop GPU. Those are all mobile parts to fit into a 2.5-liter chassis.We don’t have exact RAM and storage numbers, though the spec sheet says the system has two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots (maxing out at 32GB per slot, or 64GB total) and offers three M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 SSD slots. It sounds like there will be room for upgrades.
The front of the system has an SD card reader (UHS-1), a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and a 3.5 mmaudiojack, while the back boasts a Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) port, two more USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.1 port and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports. Additionally, the laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E with a Killer WiFi 6E AX1690i card.We saw the system in its included vertical stand, which is great because it takes up less desk space. But if you prefer it sideways, you may always place it on the prominent rubberized feet on one side of the PC.
The design to get inside is largely tool-free, though there is a single screw, which Asus told us is to keep an internal battery (likely CMOS) out of children’s hands and digestive tracks. Still, Asus says it takes less than ten minutes to get into the system and make changes.Asus apparently codenamed the device “Scorpion Canyon.” When Intel made NUCs, these names were common among enthusiasts to refer to different generations, especially among the skull-clad NUC Enthusiast line. Seeing Asus keep the tradition going is fun, but we’ll see if it sticks.Representatives for Asus on the show floor would only tell us that the NUC is coming “soon.” We don’t have firm prices, but they suggested the Ultra 7 with an RTX 4060 could be around $1,700 to $1,800, while the configuration with an Ultra 9 and RTX 4070 could go as high as $2,100 - $2,200, but take those early prices with a grain of salt.
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Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom’s Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom’s Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Threads@FreedmanAEand BlueSky@andrewfreedman.net.You can send him tips on Signal: andrewfreedman.01
