NUC or Next Unit of Computing is the name given tosmall-form factor mini-PCsthat are designed for casual use cases, like home theater PCs, office settings, signage, and more. Over the years, NUCs have become significantly more efficient and powerful, making them capable of running heavy AAA games and performing more demanding computational tasks. The perfect example is the ASUS ROG NUC 970, which is small enough to put in your backpack, yet powerful enough toreplace your desktop.
ASUS ROG NUC 970: Design and Form Factor
ASUS ROG NUC 970
The ASUS ROG NUC 970 is a high-performance, small form factor PC, or mini-PC, that comes with powerful components in a 2.5 liter chassis. Out of the box, it features up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with a 65W TDP and up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with 140W TDP. There is a base model as well, with a Core Ultra 7 155H and an RTX 4060. Both models come with up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB storage, both of which can be upgraded in the future.
The traditional NUC design is a compact box that is about as big as your hand, but packs all the components needed for a full desktop Windows PC experience. The ASUS ROG NUC 970 steps away from the typical design and brings a more gamer-look with a thin rectangular profile and sharp edges,RGB lighting, and a stand that lets you place the NUC vertically. Most of the I/O is located at the back, while easy-to-access USB ports, a headset jack, and a card reader are present at the front.
It is a tiny 2.5-liter chassis, making it exceptionally convenient to travel with or even move around the house. It measures 27x18x6cm and weighs just 2.6 kg. On the other hand, those who use NUCs usually have them sit in one place somewhere in the house. The ASUS ROG NUC 970 comes in a single black color and blends well in any setup, especially when placed flat (horizontally).
ASUS ROG NUC 970: Specifications and Performance
Despite itssmall form factor, the ASUS ROG NUC 970 packs a serious punch, even with its base configuration. As of now, there are only Intel CPU and Nvidia GPU options for the NUC, meaning the ROG NUC 970 can be equipped with either an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H with a 40W TDP or the Core Ultra 9 185H with a 65W TDP. For the GPU, you can get either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 or the RTX 4070 laptop GPU, both of which get the full 140W of power. Since this is the laptop version of theRTX 4070, it comes with only 8GB VRAM rather than the full 12GB. Still, this level of performance should be sufficient for most modern games. The CPU and GPU are backed by either a 16GB + 512GB or 32GB + 1TB RAM and storage combo.
While you may only get up to 32GB from the factory build, the NUC can be upgraded with up to 64GB dual-channelDDR5 memorylater down the line. Out of the box, both the RAM slots are occupied, but they can be replaced with higher capacity modules. There are also three M.2 PCIe slots, so you can add more storage as well.
For connectivity, the ROG NUC 970 gets a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C with a DisplayPort 2.1 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, two DP 1.4a ports, an RJ45 LAN port, a Kensington Lock, and a DC-in for power. These are just the ports on the back; you will also have a card reader, two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, and a 3.5mm headset jack at the front for easy access.
The LAN port is capable of 2.5Gb connectivity and if a wired connection is not possible where you place the NUC, there is also Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Keeping the system cool is a vapor chamber and heat pipe thermal design that works equally well in both vertical and horizontal orientations. Upgrading the NUC is not difficult or complicated, just requires a few extra steps. Furthermore, the ROG logo can be swapped out for something else.
Of course, with all those powerful components stuffed into a compact chassis, there is no room for an internal power supply. ASUS ships the ROG NUC 970 with an external 330W adapter and that is enough to power the NUC. It makes sense as these are essentially laptop components stuffed into a chassis without a display, so a 330W PSU should be sufficient for even the top-tier 65W Core Ultra 9 185H and 140W RTX 4070 configuration.
ASUS ROG NUC 970: Price and Availability
Both configurations of the ROG NUC 970 are available on Amazon and some other retailers. The base model with 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, Core Ultra 7 155H, and RT 4060 GPU ispriced at $1399while the Core Ultra 9 185H with RTX 4070 configuration ispriced at $1809.
That is the price for just the NUC; you will still need to invest in a display, keyboard, mouse, and other accessories if you don’t already have them. This makes the full package even more expensive, but it’s not a simple apples-to-apples comparison.
ASUS ROG NUC 970 is not a cheap or budget-friendly mini-PC by any means, though, at under $2200, you do get a full-fledged, high-performance laptop. TheMSI Vector 17 HX costs $2200(at the time of writing), but at that price, it comes with a Core i9-14900HX and an RTX 4070, along with a 240Hz QHD+ display. This seems to be a better deal than the NUC, but the NUC is not a laptop replacement, and comparing it to that form factor is not ideal.
That being said, if you wish to use the NUC as a simple home theater PC or as office equipment, going with something much cheaper would suffice. But if gaming on the NUC is the plan, then the ASUS ROG NUC 970 is the way to go.
FAQ
Q: What is a NUC?
A NUC or Next Unit of Computing is a small form-factor PC or a mini-PC that offers a full Windows experience using laptop components. It does not include a display or any peripherals.
Q: Is ROG good or bad?
ROG is ASUS’s gaming brand and is very popular in the space. There is a wide range of products like laptops, PC components, and other gaming hardware under the ROG brand and they are all solid performing devices.
