ASUS ROG NUC 16 with RTX 5080 and Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus: this is the 3-liter mini gaming PC

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The ASUS ROG NUC 16 with RTX 5080 and Core 9 Ultra 290HX Plus has become one of the most talked-about mini gaming PCs on the market. It maintains the compact form factor of the ROG NUC family, but takes a significant step forward in power and ambition, clearly approaching what was previously associated with a high-end gaming desktop.

Although the launch has taken place first in China and Asian markets , the impact it can have in Europe and Spain is evident: enthusiast-level price, state-of-the-art hardware and a chassis of only three liters that tries to square the circle between small size and desktop performance.

Compact design, 3-liter chassis, and flexible orientation

ASUS has retained a 3-liter mini PC form factor in this model , with dimensions of approximately 187,7 × 282,4 × 56,5 mm and an official weight of around 3,12 kg. It's not as small as an office mini PC, but it's still significantly smaller than a conventional ATX tower, making it easy to fit on desks with limited space.

The device is designed to be placed both vertically and horizontally . A base or stand is included to support the chassis in a vertical position, and an internal G-sensor detects the orientation when the device is laid flat, adjusting the thermal profiles and cooling behavior accordingly.

The exterior design retains the ROG aesthetic seen in the previous generation, with ARGB lighting integrated into the casing and a slightly more understated finish than usual for a gaming product. The ROG NUC 16 is offered in two colors, Obsidian Black and Moonlight White, allowing users to choose between a more discreet look or a more striking contrast.

In terms of construction, the manufacturer mentions MIL-STD 810H durability certification , meaning the chassis is designed to withstand reasonable bumps and minor drops. This detail is more focused on durability than pure marketing, and reinforces the idea that it can be carried in a backpack or moved from one desk to another without any particular concerns.

Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and RTX 5080: desktop power in a compact form factor

The heart of the system is a single processor: the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus . ASUS has decided to simplify the range, and according to available information, all ROG NUC 16 configurations use this same CPU, with no variants featuring lower-end chips in this chassis.

This is a 24-core, 24-thread processor , comprised of 8 high-performance cores (P-Core) capable of reaching up to 5,50 GHz and 16 high-efficiency cores (E-Core) that can reach 4,70 GHz. The advertised maximum power consumption is around 75 W, which necessitates careful attention to cooling in such a compact design.

In terms of graphics, the reference configuration is based on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory . This graphics card, based on the Blackwell architecture, offers significant improvements in ray tracing, support for DLSS 4.5, and AI task performance that ASUS estimates at around 1.334 TOPS for the combined CPU and GPU.

Alongside the RTX 5080 variant, the brand is considering other combinations with the RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5070, and RTX 5060. All share the same processor, so the main difference between models lies in the graphics power and the included memory or storage capacity.

Memory and storage: up to 128GB DDR5 and dual M.2 PCIe 4.0/5.0

Inside the chassis are two SO-DIMM slots for DDR5-6400 memory , allowing for a maximum of 128 GB (2 × 64 GB). This amount is far greater than what is typically seen in mini PCs designed solely for gaming and opens the door to more professional uses, such as heavy video editing, working with large databases, or virtual machines.

Storage has also been designed with room for growth. The ROG NUC 16 includes two M.2 2280 slots compatible with PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 drives, depending on the socket. Some configurations come pre-installed with a 1TB or 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, leaving the second slot free for future expansions of up to an additional 4TB, making it easy to build a system with several terabytes of storage.

ASUS has also focused on protecting the SSDs: there's a dedicated heatsink for the M.2 drives , something unusual in mini PCs of this size. According to the brand, this solution helps lower the SSD temperature to around 59°C compared to a design without a dedicated heatsink, which should improve both sustained performance and the lifespan of the drives.

Improved cooling with triple fan and vapor chamber

To keep hardware of this caliber cool in just 3 liters, the ROG NUC 16 employs a three-fan cooling system . ASUS describes it as a dual vapor chamber that covers approximately 72% of the combined thermal surface area of ​​the CPU and GPU, maximizing contact with the hottest components.

This new internal layout, along with the approximately 12% increase in CPU thermal capacity , would allow for sustained high frequencies for longer periods compared to the ROG NUC 2025. This is further enhanced by intelligent airflow management based on the vertical or horizontal orientation detected by the G-sensor.

According to the company's data, noise under sustained load would remain below 38 dBA . This is a relatively low figure for such a compact system with graphics of this level, although independent tests will be needed to see what happens in real-world gaming or prolonged rendering scenarios.

The device is powered by an external adapter of up to 380W in the higher configurations, which is about 15% more available power than the charger of the ROG NUC 2025. This extra headroom aims to ensure that the CPU and GPU can work at their maximum capacity without hitting overly aggressive power limits.

Connectivity and ports: ready for up to five 4K displays

One of the ASUS ROG NUC 16's strengths lies in its connectivity. On the front, the device offers several easily accessible high-speed USB and audio ports : two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3,5mm combo audio jack for headphones or headsets with a microphone.

The rear panel houses most of the video and data options. It features four additional USB-A ports (USB 3.1/3.2), a Thunderbolt 4 connector with integrated DisplayPort, two HDMI 2.1 FRL ports and two DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 ports, as well as a 2,5 GbE Ethernet port, a power input, and a Kensington lock slot for physical security.

This combination of video outputs allows you to connect up to five 4K displays simultaneously , making it interesting not only for gaming, but also as a multimedia center and for multi-monitor work setups or for content creators who use multiple screens for editing, previewing, and auxiliary tools.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the ROG NUC 16 integrates Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 , in some markets via an Intel Killer BE1750x module. This enables high speeds on compatible networks and improved management of Bluetooth devices such as controllers, mice, and headphones—something increasingly common in gaming environments.

Differences compared to the ROG NUC 2025 and generational leap

At first glance, the new model is largely unchanged from the ROG NUC 2025 : the chassis size remains at around 3 liters, the weight is still approximately 3,12 kg, and its focus as a high-end mini gaming PC is the same. The improvements are more internal than external.

The main change is in the processor platform . The ROG NUC 2025 featured an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, while this ROG NUC 16 adopts the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus. The reference graphics card remains an RTX 5080 Laptop in both cases, so the upgrade is primarily in the CPU and the cooling and power design.

ASUS has also tweaked the thermal system, with a larger vapor chamber, triple fans, and a dedicated SSD heatsink , aiming for more stable and quieter operation under load. This is combined with the new 380W adapter, which provides more headroom for sustaining high frequencies without throttling power consumption.

Despite everything, the first synthetic benchmarks published in specialized media suggest that the real-world performance improvement over the previous model would be relatively modest . Some tests, such as 3DMark, report differences of around 2,3%, a figure that hardly justifies such a significant price increase in international markets.

Price in China and possible figures for Spain and Europe

Where a significant jump is noticeable is in the cost. In the Chinese market, the ASUS ROG NUC 16 (2026) has gone on sale with a starting price of 29.999 yuan for the black version, which is approximately $4.420.

The white version, dubbed Moonlight White, is priced slightly higher at 30.499 yuan , roughly $4.490 at the current exchange rate. The price difference between the two colors is around 500 yuan, while the real increase comes from the new generation itself compared to the 2025 model.

To put this data in a European context, the ROG NUC 2025 with RTX 5080 can still be found in stores like Amazon.es or PcComponentes, with prices ranging approximately between 3.200 and 3.500 euros, depending on the specific memory and storage configuration.

If the international pricing pattern continues, the new ROG NUC 16 could clearly exceed the 4.000 euro mark when it arrives in Europe, a figure that places it in territory traditionally occupied by high-end gaming desktops and even compact workstations with desktop components.

Availability: Launch in China and uncertain for the Spanish market

For now, ASUS has officially confirmed the launch in China , where the ROG NUC 16 (2026) is already listed on the local website with its various versions. However, the company has not yet issued a global statement detailing prices and release dates for Europe or other international markets.

In Spain, both PcComponentes and El Corte Inglés continue to primarily list the ROG NUC 2025 model . There are no official references or open pre-orders for the new NUC 16 with Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus and RTX 5080, suggesting that its release could be delayed by a few months.

Speculation suggests ASUS could leverage events like international hardware trade shows to announce global availability and EU-specific configurations, adjusting prices to include taxes. Meanwhile, the only reliable benchmark is the Chinese price, which already hints at a high entry fee.

This situation complicates the decision for European users considering a high-performance mini PC. With rivals like Minisforum and some more affordable barebone brands driving prices down on Amazon.es, it will need to be clarified what real advantage the new ROG NUC 16 offers in terms of power, size, noise, and connectivity compared to cheaper options.

Overall, the ASUS ROG NUC 16 with Core 9 Ultra 290HX Plus and RTX 5080 Laptop represents an evolution of the 3-liter mini gaming PC concept: it maintains a compact and flexible design, adds targeted improvements to the CPU, cooling, and power supply, enhances connectivity with support for up to five 4K displays, and directly targets the enthusiast segment with a price that brings it closer than ever to high-end desktops. When it arrives in Spain and the rest of Europe, the key will be to see if this added refinement justifies the significant price jump compared to the ROG NUC 2025 and other compact alternatives competing for the same desk space.