AMD-powered ASUS NUC Listed with Ryzen AI Max “Strix Halo” CPU
ASUS appears to be building an AMD-powered NUC with a Ryzen AI Max 395 CPU
ASUS appears to be testing an AMD-powered NUC with a Ryzen AI Max “Strix Halo” processor. This CPU merges up to sixteen Zen 5 CPU cores, 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU compute units, and an XDNA 2 NPU to deliver strong CPU, GPU, and AI performance. Within an ASUS NUC form factor, AMD’s Ryzen AI Max series APUs could be used to create compact gaming/AI powerhouse systems.
Based on the ASUS NUC listing below (via @Olrak29_), it looks like ASUS may be planning to create their first AMD-powered NUC. The NUC brand was initially owned by Intel, but that changed in 2023 when ASUS took over the brand. Soon, AMD-powered NUC systems may become a reality.
NUC pic.twitter.com/MaipTvDG3c
— Everest (@Olrak29_) January 28, 2025
ASUS’ AMD-powered NUC could be a gaming/workstation powerhouse
By using AMD’s “Strix Halo” series CPUs, ASUS has the ability to create NUC systems with insane levels of CPU and GPU performance. AMD’s “Strix Halo” CPUs have a powerful integrated GPUs. This can enable systems that can maintain a small form factor while delivering compelling levels of CPU/GPU performance. After all, a system with a single, unified, CPU/GPU can be much smaller than one with separate CPUs and GPUs. Remember, when size is an issue, cooling one thing is easier than cooling two things.
Note that the main benefit of AMD’s Strix Halo APUs is their size. AMD has paired a strong CPU and GPU together to greatly simplify system design. Only one chip needs to be cooled and powered. This enables the creation of compact systems with simpler cooling systems.
Below are some benchmarks comparing AMD’s “Strix Halo” Radeon R 8060S graphics and Nvidia’s RTX 4070 mobile GPU. In most tests, AMD’s integrated graphics solution is faster. This makes AMD’s Ryzen AI Max CPUs suitable for use with a new ASUS gaming NUC. Could an AMD-powered ROG NUC be in the works?
AMD’s Ryzen AI MAX silicon could be used to create some interesting new ASUS NUC systems. Whether or not this will happen remains to be seen. If ASUS are allowed to make AMD-powered NUC systems, there is no reason why they shouldn’t use AMD’s Ryzen AI MAX CPUs. Regardless, if ASUS’ use of NUC branding is limited to Intel-based systems (either temporarily or permanently), there is no reason why ASUS can’t build similar mini PCs with non-NUC branding.
You can join the discussion on ASUS’ rumoured AMD Strix Halo-powered NUC on the OC3D Forums.
