Great news for mini-PC fans. The Asus NUC 13 Pro family is undergoing an expansion. This time, it features a dramatic power upgrade. Previously launched when Intel still managed the NUC brand, the NUC 13 Pro was a fair machine. Now, Asus is augmenting the family with models powered by more potent Raptor Lake-H series processors from Intel.
The new models are expected to land by mid-March. If you have been looking for a pint-sized PC with a bit more bite, this is it. Pricing is expected to kick off from about $450.
What's New? Raptor Lake-H Inside
The principle change is the switch to 45-watt Intel Raptor Lake-H chips. The original NUC 13 Pro could be had with 15-watt Raptor Lake-U or 28-watt Raptor Lake-P processor options. This switch to the H-series processors means a distinct jump in performance for more demanding tasks.
Let's detail what is new and reiterate expected features from the NUC 13 Pro:
- More Powerful Processors: Switching to Intel's 45W Raptor Lake-H series CPUs for enhanced performance.
- Compact Design: Still retains the small form factor that makes the NUC series so popular.
- Memory and Storage: Two SODIMM slots for up to 64GB DDR4-3200 RAM and dual M.2 slots for SSDs (one PCIe 4.0 x4, one PCIe 3.0 x1).
- Chassis Options: Available in both "tall" (with 2.5" SATA drive bay) and "slim" (M.2 SSDs only) chassis versions.
- Connectivity: Includes 2.5 GbE LAN, Thunderbolt 4 ports (x2), HDMI 2.1 ports (x2), USB Type-A ports (x4), and a headphone jack.
Performance Expectations
The true template has remained the same. The focus of Raptor Lake-H processor adoption has purely been performance. These chips are designed for higher power operation. They should indicate higher benchmark scores and better performance of real-world applications compared with U and P-series options. Asus does not offer the absolute top-end Raptor Lake-H chips, but the identified models are solid power contenders.
Available Models and Pricing
Asus will prepare to launch the following barebones NUC 13 Pro Raptor Lake-H configuration:
| Model | Processor | Price (Starting) |
|---|---|---|
| NUC 13 Pro Tall (Barebones) | Intel Core i7-13620H | $600 |
| NUC 13 Pro Tall (Barebones) | Intel Core i5-13420H | $465 |
| NUC 13 Pro Slim (Barebones) | Intel Core i7-13620H | $590 |
| NUC 13 Pro Slim (Barebones) | Intel Core i5-13420H | $445 |
The following table details processor specifications.
Processor Options Based on New Raptor Lake-H:
| Chip | Cores(P+E) | Threads | Base/Boost Freq | L3 Cache | GPU | Power(Base/Max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i7-13620H | 10(6+4) | 16 | Up to 4.9 GHz | 24MB | Iris Xe(1.5 GHz/64EU) | 45W/115W |
| Core i5-13420H | 8(4+4) | 12 | Up to 4.6 GHz | 12MB | Iris UHD(1.4 GHz/48EU) | 45W/95W |
Pre-Orders Starting Now
The new NUC 13 Pro models are not fully available yet. Some sellers are already beginning pre-orders. If you long awaited a more powerful mini-PC, look out for these new Raptor Lake-H versions.
