ASUS NUC 14 Pro AI Mini PC, Ultra 7 155H (16C/22T, Up to 4.8GHz) Mini Desktop, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB PCIe 4 SSD, Intel Arc GPU, Type C 3.2, 8K, HDR, WiFi 6E

This device replaced my 5 year-old, larger desktop. My motivation was to have a quiet, small form factor and more powerful machine for home use.The initial Windows 11 boot up was smooth and I easily installed all the applications I used previously. This included a 2004 version of Quicken and 2010 MS desktop. To increase the overall memory capacity I added a separate 500GB SSD, see photo, to increase the overall memory to 1TB. In addition, I purchased a CD drive to assist in application installation and some Thunderbolt 4 to USB 3.2 adapters. You will also need to purchase a power cord to connect the transformer to you home outlet. This evidently frees Intel from having to have different version for international sales. All these items are available on AmazonMy current setupFrontUSB 3.2 – unusedUSB 3.2 – unusedBack:Thunderbolt 4 - SSDThunderbolt 4 with USB adapter - cameraHDMI – monitorHDMI – unusedUSB 3.2 – mouseUSB 2.0 – keyboardRJ45 - UnusedWireless – printerWhat I really like is the large number of high performance connections. This provides a lot of flexibility for new devices. For example, I can easily connect my slide scanner or CD drive to the front when needed. I’m not a gamer, so I can comment on that performance aspect. The most processing intensive application I perform is 35mm slide scanning. This requires multiple scans per slide, specifically visible light, Infrared, for dust removal and a third scan to remove inherent scan jitter. The scan time is much less than my previous I5-8400 series processor. It’s also very quiet, even when the fan runs occasionally.Overall it looks sharp, performs well and is very well made.

And I do mean WOW! I had my 10 yr+ old Tower gave up the ghost (thermal failure due to dust buildup I think). In shopping for a replacement I ran across ASUS's NUC (Next Unit of Computing) line and chose this one. Roughly 4" square and 1.5 inches tall it is an amazing piece of technology. The tall version allows for an 1 additional SATA hard or SSD drive and one 2242 NvME SSD. I put a two TB drive in each one adding another $150 after purchase. It has more connections than I envision using. I won't belabor the number and type connections. That's in the description.This unit is FAST. This actually the first "desktop" computer I have ever had and that is nice; easy to change connections and when freed from those connections you can open the chassis without tools. No need to open it except for drive changes and adding more memory. It comes with 32 GB of memory, more than enough for the average or even agressive user. The Thunderbolt C ports are very fast and continue to amaze me when I hook the appropriate drive up.Mine runs 24 x 7 as sort of a "home server" and it hasn't missed a beat. If you are shopping for a new computer, give this a good look. After 30 years in the computer business, I have never been so impressed with a personal computer.This is a must, must buy and receives my highest recommendation!!

Do you dislike big box computers with their piles of cables? I certainly do! That is why I was attracted to this Intel Nuc. Take a look at the pictures attached to this review. Only two cables attached! An HDMI cable to the monitor and a power cable to the Nuc. Well yes, the monitor also has a power cable. So there is actually three cables. Still a very clean setup.I added a Dell Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse combo KM7321W which is working great with my Nuc. A bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo keeps the three USB A ports open and available and banishes unsightly keyboard and mouse cables. This Nuc also has two super fast Thunderbolt 3 / USB C ports. One on the front one on the back. The back also contains an HDMI port and an ethernet port.The Nuc is protected by a three year warranty.The i7 Nucs have plenty of power to browse the web, edit photos with Affinity Photo, design posters with Affinity Designer and work with Microsoft Office.I have my Nuc connected to a Dell 4k 32 inch curved monitor. It is a great platform for watching 4k youtube videos.My brother connected an external gpu (Graphic Processing Unit) to his i7 Intel Nuc. He has been playing graphically intense games without an issue.Thanks to Amazon Prime you won't have to wait long to receive an Intel Nuc if you so choose.