ASUS NUC 15 Performance Packs RTX Firepower, Killer Wi-Fi 7 & More Great Specs
ASUS is keeping the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) party going with the introduction of its NUC 15 Performance, which houses some potent hardware, cutting-edge features, and the latest wireless connectivity protocols inside a compact 3-liter chassis. It also features a tool-free thumbscrew design to make accessing and swapping out a components a breeze.
More than anything, though, it's nice to see ASUS keeping the NUC initiative alive. Intel dabbled in NUCs before pivoting to a licensing model, with ASUS one of the first to strike a deal to continue cranking out NUC-branded devices. Since then, ASUS has been active in creating NUC devices, including ones aimed at gamers like the 2025 ASUS ROG NUC that wields up to a GeForce RTX 5080.
The NUC 15 Performance isn't quite as potent in the graphics department and it doesn't take specific aim at gamers, but it does pack a punch, at least on paper. Built around Intel's Arrow Lake-HX platform, potential NUC 15 Performance buyers can choose between a Core Ultra 9 275HX (24C/24T, up to 5.4GHz, 36MB of L3 cache, 30MB of L2 cache, 55W) or Core Ultra 7 255HX (20C/20T, up to 5.2GHz, 30MB of L3 cache, 36MB of L2 cache, 45W) processor.
Both chips feature an onboard NPU capable of up to 13 TOPS for AI workloads. They also boast four Xe cores, though graphics grunt work gets a discrete boost with the option for a mobile GeForce RTX 5070 or 5060, both with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM.
A pair of SO-DIMM slots offer support for up to 96GB of DDR5-6400 RAM. And for storage, there are two M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 storage devices and the other supporting PCIe 4.0.
Wireless connectivity is served by Intel's Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x chipset (2x2, 320MHz, 4K QAM, up to 5.8Gbps) and Bluetooth 5.4. There's also a 2.5Gbps LAN port for wired connectivity. The rest of the I/O consists of 1x Thunderbolt 4/USB4 (rear), 2x HDMI 2.1 (rear), 2x DsiplayPort 2.1 (rear), 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (2 front / 2 rear), 1x USB 3.2 Type-C (front), 2x USB 2.0 (rear), and a 3.5mm audio jack (front).
According to ASUS, the NUC 15 Performance supports up to five displays, which it pitches as being ideal for AI developers, fintech professionals, lab techs, and business elites.
"Three built-in fans and a dual vapor chamber design ensure ultra-quiet and efficient cooling. NUC 15 Performance dynamically adjusts fan speed based on real-time temperature and system workload, ensuring optimal cooling for any scenario. Chassis design has also been optimized for enhanced airflow and ventilation, keeping internal temperatures down and reducing the risk of overheating," ASUS says.
It's an intriguing system, but will ultimately hinge on how ASUS ends up pricing its NUC 15 Performance. No pricing details were shared in the press release.
