- MSI is the latest vendor to jump on the PC AI bandwagon
- The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M is a mini PC with 11 ports and 1 card reader but no TB5
- It comes with a dedicated Copilot button as well as a fingerprint reader
MSI revealed two new Cubi mini PC offerings at CES 2025, and it probably won’t come as a surprise that these models include AI in their names. The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M and Cubi NUC AI 1UM offer on-device AI capabilities and are designed to deliver powerful performance in a compact form factor suitable for any workspace.
The larger Cubi NUC AI+ 2M measures 0.826 liters and is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors from the Lunar Lake platform, with configurations up to Core Ultra 7 258V. It features an Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics card and up to 32GB of LPDDR5X on the package memory. Storage is supported via a single M.2 2280 SSD slot. The device can deliver up to 115 TOPS of processing power via a dedicated Intel AI Boost NPU.
The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M offers a total of 11 ports. On the front, there are two 10Gbps USB Type-A ports and a microSD card reader, as well as a fingerprint power button for added security, and a Copilot button for instant access to tools such as CoCreator, Windows Studio Effects. , Live subtitles and live translation. There is also a built-in microphone and speaker for voice commands.
No Copilot button on the smallest model
The rear panel houses two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one of which supports PD input up to 100 watts (it’s a shame MSI hasn’t yet adopted Thunderbolt 5 for even faster data transfer speeds ), two HDMI ports and two 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. ports. The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M can drive up to three displays and supports WiFi 7 for high-speed wireless connectivity.
The Cubi NUC AI 1UM is a smaller and probably more affordable alternative, with a volume of 0.51 liters. It is powered by Intel Core Ultra 100 Meteor Lake processors, including options up to Core Ultra 7 155H.
It supports two DDR5 SODIMM memory slots and two M.2 SSDs, and like its big brother, it includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI outputs, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports. It can control four screens, but does not have a Copilot button.
Both models support MSI Power Link, allowing power control through select MSI monitors and reducing cable clutter, especially when mounted behind a monitor. Pricing details for both have yet to be announced.
