- Asus unveils NUC 16 Pro 0.7L mini PC built on Intel Panther Lake platform
- Core Ultra X9 388H delivers up to 180TOPS of on-platform AI computing
- The Arc B390 iGPU impresses even if the Radeon 8060S remains faster for graphics
Asus has launched the NUC 16 Pro, setting its sights on the fastest mini PC category with the new Intel Panther Lake platform. The system is built around the Core Ultra X9 388H, the same processor used in the GMKtec EVO-T2, which also debuted at CES 2026.
The Core Ultra X9 388H is produced using the Intel 18A process and offers up to 180 TOPS of total AI computing. This figure combines CPU, GPU, and NPU performance, including Intel’s latest NPU 5, and puts the NUC 16 Pro well ahead of current Ryzen AI Max+ 395 mini PCs in terms of raw AI throughput.
Graphics is handled by Intel’s Arc B390 iGPU, which has 12 Xe cores. In practice, this gives the NUC 16 Pro enough headroom for modern 1080p gaming without a discrete GPU, as well as solid multimedia and compute performance for creative workloads.
Arc B390 Graphics
The Arc B390 is impressive for an integrated solution, although it shouldn’t outperform AMD’s Radeon 8060S iGPU found in the Ryzen AI Max+ 395.
This still holds the advantage in terms of peak graphics performance, especially in synthetic benchmarks and GPU-intensive games.
Despite this, the B390 raises the bar for integrated graphics in a mini PC. It allows the NUC 16 Pro to balance AI workloads, light gaming, and professional applications without having to meet the power and heat demands of a discrete graphics card.
The NUC 16 Pro is aimed squarely at creators, developers, and enterprise users. The system supports up to 96 GB of LPDDR5x memory running at up to 9,600 MT/s, along with dual-fan cooling designed to maintain performance under prolonged loads.
Connectivity includes dual 2.5G Ethernet, WiFi 7, and Bluetooth 6.0. Support for embedded TPM 2.0 firmware adds hardware-level security for managed environments.
The compact 5×4 NUC chassis uses a tool-less internal design and supports dual M.2 storage over PCIe Gen5 and Gen4.
Additional I/O, including RS-232 and PCIe x1, opens the door to POS, IoT, and industrial use cases.
While the Arc B390 won’t dethrone the Radeon 8060S as the fastest iGPU, the combination of powerful graphics, edge-focused features, and 180 TOPS of AI computing certainly makes the NUC 16 Pro one of the most capable mini PCs we’ve seen announced so far.
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