ASUS NUC 15 Pro

The ASUS NUC 15 Pro (codename Cyber Canyon) is the mainstream tier of ASUS’s 2025 NUC lineup, sitting below the premium ASUS NUC 15 Pro+. Where the Pro+ is a single flagship built around Intel’s Core Ultra 9, the standard Pro is a range: it ships in two chassis heights (a slim kit and a taller kit that accepts expansion accessories) and spans a wide processor ladder, from the entry Intel Core 3 100U through the Core 5 210H and Core 7 240H up to the Arrow Lake Core Ultra 5 225H and Core Ultra 7 255H at the top. Almost all of these are sold as barebones kits, meaning you bring your own memory, SSD, and operating system, which is the classic NUC formula that made the ASUS NUC 14 Pro so flexible.

Strengths and tradeoffs across the kit range

ASUS NUC 15 Pro Comparison Chart

	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro	ASUS NUC 15 Pro
Price	List Price: $369.03 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $631.72 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $615.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $540.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $634.29 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $412.49 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $527.59 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $515.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $650.98 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	Barebones Slim/Core 3 100U	Barebones Slim/Core 5 210H	Barebones Slim/Core 7 240H	Barebones Slim/Core Ultra 5 225H	Barebones Slim/Core Ultra 7 255H	Barebones Tall/Core 3 100U	Barebones Tall/Core Ultra 5 225H	Barebones Tall/Core 7 240H	Barebones Tall/Core Ultra 7 255H
Performance Rating	3.8	4.4	4.9	5.3	5.4	3.8	5.3	4.9	5.4
Operating System	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS	No OS
Processor	Hexa-core 1.20 Ghz (max 4.70 Ghz) Intel Core 3 100U	Octa-core 2.20 Ghz (max 4.80 Ghz) Intel Core 5 210H	Deca-core 2.50 Ghz (max 5.20 Ghz) Intel Core 7 240H	Fourteen-core 1.70 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 5 225H	Sixteen-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 255H	Hexa-core 1.20 Ghz (max 4.70 Ghz) Intel Core 3 100U	Fourteen-core 1.70 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 5 225H	Deca-core 2.50 Ghz (max 5.20 Ghz) Intel Core 7 240H	Sixteen-core 2.00 Ghz (max 5.10 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 255H
GPU	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics	Integrated Intel Arc 130T	Integrated Intel Arc 140T	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics	Integrated Intel Arc 130T	Integrated Intel UHD Graphics	Integrated Intel Arc 140T
RAM	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (Up to 96GB DDR5-6400)
Internal Storage	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)	0 GB None (Barebones)
Dimensions width x length x thickness	4.41 x 4.61 x 1.46 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 37.08 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 1.46 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 37.08 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 1.46 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 37.08 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 1.46 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 37.08 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 1.46 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 37.08 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 2.13 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 54.1 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 2.13 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 54.1 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 2.13 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 54.1 mm)	4.41 x 4.61 x 2.13 inches (112.01 x 117.09 x 54.1 mm)
Weight	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)	1.32 lbs (0.6 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)	Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4
Ethernet	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps	1 Ethernet port at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports	2 Full-Size HDMI Ports
DisplayPort	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays	DP 2.1 via Thunderbolt 4; up to 4x 4K displays
VGA	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0	1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) Front: 1x USB-C 20Gbps, 2x USB-A 10Gbps. Rear: 2x TB4, 1x USB-A 10Gbps, 1x USB 2.0
Thunderbolt Ports	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
OCuLink	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Internal SATA Ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports
Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader	No Card Reader
Headphone Jack	none	none	none	none	none	none	none	none	none
Fanless	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
VESA Mount	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
In the Box	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation	Mini PC, 120W power adapter and cord, VESA bracket and screws, documentation
Expandability	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.	Toolless chassis. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM up to 96GB (5600/6400). M.2 2280 + 2242. Tall kits add 2nd 2280 SSD or 2nd 2.5GbE via accessory.

A five-chip ladder in two chassis heights

The slim kit measures 4.61 by 4.41 by 1.46 inches (117 by 112 by 37 mm), and the tall kit shares the same width and depth but stands 2.13 inches (54 mm) tall to make room for the expansion accessories described below. Both weigh 1.32 pounds (about 600 grams). The black chassis uses honeycomb venting along the sides, and a metal base cover pops off without tools for memory and storage swaps. The front panel carries one 20Gbps USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen2x2), two 10Gbps USB-A ports, the power button, and a side Kensington lock slot. The rear adds two Thunderbolt 4 ports (which also carry DisplayPort 2.1 and USB4), one more 10Gbps USB-A, a USB 2.0 port, two HDMI 2.1 outputs, and a 2.5-gigabit Ethernet jack on Intel’s I226-V controller. As on the Pro+, there is no 3.5mm audio jack, so headphones and speakers connect over USB, HDMI, or Bluetooth.

Five processors span the line. At the entry point sits the Intel Core 3 100U, a 6-core, 8-thread Raptor Lake refresh part that scores around 12,600 on the PassMark CPU benchmark, followed by the 8-core Core 5 210H (about 18,300) and the 10-core Core 7 240H (about 24,200); these Core “Series” chips pair with Intel UHD Graphics and are aimed at thin-client, kiosk, and light-office duty. The two Core Ultra options move to Intel’s newer Arrow Lake architecture: the Core Ultra 5 225H (around 28,500) with Intel Arc 130T graphics, and the Core Ultra 7 255H (around 28,900) with Arc 140T and an NPU for on-device AI. The Core 3, 5, and 7 chips are a 2024 Raptor Lake refresh, while the Core Ultra 5 and 7 are current 2025 silicon with meaningfully better integrated graphics. None of the configurations clears Microsoft’s Copilot+ bar, since even the Core Ultra NPU lands below the required 40 TOPS.

Two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots take up to 96GB at DDR5-5600 or DDR5-6400, and the toolless base makes upgrades quick. The primary M.2 2280 slot runs at PCIe 5.0 x4 on the Core Ultra chips but drops to PCIe 4.0 x4 on the plain Core processors, and a second M.2 2242 slot runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 across the board. The tall kit accepts an optional second M.2 2280 SSD accessory and a second 2.5GbE LAN accessory (a combined version also adds an RS232 serial port), which makes the taller chassis the pick for anyone who wants extra storage or a second network drop. Wireless is handled by an Intel Wi-Fi 7 module with Bluetooth 5.4, and power comes from an external adapter rated up to 120 watts.

Reviewer Insights

Digital Citizen on power draw, single-thread speed, and heat

Codrut Neagu at Digital Citizen reviewed a tall-kit NUC 15 Pro built on the Core Ultra 7 255H with Arc 140T graphics and gave it a 4 out of 5. He wrote that “The ASUS NUC 15 Pro is surprisingly powerful for such a small computer. It offers excellent performance, plenty of ports, and a modular design that lets you upgrade key parts when needed.” He measured power at the wall: “Under full load, it drew just 90 watts from the wall, compared to 146 watts on the NUC 14 Pro+.” That newer, fewer-thread Arrow Lake chip does give up some multi-threaded headroom, but in the CPU-Z single-thread test “the Intel Core Ultra 7 255H inside the NUC 15 Pro actually scored 833 points, making it 6.5% faster than the Core Ultra 9 185H in the NUC 14 Pro+.”

Noise and thermals were the main reservations. In everyday work the machine stayed quiet, and even when it ramped up under video conversion Neagu measured it “At a maximum of about 45 decibels, it was more of a hum in the background.” Under sustained load, though, “the CPU inside the NUC 15 Pro can reach up to 105 degrees Celsius,” which sits inside the chip’s rated 110C ceiling but suggests the cooler is working hard in the compact enclosure. On graphics, the Arc 140T handled light gaming (running Stray at 1080p on low settings) where “Most of the time, it stayed between 50 and 60 frames per second.” He also flagged an AI caveat: “the ASUS NUC 15 Pro is not advertised as a Copilot+ PC,” because its NPU falls short of Microsoft’s 40 TOPS requirement.

Customer Reviews

Amazon feedback on the tall Core Ultra 7 255H barebones kit is limited but uniformly positive, at 5.0 stars across 8 ratings. Verified buyer OutbackDriver, who filled the machine with 96GB of Crucial DDR5 and a 4TB NVMe drive for AI model inference work, wrote “This little machine is a beast.” He did hit one assembly snag, noting that “The screw for the 2280 is a little small, and doesn’t fit properly without using the included plastic spacer,” and pointed out that getting PyTorch and OpenVINO working on Ubuntu 24.04 required the Hardware Enablement kernel before everything, including Thunderbolt and 2.5GbE, ran as expected.

Hypervisor support needed a workaround. Verified buyer Trevor ran it as a VMware ESXi host and warned that “Anyone looking to install ESXi will run into caveats due to the change in architecture,” a reference to a boot flag the newer CPU requires, after which it ran smoothly for him. Buyer Richard Hardman liked the taller chassis for its second-drive option but cautioned that “The tall case can hold a 2nd ssd, but requires a rather expensive adapter ($60),” a real cost to budget if bulk NVMe storage is the goal.

Match the chip to the budget, then build it out yourself

Buyers pick a chassis height, pick a chip anywhere from the budget Core 3 100U to the Arrow Lake Core Ultra 7 255H, and get the same connectivity at every tier. Home-lab builders, thin-client fleets, and developers running local workloads all land in that range, and the barebones format keeps the entry cost down for anyone who already has DDR5 sticks and an NVMe drive on the shelf.

You pay an ASUS premium over generic mini PCs on the same silicon, PCIe 5.0 storage is reserved for the Core Ultra tiers, there is no analog headphone jack, and Neagu measured both fan noise and CPU temperature climbing under sustained load. The Pro+ is the option for buyers who want the faster Core Ultra 9 and a PCIe 5.0 slot regardless of chip tier. Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart lines this machine up against other mini PCs in its class.

Upgrades

Accessories that fit the ASUS NUC 15 Pro's USB4 or Thunderbolt ports.

eGPU enclosureRazer

Core X V2

A Thunderbolt 5 enclosure that Razer lists as working with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 hosts; it fits a four-slot card and needs an ATX power supply.

List price $349.99

Buying options

eGPU enclosureMinisforum

DEG2 eGPU Dock

Connects over USB4 or Thunderbolt 5, with an OCuLink input behind a switch, and adds an M.2 slot; it needs an ATX or SFX power supply.

List price $259.90

Buying options

eGPU enclosureSonnet

Breakaway Box 850 T5

Has an 850W power supply built in, so only the graphics card is extra, and works with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 Windows PCs.

List price $599.99

Buying options

Thunderbolt/USB4 dockCalDigit

TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

An 18-port dock that CalDigit lists for Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 hosts, with 2.5GbE and a DisplayPort 1.4 output.

List price $379.99

Buying options

Thunderbolt/USB4 dockPlugable

TBT4-UD5 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Two HDMI ports drive two 4K60 monitors from one Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 port on a Windows PC.

List price $199.95

Buying options

Thunderbolt/USB4 dockUGREEN

Revodok Max 208 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Adds three Thunderbolt 4 ports for dual 4K60 displays plus gigabit Ethernet; it has no HDMI port, so monitors connect over USB-C or an adapter.

List price $169.98

Buying options

Frequently Asked Questions