MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG

Published on September 19, 2026

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG is a business desktop the size of a paperback, built around Intel’s Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V and sold to offices that want a Copilot+ machine they can hang behind a monitor. The memory sits on the processor package, so the 32GB it ships with is the 32GB it will always have.

Pros and Cons

MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG Comparison Chart

	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG
Price	List Price: $1149.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $1149.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	32GB/1TB/Windows 11 Pro	32GB/2TB/Windows 11 Pro
Performance Rating	7.6	7.6
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro
Processor	Octa-core 2.20 Ghz (max 4.80 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 258V	Octa-core 2.20 Ghz (max 4.80 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
GPU	Integrated Intel Arc 140V	Integrated Intel Arc 140V
RAM	32 GB	32 GB
Internal Storage	1 TB NVMe SSD	2 TB NVMe SSD
Dimensions width x length x thickness	5.34 x 5.22 x 1.97 inches (135.64 x 132.59 x 50.04 mm)	5.34 x 5.22 x 1.97 inches (135.64 x 132.59 x 50.04 mm)
Weight	1.47 lbs (0.67 kg)	1.47 lbs (0.67 kg)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)	Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Ethernet	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	1 HDMI 2.1 Port	1 HDMI 2.1 Port
DisplayPort	DP 2.1 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 2.1 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports
VGA	No VGA Ports	No VGA Ports
USB Ports	2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 2 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), 2x USB-A 10Gbps (front), 2x USB-A 2.0 (rear)	2 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3, 2 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), 2x USB-A 10Gbps (front), 2x USB-A 2.0 (rear)
Thunderbolt Ports	2	2
OCuLink	No	No
Internal SATA Ports	No SATA ports	No SATA ports
Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader
Headphone Jack	combo	combo
Fanless	No	No
VESA Mount	Yes	Yes
In the Box	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power switch on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power switch on a cable
Expandability	Memory is on the SoC package and fixed at 32GB. Storage swaps via the single M.2 2280 slot; the M.2 2230 wireless card is replaceable.	Memory is on the SoC package and fixed at 32GB. Storage swaps via the single M.2 2280 slot; the M.2 2230 wireless card is replaceable.

Chassis, mounting, and port layout

The chassis measures 5.34 by 5.22 by 1.97 inches and weighs 1.47 pounds, which works out to 0.83 liters of volume. A VESA bracket ships in the box for 75mm and 100mm patterns, and a Kensington lock slot on the side gives a physical anchor in shared or public spaces. MSI also includes an external power switch on a cable, so a machine mounted behind a display can still be turned on from the front of the desk. MSI Power Link lets a supported MSI monitor start the PC when the monitor powers on.

The front face carries a power button with an integrated fingerprint reader, a dedicated Copilot button, two 10Gbps USB Type-A ports, a microSD card slot, and a combination microphone and headphone jack. Around the back sit two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a full-size HDMI 2.1 output, and two RJ45 jacks. Each Thunderbolt port carries DisplayPort 2.1 alt mode and can drive a 4K display at 60Hz, and one of the two accepts up to 100W of power input, so a single cable to a suitable monitor can both power the box and carry video. Between HDMI and the two Thunderbolt ports, MSI rates the machine for three 4K displays at once.

Networking runs through two Intel I226-V controllers at 2.5Gbps each. Writing for PCMag, Charles Jefferies noted that the pair adds redundancy if one link fails and lets the machine sit on a protected intranet and the open internet at the same time. Wireless comes from a replaceable M.2 2230 card, an Intel AX211 supplying Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. MSI offers a Wi-Fi 7 BE201 on the platform as well, but the two US retail configurations and PCMag’s review unit all carry the AX211.

Processor, graphics, and memory

The Core Ultra 7 258V is a Lunar Lake part with eight cores and eight threads (four performance cores, four low-power efficient cores), a 4.8GHz maximum turbo, 12MB of cache, and a 17W base power that peaks at 37W. It posts a PassMark CPU Mark around 18,900, which places it mid-pack for a 2026 mini PC: comfortably ahead of the N-series budget chips, well behind the H-class and HX-class parts that show up in gaming and workstation boxes at similar money. Intel rates the on-die AI Boost NPU at 47 TOPS, which clears the 40-TOPS bar Microsoft set for Copilot+, and the whole package at 115 TOPS across CPU, GPU, and NPU.

Lunar Lake puts the LPDDR5X on the processor package, running here at 8533 MT/s, so 32GB is the ceiling for the life of the machine. ETA PRIME said: “We can’t upgrade the RAM because it’s actually baked into this Intel chip.” Storage is the one part a buyer can change, through a single M.2 2280 slot under a heatsink, reachable by loosening four screws on the underside. A small speaker and built-in microphones sit inside the chassis, and PCMag called that onboard speaker a rarity in mini PCs.

Graphics come from the Intel Arc 140V, an eight-core Xe2 integrated GPU that clocks to 1.95GHz, capable enough for light gaming on a machine sold for office work. ETA PRIME ran Cyberpunk 2077 during his review and reported: “Intel has been doing a great job updating their ARC GPU drivers. Right now, we’ve got Cyberpunk 2077 running at medium settings with XESS set to balanced 1080p and we’re over 60 fps.”

Reviewer Insights

PCMag

Charles Jefferies reviewed the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG for PCMag in November 2025 and scored it 3.5 out of 5. His verdict: “MSI’s Cubi NUC mini PC showcases smart design principles and Copilot+ capabilities, but unless AI acceleration is a must-have, better performance is available for less.” He praised the deployment details, calling out “an external, corded power switch and an integrated fingerprint reader on the case,” and flagged the memory as the structural limit: “Unlike traditional barebones systems, its memory is integrated into the SoC and cannot be upgraded.”

On benchmarks, Jefferies found the Cubi landed mid-pack among x86 systems in PCMark 10, trailing the Asus NUC 15 Pro+ while staying ahead of the ECS Liva Z7 Plus, and fell further behind in the CPU-focused tests. He noted the Cubi could not consistently beat the Liva’s H-class chip even though the Liva cost roughly half as much. His listed drawbacks were the price relative to the performance it delivers against cheaper alternatives, and the fixed memory.

ETA PRIME

ETA PRIME covered the same model and put it in the deployment category: “This is more of a business/productivity mini PC… designed from the ground up to run continuously.” MSI backs the machine with three-year advanced replacement through commercial channels and a one-year standard warranty for individual buyers. On that replacement policy, he said: “The advanced replacement warranty does come in really handy… They’re going to ship a new one out to you… That way, you don’t have much downtime at all.”

Going through MSI’s Click BIOS X, he found a restore-after-power-loss setting and a toggle for Power Link, but noted the absence of any performance profile, since the platform scales dynamically instead. He reported sustained power at a 35W TDP, with brief excursions to around 40W.

Where the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG fits

This is a machine for an IT buyer standing up a fleet: kiosks, reception desks, digital signage, clinical workstations, or any role where the box gets mounted, locked down, and left alone. The fingerprint reader, the Kensington slot, the dual 2.5GbE, and the advanced replacement policy are all aimed there, and the 47-TOPS NPU means the fleet will run Copilot+ features when Windows asks for them.

For a single desk where the budget matters more than AI acceleration, a Ryzen or H-class Intel mini PC at the same price does more CPU work and usually takes socketed memory. Anyone who might need more than 32GB should rule this out now rather than later, because there is no upgrade path. If socketed memory is the priority, the GEEKOM A8 takes up to 64GB. To weigh configurations side by side, use Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart.

Frequently Asked Questions