MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG is a business desktop smaller than a paperback, built for offices that want a quiet, low-power Copilot+ machine they can mount behind a monitor. It replaces the Lunar Lake Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG with Intel’s Panther Lake chips and, unlike that model, takes ordinary DDR5 SO-DIMMs, so memory is no longer fixed at purchase. MSI holds the Core Ultra 9 386H to modest power limits to keep the 0.51-liter box quiet, and the port count is lean for a desktop.

Pros and Cons

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MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG Comparison Chart

	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG	MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG
Price	List Price: $1419.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $1269.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $709.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $1249.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $1199.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $639.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $1049.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $969.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $469.00 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...
Version	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 9 386H/Windows 11 Pro	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 9 386H/Windows 11 Home	Barebone/Core Ultra 9 386H	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 7 355/Windows 11 Pro	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 7 355/Windows 11 Home	Barebone/Core Ultra 7 355	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 5 322/Windows 11 Pro	16GB/1TB/Core Ultra 5 322/Windows 11 Home	Barebone/Core Ultra 5 322
Performance Rating	6.0	6.0	6.0	4.4	4.4	4.4	3.9	3.9	3.9
Operating System	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Home	No OS	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Home	No OS	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Home	No OS
Processor	Sixteen-core 2.10 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 9 386H	Sixteen-core 2.10 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 9 386H	Sixteen-core 2.10 Ghz (max 4.90 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 9 386H	Octa-core 2.30 Ghz (max 4.70 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 355	Octa-core 2.30 Ghz (max 4.70 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 355	Octa-core 2.30 Ghz (max 4.70 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 7 355	Hexa-core 2.50 Ghz (max 4.40 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 5 322	Hexa-core 2.50 Ghz (max 4.40 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 5 322	Hexa-core 2.50 Ghz (max 4.40 Ghz) Intel Core Ultra 5 322
GPU	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics	Integrated Intel Graphics
RAM	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (No RAM or SSD included)	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (No RAM or SSD included)	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	16 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (2x SO-DIMM, up to 128GB (MSI US lists 96GB))	0 GB DDR5 SO-DIMM, 2-channel (No RAM or SSD included)
Internal Storage	1 TB NVMe SSD	1 TB NVMe SSD	0 GB NVMe SSD (not included)	1 TB NVMe SSD	1 TB NVMe SSD	0 GB NVMe SSD (not included)	1 TB NVMe SSD	1 TB NVMe SSD	0 GB NVMe SSD (not included)
Dimensions width x length x thickness	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)	4.71 x 4.54 x 1.48 inches (119.63 x 115.32 x 37.59 mm)
Weight	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.21 lbs (0.55 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	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps	2 Ethernet ports at 2.5 Gbps
HDMI	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports	2 HDMI 2.1 (4K 60Hz) Ports
DisplayPort	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports	DP 1.4 alt mode via both Thunderbolt 4 ports
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, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)	1 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3, 3 USB-C (2 USB4) 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear), USB-C 10Gbps, USB-A 10Gbps, USB-A 2.0 (front)
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 AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable	Mini PC, 120W AC adapter, VESA bracket, external power button on a cable
Expandability	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.	Tool-less bottom panel. 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM (up to 128GB), one M.2 2280 slot; Wi-Fi card on M.2 2230.

Chassis, ports, and mounting

The chassis measures 4.71 by 4.54 by 1.48 inches and weighs about 1.2 pounds, which MSI rates at 0.51 liters. That is noticeably smaller than the 2MG, which measured 5.34 by 5.22 by 1.97 inches. A VESA bracket for 75mm and 100mm patterns ships in the box, along with a 120W power adapter and an external power button on a cable that can be stuck wherever the box is hidden. MSI Power Link turns the PC on with a supported MSI monitor over HDMI.

The front carries a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a 10Gbps USB Type-A port, a 10Gbps USB-C port, and a power button with a built-in fingerprint reader. The rear holds two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two HDMI outputs, two 2.5GbE jacks, and the DC input. Each Thunderbolt port carries DisplayPort 1.4 alt mode at up to 4K 60Hz, and MSI rates one of them for up to 98W of power input. With both HDMI ports in use, the 3MG drives four 4K displays at once. There is no 3.5mm audio jack and no SD card reader; NotebookCheck noted both were dropped from the 2MG design.

On the Level1Techs channel, Wendell pointed out a thumbscrew that locks the power cable in place and a Kensington slot that also locks the bottom door, which makes the RAM and SSD harder to steal from a locked unit. Networking runs through two Intel I226-V controllers at 2.5Gbps, and the Wi-Fi 7 card sits in a replaceable M.2 2230 slot.

Processor, graphics, and memory

MSI sells the 3MG with three Panther Lake chips. The Core Ultra 9 386H has 16 cores and 16 threads (four performance cores, eight efficient cores, and four low-power efficient cores), a 4.9GHz maximum turbo, and a PassMark CPU Mark around 36,000. The Core Ultra 7 355 drops to eight cores and a PassMark score near 20,100, and the Core Ultra 5 322 has six cores and scores about 14,800. All three are current 2026 parts with an NPU above the 40-TOPS Copilot+ threshold: Intel rates it at 50 TOPS on the 386H, 49 on the 355, and 46 on the 322.

Graphics on every configuration come from Intel Graphics with four Xe3 cores on the 386H and 355, and two on the 322. ETA PRIME ran 3DMark Time Spy on the 386H and got 3,108, and Level1Techs measured 62 FPS in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p low.

Memory sits in two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots. MSI and NotebookCheck give a 128GB maximum, though MSI’s US spec sheet says 96GB. The retail configurations ship with 16GB, which is the first thing to upgrade on the 16-core Core Ultra 9 386H models, and the three barebone SKUs ship with no memory, storage, or OS. Storage is a single M.2 2280 slot under a copper thermal pad, with no room for a second SSD.

Reviewer Insights

Tom’s Hardware

Mark Tyson reviewed the Core Ultra 9 386H model for Tom’s Hardware in July 2026 and scored it 3.5 out of 5. He listed the compact design, easy RAM and SSD access, low power use, and quiet running as strengths: “I would characterize this as a quiet mini PC.” His complaints were the price, the port selection, the integrated graphics, and the fingerprint reader: “I found the biometric unlocking here to be hit and miss, however, and it often didn’t recognize my thumb.” He found the MSI “slightly stingy with ports here,” and he steered gamers elsewhere: “This system is really made for work, and while you can technically play on it, you’ll want something stronger for a good experience.” Against mini PCs from smaller brands, he wrote: “These less established brands definitely offer better value with more potent processors, and more generous memory/storage configurations, at better or similar pricing to the MSI.”

ITPro

Sasha Muller scored the 3MG 4 out of 5 for ITPro in September 2026, calling it “a great example of a well-engineered mini PC.” His verdict: “Some sensibly restrained power limits have allowed MSI to pack considerable capabilities into a tiny, quiet footprint, and the only real disappointment here is that you simply can’t eke every last drop of performance from the platform.” He added that “even with sustained heavy gaming or multi-core workloads, the MSI is never excessively noisy.” The review reads the lean port layout as a sign that MSI expects the 3MG to sit on a docking station or a USB-C monitor that supplies the missing USB and audio connections. Its listed drawbacks were the price and the limited cooling.

NotebookCheck

Allen Ngo rated the 3MG 77% for NotebookCheck and framed it against its predecessor: “It may not look like so at first glance, but the Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG is a significant leap forward over last year’s Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG.” He added: “The significant CPU performance boost also addresses one of the main concerns about the older Lunar Lake model.” The review’s listed drawbacks were the dropped SD reader and audio jack, fewer USB-A ports, below-average CPU performance for a Core Ultra 9 machine, no second SSD slot or speakers, and higher core temperatures than the 2MG. He found the external power switch cable short at about 47 cm.

Level1Techs

Wendell tested a 32GB Core Ultra 9 386H unit and measured about 50.8W during a Cinebench run, with the system sustaining that across all cores. In AIDA64 the 3MG reached 82 GB/s of memory bandwidth, ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U and first-generation Core Ultra mini PCs he compared it with. He liked the platform’s efficiency: “I actually like Panther Lake a lot for laptops and mini PCs because of its power efficiency.” He measured 27 to 28 dB, close to the room’s background noise: “It was also really hard to get it louder than the noise floor in here with the air conditioning.” He called the bottom-panel access easy (“Maintenance on these is also absurdly easy.”) and noted that UEFI network boot is supported but disabled out of the box, that Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04 are well supported, and that the machine lacks Intel vPro. He also said a couple more USB-A ports would be welcome.

ETA PRIME

ETA PRIME used a 32GB Core Ultra 9 386H unit for about a day and recorded a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 16,968 (2,917 single-core). He said of that score: “I actually wasn’t expecting this, and this will max out at around 45 W with the way it’s set up.” Cinebench R24 came in at 111 single-core and 1,006 multi-core. At the wall in low power mode the unit idled at 6W and averaged about 14W in office work, rising to 7W and 16W in performance mode. The four-core integrated graphics also beat his expectations: “I was pretty surprised by the iGPU performance here.” With XeSS multi-frame generation on, Cyberpunk 2077 at medium settings averaged over 80 FPS, which he noted came from generated frames. His conclusion: “So yeah, very low power unit here, and overall, this is a solid mini PC for the office or even personal use.”

Where the Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG fits

The 3MG suits an IT buyer standing up desks, kiosks, or reception machines: it mounts behind a display, locks shut, stays quiet, and draws little power, and the Pro and barebone SKUs carry three-year advanced replacement. Owners of the 2MG who need more than 32GB of memory now have an upgrade path, but they give up the audio jack, the card reader, and two of the 2MG’s four USB-A ports.

For a single home desk, Tom’s Hardware found better value in mini PCs from smaller brands, with faster processors and more memory and storage at similar prices. The 3MG’s port count also assumes a dock or a USB-C monitor. The barebone Core Ultra 5 322 and Core Ultra 7 355 models cost the least and take your own memory and SSD. To compare configurations and alternatives, use Starry Hope’s Mini PC Comparison Chart.

Upgrades

Accessories that fit the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 3MG'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