- Asus introduces the NUC 16 Pro 0.7L mini PC built on the Intel Panther Lake platform
- Core Ultra X9 388H delivers up to 180 TOPS of AI platform computing
- Arc B390 iGPU impresses although Radeon 8060S is still faster for graphics
Asus launched the NUC 16 Pro, setting its sights on the fastest mini PC category with Intel’s new Panther Lake platform. The system is based on 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 Intel’s 18A process and offers up to 180 TOPS of total AI computing. That figure combines CPU, GPU, and NPU performance, including Intel’s latest NPU 5, and puts the NUC 16 Pro well ahead of the current Ryzen AI Max+ 395 mini PCs in raw AI performance.
Graphics are handled by Intel’s Arc B390 iGPU, which features 12 Xe cores. In practice, this gives the NUC 16 Pro enough headroom for modern 1080p gaming without a discrete GPU, along with solid multimedia and computing performance for creative workloads.
Arc B390 Graphics
The Arc B390 is impressive for an integrated solution, although it’s not expected to outperform AMD’s Radeon 8060S iGPU found in the Ryzen AI Max+ 395.
That still maintains the lead in maximum graphics performance, particularly in synthetic benchmarks and GPU-heavy games.
Still, 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 intervene in the thermal and power demands of a discrete graphics card.
The NUC 16 Pro is aimed squarely at creators, developers, and enterprise users. The system supports up to 96GB of LPDDR5x memory running at up to 9600 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 NUC 5×4 chassis uses an internal tool-less design and supports dual M.2 storage on PCIe Gen5 and Gen4.
Additional I/O, including RS-232 and PCIe x1, open the door to industrial, POS and IoT 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 yet.
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