# Mac mini (M4) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Mac mini (M4) (Apple) and Asus NUC 14 Pro (Asus) among mini pcs. Asus NUC 14 Pro is the cheaper of the two at $434.

## Side by side

| Spec | Mac mini (M4) | Asus NUC 14 Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $599 | $434 |
| Brand | Apple | Asus |
| Released | 2024-11 | 2024-03 |
| CPU | Apple M4 (10-core, 4P+6E) | Intel Core 3 100U (base); up to Core Ultra 7 155H |
| Max RAM (GB) | 32 | 96 |
| Storage type | NVMe SSD (proprietary, soldered) | M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe + M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 + 2.5" SATA (tall chassis) |
| Wi-Fi standard | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) | Wi-Fi 6E (Intel AX211) |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10 GbE) | 2.5 GbE (Intel I226-V) |
| Ports summary | 3x Thunderbolt 4 (rear, 40 Gbps), 2x USB-C / USB 3 (front, 10 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio | 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear, DP2.1/USB4), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2x2 (front), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (front), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (rear), 1x USB-A 2.0 (rear), 2x HDMI 2.1 (rear) |
| Dimensions (mm) | 127 x 127 x 50 | 117 x 112 x 54 |

## Key differences

- CPU: Mac mini (M4) Apple M4 (10-core, 4P+6E) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro Intel Core 3 100U (base); up to Core Ultra 7 155H
- Max RAM (GB): Mac mini (M4) 32 vs Asus NUC 14 Pro 96
- Storage type: Mac mini (M4) NVMe SSD (proprietary, soldered) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe + M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 + 2.5" SATA (tall chassis)
- Wi-Fi standard: Mac mini (M4) Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro Wi-Fi 6E (Intel AX211)
- Ethernet: Mac mini (M4) Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to 10 GbE) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro 2.5 GbE (Intel I226-V)
- Ports summary: Mac mini (M4) 3x Thunderbolt 4 (rear, 40 Gbps), 2x USB-C / USB 3 (front, 10 Gbps), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x 3.5mm audio vs Asus NUC 14 Pro 2x Thunderbolt 4 (rear, DP2.1/USB4), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen2x2 (front), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (front), 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 (rear), 1x USB-A 2.0 (rear), 2x HDMI 2.1 (rear)
- Dimensions (mm): Mac mini (M4) 127 x 127 x 50 vs Asus NUC 14 Pro 117 x 112 x 54

## What reviewers say

**Mac mini (M4)** — Three testers - Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide and TechRadar - each ran the base M4 Mac mini (not the M4 Pro) through their own benchmark suites and all three recommend it. Geekbench 6 single-core landed at 3,838 on all three, and multi-core at 14,838 on the two Future-owned outlets versus 15,072 at Notebookcheck. All three independently measured the same 5 x 5 x 2-inch chassis and all three fault the power button Apple moved to the underside. Only Notebookcheck instrumented power and acoustics, recording 2.6-2.7 W at idle against a 62.5 W peak. (3 sourced reviews.)

**Asus NUC 14 Pro** — Three whitelisted hands-on reviews — Notebookcheck, Tom's Guide and TechRadar — benchmarked the Asus NUC 14 Pro (Intel Core Ultra, 2024). All three highlight its uncommon dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and strong CPU/Arc iGPU performance for the tiny footprint, and all three flag the high price / weak value versus cheaper similarly specced rivals. The plastic case, missing 3.5mm audio jack and fan noise/thermals under sustained load draw the main criticism. Every quote and benchmark listed was verified as a literal match against the fetched source text. (3 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- Mac mini (M4): https://support.apple.com/en-us/121555 (support.apple.com, verified 2026-06-15)
- Asus NUC 14 Pro: https://www.asus.com/us/displays-desktops/nucs/nuc-mini-pcs/asus-nuc-14-pro/techspec/ (asus.com, verified 2026-06-15)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/mini-pcs/apple-mac-mini-m4-vs-asus-nuc-14-pro/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Mac mini (M4) ($599) vs Asus NUC 14 Pro ($434) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/mini-pcs/apple-mac-mini-m4-vs-asus-nuc-14-pro/
License: CC BY 4.0.