AMD-powered NUC appears to be in the works — Ryzen AI Max 395+ powered mini-PC spotted

(Image credit: Asus)

Intel processors have always powered NUCs. However, things changed when Asus took over the NUC line from the chipmaker in 2023. The manufacturer is seemingly experimenting with AMD chips after customs filing discovered by ComputerBase (machine translated) showed an entry for a “Personal Computer mini-PC (NUC14LNS) Asus AMD Ryzen AI Max-395/W 8060S, 64 BIT”.

If this is true, this will be the first NUC to feature an AMD chip, and it will come soon after Asus launches a family of five NUCs powered by an Intel processor. It won’t be its first device to use a Ryzen AI Max+ (Strix Halo) CPU, though, as it’s rumored to power the upcoming ROG Flow Z13 laptop (also listed in the customs document).

AMD also claims that the Ryzen AI Max 395+’s integrated graphics, the Radeon 8060S, can beat the RTX 4070 laptop GPU by up to 68%—a massive claim by the company but is helped by the fact that it has 40 RDNA 3.5 graphics cores. If true, this will disadvantage Asus NUCs if it only sticks with Intel processors, especially as some smaller manufacturers like GMK have already hinted at releasing a mini-PC powered by this processor.

The mini-PC customs description says it’s “for BIS testing,” which likely means the Bureau of Indian Standards. If that’s the case, then Asus likely already built and tested the AMD-powered NUC within the company. Indian authorities are now testing it to ensure it conforms to local standards. This might also mean that this device is destined for launch in India, although there is no official word from Asus yet about whether this is the case or if it will have a global launch.

Given that Asus is investing in product certification, there’s a good chance this is a genuine product. The company is just holding off on its announcement until the authorities give it the green light. We also hope that it will make its way to our shores. That way, mini-PC fans will have more options, and we could enjoy the massive performance that its integrated GPU delivers.

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

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21 Comments Comment from the forums

cknobman

This is what I've been waiting for.
Will be instant buy when it comes out.
Reply
decembermouse

I've also been waiting for this. Want to build my own router and have been looking at passively-cooled mini PCs with two gigabit whether ports, built around the N1XX series, but there aren't many compelling options. This would be a step up. I'll wait for a passive build though.

What would be even better, and I don't think this exists, is a Ryzen AI MAX APU designed for low-power operation. The lowest-power AI APU, the Ryzen AI 5 340, has a 28W TDP. Compared to the N100's 6W TDP, does AMD have a competitor chip that can be used in this space? The days of the C-50 are long gone.
Reply
MobileJAD

decembermouse said:
I've also been waiting for this. Want to build my own router and have been looking at passively-cooled mini PCs with two gigabit whether ports, built around the N1XX series, but there aren't many compelling options. This would be a step up. I'll wait for a passive build though.

What would be even better, and I don't think this exists, is a Ryzen AI MAX APU designed for low-power operation. The lowest-power AI APU, the Ryzen AI 5 340, has a 28W TDP. Compared to the N100's 6W TDP, does AMD have a competitor chip that can be used in this space? The days of the C-50 are long gone.
Ok I am curious what led you to desire a AMD APU with a NPU to use as a router? These types of CPUs are normally used for multimedia or gaming setups, there is a endless list of lower powered, cheaper and less technologically advanced CPUs, to include the Raspberry Pi or even 32bit processors dating back to the first Intel Pentiums that can be used as routers.
Mind you I am asking because whenever I need a router at home I will build one with whatever spare CPU and motherboard I have that I can trust to leave running 24/7 without worrying about it crashing. I always opt for using a PC as a router because I can customize OS and router settings to whatever I like and I prefer having USB and some form of video out so I can attach a USB keyboard and mouse and a monitor or a TV for direct access to the system itself. Normally people love to remote into routers, but call me crazy, I would rather just use it directly.
I am still curious though, do you want to use a processor that has a NPU included so you can use some sort of software on the router that uses AI features? AI enabled filtering or intrusion detection maybe?
Reply
DS426

decembermouse said:
...

What would be even better, and I don't think this exists, is a Ryzen AI MAX APU designed for low-power operation. The lowest-power AI APU, the Ryzen AI 5 340, has a 28W TDP. Compared to the N100's 6W TDP, does AMD have a competitor chip that can be used in this space? The days of the C-50 are long gone.
A few of the Ryzen AI 300 series have a cTDP (configurable TDP) as low as 15W, such as the AI 5 340, so that puts them closer to your 6W figure. It's just a matter of who implements that on what.
Reply
DS426

Funny as I recently commented on ASUS not having an AMD-powered "NUC" at a time when Minisforum and others are seeing strong sales success on AMD mini PC's. I applaud the move as a broader hardware ecosystem is needed -- x86 or not.
Reply
Pemalite

I miss the compute stick form factor.
Just plug your computer into a HDMI slot and.... Go.

I just setup my old compute stick with an Atom Z8330, 2GB of Ram as an information panel at the fire station... But would absolutely buy another in a heartbeat if it had more Ram for Win11.
Reply
usertests

cknobman said:
This is what I've been waiting for.
Will be instant buy when it comes out.
But at what price? And RAM amount (32/64/128 GB)

Pemalite said:
I miss the compute stick form factor.
Just plug your computer into a HDMI slot and.... Go.

I just setup my old compute stick with an Atom Z8330, 2GB of Ram as an information panel at the fire station... But would absolutely buy another in a heartbeat if it had more Ram for Win11.
You're not getting a >100W TDP chip in the stick form factor. Bit of a non sequitur here.

There are stick-like devices, usually very chunky but somewhat qualifying, that carry the Intel N100 and a lot more RAM. Such as the MeLE PCG02 Pro. You could probably fit it where it needs to go with an HDMI extender, which may even be included for some of these.

Also consider a small mini PC with VESA mount on the back of a TV if possible.
Reply
Quirkz

cknobman said:
This is what I've been waiting for.
Will be instant buy when it comes out.
Did you know there are plenty of manufacturers like beelink, minisforum, etc, already producing great NUC style devices that feature AMD chips? NUC is just a brand name at this point.

I've got one on my desk, in fact.,
Reply
KyaraM

cknobman said:
This is what I've been waiting for.
Will be instant buy when it comes out.
Even if it cost 2000+ bucks? Because, let's be honest, this isn't worth 2000 bucks. For 800 to 1000, sure. That's what laptops with a 4060 in it cost, and this is about the same performance, maybe a little less (yes, a mid- to full-powered 4060 mobile can beat a power-starved 4070 mobile, they are that close). Anything more and it's not worth your money, period.

Quirkz said:
Did you know there are plenty of manufacturers like beelink, minisforum, etc, already producing great NUC style devices that feature AMD chips? NUC is just a brand name at this point.

I've got one on my desk, in fact.,
I got one from Beelink, too, for about 2 years or so now. Nice little machine, and a 5700U is absolutely enough for everyone who doesn't need a dGPU. I use it with my 3D printer to slice models etc, and things I don't want to use my other systems for for whatever reason. It's separated from the rest of the network in case something goes wrong. I was cheap, too, for under $300. Yesterday I have seen they also make mITX boards with mobile chips and a GPU slot nowadays; they usually feature the Ryzen 9 7945HX iirc, and two SSD slots. In the case of Minisforum, even up to PCIE 5x16, which is pretty cool. Minisforum also has a gaming mini with a 6600M in it.
Reply
cknobman

Quirkz said:
Did you know there are plenty of manufacturers like beelink, minisforum, etc, already producing great NUC style devices that feature AMD chips? NUC is just a brand name at this point.

I've got one on my desk, in fact.,
Yes and I've almost bought one.
But I'm specifically waiting for this Strix Halo with the 40 compute units.
I'm tired of buying graphics cards and Strix Halo will finally push integrated graphics far enough to compete with full tier desktop graphics cards.
Reply

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