The NUC 14 Essential is ASUS’ Latest Mini PC, and it’s as Basic as it Gets

Not too long after announcing the industry and enterprise-focused NUC 14 Pro AI late last year, ASUS has more recently unveiled a more lightweight and basic addition to its NUC mini PC lineup, in the form of the aptly-named NUC 14 Essential, which sheds some of the higher-end hardware found on its more expensive sibling.

READ: ASUS’ New Mini PC Packs AI and Intel Processing

Powering the NUC 14 Essential is Intel’s Core N-series processor range – don’t expect do any gaming on here, as it’s designed for the workspace and other everyday office tasks, including video conferences, media streaming, and maybe even some light content production for students. On the outside it comes with a rather plain-looking design, with VESA mount support.

For wireless connectivity, the NUC 14 Essential features Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+) and Bluetooth 5.3 support; for storage and memory, users can opt to upgrade the 14 Essential’s configuration for increased space. Other hardware features include triple 4K display support via HDMI, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort support.

Owing to its “Essential” moniker, the computer lacks Copilot capabilities, so there’s no native AI processing on the device. You do get Windows 11 though, making this ideal for users just after the basics.