ASUS ROG NUC 16 vs GMKtec EVO-X2
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ASUS ROG NUC 16
Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
GMKtec EVO-X2
Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD, US plug
Amazon results may include other models. Verify the processor, memory, storage, and seller before buying.
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| Storage |
1Is it fast for normal work?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Cinebench 2024 single-core 136 points
ALKtech measured 136 points in Cinebench 2024 single-core on its ROG NUC 16 review unit.
Cinebench 2024 single-core · Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus; 32GB DDR5-6400; 2TB SSD; default Balance Enabled BIOS mode; Performance Armoury Crate mode
ALKtech · 12:40 -
7-Zip compression 156.204 GIPS
ALKtech measured 156.204 GIPS in the 7-Zip compression benchmark.
7-Zip compression benchmark · Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus; 32GB DDR5-6400; 2TB SSD; default system power settings
ALKtech · 12:33 -
Cinebench R23 single-core Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Cinebench 2024 single-core Not available
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7-Zip compression Not available
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Cinebench R23 single-core 1988 points
Retro Game Corps measured 1,988 in Cinebench R23 single-core on the exact 128GB/2TB review unit in Performance mode.
Cinebench R23 single-core · Performance mode; 120 W sustained power setting; Ryzen AI Max+ 395; 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 12:41
2Can it handle sustained work?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Cinebench 2024 multi-core 2010 points
ALKtech measured 2,010 points in Cinebench 2024 multi-core. This remains attributed evidence because it was not run on the MiniPCBench test bench.
Cinebench 2024 multi-core · Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus; 32GB DDR5-6400; 2TB SSD; default Balance Enabled BIOS mode; Performance Armoury Crate mode
ALKtech · 12:40 -
Cinebench R23 multi-core 35512 points
The same review unit scored 35,512 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core.
Cinebench R23 multi-core · Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus; 32GB DDR5-6400; 2TB SSD; default Balance Enabled BIOS mode; Performance Armoury Crate mode
ALKtech · 12:49 -
DaVinci Resolve 1080p render time Not available
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DaVinci Resolve 4K render time Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Cinebench 2024 multi-core Not available
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Cinebench R23 multi-core 35554 points
Retro Game Corps measured 35,554 in Cinebench R23 multi-core after a 10-minute run in Performance mode.
Cinebench R23 multi-core 10-minute run · Performance mode; 120 W sustained power setting; Ryzen AI Max+ 395; 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 10:50 -
DaVinci Resolve 1080p render time 97 minutes
Tame That Tech's four-minute 1080p Resolve project took 1 hour 37 minutes to render, and the reviewer also reported lag while scrubbing its 1080p timeline.
DaVinci Resolve four-minute 1080p project render · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit; project and codec details were not stated in the narration
Tame That Tech · 6:00 -
DaVinci Resolve 4K render time 105 minutes
The same four-minute project took 1 hour 45 minutes when rendered at 4K in Tame That Tech's test.
DaVinci Resolve four-minute 4K project render · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit; project and codec details were not stated in the narration
Tame That Tech · 6:18
3Can it game?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Cyberpunk 2077 4K 43.28 fps
ALKtech measured 43.28 FPS average in Cyberpunk 2077 v2.31 at 4K using the Ray Tracing Low preset with DLSS and frame generation disabled.
Cyberpunk 2077 v2.31 built-in benchmark · 3840x2160; Ray Tracing Low; DLSS off; frame generation off
ALKtech · 13:36 -
Cyberpunk 2077 1440p 92.43 fps
At 1440p with the same Ray Tracing Low preset and no DLSS or frame generation, ALKtech measured 92.43 FPS average.
Cyberpunk 2077 v2.31 built-in benchmark · 2560x1440; Ray Tracing Low; DLSS off; frame generation off
ALKtech · 13:36 -
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 4K 49 fps
ALKtech measured 49 FPS average at 4K with maximum settings, Ultra ray tracing, and upscaling disabled.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider built-in benchmark · 3840x2160; maximum graphics; Ultra ray tracing; upscaling off
ALKtech · 14:23 -
3DMark Time Spy Not available
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Cyberpunk 2077 Not available
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Doom: The Dark Ages Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Cyberpunk 2077 4K Not available
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Cyberpunk 2077 1440p Not available
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Shadow of the Tomb Raider 4K Not available
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3DMark Time Spy 10819 points
Retro Game Corps measured 10,819 in 3DMark Time Spy from the integrated Radeon 8060S.
3DMark Time Spy · Performance mode; Radeon 8060S; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 12:54 -
Cyberpunk 2077 85 fps
Retro Game Corps reported an 85 FPS average in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p using the High preset and no frame generation.
Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay · 1440p High preset; preset-applied FSR; frame generation off; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 18:33 -
Doom: The Dark Ages 60 fps
The same reviewer averaged about 60 FPS in Doom: The Dark Ages at 1440p Medium.
Doom: The Dark Ages gameplay · 1440p Medium; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 15:10
4Is it loud or hot?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Gaming CPU package temperature 82.5 °C
During a roughly nine-minute F1 23 run, ALKtech recorded an 82.5°C average CPU package temperature and a 104°C maximum in a 30°C room.
F1 23, Singapore Circuit, five laps · 4K Ultra High; TAA; 16x anisotropic filtering; DLSS off; 30°C ambient; maximum 104°C
ALKtech · 14:36 -
Gaming GPU temperature 76.3 °C
The same run produced a 76.3°C average GPU temperature and a 79.3°C maximum.
F1 23, Singapore Circuit, five laps · 4K Ultra High; TAA; 16x anisotropic filtering; DLSS off; 30°C ambient; maximum 79.3°C
ALKtech · 14:36 -
Gaming noise 51.9 dBA
ALKtech measured 51.9 dBA during a typical gaming workload, but the room already measured 48.7 dBA, so the result is strongly limited by the high noise floor.
Typical gaming workload · 48.7 dBA ambient noise floor; meter position not stated
ALKtech · 14:36 -
Peak CPU temperature Not available
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Idle sound level Not available
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Full-load sound level Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Gaming CPU package temperature Not available
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Gaming GPU temperature Not available
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Gaming noise Not available
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Peak CPU temperature 98 C
Retro Game Corps observed a 98 C peak during a 10-minute Cinebench multi-core run at the 120 W Performance setting and considered it hotter than desirable.
Cinebench R23 multi-core 10-minute run · Performance mode; 120 W sustained with a brief 140 W boost; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 10:50 -
Idle sound level 35 dB
Tame That Tech measured under 35 dB at idle even with Performance mode selected.
Windows idle · Performance mode; exact 128GB/2TB review unit; distance and room floor were not stated
Tame That Tech · 7:40 -
Full-load sound level 49 dB
Tame That Tech measured about 49 dB at full load. ServeTheHome independently measured about 41 to 44 dBA under AI workloads from roughly one meter, with a 34 dBA room floor.
Full system load · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit; Tame That Tech did not state measurement distance or room floor
Tame That Tech · 7:48
5How much electricity does it use?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Gaming CPU package power 46.9 W
ALKtech's HWiNFO64 sensor log reported 46.9 W average CPU package power during the F1 23 run. This is component power, not whole-system wall power.
F1 23, Singapore Circuit, five laps · 4K Ultra High; DLSS off; HWiNFO64 CPU package sensor; 72 W maximum
ALKtech · 14:36 -
Gaming GPU power 173 W
The same HWiNFO64 log reported 173.0 W average GPU power and a 173.7 W maximum. This is GPU sensor power, not wall power.
F1 23, Singapore Circuit, five laps · 4K Ultra High; DLSS off; HWiNFO64 GPU power sensor; 173.7 W maximum
ALKtech · 14:36 -
Idle wall power Not available
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Maximum observed wall power Not available
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Llama 3.3 70B GPU-only wall power Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Gaming CPU package power Not available
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Gaming GPU power Not available
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Idle wall power 13 W
Tame That Tech observed 10 to 13 W at idle on the exact 128GB/2TB unit.
Windows idle · Observed range 10-13 W; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Tame That Tech · 7:56 -
Maximum observed wall power 220 W
Tame That Tech's maximum observed wall draw was 220 W at full load.
Full system load · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit; workload was not further specified in the narration
Tame That Tech · 8:01 -
Llama 3.3 70B GPU-only wall power 150 W
ServeTheHome observed about 147 to 150 W while running Llama 3.3 70B entirely in allocated GPU memory.
Llama 3.3 70B Q6_K inference in LM Studio · 64GB allocated to GPU; exact 128GB/2TB review unit; reported range 147-150 W
ServeTheHome · 10:20
6Can I upgrade and connect everything?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Memory is upgradeable Yes
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Storage is upgradeable Yes
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Thunderbolt is present Yes
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Tool-less service access 2x memory and 2x M.2 slots
The two memory slots and two M.2 storage slots are user-accessible. The primary storage position supports PCIe 5.0 x4 and the second supports PCIe 4.0 x4.
Manufacturer upgradeability check · RNUC16JNK9X289AU
ASUS -
Expansion and access Not available
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Network interface Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Memory is upgradeable No
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Storage is upgradeable Yes
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Thunderbolt is present No
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Tool-less service access Not available
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Expansion and access 2x M.2 2280
The EVO-X2 has two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 2280 storage slots. Retro Game Corps found the slots easy to reach after removing two screws, but the screws sit under adhesive rubber feet.
Manufacturer specification and hands-on access check · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 8:31 -
Network interface 2.5GbE
ServeTheHome identified the single wired network port as a Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE interface and criticized the absence of faster 5GbE or 10GbE at this price level.
Hardware identification · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit
ServeTheHome · 2:37
7Is it good value?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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US list price $3,799
ASUS lists RNUC16JNK9X289AU at $3,799 before temporary discounts in the United States.
Manufacturer retail-price check · Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
ASUS -
Manufacturer price Not available
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Verified Amazon configuration Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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US list price Not available
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Manufacturer price $3,649.99
GMKtec listed the exact US 128GB/2TB configuration for $3,649.99 when checked, against a $3,999.99 compare-at price.
Manufacturer retail-price check · EVO-X2-5-75S: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB RAM, 2TB SSD, US plug
GMKtec -
Verified Amazon configuration B0F53MLYQ6
Amazon ASIN B0F53MLYQ6 matched the exact Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 128GB RAM, and 2TB SSD configuration when checked.
Retailer identity check · Exact 128GB/2TB listing
GMKtec
8Will it be dependable?
ASUS ROG NUC 16
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Limited warranty 3 years
ASUS states that its NUC products purchased from authorized distributors carry a three-year limited warranty covering hardware included in the box.
Manufacturer warranty-policy check · ASUS NUC products purchased from authorized distributors
ASUS -
Review-unit disclosure Loan unit
ALKtech disclosed that ASUS Singapore supplied its ROG NUC 16 review unit as a loan and that its article contains affiliate links.
Source-disclosure check
ALKtech · 16:41 -
Hardware warranty Not available
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Thermal headroom concern Not available
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Creator-software behavior Not available
GMKtec EVO-X2
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Limited warranty Not available
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Review-unit disclosure Not available
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Hardware warranty 1 year
GMKtec lists a one-year warranty and a seven-day return window on the EVO-X2 product page.
Manufacturer warranty-policy check
GMKtec -
Thermal headroom concern 98 C observed peak
Retro Game Corps measured a 98 C peak at the 120 W Performance setting after about a month with the unit and flagged the temperature as a long-term concern, while noting it remained below the platform's cited 105 C throttling point.
Cinebench R23 multi-core 10-minute run · Performance mode; exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Retro Game Corps · 10:50 -
Creator-software behavior Resolve weakness reported
Tame That Tech reported severe timeline lag and unusually slow renders in its DaVinci Resolve project despite strong gaming results, so performance should not be assumed uniform across GPU-accelerated applications.
DaVinci Resolve editing and render test · Exact 128GB/2TB review unit
Tame That Tech · 6:00
References
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ASUS. ASUS ROG NUC 16 technical specifications. Product page. Accessed .
Configuration: RNUC16JNK9X289AU: Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
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ASUS. Warranty Information for NUC Products. Product page. Accessed .
Configuration: ASUS NUC products purchased from authorized distributors
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ALKtech. Is this the most powerful mini gaming PC yet? ASUS ROG NUC 16 Unboxing & Review. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, RTX 5080 Laptop GPU, 32GB DDR5-6400, 2TB SSD
Disclosure: ALKtech states that ASUS Singapore supplied the review unit on loan. The accompanying article contains Amazon affiliate links.
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GMKtec. GMKtec EVO-X2 AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 AI Mini PC. Product page. . Accessed .
Configuration: EVO-X2-5-75S: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD, US plug
Disclosure: Manufacturer specifications, current price, availability, warranty, and return terms.
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ServeTheHome. AMD's 128GB Answer to NVIDIA for AI and Gaming. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X, factory 2TB SSD plus reviewer-installed 8TB secondary SSD
Disclosure: The description says the unit was purchased and contains Amazon affiliate links.
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Tame That Tech. GMKtec EVO-X2 AI Max+ 395 Mini PC Unboxing & Review – The Ultimate AI Desktop?. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD
Disclosure: The description discloses Amazon, Mavely, and JoyLink affiliate storefronts; it does not state how the review unit was obtained.
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Retro Game Corps. A True "NEXT GEN" Mini PC - GMKtec EVO-X2. Video review. . Accessed .
Configuration: Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB LPDDR5X-8000, 2TB SSD
Disclosure: The reviewer says GMKtec supplied the unit on loan, exchanged no money, and did not see the review before publication; the description contains affiliate links.
Value for money
No value comparison is available. It requires eligible test scores and at least four current price observations in seven days.
Specification differences
Differences supported by the listed manufacturer specifications
Higher listed specifications for ASUS ROG NUC 16
- Has a manufacturer list price about $201 lower
Higher listed specifications for GMKtec EVO-X2
Verified specifications
Manufacturer-sourced specifications and current testing status
Processor
| Specification | ROG NUC 16 | EVO-X2 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 |
| Cores / threads | 24 / 24 | 16 / 32 |
| Processor default TDP | Not disclosed | 120 W |
| Integrated graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU with 16GB GDDR7 | AMD Radeon 8060S integrated graphics, 40 compute units |
Memory and storage
| Specification | ROG NUC 16 | EVO-X2 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory type | DDR5-6400 CSODIMM | LPDDR5X-8000 onboard |
| Maximum memory | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Upgradeable memory | Yes | No |
| Storage slots | 2 | 2 |
Connectivity
| Specification | ROG NUC 16 | EVO-X2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ethernet | 2.5GbE | 2.5GbE Realtek RTL8125BG |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4 |
| USB4 | Yes | Yes |
| Thunderbolt | Yes | No |
Size and price
| Specification | ROG NUC 16 | EVO-X2 |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure volume | 3.02 liters | Not published |
| List price | $3,799 | $4,000 |
| Product class | Compact high-end gaming | Local AI and 1440p gaming |