Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) | HP - Z2 Mini G1a |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | 2048 GB | 1024 GB |
| RAM | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| TDP | 170 W | 120 W |
| Volume | 2.5 L | 2.7 L |
Between the ROG NUC (2025) and Z2 Mini G1a, the ROG NUC (2025) comes out ahead in storage / volume, while the Z2 Mini G1a wins on ram / tdp. Overall, the ROG NUC (2025) scores 59.1 and the Z2 Mini G1a scores 60.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (59.1 vs 60.1). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the ROG NUC (2025) if you care most about storage / volume. The biggest gaps in its favor are storage, volume. The single most decisive one: Storage — 100.00% more. 2048 GB vs 1024 GB.
Pick the Z2 Mini G1a if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are ram, tdp. The single most decisive one: RAM — 100.00% more. 64 GB vs 32 GB.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) or HP - Z2 Mini G1a?
HP - Z2 Mini G1a leads the current Mars Score by 1.0 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare ram, storage, volume, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) if…
ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) has the measurable edge on storage gb, volume l.
Choose HP - Z2 Mini G1a if…
HP - Z2 Mini G1a has the measurable edge on ram gb, tdp w.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) wins
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 2048 GB vs 1024 GB.
- ▲Volume — 0.20 L less. 2.5 vs 2.7.
Why HP - Z2 Mini G1a wins
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 64 GB vs 32 GB.
- ▲TDP — 50.00 W less. 120 vs 170.
Spec comparison
Core
Form & I/O
| Spec | ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) | HP - Z2 Mini G1a |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 2.5 Llead | 2.7 L |
| Weight | 1.5 kglead | 1.99 kg |
| TDPⓘ | 170 W | 120 Wlead |
| USB ports | 7lead | 6 |
| Thunderboltⓘ | true | true |