Between the NUC 14 Pro+ and Mac mini M2, the NUC 14 Pro+ comes out ahead in ram and storage, while the Mac mini M2 wins on tdp. Overall, the NUC 14 Pro+ scores 72.2 and the Mac mini M2 scores 53.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The NUC 14 Pro+ is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 18.4 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the NUC 14 Pro+ if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are ram, storage, volume.
Pick the Mac mini M2 if you care most about tdp. Its strongest claims are tdp.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the NUC 14 Pro+ is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - NUC 14 Pro+ wins
- ▲RAM — 300.00% more. 32 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Storage — 300.00% more. 1024 GB vs 256 GB.
- ▲Volume — 0.70 L less. 0.7 vs 1.4.
Why Apple - Mac mini M2 wins
- ▲TDP — 65.00 W less. 20 vs 85.
Spec comparison
Core
Form & I/O
| Spec | ASUS - NUC 14 Pro+ | Apple - Mac mini M2 |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 0.7 Llead | 1.4 L |
| Weight | 0.65 kglead | 1.18 kg |
| TDPⓘ | 85 W | 20 Wlead |
| USB ports | 6lead | 4 |
| Thunderboltⓘ | true | true |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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