Between the ROG NUC (2025) and Z2 Mini G1a, the ROG NUC (2025) comes out ahead in storage and volume, while the Z2 Mini G1a wins on ram and 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 isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the ROG NUC (2025) if you care most about storage and volume. The biggest gaps in its favor are storage, volume.
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.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
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 |
Spec-level deep dives
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