Between the ROG NUC (2025) and Mac mini M2, the ROG NUC (2025) comes out ahead in storage and ram, while the Mac mini M2 wins on tdp and volume. Overall, the ROG NUC (2025) scores 59.1 and the Mac mini M2 scores 53.8 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The ROG NUC (2025) edges ahead on the Mars Score (59.1 vs 53.8), but the 5.3-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the ROG NUC (2025) 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 storage, ram.
Pick the Mac mini M2 if you care most about tdp and volume. Its strongest claims are tdp, volume.
Both ship with comparable thunderbolt, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the ROG NUC (2025) is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) wins
- ▲Storage — 700.00% more. 2048 GB vs 256 GB.
- ▲RAM — 300.00% more. 32 GB vs 8 GB.
Why Apple - Mac mini M2 wins
- ▲TDP — 150.00 W less. 20 vs 170.
- ▲Volume — 1.10 L less. 1.4 vs 2.5.
Spec comparison
Core
Form & I/O
| Spec | ASUS - ROG NUC (2025) | Apple - Mac mini M2 |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 2.5 L | 1.4 Llead |
| Weight | 1.5 kg | 1.18 kglead |
| TDPⓘ | 170 W | 20 Wlead |
| USB ports | 7lead | 4 |
| Thunderboltⓘ | true | true |
Spec-level deep dives
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