Between the NUC 14 Pro+ and Mac Studio M4 Max, the NUC 14 Pro+ comes out ahead in storage and tdp, while the Mac Studio M4 Max wins on ram. Overall, the NUC 14 Pro+ scores 72.2 and the Mac Studio M4 Max scores 47.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The NUC 14 Pro+ is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 24.9 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 care most about storage and tdp. The biggest gaps in its favor are storage, tdp, volume.
Pick the Mac Studio M4 Max 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.
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
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 1024 GB vs 512 GB.
- ▲TDP — 95.00 W less. 85 vs 180.
- ▲Volume — 3.00 L less. 0.7 vs 3.7.
Why Apple - Mac Studio M4 Max wins
- ▲RAM — 12.50% more. 36 GB vs 32 GB.
Spec comparison
Core
Form & I/O
| Spec | ASUS - NUC 14 Pro+ | Apple - Mac Studio M4 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 0.7 Llead | 3.7 L |
| Weight | 0.65 kglead | 2.74 kg |
| TDPⓘ | 85 Wlead | 180 W |
| USB ports | 6 | 6 |
| Thunderboltⓘ | true | true |
Spec-level deep dives
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