The Asus NUC 16 is a new mini PC that, at first glance, looks a lot like the NUC 16 Pro that launched earlier this year. They’re the same size and shape and share many key features including Thunderbolt 4 ports, dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports, and support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0.But, as the name suggests, the new model is designed to be a cheaper, less powerful alternative. While the NUC 16 Pro supports up to a 65-watt Intel Core Ultra X9 388H Panther Lake processor with Arc B390 graphics, the NUC 16 is available with up to a 25-watt Intel Core 7 350 Wildcat Lake chip.Like the NUC 16 Pro, the new Asus NUC 16 measure 144 x 117 x 42mm (5.7″ x 4.6″ x 1.7″). But this model lacks some of the features available in the Pro version (like PCIe 5.0 and dual SODIMM slots) due to limitations associated with Wildcat Lake chips.The Asus NUC 16 will be available with Intel Core 3 304, Core 5 320, or Core 7 350 chips and each model features a single CSO-DIMM slot with support for up to 64GB of single-channel DDR5-6400 memory and a single M.2 2280 slot with support for PCIe Gen 4×4 storage.Ports include:1 x Thunderbolt 41 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps)2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A2 x USB 2.0 Type-A2 x HDMI 2.12 x 2.5 GbE LAN (Intel i226-V)1 x 3.5mm audioWhile the default version of the NUC 16 has two Ethernet ports, Asus says customers can also request models with a single Ethernet port if that’s something they want for some reason.Asus has also introduced an NUC 16 for Windows 365, which is really just an entry-level model with an Intel Core 3 304 processor, a single 2.5 GbE LAN port, and an Intel AX211 wireless card with support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Since this model is positioned as sort of modern dumb terminal for connecting to Microsoft’s PC-in-the-cloud service, it doesn’t really need a powerful processor or large amounts of memory or storage.The data sheet for the NUC 16 also shows specs for an NUC 16 Board that’s is basically he same computer, but without a case. The board measures 127 x 109 x 28mm (5″ x 4.3″ x 1.1″).Asus hasn’t announced pricing or availability for the NUC 16 yet, but with an entry-level barebones Intel NUC 16 Pro selling for $559, it’s likely that the new model will be at least a little cheaper than that.