Introduction
ASRock Industrial has been making compact NUC-style PCs for years, with its Intel-based NUC BOX models joining the AMD-powered 4X4 BOX family. The company also offers slimmer NUC models and fanless systems designed for industrial use, so it has plenty of experience fitting capable hardware into small enclosures. The NUC BOX-358H is one of its latest models, bringing Intel’s Panther Lake architecture and Arc B390 integrated graphics to a desktop that takes up very little space. Unlike many of the Mini-PCs I’ve reviewed recently, this one comes as a barebones system, meaning you’ll need to provide your own memory and storage. I actually like having that flexibility, but it does mean factoring in the cost of those components when comparing it with a fully configured Mini-PC.
Inside is Intel’s Core Ultra X7 358H, a 16-core, 16-thread processor with four performance cores, eight efficiency cores, and four low-power efficiency cores. It also features Intel’s Arc B390 integrated graphics with 12 Xe3 cores, which is probably what I’m most interested in testing. Integrated graphics have improved quite a bit over the past few generations, and I’m curious to see what Intel’s latest hardware can do in games that have traditionally been challenging for Mini-PCs, particularly at 1080p. There’s also a 50 TOPS NPU for supported AI applications, although its usefulness will depend on the software you’re running.
ASRock Industrial has managed to fit quite a bit of expandability into the NUC BOX-358H, despite its small 117.5 × 110 × 49 mm chassis. There are two replaceable DDR5 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of memory at DDR5-7200, along with two M.2 SSD connections. One supports PCIe 5.0 and full-length M.2 2280 drives, while the other uses PCIe 4.0 and the smaller 2242 format. Connectivity is equally generous, with dual 2.5 GbE ports, Thunderbolt 4, and support for four displays. All of this makes it an appealing option for a compact workstation, development system, or small homelab, especially for anyone who wants the freedom to upgrade individual components down the road. It can even be mounted behind a monitor using the included VESA bracket, keeping the desk completely free.
For this review, I installed 32 GB of dual-channel DDR5-5600 memory and a 1 TB Solidigm P41 Plus SSD, both supplied separately from the barebone. The memory runs below the system’s advertised DDR5-7200 capability, which is worth mentioning because integrated graphics share system memory and can benefit from higher bandwidth. The storage results will also reflect the SSD I installed, not the full potential of the PCIe 5.0 interface. With everything set up, I ran the NUC BOX-358H through my usual CPU, application, and gaming benchmarks to see how Intel’s new platform compares with the other Mini-PCs I’ve tested, and whether this barebone approach is worth considering.
SpecificationsCPUIntel Core Ultra X7 358H (Panther Lake-H)
16 cores/16 threads: 4P + 8E + 4LPE
Up to 4.8 GHz
Dedicated NPU rated at 50 TOPSGPUIntel Arc B390 integrated graphics
12 Xe cores, up to 2.5 GHz
Shared system memoryMemoryTested: 32 GB (2 × 16 GB) dual-channel DDR5-5600
Two replaceable DDR5 SO-DIMM slots
Up to 128 GB; DDR5-7200 support
Barebone: memory sold separatelyStorageTested: 1 TB Solidigm P41 Plus, PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe
One M.2 Key M PCIe 5.0 x4 slot (2242/2280)
One M.2 Key M PCIe 4.0 x4 slot (2242)
Intel VMD RAID 0/1 support
Barebone: SSD sold separatelyDisplay Outputs2× HDMI 2.1
DisplayPort 2.1 through USB4/Thunderbolt 4
DisplayPort 1.4a through the second USB-C port
Up to four displaysConnectivity
Front: 1× USB-A (10 Gbps), 1× USB4/Thunderbolt 4, 1× USB-C (20 Gbps), headphone/microphone jack, power button
Rear: 2× USB-A (10 Gbps), 2× HDMI 2.1, 2× 2.5 GbE, DC power input, security slot
NetworkingIntel I226LM + I226V 2.5GbE
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0CoolingActive fan coolingOperating SystemTested with Windows 11 Pro
Operating system supplied separately from the barebonePower SupplyExternal 19 V/120 W adapter
12-24 V DC input supportDimensions117.5 × 110 × 49 mmWeight1.0 kg nominal barebone weightColorBlackAccessoriesPower adapter
VESA mounting bracket and mounting screws
M.2 screwPricing $989.99 USD listed barebone price
RAM, SSD, and operating system are additional
* Pricing is reflected at the time of publication