Meanwhile, over in China, ASUS is celebrating the release of the latest homegrown AAA title, Phantom Blade Zero, with a themed mini gaming PC, the ROG NUC 16 x Phantom Blade Zero Edition. Speaking of the NUC 16, we haven’t actually told you about it outside of our coverage of the ROG NUC 16 Edition 20. But never mind that, because who needs a regular NUC 16 when you can have one as cool as this?
If you have no issues with a laptop-grade discrete GPU and have been planning to get the game but haven’t committed to it yet, this special edition mini gaming PC might be just the thing for you. Well, that’s assuming you’re in China, because that’s where the “good news” ends.
Let’s talk about the Phantom Blade Zero-inspired aesthetic first. The device blends ROG’s iconic esports aesthetics with the game’s distinctive dark wuxia (loosely translated as “martial arts fantasy”) flair.
The ROG NUC 16 x Phantom Blade Zero Edition [CH] is clad in obsidian-like, midnight-black armor, accented by sharp crimson highlights, evoking the cold, elegant, and lethal atmosphere of the Phantom Blade world. The case features intricately carved, blade-like textures, while a translucent front panel reveals a subtle silhouette of the protagonist, Soul.
Meanwhile, a gradient transitioning from red to deep, dark tones further evokes the mystery and danger waiting to be unveiled in this martial arts world.
As for the hardware, let’s kick things off with the included detachable stand. This is no ordinary stand. It features a built-in G-sensor, ensuring the system is always aware of its orientation and thereby automatically adjusting the internal cooling system to maintain peak performance.
Under the hood, the ROG NUC 16 x Phantom Blade Zero Edition packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX processor and either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU with 12 GB of GDDR7 or an RTX 5080 Laptop GPU with 16 GB of GDDR7, depending on the configuration.
Storage-wise, both versions support M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs ranging from 1 TB to 4 TB, with PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x4 support. ASUS also lists a configuration that includes a 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.
As for the RAM, both versions support up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory across two slots, either using DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM or DDR5-6400 CSO-DIMM modules, with a preconfigured option featuring two 16 GB DDR5-6400 CSO-DIMM modules (32 GB total).
Other notables include Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 BE1750x (Gig+), Bluetooth 5.4, Realtek RTL8125D 2.5G Ethernet, a Realtek ALC3342-CG integrated High Definition Audio Codec chip, and a host of I/Os that will make you go dizzy. There are six USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, one Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1 support, two HDMI 2.1 ports, two DisplayPort 2.1 outputs, a 3.5 mm audio combo jack, and an RJ45 Ethernet port. Phew!
Oh, right. There’s also a Kensington lock and the boring old DC-in. Speaking of DC-in, the RTX 5070 model comes with a 20 V DC, 14 A, 280 W power adapter, while the RTX 5080 is supplied with a 20 V DC, 19 A, 380 W power adapter to cater to the more power-hungry graphics card.
The ROG NUC 16 x Phantom Blade Zero Edition mini gaming PC is available now from the ASUS eStore in China, starting at 24,499 yuan [CH] (about US$3,753).
The mini gaming PC is not the only ASUS product to get the Phantom Blade Zero makeover. It is part of a collection that also includes a pair of gaming headsets, a keycap set, a gaming keyboard, a gaming mouse, and a gaming monitor. Sorry, the sword is still not included. You can check out the collection here.
Images: ASUS.
Story via wccftech.