- MSI is the latest vendor to jump on the AI PC bandwagon
- Cubi NUC AI+ 2M is a mini PC with 11 ports and 1 card reader, but no TB5
- It comes with a dedicated Copilot button as well as a fingerprint reader
MSI unveiled two new Cubi mini PC offerings at CES 2025, and it will probably come as no surprise that these models include AI in their names. Cubi NUC AI+ 2M and Cubi NUC AI 1UM offer on-device AI capabilities and are designed to deliver powerful performance in a compact form factor that fits any workspace.
The larger Cubi NUC AI+ 2M measures 0.826 liters and is powered by Intel’s Core Ultra processors from the Lunar Lake platform, with configurations up to Core Ultra 7 258V. It has Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics and up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X on the package memory. Storage is supported via a single M.2 2280 SSD slot. The device can deliver up to 115 TOPS of processing power through a dedicated Intel AI Boost NPU.
The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M offers a total of 11 ports. On the front, there are two 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports and a microSD card reader, as well as a one-touch fingerprint button for added security and a Copilot button for instant access to AI tools such as CoCreator, Windows Studio Effects, Live Captions and live translation. There is also a built-in microphone and speaker for voice commands.
No Copilot button on the smaller model
The rear panel houses two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one of which supports PD-in up to 100 watts (it’s a shame MSI hasn’t yet embraced Thunderbolt 5 for even faster data transfer speeds), two HDMI ports and two 2.5Gbps Ethernet harbours. The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M can drive up to three screens and supports WiFi 7 for high-speed wireless connectivity.
The Cubi NUC AI 1UM is a smaller and probably more affordable alternative with a volume of 0.51 liters. It is powered by Intel Core Ultra 100 Meteor Lake processors, including options up to Core Ultra 7 155H.
It supports two SODIMM DDR5 memory slots and two M.2 SSD drives, and like its larger sibling, includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI outputs, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet ports. It can drive four screens, but doesn’t have a Copilot button.
Both models support MSI Power Link, allowing power management through select MSI monitors and reducing cable clutter, especially when mounted behind a monitor. Pricing information for both has yet to be announced.
