Only if you need what the NUC 16 Pro adds. The ASUS NUC 16 Pro moves to Intel's Panther Lake chips with a 50 TOPS NPU, Copilot+ PC status, Arc B390 graphics on the X-series models, a second 2.5GbE port and Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 6.0. The ASUS NUC 15 Pro (Arrow Lake H) has a 13 TOPS NPU, one LAN port and Arc 140T graphics, but it is cheaper and still a very capable office PC with four-display support. At SourceIT a NUC 15 Pro Tall Ultra 5 225H with 16GB, 512GB and Windows 11 Pro is S$1,363.06, against S$1,704.07 for the equivalent NUC 16 Pro Ultra 5 325 system, a difference of S$341.01 (listed 3 Nov 2026). For standard office work the NUC 15 Pro is enough; for local AI, Copilot+ features or dual networking, the NUC 16 Pro earns its premium.
How do the two generations compare?
| NUC 15 Pro | NUC 16 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor family | Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake H) and Core 200H/100U | Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake, Intel 18A) |
| Top CPU and power | Ultra 7 265H/255H at 40W | Ultra X9 388H at 65W |
| NPU | 13 TOPS | 50 TOPS |
| Platform TOPS (vendor, INT8) | Up to 97 | Up to 180 (X9 388H) |
| Integrated graphics | Arc 140T (needs 16GB dual-channel memory) | Arc B390 on X-series; Intel Graphics on Ultra 5/7 |
| Copilot+ PC | No | Yes (ASUS) |
| Memory | 2x SO-DIMM DDR5-5600 or CSO-DIMM DDR5-6400 | 2x CSO-DIMM DDR5, or soldered LPDDR5x up to 96GB (X-series) |
| Storage | M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 + M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 | M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 + M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 |
| LAN | 1x 2.5GbE | 2x 2.5GbE |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4 | Wi-Fi 7, BT 6.0 |
| Displays | Up to four 4K | Up to four 4K or two 8K |
| Chassis | Slim 36.8 mm or Tall 54 mm, 117 x 112 mm | One size, 144 x 117 x 42 mm |
From ASUS tech spec pages for the NUC 15 Pro and NUC 16 Pro, Intel ARK and StorageReview (accessed 3 Nov 2026).
What does the NPU jump actually change?
Mostly Windows AI features and on-device AI apps. Microsoft says many of its newer Windows AI features need an NPU that can run at 40+ TOPS, which the NUC 16 Pro clears and the NUC 15 Pro does not. For local language models the GPU matters more than the NPU, and here the X-series NUC 16 Pro is the clear step up: StorageReview's Procyon test on an X7 358H reported 26.18 tokens per second for Llama 3 on the GPU. No comparable figure is published for the NUC 15 Pro, so we won't put a percentage on the gap. Remember that the Ultra 5 325 and Ultra 7 356H NUC 16 Pro models do not have the Arc B390, so their graphics advantage over a NUC 15 Pro is much smaller.
The NUC 16 Pro is a better AI PC. The NUC 15 Pro is still a very good office PC. Buy for the job, not the generation number.
Is there a memory catch on either model?
Yes, two:
- NUC 15 Pro and Arc graphics. Intel's footnote says Arc graphics on H-series chips need at least 16GB in a dual-channel configuration. SourceIT lists two NUC 15 Pro Tall Ultra 5 225H systems at the same S$1,363.06: one with 2x 8GB and one with 1x 16GB. Choose the 2x 8GB version if graphics matter, or add a second module later.
- NUC 16 Pro X-series memory is soldered. The X7 and X9 models use LPDDR5x on the board, so pick the capacity you need at purchase. The Ultra 5 and Ultra 7 models use two upgradeable CSO-DIMM slots.
Which should you buy?
- Standard office desks, reception and meeting-room PCs: NUC 15 Pro. It is cheaper and handles four displays.
- Copilot+ features, local AI or a second network port: NUC 16 Pro.
- Serious on-device AI or graphics: NUC 16 Pro X7 or X9 only.
- Heavier sustained CPU work in the NUC 15 family: the NUC 15 Pro+ with Core Ultra 9 285H; see NUC 15 Pro vs Pro+.
The full NUC 16 Pro picture is in ASUS NUC 16 Pro: Has the Tiny PC Finally Grown Up?, and the Slim versus Tall choice for the NUC 15 Pro in ASUS NUC Slim vs Tall.
Buying in Singapore
SourceIT stocks both generations, as barebones and as ready-to-use systems:
- NUC 15 Pro Tall Ultra 5 225H barebone: S$642.07
- NUC 15 Pro Slim Ultra 7 255H barebone: S$821.72
- NUC 15 Pro Tall Ultra 5 225H, 16GB (2x 8GB), 512GB, Windows 11 Pro: S$1,363.06
- NUC 16 Pro Ultra 5 325 barebone: S$700.53
- NUC 16 Pro Ultra 5 325, 16GB, 512GB, Windows 11 Pro: S$1,704.07
- NUC 16 Pro X7 358H, 32GB, 1TB, Windows 11 Pro: S$2,727.10
Prices listed 3 Nov 2026. Browse the ASUS NUC collection. For a quotation, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502, email Sales@sourceit.com.sg or use our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the NUC 16 Pro faster than the NUC 15 Pro? For AI and graphics, the X-series NUC 16 Pro is a clear step up. For everyday office work, both are more than fast enough.
Is the NUC 15 Pro a Copilot+ PC? No. Its NPU is rated at 13 TOPS, below the 40+ TOPS Microsoft cites. The NUC 16 Pro's 50 TOPS NPU qualifies.
How many LAN ports do they have? The NUC 15 Pro has one 2.5GbE port; the NUC 16 Pro has two.
Can I upgrade the memory later? On the NUC 15 Pro and the NUC 16 Pro Ultra 5/7 models, yes. The NUC 16 Pro X7 and X9 models use soldered memory.
What is the price difference in Singapore? At SourceIT on 3 Nov 2026, a 16GB/512GB Windows 11 Pro system is S$1,363.06 for the NUC 15 Pro Ultra 5 225H and S$1,704.07 for the NUC 16 Pro Ultra 5 325.
