I love mini PCs and as such ASUS has my full attention with its dual Computex and microsoft build reveal of its new Ascent QN10.
From the outside it looks normal minicomputer which could have been manufactured by any of the manufacturers in space. But inside it has what I was waiting to see.
Qualcommthe latest Snapdragon X2 Elite. Hoo boy.
So let’s get straight to the point. The Build and Computex launches are, of course, full of talk about AIand yes, this is very much an AI PC. Like almost everything that’s coming out right now.
But this is what we are seeing on the hardware front.
|
Processor |
Snapdragon X2 Elite |
|
UPC |
3rd generation Qualcomm Oryon CPU (18 cores) |
|
GPU |
Qualcomm Adreno X2 |
|
Nuclear Nuclear Unit |
Qualcomm Hexagon, 80 TOPS (INT8) |
|
Memory |
Up to 32GB LPDDR5x 8533/9600 MHz |
|
Storage |
Supports 512 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB maximum (4 TB total) |
|
Grid |
Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 5.4; Realtek 2.5G LAN |
|
Front I/O ports |
2x USB4 Type C (DP1.4/PD, 5V/3A, 40Gbps) |
|
Back I/O Ports |
1x USB4 Type C (DP1.4/PD, 5V/3A, 40Gbps) |
|
Screen support |
Up to 4 (HDMI, 3x USB-C) |
|
SW |
Windows 11 Home/Pro 64-bit |
|
power adapter |
180W DC input charger |
|
Environmental |
Operating temperature: 0-40°C; Storage temperature: -40 to 60°C; Humidity: 0%-92% (non-condensing); Noise level: max. 53 dBA in full speed mode (0 RPM at idle) |
|
Certifications |
BSMI/CB/CE/FCC/UL/CCC/C-tick/WiFi/RF/VCCI |
|
Dimensions / Weight |
130 × 130 × 40mm / 720g |
ASUS is proud to declare the Ascent QN10 as the world’s first mini PC with an 80 TOPS NPU inside. Being a Snapdragon X2 Elite powered device, it will of course also be completely Copilot+ compatible.
I tried using a mini PC as my main machine in 2025 and quickly discovered that there are very few drawbacks. They generally have more ports than I’ll use, they don’t take up space, they’re quiet and efficient, and they’re perfect for an unseasonable British heatwave because they don’t spit large masses of hot air into my office.
Whether it’s work, play or, yes, AI, a mini PC really can do it all, and there’s nothing to suggest the Ascent QN10 will be any different. We already know that the Snapdragon X2 Elite has great capacity and I know it firsthand. play on a PC with Snapdragon It’s not as bad as some corners of the Internet would have you believe.
However, there is one factor to carefully consider.
The Ascent QN10 spec sheet indicates that it has a maximum of 32GB of RAM. It is true that for most users this is fine. I have 32GB on my mini PC and the same on my gaming rig.
But Intel and amd-Technological mini PCs can offer much more than this. The QN10 and its Snapdragon platform use LPDDR5X memory, which is great, but also not user-upgradable. On the contrary, mine Geekom A9 Max with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 at its core uses SODIMM, which, although slower and less efficient, can be updated.
This is the compensation we will have to make. But it does mean that for some workloads, including, for example, running larger local AI models, the QN10 might not be for you.
I’m excited about this though. As a do-it-all machine, it looks like it will tick more than enough boxes. Windows on Arm is better than ever and Qualcomm is a big part of that.
Hopefully this will prompt the rest of the PC makers to try it themselves and not just with the high-end chips. What we still need to know is how much it will cost and when we can get one. But for now, color me impressed.
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