Today we’re reviewing an Asus ExpertCenter PN64 mini PC. This is a mini PC equipped with an i5-12500H chip. Initially offered in barebone format, the version we’re testing here is equipped with a 256 Gb SSD and 32 GB RAM.
The Asus ExperCenter PN64 is available for 629.95€ in its i5-12500H version without RAM or SSD.
Thanks to Asus for providing us with this sample.
[nextpage title=”The Asus ExpertCenter PN64″]
The Asus PN64 is a small mini PC measuring 120 x 130 x 58 mm. The processor is an Intel i5-12500H, accompanied in our case by 32 GB DDR5-4800 Mt/s RAM and a 256 Gb NVMe SSD.
We start by unpacking the device. This mini PC comes in very compact packaging. Inside, we find the mini PC on the left in plastic packaging (on new models). On the right, we have the documents, as well as the charger and the VESA support with its screws for mounting on a screen or chassis.
Let’s talk about the charger, which is a 120W 20V power supply using cylindrical connectors to be plugged into the rear of the PC.
Presentation
To begin with, the ASUS ExpertCenter PN64 is very compact in this version, weighing in at just 721g. The overall design is largely plastic.
Then there are the connectors, a very complete solution. We have 2 USB type-A 3.2 gen 2 ports on the front, as well as a 3.5mm jack and a USB type-C 3.2 gen 2 port. On the rear, we have a USB type-C 3.2 gen 2 port, 2 HDMI 2.1 video outputs and a DisplayPort 1.4 output, as well as a USB type-A 3.2 gen 2 port. As for network connectivity, we have a 2.5 Gb RJ45 socket and Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. So we’re talking about a very complete video output solution, but a poor USB one. What’s more, there’s no Thunderbolt 4 port for connecting a high-performance dock.
The special feature here is the second DisplayPort 1.4 port on the top cover. This can be configured on Asus ExpertCenter products as an RS232, VGA, HDMI, RJ45 or DisplayPort port.
[nextpage title=”Configuration overview”]
The configuration of this Asus PN64 is based on an Intel Alder lake-H platform. The CPU used (i5-12500H) is ideal for this type of machine.
The various components
We start with the CPU, motherboard and RAM, here on CPU-Z, we can see that the Asus PN64 is equipped with an i5-12500H with 4 Pcore and 8 Ecore capable of going up to 4.5Ghz. For RAM, we’re looking at 32GB of DDR5 memory at 4800 Mt/s CL40.
Let’s move on to the graphics card. Here, we’re on the i5-12500H’s integrated IGP with Intel Xe 80 sp (640 cores) capable of 1.3 Ghz.
For storage, we have a 256 Gb Micron PCIe 4.0 x4 for this test. This offers very good performance in terms of access times, but with relatively low data rates. You shouldn’t look too closely, as this is a Barebone format, and this SSD was supplied solely for the purposes of this test.
Disassembly, repair and upgrade
Disassembly is performed by removing the 4 screws on the back of the device, giving access to the replaceable components. As for removing the motherboard, it’s impossible to remove it here – how did it get in there?
From a modification point of view, we have access to the M.2 PCie 4.0 slot on the motherboard, as well as a 2.5″ SATA slot on the cover, connected by a ribbon cable to the motherboard, for a 7mm SSD or HDD. We also have access to the Wi-Fi card under the M.2 2280 PCIe slot and two so-dimm DDR5 slots.
[nextpage title=”Test protocol”]
The test protocol has been revised to offer something more complete. It’s the same protocol as for notebook PCs, with a few adjustments, notably concerning autonomy, screen and video game measurements, which have no place here.
The protocol
- Heat and thermal efficiency
- Synthetic CPU test
Cinebench R20
Cinebench R23
Geekbench 3
Geekbench 5
3DMark CPU Profile
Aida 64 - Synthetic GPU performance
3DMark Timespy
3DMark Timespy extreme
3DMark Firestrike
3DMark Firestrike Extreme
3DMark Firestrike Ultra - Productivity performance
PCMark 10 Extented
PCMark 10 Applications test
Blender Benchmark
PugetBench Davinci Resolve
Tests were performed with Intel driver version 31.0.101.4314.
[nextpage title=”Heating and thermal efficiency”]
To test the machine’s heating, we opted for two separate tests: first, heating under IDLE and then heating under CPU load on Cinebench R23 for 10 minutes.
The cooling system
Exterior
On the outside, we start with two openings on the sides of the unit to draw in fresh air for the fan. The fan expels hot air to the rear of the mini PC via a third vent.
Inside
As mentioned above, it’s impossible to remove the motherboard and access the cooling system. However, we know from exploded views on the product page that it consists of two heat pipes connected to a radiator with a fan blowing through.
CPU heating only
In IDLE :
After 8 min of Cinebench R23:
We start with heating in IDLE and on Cinebench R23 after 10 min of stress. The CPU rose to 81°C in the first few minutes before stabilizing at around 70°C. Power consumption and frequency dropped from 65 W and 3900 MHz to 35 W and 2500 MHz during this stress test. On the surface, the maximum temperature on the rear of the device was 37°C, while the desktop at the back was 32°C.
[nextpage title=”Synthetic CPU performance”]
Synthetic CPU performance
Let’s take a look at what this machine has to offer, starting with CPU and memory performance on a few synthetic benchmarks. The i5-12500H offered here by Intel will be compared with the Ryzen 9-6900HX found in the Geekom AS6 based on the same chassis.
Cinebench R20
We start with Cinebench R20, here the i5-12500H manages to stand out from the i7-1360p despite having more cores. It also outperforms the R9-6900HX by more than 8 th.
Cinebench R23
Moving on to Cinebench R23, here performance remains very good for a chip with 4 Pcore and 8 Ecore.
Geekbench 3
On Geekbench 3, performance is once again very good, with an upturn in performance thanks to the faster DDR5 on the Intel platform.
Geekbench 5
For Geekbench 5, the i5-12500H this time outperforms the i7-1360P of Intel’s latest NUC 13 PRO. Alderlake-H CPUs are still in the running against the latest Raptorlake-P chips.
3DMark CPU Profile
For 3DMark CPU Profile, the i5 12500H still lags well behind the competition, but does better than the R9-6900HX.
Aida 64
For AIDA64, we look mainly at RAM, and here performance is in line with the memory kit used. Latency is quite good and data rates are very good for DDR5 at 4800 Mt/s.
In itself, the performance of this i5-12500H is very good when it comes to heavy rendering. Now we’ll have to see if the IGP can hold its own against the R9-6900HX and its Radeon 680m.
[nextpage title=”Synthetic GPU performance”]
Synthetic GPU performance
Now that we know the performance of the CPU part, we can move on to the GPU on a few synthetic benchmarks. Here, we’ll compare the performance of the AMD radeon 680m with the Intel Xe 96sp i7-1360P, which uses the same graphics architecture. Tests were carried out on a Dell SN2421NX 1080p HDMI display.
3DMark Timespy
We start with 3DMark Time Spy, where the Intel Xe 80sp ranks last in this benchmark. This is nothing out of the ordinary, since other Intel CPUs are based on the 96sp version.
3DMark Timespy extreme
As with Time Spy, performance on the extreme version of the benchmark is still lagging behind.
3DMark Firestrike
In 3DMark Firestrike, the Intel Xe 80sp continues to lag behind at the end of the ranking.
3DM Firestrike Extreme
On 3DMark Firestrike Extreme, the gap remains the same. We’d also like to highlight the CPU’s excellent performance across all 3DMark benchmarks.
3DM Firestrike Ultra
On Firestrike Ultra, performance once again lags behind the competition.
It’s fair to say that we’re not dealing with a high-performance graphics solution here, with scores relayed to the bottom of the table. So don’t count on this Intel Xe 80sp IGP for gaming. It remains to be seen whether this will detract from productivity performance.
[nextpage title=”Productivity performance”]
Productivity performance
In this section, we’ll focus on productivity performance. In other words, the machine’s performance with software such as Microsoft Office, Blender or DaVinci Resolve.
PCMark 10 Extented
PCMark 10’s overall performance is less impressive. Unfortunately, it’s hard to say because the SSD is clearly not up to the level of those tested on other machines.
PCMark 10: application
The benchmark presented here uses the Microsoft Office suite to give us our machine’s performance on Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Here, performance once again lags behind, and the cause may well lie in the SSD’s poor performance in real-life use.
Blender
Let’s move on to the Blender benchmark, where performance is midway between the two i7-1360p on an MSI ultra-portable laptop and Intel’s NUC 13 PRO.
PugetBench: Davinci Resolve
On Davinci Resolve, the Intel Xe 80sp IGP manages to stand out from the Intel Xe 96sp IGPs. This is no doubt due to the faster RAM, which influences performance.
The Asus ExpertCenter PN64 therefore seems to do rather well in terms of productivity. However, you’ll need to opt for a faster SSD to make the most of its power.
[nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We’ve come to the end of this test, and this Asus ExpertCenter PN64 mini PC has left us on a half-hearted note. Although the solution is complete and offers very interesting functionality in the professional environment, its lack of USB and its price leaves us wanting more. It has to be said that, as a laboratory technician, the possibility of having an RS232 socket or a second RJ45 port directly on the device seemed very interesting for certain test benches. Alas, we only have a single USB port on the back of the device, which greatly limits the use of other input peripherals.
Then there’s the price: while it’s listed at €630, it’s now possible to get a NUC 13 PRO with Thunderbolt 4 ports and more USB for less than €550. 
As a reminder, the Asus ExperCenter PN64 is available for 629.95€ in its i5-12500H version without RAM or SSD.
A quick update on the Asus ExpertCenter PN52 that we were initially due to test. We received it in Barebone format, and therefore without RAM or SSD. Based on an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H architecture, it’s closer to the Geekom AS6 we’ve just tested. Compared to the PN64, it has 1 additional PCIe M.2 slot and two USB ports. And like the PN64, it can be configured as an RS232, VGA, HDMI, RJ45 or DisplayPort port. The R7-5800H version costs 599.77€, while the R5-5600H version costs 449.99€ without RAM or SSD.
And here are a few photos of this Asus ExpertCenter PN52.
The Asus ExpertCenter PN64
We liked:
- CPU performance
- Compact form factor
- Efficient cooling
- Build quality
- Upgradability
- Dual RJ45 or RS232 configuration possible
We would have liked :
- Easier removal of the motherboard for servicing
- A better price
- At least 4 USB type-A ports on the rear of the device
In the end, we choose to award bronze to this Asus ExpertCenter PN64, whereas the PN52 would certainly have received gold. So, we have good performance and build quality, as well as the ability to connect RS232 or 2 RJ45 directly. However, the lack of a USB type-A port and a high price tag prove to be prohibitive for a professional PC.