Over the summer, I took a trip to London, England, to visit MSI’s UK offices and see what kind of tech it was cooking up — besides the usual gaming hardware that I’m used to. As much as I’m a fan of the MPG motherboards and Ventus graphics cards that have featured in my custom desktops over the years, I’m also a giant advocate for mini PCs, something I hadn’t expected from MSI.
After going hands-on with the MSI Cubi NUC AI 1UMG, a relatively standard offering in the same vein as Intel NUC mini PCs you might have seen in the past, I was more intrigued by a variant that wasn’t currently available at the MSI office for me to tinker with right away. I’d touched on some light details, but later got my hands on it: the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M, previously seen at CES 2025 — with Copilot+ PC certification.
Yes, most Copilot+ PCs have existed as laptops, but there has been an ultra-tiny category of Copilot+ mini PCs like the previously reviewed Beelink SER9 that launched before Microsoft ever released local AI tools like my favorite, Click to Do, and the controversial Windows Recall. These Cubi NUC variants are firmly in the enterprise space, advertised specifically towards businesses, but I still jumped at the chance to try one now that Microsoft’s local AI tools are live, and here’s what I found.
It’s not that a regular consumer wouldn’t be able to buy the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG; on the contrary, they’re listed on standard retailers like Amazon.
Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG sample specs
Price: $899.99 at Amazon.com
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 258V
RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X-8533
GPU: Intel Arc 140V
Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 SSD
Size: 135.60 x 132.50 x 50.10 mm
Weight: 667 g / 1.47 lbs
The real caveat to the Cubi NUC series is its target audience: these mini PCs are designed for anything from a working office sprawling with monitors to touchscreen interfaces in fast food restaurants.
Now, obviously, the Copilot+ functions of the NUC AI+ 2MG are designed for traditional workloads, but there’s still an obvious focus on the enterprise market.
PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) materials are used in its construction and security-first offerings, like a fingerprint reader, surround more professional considerations like dual RJ45 Ethernet ports, which are generally more useful in offices. Finally, a built-in microphone and speaker alongside a VESA monitor mount make the business-centric appeal quite obvious.
Physically, the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG is almost indistinguishable from the AI 1UMG, its slightly more slimline sibling that lacks Copilot+ PC certification. That also explains the missing Copilot button on the AI 1UMG, but it’s here on this taller variant and mirrored by a power button that now comes with a built-in fingerprint reader. Still, some tradeoffs make this Intel Lunar Lake-based mini PC ‘different’ rather than simply ‘better’ than its Meteor Lake counterpart.
I’d still prefer at least one (USB-C port) option on the front panel now that most of my peripherals have adopted the modern connector.
Port selection is the most obvious divider between the two Cubi NUC AI mini PCs, as this AI+ 2MG Copilot+ PC comes with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports on the front panel, surrounded by a combo audio jack and a micro SD card reader, whereas the AI 1UMG offers a forward-facing USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port instead, ditching the 3.5mm audio and card reader.
It’s not a total deal breaker, as either Cubi NUC model gives you two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports on the rear side, but I’d still prefer at least one option on the front panel now that most of my peripherals have adopted the modern connector. Besides, this is aimed at the business sector, not at me and my collection of gaming-centric accessories. A little cable management (or a Thunderbolt docking station) could make use of the entire I/O offering.
There’s a similar example of trade-offs around the rear side of the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG, as it ditches the secondary HDMI 2.1 port in favor of two USB-A 2.0 ports. You have to presume that this pairing is intended for basic peripherals like a mouse and keyboard, because anything else would be seriously stunted by the outdated 2.0 standard.
Both of the Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports support DP (DisplayPort) 2.1 output anyway, so there are other options for additional screens. Without a dedicated docking station, you could connect three separate monitors to the AI+ 2MG via one HDMI cable and two Thunderbolt-to-DP equivalents. It’s a little more finicky than hooking up two standard HDMI-supported displays, but it’s not a bad thing.
By far, the most surprising (and invisible) addition to the Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG, at least over its AI 1UMG sibling, is the built-in speaker and microphone. Admittedly, I had forgotten about both until I heard the Windows 11 boot sound. This speaker certainly isn’t designed for listening to music, that’s for sure. Almost entirely devoid of low-end bass frequencies, this is more of a dialog-only offering, better suited to narrating documents or listening to virtual meetings.
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So, is it any good? The Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG features the same Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor as MSI’s Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld, which I already showered with praise for its stellar performance, but I still tempered my expectations. Out of the box, the MSI Center companion app is pre-installed, housing a power meter to monitor average and total wattage over a selected time period (nice). Sadly, Norton 360 antivirus is also installed alongside a ‘Dropbox promotion’ (boo).
I don’t think it’ll have the same appeal as some mass-produced office desktops do to retro gaming enthusiasts.
Regarding performance, the CPU in the AI+ 2MG ranks just above Acer’s Swift 14 AI laptop with the same Core Ultra 7 258V processor but below the previously reviewed MSI Claw 8 AI+ gaming handheld and even further down from my current favorite Copilot+ PC, the ASUS Zenbook S 14. It isn’t terrible for a mini PC running at 17W TDP, but I don’t think it’ll have the same appeal as some mass-produced office desktops do to retro gaming enthusiasts for their surprisingly capable components.
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The memory-on-package (RAM) isn’t upgradeable like the SO-DIMM RAM in the Cubi NUC AI 1UMG, but you could replace the standard M.2-2280 SSD yourself here, if you ever needed to. Again, you’ll have access to Microsoft’s latest Copilot features, but I doubt you’ll ever be reaching for that physical Copilot button. At least teardowns are as easy as ever, totally on brand for a NUC.
It’s a capable little mini PC, and a refreshing Copilot+ alternative to a laptop, but I still think AMD chips in dominant competitors like the Geekom A8 Max on my desk will stay as my top recommendation for everyday consumers. I’m a big fan of what Intel achieved with Lunar Lake chips, but there’s little for your average Windows user to benefit from here — the Cubi NUC range is better for enterprise customers, which is exactly what MSI itself already says.
Built-in Wi-Fi 6E for fast wireless networking and Thunderbolt 4 ports for accessory options could make the tiny Cubi NUC an attractive Copilot+ PC for businesses.
#Handson #MSI #Cubi #NUC #2MG #Copilot #mini
