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ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board vs Orange Pi 5 Max: Comparison
ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board vs Orange Pi 5 Max cpu architecture compared
Cpu architecture is the dividing line, ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board x86 against Orange Pi 5 Max ARM. There is a split on gpio header as well, No on the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board versus Yes on the Orange Pi 5 Max. They differ on soc model too, 4 Performance-cores + 8 Efficient-cores up to 5.0GHz on the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board versus Octa-core: 4x Cortex-A76 @2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @1.8GHz on the Orange Pi 5 Max. Has ai accelerator / npu is not the same on both, No on the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board versus Yes on the Orange Pi 5 Max. There is a split on wireless as well, WiFi 6 on the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board versus Bluetooth on the Orange Pi 5 Max.
Which should you buy, ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board or Orange Pi 5 Max?
Buy the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board for OEM digital signage and kiosk systems and custom thin client or medical cart builds, though it is the wrong buy for hobbyist or budget-constrained projects and GPIO-driven hardware projects. The Orange Pi 5 Max suits dual-monitor ARM desktop and home NAS front-end, though it is not the pick for battery-powered portable projects and applications requiring native x86 software. Our rating of the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board (8/10): A serious, laptop-grade embedded x86 platform for OEM integrators, not a hobbyist SBC and priced accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board and Orange Pi 5 Max differ on gpu model?
Yes. GPU Model reads Intel Iris Xe Graphics on the ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board versus Arm Mali-G610, OpenGL ES/OpenCL 2.2/Vulkan 1.2 on the Orange Pi 5 Max.
Specs and benchmarks
Brand
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- ASUS
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Orange Pi
CPU Architecture
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- x86
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- ARM
Model Number
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- NUC 13 Pro Board (NUC13ANBi7)
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Orange Pi 5 Max
Memory
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- Up to 64GB DDR5 SODIMM (dual channel)Best
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- 16 GB
Storage Type
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- NVMe/M.2
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- eMMC
SoC Model
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- 4 Performance-cores + 8 Efficient-cores (12C/16T) up to 5.0GHz
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Octa-core: 4x Cortex-A76 @2.4GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 @1.8GHz
Has AI Accelerator / NPU
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- No
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Yes
Wireless
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- WiFi 6
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Bluetooth
GPIO Header
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- No
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Yes
Use Case
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- x86 Compatible
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- General Purpose
GPU Model
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- Arm Mali-G610, OpenGL ES/OpenCL 2.2/Vulkan 1.2
Onboard Storage
- ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
- 2 GB
- Orange Pi 5 Max
- eMMC socket (32-256GB), QSPI NOR flash, microSD, M.2 NVMe
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board if you want the higher memory (Up to 64GB DDR5 SODIMM (dual channel) vs 16 GB).
Choose Orange Pi 5 Max if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board | Orange Pi 5 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Consumercarts listing | $549.00 View on Consumercarts listing |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
ASUS NUC 13 Pro Board
8 / 10 Expert Rating
A serious, laptop-grade embedded x86 platform for OEM integrators, not a hobbyist SBC and priced accordingly.




