MSI introduces Cubi NUC AI+ mini PCs with Intel Lunar Lake and Meteor Lake options

MSI has introduced two new members of the MSI Cubi mini PC lineup, and like most PC makers announcing new hardware this year, the company is emphasizing the on-device AI capabilities, going so far as to add “AI” to the names of both PCs.

The MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2M is a small desktop computer with an Intel Lunar Lake processor, while the MSI Cubi NUC AI 1UM is a model with an Intel Meteor Lake chip that will most likely sell for a lower price since it’s using an older, less powerful processor.

MSI says the Cubi NUC AI+ 2M features an 0.83 liter chassis with a dedicated Copilot button and a built-in microphone and speaker that allows you to chat with voice assistant software without connecting any additional hardware. You can also use it to make audio calls though, I suppose, so it’s not a complete waste of space if you don’t are about the computer’s AI features.

Intel’s Lunar Lake processors do offer decent CPU and graphics performance even if you ignore the integrated NPU. But it’s that NPU that allows this system to qualify as a Copilot+ PC with support for features like Windows Studio Effects, CoCreator, Live Captions, and Live Translation.

The Cubi NUC AI+ 2M also has a set of ports that includes two Thunderbolt ports, one with support for 100-watt USB Power Delivery input.

The Cubi NUC AI 1UM is an even smaller computer with a 0.5 liter chassis, but it’s still a pretty versatile little system with connectivity options including WiFi 7, dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and two HDMI ports. MSI says it can be used to power up to four displays.

With an Intel Meteor Lake processor, this model also has an NPU for hardware-accelerated AI features. But the NPU in Intel’s Lunar Lake chips offers four times more performance, which is why the NUC AI+ 2M meets Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC requirements, while this model does not.

MSI’s press release doesn’t include detailed specs, pricing, or availability information. But the company is showing off the little PCs at CES, and folks who’ve gone hands-on with the new Cubi PCs note that the Meteor Lake model supports up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and has two SODIMM slots for DDR5  memory and two M.2 slots for storage, while the Lunar Lake model comes with up to a Core Ultra 7 258V processor with 32GB of on-package LPDDR5x memory and only has a single M.2 2280 slot for storage.