ASUS - V701 Desktop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 16GB Memory - 1TB Storage - Black

TLDR: The Asus V701 is an extremely powerful desktop that only lacks a dedicated video card. PROS Intel Core 9 Ultra Packs a Punch Upgradeable RAM & SSD Aesthetically Appealing Nearly Silent Operation CONS Limited Upgradeability Proprietary Motherboard Connections Ships with Old Windows 11 Software Hard To Read Labels on Desktop KEY SPECS Intel Core 9 Ultra 275HX (24 Cores / 24 Threads) (8P Cores / 16E Cores) 16GB 5600MT/s DDR5 SO-DIMM RAM 1TB NVMe SSD FRONT PORTS 1 x 3.5mm Headphone 1 x 3.5mm Microphone 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 REAR PORTS 1 x DP 1.4 1 x HDMI 1.4 4 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 2 x USB-A 2.0 1 x LAN GBe 1 x 3.5mm Microphone 1 x 3.5mm Line Out 1 x 3.5mm Line-in INTITIAL CONFIGURATION Like other Asus desktops I've reviewed as of late, there were no issues during initial boot-up and configuration. Asus has done a very good job at ensuring the driver suite is complete and functional prior to shipment. Because of this, I experienced no issues during initial Windows set-up. Also, like the other Asus products I've recently reviewed, this desktop also ships with minimal bloatware. The MyAsus app is the only offender, and it is a necessary commodity. The MyAsus app is the one-stop app for product registration, warranty status, system diagnostics, and firmware/bios updates. The app works well and seems to have minimal intrusion and resource consumption in day-to-day use. Kudos Asus! WINDOWS 11 The V701 ships with Windows 11 Home. However, for a computer that is new to the market, the V701 mysteriously ships with Windows 11 25H2 instead of the much newer 26H1. Not sure why this product in particular ships with the older Windows platform. Not a deal breaker as 26H1 is just a few clicks away with the Windows Media Creation Tool. PERFORMANCE / USAGE I'll say it right off, the Core Ultra 9 is one of the most powerful CPU's you can buy today. It puts other brands and even its siblings to shame. As soon as I activated Windows and started the chore of installing OS and app updates, I could tell the 9 was playing on a different level than its competition. The speed at which it processed updates and changes was impressive. The boost in performance was immediately noticeable, even before I began doing benchmarking or app testing. I am consistently surprised at just how responsive and peppy the V701 is. Running a series of benchmarks on the Ultra 9 and some of its siblings confirmed my initial thoughts. The Core Ultra 9 is very powerful. CPU synthetic benchmarks are below: Intel Core Ultra 9 275: 58610 / 97th Percentile Intel Core Ultra 7 355: 18563 / 53rd Percentile Intel Core i9-12900H: 30863 / 79th Percentile Intel Core i5-13400: 25869 / 71st Percentile Intel Core i5-13420H: 20605 / 59th Percentile As you can see, the Ultra 9 is more than 2x faster than its 8 and 10 core siblings and more than 40% faster than Intel's own 14C / 20T Core i9 processor from just a couple generations ago. Not to mention, these results place the Ultra 9 faster than a recent competitor's 24 core processor I tested and reviewed a few weeks ago. NEGATIVES First. The BIGGEST drawback of these Asus desktops is that they use the laptop in a desktop design and because of this, there are little options for upgradeability. The V701's case and chassis are slim and small. It uses non-standard components for most of the assembly. For example, the power supply is a TFX power supply (the V701 is physically too small to accommodate an ITX power supply). While not impossible, they are more difficult to find than the industry standard ITX power supplies. When you are able to locate one, there are limited output options available too. The most powerful TFX power supply I could easily locate was just 500 watts. Even then, I'm not sure it would be compatible with Asus' proprietary GPU power connection on the motherboard. Second. The labeling on the case is next to impossible to read. The writing doesn't offer enough contrast to the black case to make out the wording on the front of the PC. FINAL THOUGHTS If upgradeability is not important to you, the V701 will make a great small desktop. It has excellent thermal characteristics and even under stress, the V701 remains cool, quiet, and composed. Asus has done a very good job at designing airflow through the case. There is nothing to complain about regarding the raw processing power of the 701. The Core Ultra 9 offers a whopping 24 CPU cores, providing more than enough processing power for even the most demanding workloads while using the same amount of power laptops of just a couple generations ago could only dream of being able to hit. The amount of computing power Intel has put in the Ultra 9 is impressive. The V701 is an ideal companion for those that need a workhorse of a desktop. The Ultra 9 packs a wallop and Intel's integrated graphics provide way more than enough power to satisfy 99% of the market. The V701 is fast, quiet, and looks sharp. RECOMMENDED

This Asus V701ML is a solid business class desktop that would be at home in a home office or even a home theater. Asus went for a fancy look, oddly with laptop hardware inside, but near-top tier even though it's a mobile chip. In the past I would have taken away some points from this system for only having 16GB of ram, but for this value class with the current memory climate, this is sufficient. Overall this is a very solid, quick and compact system that remains cool and quiet. CPU - The 275hx is a ridiculously fast mobile chip, that gets a much larger cooler than it would normally have in a laptop, and it flies even with a seeming thermal limit at only 80C (Intel has a specified 105C max temp) It scored a 30108 in Cinebench R23, and a 2791/19209 single and multi core scores in Geekbench 7. Using HWINFO I noticed a max CPU draw of over 130w, a PL1 of 95w, PL2 of 165w, but these don’t really come into play as much due to Asus setting an 80c max temp. Asus DID however put a large solid heatsink system for the CPU, but did restrict the full system cooling by having it be the only fan. Ram/SSD - SODIMM ram modules are used in this system, one 16gb 5600 unit is included, which makes it a bit cheaper, though it limits the speeds that can be used. It comes with a fairly basic 5600 clocked 16GB stick with one slot open. The SSD is quite solid, an OEM Sandisk 1TB QLC unit, pulled 7+GB/s peak reads, and 6.7GB/s writes in crystaldiskmark. Build quality - Quite good, mini tower size, wood front panel, feels solid. Needs/uses a proprietary power supply. Upgradability - One open DDR5 SODIMM slot, 1 open M.2 slot, 2 open PCIE 1x slots, 1 open PCIE 16x slot, 3 SATA ports. Unfortunately the included power supply seems to be a 180w model, which does not allow for any GPU to be added, even a low power one. Overall it's a super solid home office computer/using it for an HTPC (as long as you do not need good graphics) or using for basic business work (even some photo and video editing would run fine)!

5 Stars for ASUS quality and cooling. 2 stars for PSU watts an manual. 5 stars for a well-built ultra lite desktop. 5 stars for looks. 5 stars for speed. 2 stars for undersized PSU for add on accessories and weak manual. See pictures of interior ASUS - V701 Desktop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 16GB Memory - 1TB Storage - Black Model: V701ML-U9.16.1TB SKU: 6679691 This unit very lite and has a small footprint wherever you place it. It is a quality build except for the PSU. 1. 5 stars for boot M.2. Model Number: SDSP71100TAN-000E0 SANDISK Optimus GX 7100 NVMe™ SSD - 1TB Similar product to the 850X! Fast transfer speeds to external USC C M.2 adapter Five Minutes to back up an 850X boot drive to external adapter 120 GBs Five-year warranty Complete printed manual online at SanDisk Full specifications in the pictures with review. No heat sink Manufacturing Origins of SanDisk M.2 Components: SanDisk’s M.2 storage products — including SSDs and memory cards — are designed and engineered globally, with core components like NAND flash chips and controllers made in Taiwan and South Korea under SanDisk’s (now Western Digital’s) specifications. These chips are fabricated using advanced photolithography processes, often in wafer fabs in Asia, before being assembled into modules. Malaysia – used for assembly and testing of some memory products, including SD cards and USB drives, leveraging cost advantages and skilled labor. Be sure to install the Dash Board APP to check FW. This product appears to be supply chain stable for the time being. Specifications Capacity 1TB Form Factor M.2 2280 S3-M Sequential Read Performance 7,250MB/s Sequential Write Performance 6,900MB/s Random Read 1M IOPS Random Write 1.4M IOPS Interface PCIe 4.0 x4 NVME 2.0 Dimensions (L x W x H) 3.15" x 0.87" x 0.09" Warranty 5-Year Limited Warranty Weight 5.8gms Model Number SDSP71100TAN-000E0 Operating Temperature 0°C to 85°C Non-Operating Temperature -40°C to 85°C 2. Worked on first boot / no issues in updates except BIOS update which was very strange. Be careful as it hung on reboot. 3. Looks like 2 years parts and labor warranty in the ASUS APP. 4. Complete printed manual with extended warranty options online and also in the MY ASUS APP 5. Cooling was well laid out with copper tubing’s going from the CPU to fan assembly. Very quiet and efficient. 6. No heat shield for the M.2 4.0 drive. If you swap out/clone drives, be sure to turn off drive encryption in the settings. 7. Internal drive is fine the way it is! No upgrade needed and I added a second M.2 drive in the spare M.2 slot (you will need a screw). Use the clone software that works for you (SANDISK worked fine). If you forget to turn off drive encryption before you start you will be in for a bad day at best. I discovered, by accident, that Acronis can wipe a drive if you select a data only un-encrypted drive to clone and stop it after 20 minutes. Also, there is a free software online (on initial use) that you can wipe the drive. 8. The MOBO has numerous expansion ports that are not explained in the manual. An experienced builder can figure this out but the manual is very deficient on tagging all these ports. 9. Never use additional security software with Microsoft built in complete security system 10. Keep MY ASUS (important FW update needed/ had issues/be careful) and set up your account online/register for service. After warranty runs out consider keeping it! Run the complete update in this APP! 11. Go into Microsoft settings and turn off everything you can live without. On initial setup say no to everything in life as you can always say yes later (exception security log-ins). 12. Fully install XBOX and sign in. No free 3-month pass. 13. Perfect business and home use. Very nice unit. 14. Only one USB C port. 15. This unit as all the normal inputs and outputs for a desktop. 16. Ventilation is outstanding 17. WF 6 AX and LAN connections worked perfect. 18. PSU is an 80 plus bronze 180-watt unit. Do not overload this PSU. 19. The long video card slot should be used for other things unless you upgrade the PSU. Two additional short slots. 20. Cloning was easy with the M.2 free authorized software. 21. The ASUS APP is a very nice product to keep you unit updated. 22. Sound is with ear buds or an external sound system. 23. Unit had no defects that I could find. 24. Most parts made worldwide supply. Installed XBOX Ultimate and played several games (Fight Simulator 2024, Minecraft Bedrock, Warcraft 3, etc). Fans were on the highest speed in auto mode for the high-end games. Cooling is sufficient. When completely finished setting the unit up, I updated the BIOS FW in the ASUS APP. Critical update for this unit and watch the screen like without fail and take a picture of the warning if it fails to boot/ then enter BIOS and rummage around for boot. Windows update should catch all the rest. Fan came on at the right temperatures. Also, the keyboard FN keys allow you have multiple functionalities. XBOX-X controller is the best bet for games. The i9 ULTRA CPU showed its strength in gaming mode as I was surprised how quick it was. The external mouse and keyboard were ok for some gaming with NO lighted keys. I use an external XBOX controller for most games. The keys are clearly tagged as to functions. No separate number key pad area (no issue). Final thoughts! Manual information and PSU power were substandard. This a compact robust desktop. Fast and portable. Features! • Intel Core Ultra 9 Power for Heavy Multitasking The ASUS V700 is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU on Windows 11. Keep dozens of browser tabs, video edits, and big spreadsheets open at once without the slowdown you get on ordinary home PCs • Fast DDR5 Memory That Keeps Up With You 16GB of DDR5 SO-DIMM memory moves data quicker than older DDR4 systems, so apps launch faster and switching between programs feels smooth. There's an open slot to add more down the road • 1TB SSD for Speed and Space The 1TB M.2 Gen 4 solid state drive boots Windows in seconds and loads big files almost instantly. That's room for thousands of photos, your video projects, and a full game library with space to spare • A Look That Fits Right Into Your Home Soft rounded edges and a warm wood-grain finish give the V700 a modern feel that blends into your living room, office, or bedroom instead of standing out like typical tech. A hidden air inlet keeps the clean look while letting air flow freely, and a gentle 4000K glow adds a calm, comfortable ambiance to your space • Quiet for a Living Room A redesigned cooling system with copper heat pipes and a larger rear fan runs at about 33dB, close to the sound of rustling leaves. You can work, stream, or relax without a loud fan humming in the background • Compact Size That Fits Almost Anywhere At just 6.23" wide, 11.88" deep, and 14.05" tall, and weighing about 13.23 lbs, the V700 tucks easily onto a desk, a shelf, or the floor beside your setup. You get full desktop power without the bulk of a full-size tower • All the Ports You Need on One Machine Everything plugs in without a hub. Four faster USB 3.2 Type-A ports plus two USB 2.0 ports cover your printer, drives, webcam, and more. HDMI 2.1b and DisplayPort 1.4 run a dual-monitor setup right out of the box, and the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port gives you a stable wired connection for video calls, big downloads, and lag-free online play • Tool-Free Design for Easy Upgrades The chassis opens without a screwdriver, so adding memory or storage later takes minutes instead of a trip to a repair shop. It grows with you as your needs change • Keyboard and Mouse Included in the Box Comes with a wired USB keyboard and a wired optical mouse, so you're ready to plug in and start using it the day it arrives. No extra accessories to buy first What's Included V701ML-U9.16.1TB Desktop, Wired Keyboard, Wired Mouse, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card Specifications Specifications • Key Specs Processor Model Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 2 Storage Type SSD Total Storage Capacity 1000 gigabytes System Memory (RAM) 16 gigabytes Graphics Type Integrated Graphics Intel UHD Graphics • General Brand ASUS Model Number V701ML-U9.16.1TB Product Name V701 Desktop - Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX - 16GB Memory - 1TB Storage Color Black Year of Release 2026 • Processor Processor Brand Intel Processor Model Intel Core Ultra 9 Series 2 Processor Model Number 275HX CPU Base Clock Frequency 2.7 gigahertz CPU Boost Clock Frequency 5.4 gigahertz Number of CPU Cores 24-core Number of CPU Threads 24 Neural Processing Unit (NPU) Yes Maximum NPU Performance 13 trillions operations per second • Storage Storage Type SSD Total Storage Capacity 1000 gigabytes Solid State Drive Capacity 1000 gigabytes Solid State Drive Interface PCIe 4.0 • Memory System Memory (RAM) 16 gigabytes Type of Memory (RAM) DDR5 System Memory RAM Speed 5200 megahertz Number Of Memory Slots 2 Number of Memory Sticks Included 1 System Memory RAM Expandable To 64 gigabytes • Graphics Graphics Type Integrated GPU Brand Intel Graphics Intel UHD Graphics • Compatibility Operating System Windows 11 Home • Connectivity Display Connector(s) 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.1 Number of HDMI Outputs (Total) 1 Number of DisplayPort Outputs (Total) 1 USB Ports 8 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-A 2.0, 1 x USB-C 3.2 Number of USB Ports (Total) 11 Number of USB-A Charging Ports 8 Number of USB-C Charging Ports 1 Microphone Input Yes Wireless Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Wireless Standard AX Wireless Networking Standard Wi-Fi 6 Number Of Ethernet Ports 1 • Cooling CPU Cooling System Air GPU Cooling System Air • Power Power Supply Maximum Wattage 180 watts • Expansion Number of M.2 Slots 2 Number Of Internal 2.5" Bays 2 • Features Customizable Case Lighting No Size Small • Dimensions Product Height 14.05 inches Product Width 6.23 inches Product Depth 11.88 inches Product Weight 13.23 pounds • Certificatio

This ASUS V701 desktop (specifically the V701ML model) is an interesting desktop. I would call the shape and form factor a "compact" desktop as it IS a lot smaller than a full desktop PC would be and the exterior is designed to fit nicely in a home decor / without standing out too much which I appreciate. It's not as small as a true "mini" PC but is compact nonetheless. Out of the box connectivity options are faily strong with lots of front ports (1 USB-C 20Gbps, 4 USB-A 10Gbps and seperate headphone and microphone ports) though relatively fewer on the back (1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 4 USB-A 5 Gbps, 2 USB-A 480Mbps, Gigabit ethernet and 3 audio ports). The REALLY interesting bits are on the inside though. What ASUS has done here - smartly, given the current run on computer parts - is they've taken a high-end laptop platform released last year and turned it into a desktop. This means it uses Intel's flagship Core Ultra 9 Series 2 chip, the 275HX with it's full 24 cores / 24 threads of power. It also uses laptop-style SODIMM sticks of RAM - here you get one 16GB stick out of the box with an open slot to easily upgrade (though RAM upgrades are costly these days). The single stick does cost you some speed out of the box, but offers a better upgrade path than dual 8GB sticks would. The 1 TB SSD is NVMe and relatively speedy though the sustained performance drops due to the lack of DRAM on the drive. The motherboard appears to be relatively custom with a fairly custom TFX power supply - the one in this unit is a 180W 80 Plus Bronze rated unit that connects over a custom hardness to the motherboard and crucially has NO other power outputs. And this is where we get to the reason for a 4 vs 5 star review. The motherboard and the case allow for SIGNIFICANT room for expansion - there are 3 PCIe slots on the motherboard (one full PCIe x16 slot and two x1 slots), 1 open NVMe slot for a 2280 PCIe SSD and 3 SATA 6GBps ports for older SATA SSDs and hard drives. The case itself has space for up to 4 PCIe cards and 1-2 SSDs/HDDs (depending on if you're using 2.5" or 3.5"). And, with the powerhouse CPU, you could do a lot with this machine if you could use that expansion. Alas, the power supply is what lets you down here. A 180W supply wouldn't have much headroom for a modern graphics card at any rate but there are no additional power connectors for one anyhow. And while it WOULD have plenty of headroom for SSDs/HDDs, there aren't any SATA power connectors either. So out of the box, your upgrade options are limited to a single additional NVMe drive along with the previously mentioned open RAM slot. I reached out to ASUS support on this and was told that different configurations do have a 330W power supply (which oddly still has no additional connections) and even a 500W supply (which does) that I could order and replace "on my own" if I wanted to down the road. I was also told that there are headers on the motherboard that, when paired with specific ASUS cables, would add SATA power leads and even a GPU power lead to the system. This is both interesting and headscratching since these cables aren't included or advertised and you have to hunt them down. With the right cables, you can add up to 2x SATA power leads so you can use that SSD/HDD space and connectors. You can also add an 8 pin GPU power lead though I wouldn't with the 180W supply. BUT these cables are hard to track down - I have a 330W power supply and a couple of the SATA connectors on order so we'll see what happens. The 500W supply and GPU cable appear to be backordered or unavailable. This limited future path solely because of one part - the power supply - and lack of the needed cables to expand is the reason for a 4 star vs 5 star review. All that said, performance out of the box is VERY strong for day to day use including email, office, web browsing and similar. The top of the line mobile CPU also has lots of power for media / content creation and editing, coding or running professional programs, though for some of those you might want to add more RAM. Even when pushed, the heat pipe design keeps the system cool and relatively quiet for such a compact system. Graphics performance, as expected on a CPU with limited onboard graphics, is somewhat lacking - you can play older games on lowered settings or more casual games but anything newer or higher settings is going to be out of the question. So if you're looking for a desktop for daily use at home or work, this could be a great candidate. All told, the V701 is a strong entrant in the compact desktop market, offering good looks and an interesting set of internals combined with strong out of the box home / work performance. Limited gaming capabiltiies and in particular odd / limited upgrade paths hold it back from being even better. But, if you're looking for a PC that runs quiet, cool and has a strong CPU? Then check this one out today.

This is a beautiful desktop rig with a specially designed case and efficient ventilation system designed for easy placement in the home and quiet operation. It felt shockingly light out of the box at about 13 pounds and its dimensions (6.23" wide, 11.88" deep, and 14.05" tall) will allow placement in virtually any décor. It has an attractive dark grey wood grain finish in the front and a truly massive number of ports for easy connection to your peripherals: 1 HDMI 2.1 and 1 DisplayPort 1.4 to your displays and ELEVEN (11) USB ports: ten USB-A and one USB-C – NINE (9) of which support charging. Five are in front and six are in back. Headphone and microphone jacks are repeated in front and back. There is a rear line in input and a gigabit ethernet port. Three features stand out for superior speed and productivity. First and foremost is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU. It is a high-end mobile processor based on Intel's Arrow Lake architecture. It is a laptop CPU designed for power and efficiency with 24 cores (8 performance cores up to 5.4 GHz and 16 efficiency cores up to 4.6 GHz) with 24 threads. It has 36 MB of L3 cache and 40 MB of L2 cache. It is designed to draw an efficient 55 watts of power. Second is the 16GB of the latest ultra-fast DDR 5 RAM. Third is the 1 TB M.2 Gen 4 SSD. If you need even more space, a second M.2 slot can accommodate a second SSD. It is easy to get inside this case with its convenient tool-less design. One caveat is in order. This rig has an 180-watt power supply. This design choice keeps the rig cool and efficient using Intel’s onboard graphics. The advanced CPU and DDR 5 RAM will speed users through everyday tasks, but this is not a heavy gaming computer by design. If you research this model through the ASUS website, you may note that other configurations offer the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 card for gaming and 3D rendering. Don’t expect to drop an RTX 5060 into this rig. The power supply will simply not support it, and I could not confirm that you can even purchase one of the custom-designed power supplies that ASUS uses for the other configurations. This model is configured only for the onboard Intel GPU and the benefits in efficiency if offers. I have no complaints about the performance of this computer. It absolutely flies through the tasks that I used it for such as office work, web browsing, multimedia consumption and any everyday work you can throw at it. I added it to my home theater set up. It is attached to a 65-inch 4K flat panel. There is no noise and there is no heat. A wired mouse and keyboard are supplied so you can boot it up and get to work or play immediately.