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On PCMark 10, the PN52’s 6,000 score on the main benchmark and 1,535 on the storage benchmark ace out the comparison PCs, even with one (the D500) boasting a desktop CPU. This is impressive, but things look less rosy once the Mac mini is allowed to play, and when multicore processing comes to the fore (in Handbrake and Cinebench). The PN52 landed second to last in the Handbrake test at 14:27, whereas the Mac mini shoots straight to the front of the race with a time of 8:00. On Cinebench, the PN52’s score of 2,961 was last of the bunch. The Mac mini scored highly on this test once again, but is bested ultimately by the desktop CPU in the other Asus ExpertCenter. Again, rendering is generally a CPU- and core-intensive process, and the desktop chip has an intrinsic strength here. However, when it comes to GFXBench, that is Apple's game. The Mac mini beats all of its competitors by a country mile in both of the benchmark's subtests. Even as a pre-built machine, the Asus PN52 is a competitive-enough mini PC. However, the Mac mini's graphics processing appears to be more powerful, regardless.
With the configuration we received, it’s possible to drive four 4K monitors, or one 8K-resolution display, though we performed our benchmarks with a single standard 4K-resolution display. Also included are Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 hardware support. Asus utilities included with the PN52 include MyAsus, which makes it easy to connect the PC and a mobile device; switch between performance and quiet fan modes; activate two-way AI noise cancellation when used with a microphone-equipped headset; and view onboard hardware diagnostics. Our only other criticism is that, for the same price or less, Apple's 2020 Mac mini consistently outperforms the ExpertCenter PN52 on productivity and graphics tasks. However, if macOS simply isn't an option for the apps you use, or you're Windows-loyal, that's a red line; we probably can't convince you otherwise. Please note that ExpertCenter D7 SFF includes two up to 2 TB M.2 SSD drives and one up to 2 TB 3.5” HDD. A second 2.5” HDD of up to 1 TB can be optionally fitted by the user, for total HDD capacity of up to 3 TB.Please note that ExpertCenter D5 SFF includes two up to 1 TB M.2 SSD drives and one up to 2 TB 3.5” HDD. A second 2.5” HDD of up to 1 TB can be optionally fitted by the user, for a total HDD capacity of up to 3 TB. ASUS ExpertCenter PN64 can draw power from any USB Power Delivery-enabled display or device, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter to create a neater, uncluttered workspace.
Unless otherwise stated, all performance claims are based on theoretical performance. Actual figures may vary in real-world situations.Please note that ExpertCenter D7 Mini Tower includes two up to 2 TB M.2 SSD drives and one up to 2 TB 3.5” HDD. A second 2.5” HDD of up to 1 TB can be optionally fitted by the user, for total HDD capacity of up to 3 TB. We subjected the ExpertCenter PN52 to our standard desktop benchmark suite. In our tests, we compared the ExpertCenter PN52 to several other recommended mini PCs: the Apple Mac mini (2020), the Asus ExpertCenter D500, the Geekom IT8 Mini PC, and the Intel NUC 11 Pro Kit. The PN52 is unusual for a mini PC in that the CPU installed in our test unit was an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, a mobile CPU with integrated Radeon graphics. (Intel chips tend to dominate the mini PC world.) You can also get the PN52 with a Ryzen 5 5600H or Ryzen 9 5900HX processor. Mobile CPU notwithstanding, we are pleasantly surprised with just how well the PN52 did on many of our benchmarks.
The testing data includes the requirements of both military-grade standards and ASUS quality tests. Please note that ExpertCenter D5 Mini Tower includes two up to 1 TB M.2 SSD drives and one up to 2 TB 3.5” HDD. A second 2.5” HDD of up to 2 TB can be optionally fitted by the user, for a total HDD capacity of up to 4 TB. UL’s 3DMark is a graphics test suite for Windows that contains a number of benchmarks for different GPU functions and software APIs. We run two DirectX 12 tests on all PCs: Night Raid, which is appropriate for PCs with integrated graphics (such as the ones benchmarked), and Time Spy, which is more demanding and more suitable for higher-end PCs with souped-up graphics cards and GPUs.
ExpertCenter D5 SFF (D500SCES)
M.2 slot on the bottom cover side only supports PCIe Gen3 x2 If the SATA is connected to HDD or SSD ASUS ExpertCenter PN52 can draw power from any USB Power Delivery-enabled display or device, eliminating the need for a separate power adapter to create a neater, uncluttered workspace.
With this benchmark, we run both the main test and PCMark 10’s Full System Storage subtest, which measures the program load time and throughput of the boot drive (these days, almost always a solid-state drive). Note that the H-series chip in the PN52 is the kind of CPU intended for gaming and other power-user notebooks. Only the ExpertCenter D500 uses a "true" desktop CPU; the Geekom and NUC CPUs employ lighter-weight mobile chips. Let's see how that plays out. Productivity and Content Creation TestsThe uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is an optional feature. Availability varies by country and region. In our other CPU-intensive benchmark, Geekbench, the PN52 performs well enough in the multi-core tests, but again the Mac mini cuts to the front of the line with a lead of more than 3,000 points. As for the Photoshop test, the PN52 does take the lead, but several systems either couldn't be tested for compatibility reasons, or wouldn't run it. Please note that ExpertCenter D8 SFF includes two up to 4 TB M.2 SSD drives and one up to 2 TB 3.5” HDD. A second 2.5” HDD of up to 2 TB can be optionally fitted by the user, for total HDD capacity of up to 4 TB. The testing regimen includes the requirements of both military-grade standards and ASUS quality tests, and varies depending on device. MIL-STD-810 testing is conducted on selected ASUS products only. These tests do not demonstrate fitness for military use, or adherence to US Department of Defense (DoD) contract requirements. Similarly, the test results should not be considered an indication or guarantee of future performance under the specified test conditions. Damage occurring under these test conditions — or any attempt to replicate them — would be considered accidental, and would not be covered by the standard ASUS warranty. Additional coverage is available with ASUS Premium Care.
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