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Asus Mini PC ProArt PA90

 & Tom Brant Managing Editor

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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A Compact Workstation in Midnight Blue

The Asus Mini PC ProArt PA90 is a compact cylinder whose square base measures just 6.9 inches. The PC is a little more than 14 inches tall and clad in a single color option: Midnight Blue.

Grilles on All Sides

Three of the PA90's four sides are made up entirely of air grilles, since the powerful components inside—including an Intel Core i9 and an Nvidia Quadro P4000 GPU—need all the air they can get. The PA90 also features liquid CPU cooling.

A Vague Trash-Can Resemblance

One drawback to having grilles on all three sides is that the PA90 looks rather like a wastebasket into which you'd throw paper. This is a resemblance it shares with the Apple Mac Pro.

A Peek at the Front Ports

Along the bottom front edge of the PA90, you'll find two Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, an audio output jack, and a mic line-in port. These front I/O connectors are only easily accessible if you place the PA90 on your desk, since their location at the bottom of the chassis would require you to brush the floor with your knuckles if you install the PC underneath your desk.

Rear Ports: A Whole Lot of DisplayPort

Around back, there are two more USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. You'll also find a Gigabit Ethernet connector and a second audio jack, as well as four DisplayPort outputs that link directly to the Nvidia Quadro P4000 GPU in our review unit. An HDMI output is absent, typical of Quadro video cards.

Here's How the Hot Air Escapes

The PA90 actually gets slightly taller when you turn it on, thanks to a unique motorized air vent that rises out of its top. It pops up about half an inch soon after you press the power button.

The Motorized Air Vent: Shields Down!

When the PA90 is switched off, the motorized vent retracts into the PC.

About Our Expert

Tom Brant

Tom Brant

Managing Editor

I’m a managing editor at PCMag.com focused on PC hardware. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of Wi-Fi routers, printers, laptops, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I've covered most major consumer tech events, including CES, Computex, Google I/O, and IFA. I've also appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rainforests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

The Technology I Use

While most people buy a phone or laptop and stick with it for years, I’m lucky enough to use devices based on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows daily as part of my job. As a result, I cycle through lots of tech in addition to my IT-issue work laptop. (Yes, that's a ThinkPad.) Personally, I’ve also owned a lot of tech products both cutting-edge and cringeworthy, from the Nintendo GameCube and the original MacBook to the Palm m105 and the CueCat.

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