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From the economy to immigration and abortion, NPR looks at what the candidates said and adds context.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

Chinese state-sponsored threat actor Mustang Panda (also known as LuminousMoth, Camaro Dragon, HoneyMyte, and more), has been found launching malware campaigns against high value targets, including government agencies in Asia.

The group used a variant of the HIUPAN worm to deliver PUBLOAD malware into the networks of its targets via removable drives. The HIUPAN worm moved all its files into a hidden directory to obscure its presence, and left only one seemingly legitimate file visible ("USBConfig.exe") to trick the user.

The PUBLOAD tool was used as the primary control for the campaign, used to exfiltrate data and send to the threat actor’s remote server. PTSOCKET was often used as an alternative data extraction tool.

A familiar story

An investigation by TrendMicro outlines the advancement in the malware deployment from Mustang Panda, especially in the use against military, government, and education agencies in the APAC region.

This is a change from the recent reports the organization was using WispRider variants to execute similar DLL sideloading techniques through USB drives. The previous campaign is said to have infected devices around the world, including in the UK, Russia, and India.

The group was also linked to a spear phishing campaign in June of this year, demonstrating its capabilities in exploiting Microsoft’s cloud services and leveraging multi-stage downloaders. The group remains highly active in the cyber landscape, and looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.

This is one of many suspected Chinese state-sponsored attacks in recent times, with campaigns against a range of targets, including Russian government devices compromised by phishing attacks.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Check out our pick of the best VPNs on offer
• China leads in up to 89% of tech research, study shows
• Take a look at our pick of the best firewall software

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Asus ROG NUC 970: TWO-MINUTE REVIEW

The Asus ROG NUC 970 is designed for those who want a very compact desktop computer that can still give great performance for both gaming and productivity use. As you might have guessed from the NUC name, it’s available as a barebones kit where you buy and add RAM, an SSD and an operating system. For those who want a simpler option, the NUC 970 is also sold by retailers ready to go straight out of the box. The NUC uses hardware normally found in laptops – the base spec is an Intel Ultra 7 paired with a RTX 4060, or an Ultra 9 alongside a RTX 4070. 

The NUC 970 I tested was kitted out with an Ultra 9 CPU, RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM (it can handle up to 64GB), a 1TB M.2 SSD and Windows 11. Setup was just like any new Windows machine, though not quite as streamlined, and I needed to get the latest drivers from the Asus website and install them manually. This process was not a smooth one and my NUC hung while updating the BIOS, recovered itself, and still had ongoing driver niggles even after a factory reset. 

The NUC 970 has the usual array of premium ports, including Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps with DisplayPort 1.4), HDMI 2.1, dual DisplayPort, and a gaggle of high-speed (and low-speed) USB-A ports. You also get super-fast Wi-Fi 6E (AX1690i) and Bluetooth 5.3. The build quality is fantastic – the side cover of the NUC pops straight off after unlatching and the RAM and up to three SSDs can be installed very easily.

The NUC 970 runs the RTX 4070 at up to 140W – the same level as most gaming laptops. While slightly quieter than a similar-spec laptop at full tilt, it’s still quite noisy in turbo mode. The 970 doesn’t push its hardware very hard, and is slightly slower than a premium gaming laptop with the same CPU and GPU. Gaming performance is pretty good overall and the 970 can happily run games like Cyberpunk 2077 at up to 114fps at 1080p, or 72fps at 1440p using Ultra settings with DLSS on. The NUC is a bit quieter during non-gaming use and tends to run the CPU at a higher sustained wattage level than comparable laptops. The 970 can also handle up to 4 screens (5 with the right USB-C setup), making it a very competent productivity machine when not gaming.

Despite the setup niggles I experienced, the ROG NUC 970 is easy to love… until you see the price. It’s very hard to recommend the NUC 970 when, for less money, you can buy a premium laptop that can get better gaming results, or a prebuilt mini desktop computer that has even higher performance. The NUC model with the Ultra 7 / RTX 4060 model is cheaper, but so are the competing options, making the value for money no better.

So where does that leave the NUC 970? The concept is cool, it’s very well built, the drivers need work, and the price needs to be at least 30% lower before I’d consider it competitive against other gaming options. 

(Image credit: Future) Asus ROG NUC 970: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $2,199 / £2,199 / AU$4,299
• When is it available? It's available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it in the US, UK, and Australia

The above pricing for the Asus ROG NUC 970 is for the as-tested model, with a Core Ultra 9, RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and Windows 11 Home. The NUC 970 can be pretty hard to find (especially if you want different customization options) and it commands a price premium with few discounts. There are also barebones systems available without the RAM, SSD and OS, but depending on your region, buying the extras and installing them yourself may not save much money.

Overall the ROG NUC 970 is very expensive for the spec level provided, and it’s cheaper to buy an equally powerful gaming laptop or a much more powerful (but larger) gaming desktop. Outside of niche uses, the ROG would need to be at least 30% cheaper before I’d consider it a compelling buy. 

• Value score: 3 / 5

Asus ROG NUC 970: SPECS

The barebones ROG NUC 970 includes an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU (65W TDP) and a Nvidia RTX 4070 8GB GPU (140W TGP). There’s also a ROG NUC 670, featuring an Ultra 7 155H CPU (40W TDP) and RTX 4060 8GB GPU (140W TGP). Aside from the CPU and GPU, the rest of the spec (as listed below) is the same. 

• Specs score: 4 / 5

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(Image credit: Future) Asus ROG NUC 970: Design

• Compact case
• Great stand
• Plenty of ports

The compact ROG NUC 970 chassis has a 2.5-liter volume (84.5 ounces) – making it larger than the Intel NUCs of yore, but smaller than most miniature gaming PCs. It can sit flat on a table thanks to rubber feet on one side, or be mounted vertically in the heavy-duty aluminum stand. The large power supply is external (like a laptop), but at least the cable is long so the chunky brick can be hidden away under your desk. The little gaming machine has an LED backlight ROG graphic on the side that can be customized with your own logo (or covered up) using plastic inserts included in the box.

The NUC 970 design has the key ports nicely accessible, with dual USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, an SD card reader and a 3.5mm headset jack on the front. Round the back there’s a further array of connectivity options, with Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C supporting DisplayPort 2.1 from the iGPU), two more USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, two standard USB 2.0 Type-A ports, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, the power connection and a Kensington lock. 

Video output from the RTX 4070 is via dual DisplayPort 1.4 connections or HDMI 2.1 – the latter supporting FRL (Fixed Rate Link) that provides the higher bandwidth needed for options like 4K video at 120Hz. The NUC is also a competent productivity workstation and can be used with up to 5 monitors – though, if not gaming, the Asus NUC 14 Performance model might be a better option as it has the same underlying spec without the game-focused ROG branding. 

The NUC 970 case is designed to be easy to open, and the RAM and SSD slots are very accessible for initial memory and storage installs or later upgrades. The tiny case means it’s not particularly easy to clean any dust buildup, and the motherboard and GPU have to be removed to access the cooling system. 

Overall the NUC design is quite good, and I especially like the chunky, rubber-padded stand. In the end I actually preferred using the stand "backwards", as it still holds the NUC just as securely, but looks sleeker and gives the side vents some airflow. The ability to DIY a logo is also cool and a nice way to add a touch of personality to the machine. The only things I wish were included in the design are a few more USB-C ports (with one on the front) and removable filters for the fans. 

The ROG NUC 970 can also sit securely "backwards" in the stand, giving extra airflow to the side vents. (Image credit: Future)

• Design score: 4 / 5

Asus ROG NUC 970: PERFORMANCE

• Solid gaming frame rates
• Fast wired and wireless networking
• Quiet when not gaming

Asus ROG NUC 970: Benchmarks

Here's how the Lenovo Legion 5i performed in the TechRadar suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Speed Way: 2,978 Port Royal: 7,589; Time Spy Extreme: 6,214; Fire Strike Ultra: 7,188.

GeekBench 6.3: 2,471 (single-core); 12,993 (multi-core)

Cinebench R24: 1,079 (multi-core); 107 (single-core)

PCMark 10: 7,623

CrystalDiskMark 8 NVMe: 7,067 MB/s (read); 5,081 MB/s (write)

Red Dead Redemption II: (Ultra 1080p) 79.3fps

Cyberpunk 2077: 1080p, (Ultra) 65fps; QHD, (Ultra) 55fps

F1 2023: 1080p (Ultra): 70fps

Considering the ROG NUC 970 has laptop-spec internals, running laptop-spec power and thermal profiles, it’s no surprise that it gives laptop-level gaming performance. That’s not a bad thing as the RTX 4070 is a very capable GPU and can give great results. For demanding games, the NUC 970 is best connected to a 1440p gaming monitor that supports variable refresh rate. Gaming at 4K is possible with less demanding games, and achieving higher frame rates requires lower detail levels or dropping the resolution back to 1080p.

I started off my games testing with Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, turning ray tracing up to ultra, and the texture detail up to high. At these settings the NUC 970 manages 65fps with DLSS off, and 114fps with DLSS on. Pushing to higher frame rates at 1080p requires reducing the detail levels to low, which allows the NUC 970 to hit 150fps with DLSS on. Testing Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, the 970 hits 55fps with all settings on high, and 72fps if DLSS is turned on. Scaling back ray tracing and dropping the detail back to medium allows the NUC 970 to just reach 100fps with DLSS on.

Other games tested (like Red Dead Redemption II and F1 2023), as well as a range of synthetic benchmarks, all tell the same story – the ROG NUC 970 is a competent 1440p gaming machine that performs at the same level as an RTX 4070-equipped gaming laptop.

The Asus ROG NUC 970 fans and cooling system is similar to that used on an 18-inch gaming laptop. (Image credit: Future)

CPU-only performance is quite good, and in prolonged, heavy, multicore workloads the NUC 970 runs a touch cooler (and much quieter) than a gaming laptop with the same Ultra 9 CPU. That said, the Ultra 9 is easily outclassed by gaming laptops equipped with 13th or 14th Gen i7 and i9 HX series CPUs.

The NUC 970 cooling system is larger than what you’d find in typical 14-inch or 16-inch gaming laptops, but not too different from the setups used in an 18-inch machine. This means the NUC cooling system has no trouble keeping the RTX 4070 from getting too hot without needing to run the fans at full speed. That said, the 970 isn’t exactly quiet when gaming – though it’s better than most laptops.

If browsing the internet or doing light work in quiet mode, it’s near silent, whereas heavier workloads will cause the fans to spin up to audible levels. Overall, the cooling system gets the job done but, considering the price of the NUC 970, I’d like to have seen quieter fans or a setup that helps get higher gaming performance from the GPU.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

The Asus ROG NUC 970 PSU is a monster, but can be hidden away under a desk.  (Image credit: Future) SHOULD YOU BUY THE Asus ROG NUC 970? Buy it if…

You want a very compact desktop machine
The NUC 970 has a unique form factor and style that can’t be matched by a normal gaming desktop.

You want no-fuss performance
The ROG NUC 970 is a competent gaming machine at 1440p or 1080p resolutions.

You want to install the RAM and SSD yourself
One advantage of the NUC system is being able to buy and install the RAM and storage yourself – though there’s also the option to buy it ready-to-go. 

Don’t buy it if...

You want bang-for-buck gaming
The NUC 970 is quite expensive for the gaming laptop-equivalent performance it gives, and a slightly larger gaming desktop can give much better performance or cost a lot less.

You want a very quiet gaming machine
While the NUC 970 isn't as noisy as a typical gaming laptop, it’s still much louder than most gaming desktops.

You want a productivity computer
The ROG NUC 970 makes for a powerful workstation machine, but the ASUS NUC 14 Performance has the same spec for a lower price.

Asus ROG NUC 970: Also consider

If my Asus ROG NUC 970 review has you considering other options, here are two small gaming desktops and a laptop to take a look at:

Alienware Aurora R16
While nowhere near as compact as the ROG NUC 970, the Aurora R16 has a desktop PC RTX 4070 with 12GB of RAM that gives much better gaming performance compared to the laptop RTX 4070 in the NUC 970. 

Check out the full Alienware Aurora R16 review

Asus ROG G22CH
The small form factor chassis used by the G22CH is larger than the NUC 970, but it does give much better gaming performance and can be cheaper depending on your region.

Take a look at the full Asus ROG G22CH review

Lenovo Legion 5i
A gaming laptop like the Legion 5i gives very similar performance to the Asus ROG NUC 970, but costs less and is much more versatile overall. 

Read the full Lenovo Legion 5i review

How I tested the ROG NUC 970

• Synthetic gaming and productivity benchmarks
• Real-world gaming benchmarks

I ran the Asus ROG NUC 970 through the usual comprehensive array of TechRadar benchmarks, focused on both gaming and productivity use. I tested the ROG NUC 970 for a week, including using it in the living room connected to a TV for casual couch gaming and media playback. 

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed in June 2024