At Computex 2014, Asus revealed a trifecta of gaming computers that are all powered by Intel and Nvidia hardware. Two are gaming desktops, and one is a notebook, all of which fall under the company’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand.
One of the desktops is dubbed the ROG G20, and is housed in a small form factor case which employs a “hidden airflow tunnel.” Asus alleges that the design of this case allows the G20 to run almost silently, claiming noise levels of 25dB when the system is at idle. Precise details regarding specs are unavailable, but we do know that the G20 will be powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU, along with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 780-series graphics card.
If we had to guess, we imagine that it will ship with at least 8GB of RAM. Storage configurations will probably consist of some pairing of an SSD with a mechanical hard drive. The Asus ROG G20 is expected to sell for anywhere between $800, and $1,700, and the price depends on how you configure it. It will be available sometime during the third quarter of this year.
The next item on the list is the Asus ROG GR8, another gaming desktop which the company designed with “console like dimensions” in mind, though exact specs in that area are currently unavailable. Like the ROG G20, the ROG GR8 is also powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, but sports a mid-range Nvidia GeForce GTX 750Ti graphics card. Asus claims that memory and storage will be easy to upgrade via an “external panel,” but considering that Asus refers to the GR8 as a console-esque PC, upgrade options on the CPU and graphics card fronts might be limited. In fact, we suspect that the GR8 is outfitted with a 750Ti, as opposed to a more powerful card, due to its relatively small size. The 750 Ti is a fine mid-range card, but can’t be reasonably expected to handle high-end games with all the visual details cranked all the way up, which gaming PCs should be expected to do.
Though the Asus GR8 will ship with Windows 8.1, it will be compatible with SteamOS and Steam Controller, though the company will ship a Steam-specific version of the GR8 as well. Ports and connectivity options include 802.11 Wi-Fi, four USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, Ethernet, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Miracast support is also available on the GR8. Prices for the Asus ROG GR8 are unavailable, but it will also be available during the third quarter of this year.
Finally, there’s the ROG GX500 (pictured at top), a 15.6-inch gaming notebook that’s 0.75-inches thick, and weighs under 5 pounds (4.85 to be exact). The GX500 will feature 4K resolution, an Intel Core i7 CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics, and more. Aside from that, not much more is known about the GX500, including price. However, like the desktops, the GX500 will launch sometime during the third quarter of this year.
It’s possible that we’ll find out more about these systems throughout the week. If so, we’ll update this article accordingly.
