Asus ROG GR8 II Mini Gaming PC Review

[Jos]

The Asus ROG GR8 II is designed for those who want a compact gaming system for a desk or living room, but would rather something more powerful than an Xbox One or PS4. This system is similar in size to current-generation consoles, however its use of high-end Intel Kaby Lake processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics leads to a much faster experience.

Read the full article here.

https://www.techspot.com/review/1387-asus-rog-gr8-ii/

 

[oldikes]

Their insistence on making all their compact gaming PC's non stackable with other consoles or devices is *****ic. Curves and slants everywhere is a super inefficient use of space, and kinda defeats the point of the compact form factor

 

[texasrattler]

Not to mention that this gamer pc isnt upgradeable, highly disappointing for a gamer since its those they are trying to target. Also why put in the cheap 3gb 1060 when the 6gb is much much better choice for gaming and VR would be much better with 6gb than 3gb.

Not sure why these companies dont make the cases with small holes so make it more breathable. If freakin modems/routers can do n figure it out why cant they.

Seems to me all these companies focus on money and not whats not important, which is performance. Cheap parts mean cheap performance. This machine could be good with small upgrades but they would over charge for them.

 

[Uncle Al]

Looks interesting but to get sufficient power I'm thinking they need to add a kick starter like my old Harley .....

 

[JudasSheep]

I don't know who they are trying to market this to. I wouldn't touch it with a 100m pole. Hot, loud and not able to be upgraded are buzz kills for me and most gamers I know. I don't find it down right ugly, but I also don't find it appealing.

I honestly don't know why companies are trying to make pre-built machines that appeal to the masses for gaming. If someone wants to play the latest on the latest hardware, they will pay the money for the components they can afford and build it themselves. If they are not tech savvy enough to build a system, they can/will buy a console. There is still a market for pre-built machines, but I think it's much smaller than it use to be.

Surprised Asus put the ROG tag on this product. It's like the most low end ROG item ever. That must be what they use to try and snag the unsuspecting consumer who doesn't know any better.

 

[kapital98]

I don't know who they are trying to market this to. I wouldn't touch it with a 100m pole. Hot, loud and not able to be upgraded are buzz kills for me and most gamers I know. I don't find it down right ugly, but I also don't find it appealing.

I honestly don't know why companies are trying to make pre-built machines that appeal to the masses for gaming. If someone wants to play the latest on the latest hardware, they will pay the money for the components they can afford and build it themselves. If they are not tech savvy enough to build a system, they can/will buy a console. There is still a market for pre-built machines, but I think it's much smaller than it use to be.

Surprised Asus put the ROG tag on this product. It's like the most low end ROG item ever. That must be what they use to try and snag the unsuspecting consumer who doesn't know any better.

I like that there are HTPC models like this. It's a high powered PC alternative to a console. The 1060 (even the 3gb) is no joke. They could hook up an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift and go right ahead. Many people don't want big towers in their living rooms.

It looks like some things could have been better (primarily, stackable!). However, overall, it's a solid choice for people who want the advantages of a gaming PC but in the form of a living room friendly console.

 

[turismozilla]

Ctrl F "ATX", got nothing, so not interested.

 

[Phr3d]

Eagerly await a super-compact ryzen 1700 prebuilt, available with 'who cares' up to superior graphics.

I need the who cares version -- don't pre-load it with win10? Thanks Gigabyte, lol (NUC knock-offs).

16 threads/16GB ok graphics (think laptop/efficient GPU) on win7 and it's the last computer I'll need.
I can dream..

 

[oldikes]

Eagerly await a super-compact ryzen 1700 prebuilt, available with 'who cares' up to superior graphics.

I need the who cares version -- don't pre-load it with win10? Thanks Gigabyte, lol (NUC knock-offs).

16 threads/16GB ok graphics (think laptop/efficient GPU) on win7 and it's the last computer I'll need.
I can dream..

why does it need to be prebuilt? if you dont need a gaming graphics card you can build some REALLY small PCs yourself - moving to half-height cases really opens alot of possibilities.

 

[ddferrari]

Seems a bit silly to pair an i7 with a 3GB 1060.

This product would make a lot more sense if it were upgradable. I could see this gpu really struggling a few years down the road, and while the consoles are subject to the same fate, they're a lot cheaper. I agree with some others here that buying/building a mini form factor system makes a lot more sense financially.

 

[Tweak]

Update: Asus informs me that the 2.5-inch connector bracket in my review unit was missing, but it is provided in all retail units

As per the above, did they quote you part names or types?

I'm trying to install a new SSD and I don't have the bracket or cable. It's a 22 Pin Sata on my SSD but it's some kind of clip in ribbon on the motherboard, you can see it on the motherboard, slot labeled SATA 6G, near the hole for the fan.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[neeyik]

Are you trying to replace/upgrade the existing drive or add an additional one? If it's the case of the former, the manual may offer the advice you need:

https://dlcdnets.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Desktop/ROG_Console_PC/GR8II/E12903_ROG_GR8_II_Series_UM_V3_WEB_20170728.pdf?_ga=2.147223476.26329309.1570962321-1109192051.1565541766

If it's the latter (I.e. your system has the M.2 drive but you want to add extra storage), then this video might help (turn on subtitles with translation):

If you're missing certain parts, then it would probably be best to send Asus a quick email:

ROG GR8 II - Support

www.asus.com