Now that AMD has formally introduced its 3rd-gen Ryzen CPU family, you can expect gaming PC announcements to follow. One of the first is Asus—it's rolling out a new ROG Strix GL10DH desktop tower that pairs AMD's newest silicon with the latest GPUs from Nvidia.
The GL10DH is not yet available, as retail availability for AMD's new CPUs is set for July 7. However, Asus is trying to be "one of the first" out of the gate, so it probably won't be far behind.
Asus essentially took the same chassis from its GL10CS and swapped out the Intel foundation for an AMD one. Specifically, this new model pairs a special version of the company's Prime B450M-K motherboard with up to a Ryzen 7 3800X processor. It's an interesting combination, since there is a new X570 chipset on the horizon. The implication of using a last-gen B450 motherboard is that the GL10DH will not support PCI Express 4.0, so those new SSDs that claim read speeds of up 5,000MB/s will not run as fast in this PC.
That's not a huge deal for gaming, though—storage options on the GL10DH include M.2 NVMe SSDs (presumably PCIe 3.0) up to 512GB, which is still plenty fast for gaming. For larger game libraries, Asus says users will be able to buy one with a 1TB hard drive inside. Unlike the GL10CS, however, boosting the HDD with an Optane memory module is not an option.
For graphics, the new desktop will come equipped with up to an Asus Turbo GeForce RTX 2070. It's rumored that Nvidia will be releasing faster "Super" variants of the RTX 2080, 2070, and 2060, but it doesn't look like those will be options (that might change when/if the Super models are officially announced).
Connectivity options include a gigabit Ethernet port on the back and an optional Intel 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) network card. It all comes packed in a "27-liter case that occupies less space at your battlestation." Assuming the case is unchanged from the GL10CS, as it appears, that translates into 18 x 43 x 42.8 cm (WxDxH), or 7.09 x 16.93 x 16.85 inches. It weighs around 8 kilograms (17.63 pounds).
Asus is also touting a high level of durability.
"We paid special attention to the construction to maximize durability. Stamped patterns in the side panels add rigidity, and the GL10DH has passed a battery of drop and vibration tests that simulate the rough handling it may endure while traveling to a local LAN party or esports tournament. Extreme heat, cold, and humidity tests prepare the machine for a wide range of environments, and power tests ensure it can survive the voltage and frequency fluctuations that can occur on unreliable power grids," Asus says.
Look for the new desktop to be available soon, likely next month. Pricing will be revealed at a later date.
