Asus is getting ready to launch a beastly AMD Ryzen gaming desktop
An expensive counter-punch to the Xbox Series X.
From what we know so far about the Xbox Series X, it is a seriously impressive kit—it's basically a monster gaming PC wrapped in console garb. Be that as it may, buyers with the requisite funds can still build or a buy an even more powerful PC. Case in point, Asus is launching a decked out ROG Strix GA35 desktop configurable with up to a 16-core/32-thread Ryzen 9 3950X processor and GeForce RTX 2080 Ti graphics card.
I don't know how much the XbX will end up costing ($500-$600, is my guess) or how the custom GPU will ultimately compare to what's available in the PC space, both now and later this year. Best case scenario is probably the equivalent of a 2080 Ti, when factoring in the ability to optimize games.
The XbX will undoubtedly be cheaper than the GA35, though Asus has not announced a price yet either. So, this is a good place to stop the comparison and shift focus solely to the GA35's hardware makeup.
This desktop is essentially a tip of the cap to AMD's third-generation Ryzen processors. The four CPU options include the Ryzen 9 3950X and 3900X, and Ryzen 7 3800X and 3700X. There are no Intel configurations available on this particular model.
Buyers will also be able to choose from a handful of GPUs, including the 2080 Ti, 2080 Super, 2070 Super, 2060 Super, and 2060. So, the lowest end configuration would pair a 3700X CPU with a 2060 GPU, which is not bad all (the 3700X is one of the best CPUs for gaming).
Asus is outfitting the GA35 with up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 memory. For storage, the system will be offered with up to a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD for the primary drive, and a 1TB or 2TB HDD for secondary storage duties.
Other notable options include liquid cooling for the CPU (by way of an all-in-one cooler), onboard Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) connectivity, and two hot-swappable drive bays.
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Asus actually announced this system at CES in January. What's new is there now exists a product page, though Asus still has not said when exactly it will land at retail or what the starting price will be.
Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).