Asus and its Republic of Gamers (ROG) division today announced a new gaming desktop, the Strix GL12, featuring up to a factory-overclocked 8th generation Intel Core i7-8700K processor paired with up to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.
The Core i7-8700K is a 6-core/12-thread chip that's already fast at stock speeds. It has a 3.7GHz base clock and 4.7GHz boost clock, along with 12MB of L3 cache. Asus takes things further by having its ROG engineers hand-select the CPUs that get put into its factory-overclocked model, the GL12CM, with all cores running at 4.8GHz.
"We test each one at the factory to confirm that it’s comfortable when pushed so far beyond the 4.3GHz stock frequency for all-core loads. Then we add liquid cooling to reduce temperatures and prevent thermally induced slowdowns from hitching your gameplay. The closed-loop CPU cooler is supplied by the experts at Asetek, and it’s the same unit used in the ultra-high-end ROG GT51 desktop," Asus says.
It's great to see Asus doing this, as that level of attention is typically reserved for systems purchased from a boutique system builder.
Not all models are overclocked—Asus also sells versions of the GL12 that are outfitted with a Core i7-8700 and Core i5-8400 CPU, along with lower end (and more affordable) GPU options that extend down to the GeForce GTX 1050. An internal crossbar secures the graphics card to the case so that it doesn't wrestle free during shipping.
There are various storage options as well, including up to a 2TB hard drive and up to a 512GB PCIe SSD. On top of that, there's a hot-swappable 2.5-inch drive bay to make upgrading secondary storage easier.
"Players often bring their settings on 2.5-inch SSDs, and they need to be able to load them quickly when sitting down for a match. The hot-swap bay lets secondary storage drives slide in and out in seconds, without tools or rebooting, making it perfect for busy tournament environments," Asus says. You can also use the drive tray for primary storage duties, though you lose the hot-swap function if you do that.
The Strix GL12 ships with a solid metal side panel, which Asus says is to meet EMI regulations. However, it also includes an acrylic replacement for gamers who want to show off their rig. Both are secured with thumb screws.
Asus says the Strix GL12 will be available in April. There's no word yet on price.
