CES 2017 was full of
announcements of new gaming systems, leveraging Intel’s seventh-generation Core
processors and Nvidia’s Pascal graphics architecture. Every major company
introduced new systems, making the event an exciting one for gamers of all
stripes.
That doesn’t mean,
however, that every new system as announced at CES. As a case in point, Asus
introduced yet another gaming system from its Republic of Gamers (ROG) line,
the ROG GR8 II. The GR8 II is, precisely as its name implies, the successor to
the GR8, a system that aimed at packing as much computing power as possible
into a case that occupies the least amount of space. According to Asus, the GR8
II mostly succeeds, with a significant increase in power accompanied by only a
small increase in size. The company touts the four-liter GR8 II as “the
smallest VR-ready system money can buy,” and it’s highly portable at only four
kilograms.
In terms of aesthetics,
the GR8 II incorporates Asus’s Aura Sync technology for customized lighting
across both the system itself and attached ROG peripherals. The small, uniquely
designed case is kept cool via a complex of heat pipes and fans aimed at
enabling maximum performance through maximum efficiency. In addition, the
system is designed to be extra quiet, running only 23dB at idle.
The GR8 II offers
solidly midrange components, including seventh-generation Core i7 or i5 CPUs,
up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. That combination
of components comfortably meets or exceeds today’s VR requirements, and Asus
fully tested the GR8 II to ensure that it performs well with the Oculus Rift VR
system. Dual HDMI ports and a DisplayPort means that even without VR, a
surround gaming experience can be achieved with up to three displays
Storage options include
a slot for up to an M.2 PCIe solid-state disk (SSD), with another 2.5-inch bay
to add additional drives. Audio quality is enhanced with SupremeFX running in
conjunction with Sonic Studio III software that can route audio for streaming.
A full complement of networking options is provided, from a Gigabit ethernet
port to 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO support. Two USB 3.1 ports, Type-C and
Type-A, and four USB 3.0 ports are available for plugging in a variety of
peripherals.
Asus hasn’t yet provided
pricing or availability for the ROG GR8 II. However, once it arrives, you will
have yet another VR-ready gaming option to choose from in addition to the
scores of new machines announced at CES 2017.
In a related
development, following the announcement of the ASUS ZenFone AR and ZenFone Zoom
3, a new report suggests that ASUS is looking to ramp up sales over the course
of the next few years. In 2016, the company sold 20 million smartphones, in no
small part to the release of the ZenFone 3 lineup which provided users a great
experience for those on a budget.
The ASUS ZenFone AR
turned heads at CES 2017 by being the first to complete two different
objectives – the first smartphone with 8GB of RAM, and the first to be
compatible with both Google’s Daydream and Tango features. It’s unlikely that
this smartphone will lead sales for the company in 2017, but CES Jerry Shen has
stated that the ZenFone 4 lineup will be released in Q2 of this year.
ASUS has also recently
released the ZenFone Pegasus 3S in China, where the company has a strong
foundation. But that was just the first move in a series of many to build upon
the 20% growth in several markets, including 5% growth overall.
2017 is already shaping
up to be an interesting year, and we haven’t even seen the flagships released.
Many OEM’s are expected to announce these devices at MWC 2017, which will kick
off late next month.
Credits: GSMarena, Phandroids
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