Asus ExpertCenter PN53-B Mini PC. Mini pc Asus rog

Best Asus gaming pcs 2023

Reviewed and rated. these are the top gaming pcs from Asus.

Here at PCGameBenchmark we’ve reviewed and scored 22 Asus gaming PCs in the USA to help you find the best desktop computer to game on. There are so many different things to consider when looking to pick up a new gaming computer, and so many different options, that it can be a daunting task.

So to help we’ve given each gaming PC we review a single rating to make it easy to compare the rigs on your radar, basing our score on a combination of graphics card power, CPU, storage, memory, and how many of the top PC games it will be able to run.

And, whether you’re going for a cheap gaming PC or a high-end gaming desktop, you want to know that you’re getting a good PC deal so our database is continually refreshed with the latest pricing so we’re always up to date.

Who are Asus?

Asus are a computer manufacturer based in Taiwan, who have been manufacturing computers for over 30 years. They sell Asus gaming PCs and laptops under their ROG brand.

Are Asus Gaming PCs any good?

All the latest Asus ROG Gaming PCs come with the modern NVIDIA 2000 series cards, and can be equipped with a 16 core Ryzen processor. They also have RGB lighting on the system, so they look good too.

Where are Asus PCs made?

Asus have manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Czech Republic, China and Mexico.

Best Asus Gaming PC?

The best gaming PC available is the Asus ROG Strix GA35 with watercooling, the option of up to 64GB RAM, a Ryzen 3900x and an RTX 2080 SUPER. This will be capable of 4K gaming. A more affordable option, and more appropriate if you’re not on a 4K monitor, is the Asus ROG Strix GA15.

Where to buy Asus PCs?

Asus sells them directly and through major retailers. Click below on any of the Asus Gaming PCs and we’ll show you the best price available.

ROG Strix G35CZ-XH988

ROG Strix GA35DX GA35DX-XS99X

GA15DK-AS776

ROG Strix G35CZ G35CZ-XB982

ROG Huracan G21 G21CX-XB981

GL12CX-DH781 GL12CX-DH781

ROG Strix GL12CX GL12CX-DS771

ROG Strix G10 G10CE-AH766

ROG Strix G15CK G15CK-BS764

PA90-M7168ZN PA90-M7168ZN

Amazon US updated Tuesday 12:00am GMT. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Legal bits PCGameBenchmark. 2023 All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We may earn commission from other affiliate programs.

• Developers
• Publishers
• Upcoming PC Games
• New PC Games
• Best Gaming Laptops
• Graphics Cards
• Processors
• Compare Gaming PCs
• Cheap Gaming Laptops
• Gaming Mice
• Compare Monitors
• Free Steam Games

• Privacy Policy
• Contact
• Manage Cookie Settings

Asus ExpertCenter PN53-B Mini PC

Asus Mini PN53-B featuring the latest AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processors and support for high-speed DDR5 memory, Mini PC PN53-B is ready to take on demanding workloads, yet its diminutive size takes up minimal space on a desk and makes it suited for applications where traditional PCs won’t fit, such as for home theatre. MediaTek MT7922 Wi-Fi 6E 160Mhz (802.11ax) networking ensures stable, high-speed data transfers, even in crowded networking environments, and a USB-C port with supports Power Delivery [PD] data transfer, power and DisplayPort functionality over a single cable.

At the front of the unit there are a number of features/ports which will be handy for quick access. On this side we have the following:

1x Power Button 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Support display output Power Delivery [PD] 1 x Combo Mic/ Headphone Audio jack 1x HDD LED

1 x USB 4 Type-C Support power delivery and display up to 4K resolution at 60Hz 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 2 x HDMI 2.1 display up to 8K resolution at 60Hz 1 x Realtek Gaming LAN 2.5Gbe 1 x DC-in 1 x Display port 1.4 Support up to 4K resolution at 60Hz

To upgrade or add-in extra hardware and you need to unscrew.

You can add additional hardware into your Mini PC. It’s support 2x DDR5 4800mhz (Total 32GB), one SATA 6Gb/s 2.5inch HDD/SSD and two PCI-e 4 M.2 NVME drives.

It comes with a 150watts AC adapter [ADP-150CH B]

Technical Specifications:

Notice: Our review PN53-B unit do not include SSD, Ram and OS.

Dimensions 120 x 130 x 58 mm (WxDxH) [0.9L] Processor AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX – Cores 8 / 16 Threads Memory TeamGroup 16GB DDR5 4800Mhz Dual Channel Graphics AMD Radeon Graphics RNA2 680M Storage Western Digital PC SN530 512GB NVMe 1.4 PCI-E Gen 3 Network MediaTek MT7299 Wireless 802.11AX (Wi-Fi 6E) Realtek Gaming 2.5 Gbe LAN OS Support Windows 11 Warranty 3 Years on-site SRP 929

We will be running comparing two systems side by side with a AMD 5600G desktop grade computer.

Benchmark

Cinebench R23

Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D ‘s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user

PCMark 10

PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With a range of performance tests, custom run options, Battery Life Profile, and new Storage benchmarks, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.

Passmark Benchmark

PassMark runs heavy mathematical calculations that stress the CPU’s performance at compression, encryption, and physics-related tasks.

3Dmark Advanced Edition

3DMark includes everything you need to benchmark your PC and mobile devices in one app. Whether you’re gaming on a smartphone, tablet, notebook, or a desktop gaming PC, 3DMark includes a benchmark designed specifically for your hardware.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi review: A Mini-ITX board for enthusiasts

At a glance

Pros

• Overall one of the best available Mini-ITX motherboards
• Two onboard M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 16x Gen 5
• Solid networking and great audio options with included Strix Hive
• Enthusiast-approved ROG aesthetics and functional design elements such as Q-Latch for M.2 drives

Cons

• 469 MSRP will deter some shoppers
• Mini-ITX has some inherent limitations due to its size
• Gamers might find some features unnecessary, such as Thunderbolt 4

Our Verdict

If you’re looking to build the absolute best Mini-ITX system possible, then the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi is surely the motherboard you’d choose. It’s expensive and some of its features will seem superfluous to those who don’t need them, but for the builder who wants it all in a compact package, this small form-factor beauty has it.

Best Today: Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi

Mini-ITX, or small form-factor, has been all the rage the last few years in PC builds. Who doesn’t want to pack a ridiculous amount of power in a small PC case? One could even argue that part of the appeal is the challenge of maximizing performance within those constraints. Plus, these motherboards are so damn cute!

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll be interested in what the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi brings to the table. Featuring support for Intel’s 13th-generation CPUs, it offers a stepped-up level of “mini” performance. It tips the scales on pricing, too—but in return you get a rich feature set and enthusiast-grade chops.

We’ll look at this motherboard’s features, design, and performance. Mini-ITX has a few drawbacks that don’t affect larger ATX boards, but does this unit make up for that with its generous offerings? Let’s find out!

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming motherboards to learn about competing products.

What are the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi specs?

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi carries with it an MSRP of 469. This is encroaching on high-end ATX motherboard territory, so it should pack a punch for its size. You can’t expect to get the same amount of I/O or PCIe slots as with the bigger brethren, but there are plenty of features you do get. In other words, you’re going to pay a premium to have so many features squeezed into a small design. But this board offers everything you’ll need for a monster (err, Mini-monster) gaming PC build!

Starting with the unboxing, you’ll discover a rich treasure-trove of bundled accessories. You’ll get the standard SATA cables, NVMe trinkets, and even ROG-branded swag.

What you don’t usually see with any motherboard is a bundled external sound device/USB combo. The ROG Strix Hive attempts to solve the small form-factor space issue by offering functionality outside of the case. It has everything from an audio codec to a volume input dial, and even extra USB. It even includes some nifty diagnostic features. We applaud this effort to offer add-on functionality while leaving the board free to maximize performance features. The device pairs well with this enthusiast motherboard.

Going further, you also get a “ROG FPS II” card. This plugs in directly to the motherboard, and extends its capabilities to include two SATA ports, and a collection of headers. Another Smart way to keep the main motherboard focused on providing vital performance, and augmented by such add-on elements.

What CPUs are supported?

The Z790 chipset allows you to use both Intel 12th- and 13th-generation, giving you flexibility in your CPU. This particular motherboard is a mini-enthusiast powerhouse, so there’s a good chance you want to pair it with a door-busting Intel i7 or i9 such as the 13900K. Even the mighty 13900KS with its 6Ghz speeds should do fine here if your cooling solution can keep up.

Does it support DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5?

DDR5 support is here, and you’re able to use some mighty fast kits, surpassing even what AMD currently offers on AM5. You’ll be limited to only 64GB of RAM and two separate slots, however. This is due to the board’s diminutive size. We figure that’s more than fine for a gaming build, and technically two RAM slots often offer more stability and performance compared to four.

How about PCIe Gen 5? Does a small motherboard like this mean you’re not fully covered here? Not at all! Being Z790, you’re given a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot—only one due to the space constraints. That’s for your GPU, which will have more than enough headroom for even future releases compared to PCIe Gen 4.

Storage support

The NVMe slot is also PCIe Gen 5. In this regard, the motherboard stands out from the many others that cap the NVMe slots at PCIe Gen 4 even if the board supports Gen 5. This will be a nice-to-have feature going forward as more PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives are released, letting you take full advantage of the 13th-gen Z790 platform with all of the bells and whistles.

You will also have a second onboard NVMe slot, but this one is PCIe Gen 4. Given that most drives barely saturate even this, you’ll be ahead of the game here.

As mentioned, the ROG FPS II card features two SATA ports, which while modest compared to ATX offerings, should fit the needs of small builds.

USB ports

Continuing with the surprising level of features, you’re getting nine total rear USB ports. That alone is as good, if not better than, many ATX motherboards.

Adding to that is another enthusiast-grade feature—two of those ports are Thunderbolt 4. With super-speedy 40Gb/s, Thunderbolt is arguably one of the most flexible I/O offerings. You can use it to connect displays since it supports video over DisplayPort, or connect a gamut of available Thunderbolt peripherals and storage drives. Of course, you still have a standard HDMI-out as well if your CPU supports the iGPU functionality.

Networking

Wi-Fi 6E and Intel 2.5GbE LAN are both here along with Bluetooth 5.3. That’s about as fully featured as they come—save for some 10GbE LAN Hyper-enthusiast motherboards.

Audio

Audio is great, especially considering the included Strix Hive external unit. This will give you great connections that are at arm’s length instead of only in the rear I/O of the motherboard. The handy volume wheel lets you quickly adjust audio levels even if you’re in the middle of a gaming session.

Other features of note

It’s always commendable to see an integrated I/O shield on a motherboard, so kudos. You also get Asus’ suite of “Q-Design” features that include Q-DIMM, Q-Release for easy GPU access, and Q-Latch for M.2 screwless installs.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi design

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi will impress right off the bat. Its small size already draws attention. When you start to look at how detailed the design is here, it’s impressive how the compact size has been maximized. It’s sad that this beauty will likely be buried within a smaller, cramped Mini-ITX case that has minimal, if any, window space.

Every iota of the board’s surface sports functional and aesthetically pleasing touches. Starting in the I/O shield area, you’re presented with Strix branding in a monochromatic theme. To accentuate that, you have a very tasteful “pop of color” with some elegant RGB design that almost seems to reflect off of the different surfaces. The PCIe slot area continues in the same vein, with functional M.2 armor looking dapper.

If you need more RGB, you’re able to add it through the Aura Sync 3-pin or 4-pin headers. This external functionality add-on, while not as useful as the neat Strix Hive and FPS II cards, is still nice to have. While small form-factor cases don’t offer the same opportunities for RGB goodness as larger cases, you’re still likely to need the headers to power things like CPU and GPU water blocks, or even RGB fans.

You’re also getting great quality-of-life design inclusions—with the M.2 Q-Latch, GPU Q-Release, etc. These make the build and maintenance experience second to none. It’s even more important in small form-factor builds, where access can be much tighter for internal changes later on.

CES 2022: Asus and ROG unveil PN52 PN64 mini PC and ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000

At CES 2022, Asus and ROG introduced the Asus PN64 and PN52 Mini PCs, which combine powerful components with an appealing look complete with a unique, ribbed case with beveled edges. On the connectivity front, Asus showed off the ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000, the world’s first quad-Band AXE16000 Wi-Fi 6E gaming router. However, details on pricing and availability are not yet available.

Inhaltsverzeichnis / Table of contents

Asus Mini PCs PN64 and PN52 unveiled

The two new Asus Mini PCs PN64 and PN52 FOCUS on strong performance in the particularly small 1-liter PC segment. Here, the manufacturer combines a compact layout with a thermal design that ensures stability for the latest AMD and Intel processors.

Measuring just 120 x 130 x 55.5 mm, each mini PC model can support up to four displays and has extensive connectivity options. In addition, the small PCs are equipped with built-in two-way AI noise cancellation, ensuring clear online voice communication between the user and their conversation partner.

Intel or AMD are the choice

The PN64 mini PC is powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core processor and DDR5 4800 RAM. It supports up to four displays, has five USB ports and a configurable port for docks and storage devices. For added flexibility, it is designed to allow easy access to hard drive and memory modules for easy upgrades.

The Asus Mini PC PN52, on the other hand, is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen H-series processor with integrated AMD Radeon graphics. It features two M.2 2280 SSDs and a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive. On the connectivity side, the PN52 features two HDMI ports and seven USB ports, including a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port that supports DisplayPort 1.4 and a 120-watt power supply.

ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 Gaming Router

The ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is the world’s first quad-Band Wi-Fi 6E gaming router. In terms of bands, this provides one 2.4 GHz, two 5 GHz and one 6 GHz Band with 160 MHz channels in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands, respectively.

It is equipped with a Broadcom Wi-Fi chipset and next-generation CPU to improve maximum network throughput by 18 percent. With Asus RF technology and other exclusive Asus technologies, RangeBoost Plus leverages several updated features that improve Wi-Fi signal range and overall coverage by up to 38 percent.

Use as backhaul possible

A lot is also offered in terms of connectivity. Two 10 Gbps ports, one 2.5 Gbps WAN port and four 1 Gbps LAN ports are available. The quad-Band capabilities of the Rapture GT-AXE16000 also give users more choices when connecting to an AiMesh system. For users with Wi-Fi 6E devices, one of the 5-GHz bands can be used as a dedicated backhaul to the central router, leaving the other three bands free for device connections.

Additionally, the 6 GHz Band can be used as a backhaul when used with another Wi-Fi 6E router. This provides clean and fast transmission between two routers for an optimized mesh experience.

Seriously, the Asus ROG Ally could replace your desktop

The moment I played a game on Asus’ upcoming ROG Ally, it felt too good to be real. Performance is off the charts, and the form factor is surprisingly comfortable. And the more I thought about the ROG Ally after using it, the more I actually pondered replacing my high-end gaming desktop with the handheld.

I’ve been clear about my worries about Windows 11 on a handheld like this, and although we hear about efficiency with each new launch from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, it’s hard to feel those gains in everyday use. But the ROG Ally not only looks like the winner against the Steam Deck, it also might just replace your desktop PC.

We need to talk about efficiency

We’ve all heard about performance-per-watt metrics and bold claims about efficiency ad nauseum, but in the enthusiast PC space that’s dominated by peak performance, they often fall on deaf ears. But he ROG Ally is a showcase of what efficiency advances can materialize as.

The ROG Ally uses AMD’s new Ryzen Z1 processor, which is built with Zen 4 CPU cores and RDNA 3 GPU cores. It’s faster than the Steam Deck’s APU, and efficiency advances are what make a form factor like the ROG Ally even possible.

That’s not what gets me excited about the handheld, though. The updated XG Mobile is. Asus released this external GPU dock a couple of years ago, and the most recent iteration packs a mobile RTX 4090 inside. The ROG Ally supports the proprietary connection, allowing you to plop down at your desk, dock the ROG Ally to the external GPU, and play games at a higher performance level.

There’s another aspect that helps the ROG Ally as a full-fledged desktop: Windows 11. The ROG Ally isn’t the first Windows 11 gaming handheld, but it’s the first with an ecosystem designed to work with Windows 11.

That comes courtesy of Armoury Crate, Asus’ gaming-focused management app. Unlike the Steam Deck, which needs to reboot if you want to switch between gaming mode and desktop mode, everything runs over the top of Windows 11 on the ROG Ally. Instead of a completely separate UI for launching games and managing your system settings with thumbsticks, Armoury Crate simply runs on top of Windows.

Even better, there’s a dedicated button to launch Armoury Crate. There were a handful of times while testing the ROG Ally where I would end up on the desktop or in a Windows menu while poking around. And no matter how far I went, I could always click the button and go right back to the handheld-focused UI.

It’s not hard using Windows 11 in handheld mode, either. It’s not perfect, but it’s far easier to navigate with the touchscreen than the desktop mode of SteamOS. For example, touching an address bar in a browser automatically brings up a keyboard, unlike SteamOS, where you can only invoke the keyboard with a button combination. It’s a small change, but it makes using Windows 11 in this form factor feel much more practical.

Armoury Crate was built to interact with Windows 11 as well. Through the app, you can fully rebind the controls on the ROG Ally, including mouse and keyboard commands. Beyond that, Asus includes several Windows shortcuts that you can bind to buttons, such as showing your desktop, launching Task Manager, and opening an application.

I don’t want to use the ROG Ally with Windows 11 in handheld mode, but I’d take using it over SteamOS in handheld mode mode any day. Still, it’s not perfect. Because Windows 11 is static, the ROG Ally is more than happy to let you run several applications at the same time, including multiple games. Managing what apps you have open is something that doesn’t come up on the Steam Deck, and it’s a primary concern on the ROG Ally.

You don’t ever have to interact with the Windows 11 desktop, though. Armoury Crate automatically hooks up to the EA app, Xbox app, Steam, Epic Games, Ubisoft Connect, and GOG Galaxy, so you can install all your games and launch them through Armoury Crate without ever touching the Windows 11 desktop.

Built for more

Between Windows 11 and highly efficient hardware, the ROG Ally is capable of delivering a desktop experience. It’s clear that Asus designed the handheld for this purpose, too. In the box, for example, there’s a small plastic dock. It’s just a cheap piece of plastic, but it props the device up like a dock, and that’s all you really need.

In addition, the charger doesn’t just hook into the wall. It uses USB-C, and along with that connection, the charger also includes a USB port and an HDMI 2.0 output. Even if you don’t have XG Mobile, you can hook the ROG Ally up to an external monitor without buying any additional accessories.

I still need time with the ROG Ally to test where it excels and where it falls behind, but it’s already impressing me. The handheld experience is great, there’s no doubt about that. But I wouldn’t be shocked to see the device replace some high-end gaming PCs when combined with the XG Mobile, and that’s something to get excited about.

Editors’ Recommendations

Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn’t run on a laptop, he…

Microsoft might have just given us a small, but hopeful glimpse of a possible Windows 11 gaming UI designed to be used with small handheld gaming devices. It might also be a sign that REDMOND is finally taking portable PC gaming more seriously.

During an internally-hosted Microsoft hackathon event back in September, an experimental Windows interface has gotten the attention of the portable gaming device community, thanks to a tweeted leak. Called “Windows Handheld Mode”, the interface essentially brings a gaming shell or launcher in lieu of a regular Windows 11 desktop UI.

Asus released a trailer for a handheld Steam Deck competitor over the weekend, but there was just one problem. The trailer dropped on April 1. That lead many to assume it was an elaborate, high-budget April Fool’s prank, but Asus has confirmed that its handheld gaming PC is real and coming soon.

ROG ALLY. ROG’s First Gaming Handheld Console

We’re off to a rocky start with PC releases in 2023. Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Forspoken, and most recently and notably The Last of Us Part One have all launched in dire states, with crashes, hitches, and lower performance despite a minor increase in visual quality. And a big reason why is that the graphics cards of the last few years aren’t equipped to handle the demands of games today.

The GPUs themselves are powerful enough; games haven’t suddenly gotten more demanding for no reason. The problem is video memory or VRAM. Many of the most powerful GPUs from the previous generation weren’t set up to handle the VRAM demands of modern games, which may explain why your relatively powerful PC can’t handle the latest and most exciting new games. What does your VRAM do anyway?

Upgrade your lifestyleDigital Trends helps readers keep tabs on the fast-paced world of tech with all the latest news, fun product reviews, insightful editorials, and one-of-a-kind sneak peeks.