Asus has a special bundle for enthusiasts who needs a total makeover on their old rig, but will this bundle be your top choice?

PC users have this dilemma of upgrading their whole rig every five or so years, at this rate, the components would have been worn out or some parts are already obsolete. Opting for a pre-assembled rig could be a bad idea, as some retailers mix low-end components just to fit its target price tag, and users wouldn’t like that. So Asus launched their powered desktop bundles to provide an optimized packaged desktop to PC enthusiasts who need a whole new rig for their gaming.

So let’s take a look on the specs from the Asus powered desktops:

• Processor: Intel Core 6^th Gen i5-6400
• Motherboard: Asus B150-Pro Gaming/Aura
• Graphics card: Asus Strix Geforce GTX 970
• Memory: Kingston 8GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB HDD
• Power Supply: Cooler Master G650
• Casing: NZXT S340

Noticed that there are just two Asus components featured in the rig, but it can still provide a powerful performance for gaming. Let us take a look at some of the special features of the B150-Pro Gaming motherboard and Strix GTX 970 graphics card.

Asus B150-Pro Gaming:

• SupremeFX – optimized audio for superior gaming experience
• Sonic Radar II – upgraded app that lets you detect nearby enemies in your game
• LANGuard and GamerFirst – optimized network connection for a less lag gameplay
• RAMCache – Speed improvement for the memory
• Gamer’s Guardian – Highly durable components for a longer lifespan

Asus Strix GTX 970:

• Initially overclocked – has a 1253 MHz boost clock to provide a better gaming performance
• DirectCU II – with 0dB fan when running on light games, plus 30% cooler temperature when running hardcore games
• DIGI + VRM – along with the 6-phase Super Alloy Power, it can provide better power efficiency and better performance
• GPU Tweak – allows you to modify the clock speed, voltage and fan speed for a total control on your overclocking tests

Now looking at the powerhouse, most of the components are of the best quality, and this will be enough to run any of the newer games at higher settings. Though it lacks any SSD from the build and with a smaller hard disk space of just 1TB, users may have to bring an external drive for their other media like music and videos. Memory size is acceptable but close to a minimum requirement as most high-end games now require at least 8GB for it to run properly.

Testing this rig with some multiplayer games such as Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm and the GTX 970 can handle it pretty well especially with Overwatch, you can play the game on the highest settings. We then tested some hardcore games; certain titles that require high-end components to run on a smooth frame rate. Some sample games include Tom Clancy’s The Division and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that were test and it can handle these games really well, with some hiccups on The Witcher 3 when cranked up to the highest setting.

Now how about in other applications aside from gaming? We tested the rig with Adobe Premiere Pro and yes it can render videos really fast. Other office applications are already expected to run well on the rig considering it already has an i5 processor and 8GB RAM.

Now some would ask if they should just opt for a 10-series graphic card instead of a 970, since the newer 10-series cards are more expensive, some may not be able to afford a high-end 10 series card so this can be a good alternative. But it seems that Asus might be releasing a 10-series variant soon.

The Gaming rig powered by ASUS is priced at PhP 40,000, it may look expensive to some, but that’s a decent price if you are aiming for a really good rig for high-end gaming. So if you are looking for a major upgrade on your 5 year old gaming rig, this could be a great option for you.