ASUS is known for their performance driven gaming desktops and other peripherals that are sought after by professional gamers and content creators. The Republic of Gamers Strix GL12CM gaming desktop continues this line of dedication as the hardware delivers an unforgettable experience that makes you wish you had upgraded a lot sooner.
The GL12CM was designed with two integral aspects in mind: power and speed. This is made perfectly clear with the inclusion of some of the best components that the market has to offer. First we have an 8th Generation i7-8700K processor at the heart of the build, which can be overclocked up to 4.8 GHz while utilizing six cores. Coupled with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card that has 8 GB of dedicated memory, it delivers up to three times the performance from previous generation graphic cards for the most immersive graphical experience and VR readiness. The inclusion of NVIDIA G-SYNC also aids in reducing lag and other visual imperfections such as tearing to enhance the overall presentation. 8GB 2666MHz of DDR4 RAM aids in multi-tasking, which is a necessity when it comes to content creation.
I have put countless hours into Fortnite, Civilization, and Total War games and they are normally my go to for graphical tests. Civilization VI has a graphics test game mode where it loads a map that is completely filled with units to see whether or not your build is up to the task. The GL12CM was not phased as it handled this test with complete ease.
I use a Dell 27” WQHD monitor, more for content creation than gaming, but it serves its purpose perfectly. Colours are vibrant and there is plenty of screen space when using applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Unity. A gaming monitor would be better suited for competitive esports participants, especially those who require the fastest response time during a first-person shooter title such as Overwatch, which is handled perfectly with the GL12CM, but some gamers will still want to seek out every possible advantage on the battlefield.
My only complaint with this desktop pertains to the main hard drive is a 256 M.2 GB SSD, which is only around 235 GB after Windows 10 is installed. I have five games and various applications installed, resulting in the hard drive always being full and deleting a game before I am able to install a new one . There is a secondary 1TB 7200RPM HDD, but a computer such as this should come with a minimum of 500 GB SSD, but 1TB SSD would be the ideal storage space. The idea of spending this amount of money on the unit and having to replace the main storage does not equate to the best experience.
ASUS excels at providing gamers with the best tools necessary to achieve victory, regardless of what game is being played. This level of commitment to the gaming community is illustrated through the addition of a hot- swap 2.5 inch SSD tray. You can either save your customized settings for competitive tournaments, or you can simply add another SSD to your build.
Aura Sync provides a customizable lighting experience letting you express your own individual identity through colour with Aura Sync compatible products. Pairing it with keyboards, mice, earphones, and other peripherals will definitely result in a wondrous experience. Connectivity is not a problem with the GL12CM as it includes two USB 3.1 Gen 2, six USB 3.1 Gen 1, and four USB 2.0 ports. An SD card reader and a DVD-RW are also on the front of the tower.
Aegis III is a Republic of Gamers software that helps you monitor your system. Here you are able to see fan speeds, memory usage, and download and upload speeds. The most important part of this software is the ease of access to entering overclocking mode when you demand extra horsepower.
The ASUS GL12CM succeeds at delivering a noteworthy competitive gaming experience. The defining features are the GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card with 8 GB of memory and the i7-8700K processor. The only downside is the limited storage on the main SSD as it does not give you sufficient space to have all of your games and applications run on the fastest drive. This gaming build would be complete if it offered a 1 TB SSD instead. Anyone who is not familiar with building their own desktop and is looking for a gaming desktop to provide them with countless hours of fun should take a look at what ASUS’ GL12CM has to offer.
