Epic design, VR ready, 6th Gen Intel quad-core processor, GTX 1080 –there is absolutely no doubt that the ASUS G11CD-DB72 Premium Gaming Desktop is well equipped to run basically any game you throw at it smoothly with the highest settings.
The few flaws like lack of USB Type-C and lousy internal cable management can be overlooked considering the performance and external visual appeal.
Pros
- Powerful components
- Epic design
- Ample and fast storage
- Loads of fast physical memory – 16GB
Cons
- Fan noise can be a bit annoying in a quiet environment
- Interior cable management isn’t perfect
- No mechanical HDD
The Asus Republic of Gamers line of pre-built gaming rigs is some of the best-looking desktops in the gaming ecosystem. Pre-built gaming desktops are favored by users who would like to jump into serious PC gaming or upgrade their aging systems but don’t have the time or expertise to build their own PC. PC building is no joke, especially for the non-techie or nerdy (for lack of a better term) type of gamer.
There are so many obstacles to jump through and a high likelihood of spending too much for a personal rig; that doesn’t really impress in terms of looks and performance.
This has actually been exacerbated in 2017 due to the marked-up prices of various gaming components-video cards being the major culprits due to unusual demand from Ethereum based crypto miners.
Some performance component pairs also actually end up bottlenecking your system so choosing the right pair of GPU and CPU can be a daunting task for most gamers (not all great gamers are computer science nerds).
With all these challenges, the best bet is to purchase an already built and optimized gaming PC like the ASUS G11CD-DB72 Premium Gaming Desktop.
Powered by an Intel Quad-Core i7-6700 3.4 GHz Processor paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX1080 8GB GPU, the VR ready ASUS G11CD is in the category of high-performance gaming rigs. It breezes through modern AAA titles and VR at blazing fast fps on ultra settings.
Update: Since the Asus G11CD-DB72 Premium Gaming Desktop is not available on Amazon, we recommend the CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8500A Desktop instead.
ASUS G11CD Specs (Asus G11CD-DB72 Desktop)
| Processor | Intel Core i7 (6th Gen) 6700 | 3.4 – 4.0 GHz | Quad-Core |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 2133 MHz | 32 GB Max |
| Internal Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX1080 8GB |
| Wireless Connectivity | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Ports |
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| Optical Drive | DVD SuperMulti | DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM |
| Audio | 7.1 channel surround |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Expansion slots |
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| Dimensions | 6.9 x 17.3 x 16.6 in |
| Weight | 21.56 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited Warranty agreement Applies |
Design and Features
Hardcore gaming PCs are generally expected to feature aggressive and eye-catching designs. Asus has been known to take this further with their alien-like design aesthetics on their ROG gaming desktops and laptops. The ASUS G11CD Gaming Desktop’s case looks like an object you would normally find in a science fiction movie.
The case has a unique design that just draws attention effortlessly with its sharp contours bright LED lighting and rough surfaces. The middle pulsating light can be configured to any color you could possibly imagine but sadly, the rest of the lighting is stuck in red allowing us to change the brightness alone.
Popping the lid is easy since you have to undo a few screws. Inside we get a glimpse at the motherboard used in the ASUS G11CD-DB72.
We really didn’t expect the insides to be pretty as cable management is a bit of mishmash but it’s really not a bummer because this is a non-tempered glass case. There are only two open RAM slots on this motherboard which means we can upgrade the system to a maximum of 32GB.
You also have the option to install an extra HDD as there’s an extra empty slot on the motherboard and the GPU can be swapped out for better ones that come along. However, running two graphics units on SLI isn’t available on this motherboard.
Input Devices
The ASUS G11CD-DB72-GTX-1080 Premium Gaming Desktop comes with a premium Asus gaming keyboard and mouse. The keyboard feels really nice on your fingers as the keys are quite responsive and have decent travel.
It features a unique design with LED strips on the sides, keys with red individual backlighting and an excellent analog dial for volume control at the top right corner. The mouse of this system is an Asus ROG Gladius and it feels really clicky and has amazing optical tracking.
The peripherals included on the ASUS G11CD Gaming Desktop are good enough to allow anyone to head right into gaming without spending more money on others unless they have very specific preferences and needs.
Ports
On the front of the ASUS G11CD, we get two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and an SD card slot in the middle. The blue-ray DVD drive is located above the front-facing ports.
We also get a microphone and headphone jack at the top. At the back, we get several other I/O connections including; two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI port, one VGA port, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 3.1 ports, an Ethernet port, and 7.1 channel audio ports.
The GTX 1080 video card also has its own display output connections i.e. one more HDMI port, one DVI port, and three Display ports-the recommendation option if you want to output 4k content to high-end G-Sync monitors at the highest refresh rates.
The HDMI port and three display ports come in handy when connecting to an external display. You can have up to a three monitor setup.
We get both gigabit Ethernet and wireless 802.11 ac connectivity on the ASUS G11CD desktop. This computer also has an inbuilt Bluetooth 4.0 module.
Performance
Powering this gaming PC is a 6th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7-6700 processor with a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz. This is one if intel’s flagship models that are favored by many gamers and power users.
It has great reviews and ratings performance-wise as the folks over at Futuremark gave it a solid 5-star rating and a 10140 3DMark CPU Score.
The ASUS G11CD is powerful at gaming but has poor ventilation for airflow
The main highlight in terms of performance on the ASUS G11CD is the founder’s edition NVIDIA GeForce GTX1080 8GB graphics unit. There’s no argument about the capabilities of this video card as it’s only rivaled by the 1080Ti.
This is the card that featured major updates to improve graphics performance up to 3 times that of previous-generation chips. It can handle newer demanding gaming titles like Witcher3 and VR games that require over 90fps to run correctly.
Physical memory is 16GB of DDR4 RAM with speeds of up to 2133 MHz There are two empty RAM slots that we can install extra 16Ggb of RAM if need be. Internal memory is an ultra-fast 512GB SSD that registered over 1800mps read speeds when we tested it on Crystal Disk.
There is no HDD on the ASUS G11CD but we can install it on the provided SATA slots on the motherboard as there is space to mount two of them on the case.
In terms of gaming performance, the ASUS G11CD handles any kind of game we throw at it thanks to its powerful processor and GPU. Modern AAA titles like Witcher3, call of duty, Rise of the tomb raider and GTA5 all played at over 100fps on ultra-settings at 1440p resolution.
The ASUS G11CD-DB72 is also good for day to day use as expected especially if you deal with heavy applications like CAD, and 3D editing software.
Conclusion
The ASUS G11CD-DB72 is a great PC if you want to run all your favorite gaming titles without having to compromise on quality and performance. This is a great choice for users who neither have the time or expertise to build their own gaming rig. The ASUS G11CD also comes from a reputable manufacturer so after-sales support and replacement options are excellent.
