Asus ROG GR8 II gaming desktop PC launch: Specs, price and release date revealed [VIDEO]

Year 2017 is the year of gaming. About a week ago, Acer unleashed the preposterous 21-inch Predator 21 X while Razer unveiled its three-headed monster called Project Valerie. It’s only fair and natural that Asus has decided to counter those two by launching its own gaming marvel, the small but powerful ROG GR8 II.

The new Asus ROG GR8 II packs a lot of power but occupies very little space. While the GR8 II is slightly larger than its predecessor, the GR8, Republic of Gamers says it’s for the extra muscle. According to Asus, the 4kg GR8 II is “the smallest VR-ready system money can buy.”

Asus ROG’s new gaming PC is powered by the latest seventh generation Intel Core i7 or i5 desktop processor with a customised Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card and up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM. It includes two USB 3.1 ports (Type-A and Type-C) four USB 3.0 ports. Two of the USB 3.0 ports are located at the front for easy connection of game controllers and peripherals.

Republic of Gamers promises the GR8 II to be “super silent” at 23dB at idle. Two storage options are included: an expandable slot supporting up to an M.2 PCIe SSD and a 2.5-inch bay for additional drives. Sound quality enhancements are provided by SupremeFX alongside Sonic Studio III software with a new routing feature for streaming.

The Asus ROG GR8 II furnishes two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort, which means users can turn it into their own Project Valerie and connect up to three displays for some serious immersive gaming. But unlike the Razer hydra, whose prototypes were reportedly stolen, the ROG GR8 II is an actual product and will go on sale starting the first week of February in the UK with an MSRP of £950 (AU$1,555).

WATCH: Asus ROG GR8 II Teaser