Computers

ASUS ROG GR8 II Review

Published

September 9, 2017

Marvin Velasco

When you think of gaming PCs, large immobile machines come to mind. ASUS has other plans with its ROG-branded GR8 II, which is smaller than Sony’s PS4 Pro but with the might to take on the latest AAA titles.

And it’s not an ugly sight either; in fact, I’d say it’s the most attractive gaming PC in the market right now.

See for yourself:

This is as compact as a gaming PC can get

Dimensions: 88 x 299 x 281.3mm; weight: 4kg

And is slim enough to fit into cramped spaces

Standing it up is the only practical position, though

You get basic ports in front

Two USB 3.0 ports and audio outputs, plus gorgeous RGB lighting

And all the rest at the back

1x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.0, 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, Ethernet, Optical S/PDIF out

Most of the heat comes out from the top vent

Be sure not to place anything like headphones on top

You need a single Philips screwdriver to open it up

Only four screws need to be removed to remove the side panel for upgrades

Once set up, it looks especially nice with matching ROG equipment

The 24-inch Full HD ROG Swift PG248Q with its 180Hz refresh rate is perfect for high-speed games

How well does it perform?

What’s a good-looking gaming PC without fitting specs to back it up? The GR8 II isn’t going to impress you with Zephyrus-like numbers, but it’s definitely good enough for gaming on high settings at 1080p.

We have an Intel Core i7-7700 processor, a single stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD, and NVIDIA’s midrange GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. These all connect to a custom H110 motherboard.

Playing DOOM on Ultra graphics settings consistently gave us over 90fps on our 1080p monitor; and as expected, Overwatch was an absolute cinch, providing us with over 150fps on optimized graphics settings to maximize the same monitor’s G-Sync-enabled 180Hz refresh rate.

The only game that pushed the GR8 II during our tests was Rise of the Tomb Raider. Although it got 68fps according to the built-in benchmark on the highest settings, actual gameplay wasn’t as smooth. It was only when we lowered some of the more intensive settings like hair effects and texture rendering that the game became playable on high settings.

What else is there to know?

A common concern with cramming so much power into a tiny frame is noise and heat build-up. We were expecting the GR8 II to get loud and warm under heavy load because of its lack of ventilation and relatively small fans, but the results were still pleasant.

Thanks to some strategic chopping up of the motherboard, vents and fans are placed where they need to be. It was only while playing games in an absolutely quiet room when we’d hear the roaring of the fans. Definitely nothing that would wake up a sleeping baby, so you can game with peace of mind.

Speaking of the custom motherboard design, it sadly holds back the upgradability of the GR8 II. You can only swap the RAM and HDD, and add an SSD to the lone M.2 slot. The CPU, GPU, and motherboard would need assistance from an ASUS service center for replacements.

The other drawback is the separate 230W power adapter that acts as the unit’s power supply. This is ASUS’ trick to lowering the weight and size of the GR8 II, but this just means more things to carry with you when you transfer battle stations for LAN parties.

Why choose this over a gaming laptop?

This is the question that went through our minds as we used the GR8 II: Doesn’t an equally priced gaming notebook offer a more complete experience with added mobility?

It’s definitely something to ponder over. A gaming laptop owns the same expandability (user-replaceable storage and memory components), wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and an external power supply, but comes with a built-in monitor, keyboard, and battery for short trips. However, what the GR8 II does better is port selection and saving space on a tight desk.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

It all boils down to your gaming needs. While there’s no doubt the GR8 II is more than enough for 1080p gaming at high frame rates, the previous question establishes the compact PC’s position in the market.

The GR8 II feels like a gaming laptop in the body of desktop PC, with the limited upgradeability of the former and immobility of the latter. At the same time, it also doesn’t have the mobility of a notebook nor the sheer possibilities of a true PC tower.

Considering all those factors, it’s clear the GR8 II is somewhere in between the two segments. You’re buying into the idea of a sleek gaming machine that’s designed to look good and deliver respectable performance beyond the minimal physical space it consumes.

Price relies heavily on what configuration you choose; the setup we reviewed costs PhP 69,990 (US$ 1,375) in the Philippines, but you can find a cheaper setup with a Core i5 processor and less storage for around US$ 1,000.

Computers

Select GIGABYTE Intel motherboards now support HUDIMM

Offering budget-conscious builders more flexibility, accessibility

Published

May 15, 2026

GadgetMatch

GIGABYTE announced a comprehensive BIOS update for its Intel 800, 700, and 600 series motherboards. These motherboards are now support the new HUDIMM memory standard, enabling “One Sub-channel DDR5” technology.

The specification is designed to reduce the high retail costs associated with modern memory by utilizing a single 32-bit sub-channel rather than the standard dual-channel configuration.

This update primarily targets the budget-conscious builders. Even system integrators, who have been restricted by DDR5 market pricing, should benefit.

HUDIMM provides a more accessible entry point for those building on modern Intel platforms, by reducing the DRAM chip count per module.

This is without requiring the premium investment typically demanded by high-bandwidth kits.

Beyond initial builds, the update facilitates unconventional upgrade paths for mainstream users. The firmware allows for asymmetric mixing.

In other words, a user can pair a low-cost 8 GB HUDIMM with an existing 16 GB standard module.

This configuration allows for a 24 GB total capacity, providing a middle-ground performance boost that utilizes three combined sub-channels.

GIGABYTE confirmed the BIOS firmware is available immediately via its official website. The company also stated that the update ensures seamless detection and stable operation of the new modules across its entire compatible Intel motherboard lineup.

Computers

MINIX launches T4000, T5000 Generative AI Mini WorkStations

For businesses and creators

Published

April 27, 2026

GadgetMatch

MINIX has launched the T4000 and T5000 Generative AI Mini Workstations.

These powerful and space-saving solutions are built for professional generative AI, local large language model (LLM) inference, content creation, on-premise enterprise deployment, and lightweight model training.

The desktops are powered by the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Thor series modules with flagship Blackwell architecture. As such, they deliver exceptional on-device AI horsepower in a small desktop form factor.

The build features durable metal and plastic chassis, plus twin turbo intercooler for sustained performance.

The new offerings are engineered for professionals, developers, creators, and IT teams, redefining edge and on-premise AI without bulky server hardware.

At the core of the T4000 and T5000 are NVIDIA’s cutting-edge compute platform:

T4000: Up to 1200 Sparse FP4 TFLOPs AI performance
T5000: Up to 2070 Sparse FP4 TFLOPs AI performance
1536-2560 Blackwell GPU with fifth-generation Tensor Cores
Multi-Instance GPU (MIG) for parallel task efficiency
NVIDIA PVA 3.0 dedicated vision processing engine

The workstations natively support smooth local inference for 7B-70B parameter LLMs. This makes private, low-latency AI accessible for businesses and creators.

In addition, the offerings feature high-core-count Arm processing and large, fast memories of up to 128GB DDR5 on 12-core or 14-core Arm Neoverse-V3AE 64-bit CPU.

Designed for professional workflows, the mini workstations also include enterprise-grade networking and flexible expansion:

Dual 10GbE ethernet
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
2x HDMI 2.1 TMDS (4K@60Hz)
4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
24V DC input, up to 200W max power

Ideal use cases for the MINIX T4000 and T5000 include local LLM inference, generative AI creation, on-device AI computing, and lightweight model training.

Computers

Lenovo accelerates production-ready enterprise AI with NVIDIA

From AI inferencing to gigawatt-scale AI factories

Published

March 24, 2026

GadgetMatch

Lenovo has unveiled new Lenovo Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA solutions designed to accelerate AI adoption, reduce time-to-first-token (TTFT), and deliver measurable business results across personal, enterprise, and cloud environments.

Building on the inferencing acceleration introduced at Lenovo Tech World, this next phase of Hybrid AI execution expands the solutions with device to data center to gigawatt-scale AI cloud deployments.

This enables real-time decision-making, operational efficiency, and intelligent automation across industries at global scale. The solutions boost productivity, agility, and innovation by enabling faster AI deployment.

The development comes as AI is seen moving from training models powering real-time decisions. Lenovo is prepared to address the demand for validated hybrid AI platforms built for production-scale inferencing, as organizations will need infrastructure to support such.

In fact, Lenovo’s Hybrid AI Advantage with NVIDIA are now delivering ROI in less than six months. The new inferencing-optimized ThinkSystem and ThinkEdge servers are being utilized for real-time inferencing across retail, manufacturing, healthcare, sports, and smart city scenarios.

The expanded portfolio includes:

two Lenovo Hybrid AI platforms, featuring NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server Edition and Blackwell Ultra
Hybrid AI inferencing starter platform with RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell Server Edition
Lenovo ThinkAgile HX650a with Nutanix Enterprise AI and Nutanix Kubernetes Platform
Lenovo Hybrid AI platforms with Cloudian

Bringing inferencing directly to professionals

Lenovo and NVIDIA are bringing AI from development environments to real-world production at a global scale. This is thanks to new Lenovo AI inferencing platforms with NVIDIA Dynamo and NVIDIA NIM.

Meanwhile, Lenovo AI Cloud gigafactory platforms are powered by NVIDIA Vera Rubin NVL72. Industry-specific agentic AI solutions are also built with NVIDIA Blueprints and software.

For consumers, there’s next-generation NVIDIA RTX Pro Blackwell-powered mobile and desktop workstations. These will be rolled out across the ThinkPad P14s Gen 7, ThinkPad P16s Gen 5, and ThinkPad P1 Gen 1 lineups.

ThinkStation P5 Gen 2 desktops, meanwhile, will get up to two RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Max-Q GPUs. They will also have support for NVIDIA OpenShell.

For gigawatt-scale scenarios, the next-gen Vera Rubin platform accelerates deployment for hyperscale and sovereign AI cloud providers.

These fully liquid-cooled, rack-scale AI systems are engineered for faster deployment and dramatically improved token economics. They can achieve up to 10x higher throughput and up to 10x lower cost per token.