ASUS Review

A powerful gaming desktop built around a beastly 64-core Intel CPU and a capable RTX 5060. Its 16GB of RAM is the only real weak link in an otherwise strong package. For $1500, it's a good buy for power users who don't mind a future RAM upgrade.

The ASUS Desktop Black with the Core Ultra 7 265F and RTX 5060 is a solid, no-nonsense gaming tower. It's built around a powerful 64-core Intel CPU and a capable next-gen GPU, promising strong performance for the price.

You get a well-rounded package here: a 1TB NVMe SSD, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a decent selection of ports. It's not trying to win any design awards, but it's got the core specs to handle modern games and demanding tasks without much fuss.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is the star here, landing in the 88th percentile for CPU performance. That 64-core count means it's a beast for multi-threaded work like video encoding or running VMs. The RTX 5060 is a strong performer too, sitting in the 70th percentile, so you can expect smooth 1440p gaming. The 1TB SSD is fast, and the port selection is above average. The main letdown is the RAM configuration; 16GB is just okay for a system at this price, and it's the component most likely to need an upgrade first.

At $1500, this is a fair deal, but not a steal. You're paying for that top-tier CPU and a new-generation GPU. The value gets dinged by the 16GB of RAM, which feels like a cost-cutting move on an otherwise well-specced machine. You're essentially buying a great foundation but should budget for a RAM upgrade sooner rather than later.

Stacked against the competition, it holds its own. It trades blows with the HP Omen 45L and Lenovo Legion Tower 5i. The ASUS often wins on pure CPU power, but those competitors might offer better-balanced specs (like more RAM) at similar prices. It clearly outmuscles an Acer Nitro 60, but can't quite match the boutique-level integration or cooling of a top-spec Dell Alienware Aurora. It's a strong contender in the mid-to-high tier.

If you need a small PC, look elsewhere because this thing is a 40-pound behemoth. Also, skip it if you want a true 'set it and forget it' system for the next 5 years; the limited PSU and RAM mean you'll be cracking it open for upgrades sooner than you might like.

Buy this if you need serious CPU grunt for work like development or content creation, and also want a great 1440p gaming experience. It's a powerful hybrid machine. Just go in knowing you'll probably want to drop another $80 on a 32GB RAM kit to really let it sing.