ASUS ROG GM700 Gaming Desktop PC Review

A straightforward, upgrade-friendly gaming tower that plays games great but won't win any CPU benchmarks. Buy it for the clean build and standard parts, not for cutting-edge processing power.

The ASUS ROG GM700 is a solid, no-nonsense gaming desktop that gets the job done without any flashy nonsense. It's built with quality, off-the-shelf parts, which is a breath of fresh air compared to the proprietary mess some other pre-builts throw at you. The one thing you need to know? This is a workhorse, not a show pony. It's got the muscle for 1440p gaming and then some, but it's not trying to win any design awards or set overclocking records.

The performance is exactly what you'd expect from an RX 9070 XT and 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM: strong and reliable. It chews through games at 1440p without breaking a sweat. The real surprise, based on our data, is the CPU. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D lands in the middle of the pack for this category. It's perfectly fine for gaming, but if you're looking for a top-tier chip for heavy multi-threaded work, this isn't it. The system feels fast and responsive, but that's more thanks to the excellent GPU and RAM combo.

At $1899, it's a fair price for the specs, but not a steal. You're paying for the convenience of a clean pre-build with good parts. You could probably build something slightly faster for the same money if you hunted for deals, but you'd lose the warranty and the out-of-the-box readiness. It's worth it if you value your time and want a system that just works.

This sits in a crowded field. The Dell Alienware Aurora often has flashier designs and better customer support, but it's usually packed with proprietary parts that are a nightmare to upgrade. The HP Omen 45L is a closer competitor in terms of using standard components, and it often has better cooling solutions. If you're choosing between the GM700 and an Omen at a similar price, go with the one that has the better CPU/GPU combo on sale. Against the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i, the ASUS wins on build quality and upgrade potential every time.

If you're a competitive esports player or a streamer who needs the absolute highest frame rates from a top-tier CPU, this isn't it. Look at systems with Intel's latest Core i7 or i9 instead. Also, if you have a tiny apartment, skip it. This thing is a unit.

We're giving this a cautious recommendation. It's a very good gaming PC for someone who doesn't want to build their own but still wants a path for future upgrades. The use of standard parts is its biggest strength. Just know going in that the CPU is the weak link in the chain, and you'll likely need to add more storage down the line. If you can find it on sale, it becomes a much more compelling buy.