ASUS have become one of the most recognised and valued brands within the PC building landscape, providing a plethora of products that are crucial for a modern gaming rig. From luxurious gaming peripherals such as mice and keyboards, to powerful components like graphics cards and motherboards, ASUS can provide you with all the tools needed to enjoy a high-quality gaming experience.
But what products from the vast range of ASUS offerings stand out as the best choice to slot into you next gaming PC? In this buyers guide, we’ll be pinpointing our favourite PC components from ASUS, all of which would make an excellent addition to any PC build.
The Best ASUS Components
Intel Motherboard: TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4
If you plan on building a PC with an Intel CPU, then the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4 acts as a strong backbone that supports the rest of your components, enabling them to perform at their best. In terms of value, this is one of the best Z790 motherboards available, as it provides plenty of connectivity and an appealing aesthetic while sticking to an affordable price point.
For example, the Gen5 x16 slot will be able to support future graphics cards, making it easy to upgrade to a PCI-E 5.0 graphics card when they become available. On top of this, the support for multiple Gen4 M.2 drives allows you to easily expand your storage capacity without having to sacrifice performance, resulting in plenty of room to hold your favourite games.
| ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4 | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
| PCIE x4 Slots | 4x Gen4 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 1x Gen5 1x Gen4 |
| RAM Support | 128GB DDR4 5333MT/s |
The only major caveat of the Z790-Plus WiFi D4 is the lack of support for DDR5 memory. Though DDR4 RAM is cheaper and can run the latest AAA titles with minimal fuss, gamers wanting to slim down their loading times and guarantee optimised performance for years to come would benefit greatly from having DDR5 RAM in their system.
Pros
- PCI-E 5.0 support
- Versatile connectivity
- Affordable pricing
Cons
- WiFi 6
- Gen5 SSD support
- Restricted to DDR4
Suggested Article: Best ASUS Motherboards to Buy in 2023
ASUS Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Gene
For those putting together an AMD-centric gaming PC, the ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Gene is a premium motherboard that allows you to channel powerful gaming performance into a conveniently-sized package. Despite its micro-ATX form factor, this X670E motherboard certainly packs a punch, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts looking to build a compact system.
Featuring Gen5 slots for both a graphics card and multiple SSDs, the Crosshair X670E Gene can support the best components currently on the market, whilst also being prepared for future generational leaps. This support for high-end parts continues on the rear IO, which includes a number of high-speed USB and networking ports, allowing gamers to connect their high-performance gaming peripherals with ease.
| ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Gene | Specification |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | Micro-ATX |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 2x Gen5 1x Gen4 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 1x Gen5 |
| RAM Support | 96GB DDR5 8000MT/s |
However, in a similar fashion to our best choice for Intel systems, the major concern with this motherboard from ASUS is the support for DDR5 RAM. Whilst this motherboard includes support for DDR5 memory, it does so in a limited capacity, as builders only have access to two DIMM slots, rather than four. This is a fairly typical trade-off that comes with micro-ATX motherboards, but it is still worth considering for those looking to upgrade their RAM over time.
Pros
- Micro-ATX form factors
- Gen5 support
- Rear IO
Cons
- DIMM slots
- Expensive
CPU Cooler: ASUS RYUO III 360 ARGB
As for as cooling solutions are concerned, the ROG RYUO III 360 ARGB stands out as the best CPU cooler that ASUS have to offer. This 360mm AIO cooler is a great pickup that will be able to keep even the most power-hungry components cool, whilst also offering a small bump to the overall aesthetic of your system.
With three 120mm ARGB fans and a powerful water pump, the RYUO III 360 ARGB can quickly dissipate heat away from your gaming PC at all times, allowing your system to remain calm and collected when ramping up gaming performance. Additionally, the included ROG AF 12S ARGB fans provide a healthy dose of colour to the inside of your build, which compliments the integrated LCD display on the water block. Both the LCD screen and fans can be customised in ASUS’ Armoury Crate software.
| ASUS RYUO III 360 ARGB | Specification |
|---|---|
| Max Fan Noise | 36.45dB |
| Pump Speed | 2600RPM |
| Radiator Size | 360mm |
| Number of Fans | 3 |
Unfortunately, these premium features come with a very high price tag, which means most gamers won’t be able to justify spending the funds needed to pick up this cooler for their PC build. If you are interested in picking up a 360mm liquid CPU cooler for your system, then have a look at our recommendations for the best CPU coolers on the market.
Pros
- Cooling performance
- LCD display
- RGB lighting
Cons
- Case compatibility
- Expensive
Graphics Card: ASUS Dual RX 6650 XT
The ASUS Dual variant of AMD’s Radeon RX 6650 XT is an exceptional graphics card for anyone looking to build a gaming PC on a tight budget. After a number of various price drops, the RX 6650 XT has cemented itself as one of the best GPUs for 1080p gaming, offering competitive gameplay in the latest and greatest titles.
This particular SKU from ASUS boasts a boost clock speed of up to 2.68GHz, which is a slight improvement on AMD’s reference model. As a result, gamers should be able to squeeze some more frames per second out of this GPU. Admittedly, the 8GB of VRAM is a concern for the ever-increasing demands of modern titles, but the solid performance elsewhere should let you experience most games at 1080p with minimal technical issues.
| ASUS Dual RX 6650 XT | Specification |
|---|---|
| Video Memory | 8GB |
| Boost Clock Speed | 2.68GHz |
| GPU Length | 243mm |
| Recommended PSU | 650W |
Another positive of this card is the smaller form factor compared to more recent additions to the GPU market. Whilst the mammoth size of NVIDIA’s RTX 4000 cards have caused plenty of issues when trying to fit them into smaller PC cases, the 243mm length on the ASUS Dual RX 6650 XT means gamers can easily fit this card into most PC cases.
To see how this graphics card fits into a gaming PC, you can check out one of our budget-friendly builds, in which James puts together a white-themed system that comfortably sits under $1000.
Pros
- Competitive price
- Can use FSR 3
- 1080p performance
Cons
- EOL card
- 8GB VRAM
Power Supply: ASUS ROG THOR 850W
The ASUS ROG THOR is simply one of the best-looking power supplies on the market, and is a perfect addition to any mid-range gaming PC. Most power supplies opt to focus on performance and efficiency instead of aesthetics, but the ROG THOR 850W provides the best of both worlds.
Along with a very efficient design, which has been awarded with an 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating, this PSU includes a number of features that will make you want to show it off, rather than hiding it under a shroud. The star of the show is undoubtedly the OLED display that shows the real-time power consumption of your system. Not only does this provide an eye-catching aesthetic, but this also allows you to monitor your system to prevent any long-term damage to your system.
| ASUS ROG THOR 850W | Specification |
|---|---|
| Size | ATX |
| Efficiency | 80 Plus Platinum |
| Modularity | Fully Modular |
| ATX 3.0 | No |
In addition, this power supply is fully modular, letting you pick and choose which connectors are needed to power the components within your build. This results in a lack of clutter within the back of your system, which makes cable management a lot easier.
However, like a lot of ASUS’ premium products, this PSU is significantly pricier than other 850W power supplies on the market, making it less than ideal for price conscious buyers. Also, the ROG THOR lacks the ATX 3.0 standard, which means it lacks the improved support for RTX 4000 GPUs.
Pros
- Fully modular
- 80 Plus Platinum rating
- OLED display
Cons
- Expensive
- Not ATX 3.0
How We Tested the Best ASUS Components
During the process of trying to find the best ASUS products available, we put each product through vigorous rounds of testing and analysis, which allowed us to gain an understanding of how they would deal with the demands of the average gamer and PC user. However, unlike our other buyers guides, we had to weigh up the quality of products which had no direct comparisons, which made the selection process a lot harder.
To avoid this issue as much as possible, we decided to separate the types of products within the ASUS catalogue into distinct categories. Whilst every category had separate factors to consider, there were a number of evaluation methods that could be applied to all of the products we tested. These factors included the following:
- Performance
- Form factor
- Aesthetic
- Upgrade Paths
- Platform Longevity
- Value for Money
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ASUS Components Worth It?
After testing a range of ASUS products over a number of years and hardware generations, we’d consider them to be a reliable manufacturer for various components and PC hardware.
Are ASUS Components Good for Gaming?
Yes. ASUS products usually have a focus on gaming, making them an ideal fit for those looking to build a gaming PC.
Are ASUS Products Expensive?
ASUS’ PC components and hardware tend to come at a premium compared to the rest of the market, mainly due to their enhanced designs and aesthetics. However, ASUS also provide a range of budget-friendly products that can compete with the cheaper alternatives.
