Asus ROG Strix GL 10CS gaming desktop review

Asus ROG Strix GL 10CS is an entry-level gaming desktop by the Taiwanese electronics maker. Made for enthusiasts, the GL 10CS is the first full tower CPU in the Strix series of products with a capacity of 27 liters.

The gaming desktop packs in the latest 9th generation Intel processor coupled with NVIDIA’s RTX goodness for a great gaming experience at a budget. It’s upgradable and has illuminating RGB lighting spread across the front that gives the desktop a cosmetic touch.

We spent some time with the ROG Strix GL 10CS playing a couple of intense rounds of Apex Legends. Here’s what we think about this gaming desktop by Asus.

Price and availability

The GL 10CS series of gaming desktops start at Rs 61,990 for the base model with Intel Core i5-9400 processor and GTX 1660 graphics. There’s another SKU of the same desktop with GTX 1660Ti graphics onboard.

However, we got to lay our hands on Asus' latest GL 10CS with Intel Core i7-9700K processor and NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. This SKU comes bearing the model number GL10CS-IN042T and is priced at ₹1,14,990.

The GL 10CS series is available to purchase online through Flipkart and from major PC retailers across India.

Design

The GL 10CS desktop has a compact metal build which looks very premium on the outside with a thunderbolt-like LED streak that dominates the front. A bunch of sharp lines with intricate folds also run along the front of the chassis, flush with a shimmering Republic of Gamers logo.

The full tower CPU has an iron-gray finish, weighs close to 8Kg and has a capacity of 27 liters. It measures 18cm x 43cm x 42.8cm which makes it perfect to be put over or under a desk, without any frills.

Asus’ logo is embossed on the right panel of the CPU while the left side panel has ventilation for heat dissipation. Asus offers an optional transparent panel that can be replaced with the ventilated shaft. This will give users a visual of the hardware inside with the help of a 20 LED RGB lighting system.

The RGB lighting system across the desktop can be controlled by Asus Aura Sync utility in the pre-loaded Armoury Crate app.

The chassis of GL 10CS features a dual-chamber S-shape design on the inside. This allows primary components such as the CPU, board and graphics card to be positioned separately from HDD bays and the PSU. This enhances the airflow inside the desktop thereby resulting in improved heat dissipation.

On the top, we get access to two USB 3.1 ports along with a microphone in/headphone-out jack. The power button is placed nicely on the top right corner of the desktop. The top-side has convoluted taperings along the edges, which compliments the overall design language.

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The rear end is home to multiple I/O ports with cutouts for ventilation and power supply unit. These include-- two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, two USB 2.0 Type-A port, a single HDMI, 3-in-1 Audio jacks and an RJ45 Ethernet port.

Asus says that the Strix GL 10CS has been quality tested against drops, different temperatures, fan noise and voltage surge.

Overall, the GL 10CS desktop looks pretty elegant, robust and less nerdy as opposed to most gaming products in the market.

Performance

Asus ROG Strix GL 10CS strikes two birds with one stone. With the latest 9th generation Intel Core i7-9700K processor and 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics, this desktop is perfect for more than just a casual gaming session.

The GL 10CS packs a powerful chipset and a superior graphics card that provides the kind of power that’s required to perform heavy multi-tasking like video rendering and content creation while effortlessly hiding its gaming DNA.

The motherboard in place is Intel’s B360 which doesn’t support overclocking or RAID configurations. Having said that, the RTX graphics onboard this CPU is sufficient to handle mainstream titles without breaking a sweat.

Our unit of the GL 10CS is fitted with an 8GB DDR4 RAM in a DIMM slot and has a second slot for memory expansion upto 32GB. The desktop also comes equipped with an M.2 PCIe 256GB SSD which enables super-fast boot time and even the games load up quickly.

However, 256GB storage isn’t sufficient for most gamers which is why the GL 10CS has room for a 3.5” and 2.5” HDD or SSD bays in addition to a PCIe M.2 connector for storage expansion. With that, users can turn this desktop into a mean machine if and when required.

We tested the ROG Strix GL 10CS against different benchmark utilities and games like PUBG, Apex Legends, Battlefield 5 and Doom to name a few.

On Cinebench R20, the GL 10CS achieved a CPU score of 3287 while the single-core score is 493 points. Putting the desktop through the various 3DMark tests, we found that the desktop scores 17131 points in Fire Strike, 7261 points in Time Spy test, 38998 in Sky Diver and 3988 in Port Royale test.

The desktop was able to maintain 142fps on an average while playing PUBG in Full HD, 58fps in Battlefield 5 with RTX set to on and 132 fps in Apex Legends.

The GL 10CS comes built-in with Intel 802.11ac Wave 2 Gigabit Wi-Fi which is capable of a whopping 1.7Gbps data transfer speeds. This is 12x faster than the previous WiFi standards. In addition, the desktop also assists in improving the connectivity through the 2x2 multi-user MIMO configuration, which enables a 30% wider coverage area. This comes in handy for situations, when the home Wi-Fi router is placed at a distance from the desktop unit, and one can expect a significant boost when streaming or playing online.

In an attempt to provide a great audio experience, the GL 10CS supports DTS Headphones:X with 7.1-channel surround sound. Asus offers further control and optimizations of the audio via the DTS Audio app which allows users to tweak the sound output based on the kind of content that’s playing. So, there are presets for Entertainment, Games and Sports which can be fine-tuned based on the kind of listening source.

Final Verdict

For its asking price, the Asus ROG Strix GL 10CS gaming desktop is worth its salt. The desktop offers a striking balance between work, entertainment and casual gaming. Though, you’ll be hard pressed to just play casually on this machine as it really packs the power to run some intensive softwares and games. However, if you're more of a power user, looking for overclocking the CPU, you'll sadly be disappointed. This one is aimed strictly at the entry-level gaming PC market.

At ₹1,14,990, you get elegantly designed desktop that doubles up as your entertainment hub if you pair it to a 4K monitor. And its upgradability factors ensures that you can overhaul the internals to make way for latest hardware with better performance.

In our opinion, if you’re out looking for an entry-level gaming PC and don’t want to take the DIY way, the Asus ROG Strix GL 10CS is the best value for money gaming desktop you can get,

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