ASUS ROG Huracan (G21) Compact Gaming Desktop

The final item on the ROG spring refresh is a new compact gaming desktop named the Huracan (G21). The Huracan brings a uniquely styled case featuring a magnetically-secured side cover that can be opened to improve airflow in the system and also activates Aura lighting effects. The Huracan will come equipped with an 8th Generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and up to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 video card inside positioning it in the mid-range+ performance gaming segment.

The design aesthetic is what really sets this desktop apart from the rest. ASUS mentions the Huracan uses elements “…inspired by cyber-warrior and cyberpunk themes, resulting in an aggressive, angular design with sharp creases to symbolize a warrior’s battle scars.”. The design is said to make it easier to maintain and upgrade components. In addition, there is a hot-swap 2.5-inch SSD bay for quick drive swaps.  With its panel closed, it looks like many other compact desktops on the sides. On the left, we see a simple ASUS ROG symbol while on the right is the magnetically attached foldable panel. There are lines starting from the back corner on the bottom running through the panel – these are the points at which the panel folds up to expose the internals, activate the Aura lighting inside, and allow for more airflow. When opened, the magnetic panel has several words printed on it that have to do with ROG and gaming in general in different languages on the underside.

 The front of the case has an angular, sort of geometric look to it with a frosted RGB LED element on top and on the bottom by the intake vent. The front panel connectivity includes a microphone and headphone ports, the latter using the integrated ESS DAC and amplifier, two USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports and a single USB 3.0 Type-C port. The back of the chassis adds two more USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports and four USB 3.0 ports along with an RJ-45 LAN jack as well as the audio stack and S/PDIF. The Huracan is able to support dual power adapters through the two DC input plugs on the back.

Hardware wise, the Huracan has two processor choices - a 6C / 6T 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8400 (4 GHz Turbo) or an i7-8700 (4.6 GHz Turbo) 6C / 12T. The processor options are locked so overclocking won’t be possible without a CPU swap at minimum (not sure what motherboard/chipset it is using). Memory capacity is up to 32GB of DDR4-2666. There are three video card choices from NVIDIA; GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5, GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5, and the most powerful option available, the GTX 1080 8GB GDDR5X. All video cards are equipped with dual HDMI ports (good for VR), DVI, and two DisplayPort ports. Storage options range from 128GB – 512GB M.2 SATA PCIe SSDs and 1 TB – 2 TB HDD (supports Intel Optane Memory). Hidden in the front chassis is an optical drive, a bit of a rarity to see these days.

Powering the system will be handled by a choice of adapters as it does not have a power supply inside. Think of it more like a laptop in this respect. There is a 180W adapter and a 230W adapter for only the GTX 1080 equipped models. If upgrades down the road take things close to or the 230W threshold the Huracan can support dual 180W adapters giving a total of 360W power which should handle most mainstream setups.

The ROG Huracan (G21) will be available late Q2. Pricing information was not available.

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