ASUS ROG GR70 Mini PC Review (9955HX3D + 5060)

Today we’re checking out the ASUS ROG GR70 gaming mini PC. Not to be confused with the ROG NUC – although they look basically identical – the GR70 packs in a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU instead of an Intel Core Ultra processor. Given NUC used to be an Intel product line, which ASUS then took on, I wonder if that’s why it’s not part of the NUC family. Either way, it’s a tiny machine that's focused solely on gaming, including discrete Nvidia graphics and that high-end Ryzen X3D CPU. Let’s find out just how good the GR70 is…

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:59 Spec and pricing
02:01 Design first impressions
02:45 Connectivity options
03:29 Accessing the internals
05:07 Testing modes and behaviour
06:57 Noise tests
08:18 Game benchmarks
12:02 Gaming perf vs a full-size desktop
14:02 Closing thoughts

Specification:

• Operating system: Windows 11 Home
• CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 9 9955HX3D Processor (cTDP 70W)
• Chipset: Integrated
• Graphics (integrated): AMD Radeon™ Graphics 610M
• Graphics (discrete): NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 5070 Laptop GPU (100W + 15W Dynamic Boost, 8GB GDDR6)
• Memory: 32GB DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM included; maximum 96GB (48GB DDR5-5600 x2). *Dual-channel configuration required for optimal performance
• Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 SSD included; supports 512GB–2TB M.2 2280 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 x4 or 1TB–2TB M.2 2280 NVMe™ PCIe® 5.0 x4 SSD
• Wireless: Wi-Fi 7 (Gig+), Bluetooth® 5.4
• LAN: 10/100/1000/2500 Mbps (2.5G LAN)
• Front (side) I/O ports:
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (5V/3A, 10Gbps)
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (5V/0.9A, 10Gbps)
  • 1x Audio jack (Line out / Mic in / Headphone out)
  • 1x Power button
  • 1x LED light bar
  • 1x ROG ARGB LED panel (side)
• Back I/O ports:
  • 1x USB 4.0 Type-C (DP 1.4, 5V/3A, 40Gbps)
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (5V/0.9A, 10Gbps)
  • 2x HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K @60Hz)
  • 2x DisplayPort 2.1
  • 1x 2.5G RJ45 LAN
  • 1x Kensington lock slot
  • 1x DC-in
• Multi-display support: Up to 5 displays simultaneously
• Power supply: 330W adapter with power cord
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 282.4 x 187.7 x 56.6 mm
• Weight: 2.75 kg
• Color: Star Grey
• Accessories: AC adapter, power cord, user manual, warranty card

It's worth noting that we were sent a ‘reviewer's special' of the GR70, given our sample packs in the 9955HX3D CPU, but that sits alongside RTX 5060 Laptop graphics – which doesn't appear to be a configuration that ASUS is actually selling. The gaming performance shown in our video is therefore likely to be slightly below what an actual retail unit will deliver, though both 5060 and 5070 Laptop chips have 8GB VRAM.

Pricing and availability is also unconfirmed at the time of writing, but we have reached out to ASUS and will update this review when we have more information. No doubt the ROG GR70 will be expensive and it will certainly have a price premium over an equivalent desktop machine, you will just have to decide how much of a premium you are happy to pay considering the ultra small form-factor.

Pros

• Tiny and sleek machine.
• Impressive CPU and GPU grunt considering its size.
• 4K gaming is possible in certain titles, when using DLSS Performance.
• Very easy to access the internals.
• Strong I/O.

Cons

• CPU hit 100C in intensive all-core workloads.
• Gets very loud at the same time (though is much quieter for gaming).
• Pricing and availability is not yet confirmed, though it's likely to be very expensive.

KitGuru says: The ROG GR70 is a properly gaming-focused mini PC. It's not perfect, and using it for more than just gaming – like some intensive CPU workloads – may not be the best idea due to the thermal situation. However, if you just want a tiny PC that is capable of properly playing the latest AAA games, this is well worth a look.

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