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The Asus Republic Of Gamers Tytan CG8580 is finished in a black plastic material, which is actually housed around the inner metal shell. I was surprised how small it was, when compared to the size of the box it is shipped inside. It measures 270 x 600 x 500 mm (WxDxH). The box is 388 x 760 x 645 mm (WxDxH).
While the outer case is plastic, I actually like the appearance, and it also is very resistant to marks and fingerprints.
The front of the case has the main I/O row along the top. There are two USB 3.0 ports (blue), two USB 2.0 ports (black), and a microphone and headphone port far right.
On the left corner at the front of the case, is a ‘speed' button, which is easily missed. This allows for ‘on the fly' overclocking within Windows 7, which works great.
By default, the system isn't supplied in an overclocked state, but if you push this button once, the 3770k overclocks to 4.0ghz (the front light turns red). If you press it again, it overclocks further to 4.2ghz (light still red). Another press will switch the system back to the default settings and the Republic of Gamers logo will return to a ‘blue' display.
The user is presented with a brief full screen image when this button is pressed when Windows is running, highlighting the current clock speed.
The power button is hidden into the other corner panel at the right of the case, shown above.
The front panel is split into two sections. The top half of the panel can be pressed in, then pulled downwards, to expose the Bluray drive and multi card reader above. It isn't automatic, therefore it does require a little force to open, but the joint mechanism feels strongly enough made to withstand some abuse over the years.
From the side, the case is a rather unusual shape and has no fans or window panels. It is rather bland, although not unattractive.
The rear area of the plastic outer chassis is vented to improve airflow.
This outer shell won't be seen on another system as ASUS have it custom made for this machine. One of the side panels has the ‘Republic Of Gamers' name embossed into the lower section, and the other side has a larger ‘ASUS' embossed into the opposing area.
The rear, side view is slightly less attractive as ASUS have been unable to mould the plastic cover all the way around. That said, they could have coloured it black, rather than exposing the naked metal undershell. Not too many people will be studying the case from this angle, but it is a little disappointing as it ruins the overall appearance.
