ASUS ROG G22CH Review

ASUS ROG G22CH Review: The Pint-Sized Powerhouse Punching Above Its Weight

In the world of desktop gaming, bigger has often meant better. More space for massive GPUs, intricate cooling loops, and endless expansion. But as our desks get more cluttered and our living spaces shrink, the appeal of a compact yet potent gaming rig has never been stronger. Enter the ASUS ROG G22CH, a machine that crams high-end gaming hardware into a svelte 10-liter chassis. It’s an audacious attempt to deliver a full-fat desktop experience in a console-sized footprint, but does it succeed without making critical compromises?

Design and Build: A Masterclass in Density

The first thing you notice about the G22CH is just how small it is. At a mere 10 liters, it occupies a fraction of the space of a traditional mid-tower, making it an ideal fit for a minimalist desk setup or a living room media center. The design is unmistakably ROG, with sharp, angular lines, textured surfaces, and a slatted front panel that provides a glimpse of the RGB-illuminated fan within. It’s aggressive without being obnoxious, and the Aura Sync lighting adds a customizable flair that ties it into the broader ASUS ecosystem.

Build quality is solid, utilizing a mix of sturdy plastics and a metal frame that gives the chassis a reassuring heft. The real star of the show, however, is the engineering. ASUS has managed a tool-less design, allowing the side panels to slide off with surprising ease. This grants immediate access to the core components—the GPU, CPU cooler, RAM, and M.2 SSD—making routine cleaning and basic upgrades a breeze. It’s an impressive feat in a form factor this tight, where every millimeter counts.

Performance: Unthrottled Ambition

A small chassis is pointless if it can’t house powerful hardware, and the G22CH delivers. Our review unit came configured with an Intel Core i7-13700F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, a potent combination for modern gaming. In practice, this little box is a beast. It chews through demanding titles at 1440p, delivering high frame rates with ray tracing enabled in games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Alan Wake 2. For 1080p high-refresh-rate gaming, it’s comfortably overkill.

The biggest question with any Small Form Factor (SFF) build is thermals. ASUS has opted for a custom air-cooling solution (with liquid cooling available in higher-tier models) that does a commendable job of taming the powerful components. During extended gaming sessions, temperatures remained within acceptable limits, though not without some trade-offs. The fans, while quiet at idle, ramp up significantly under load. It’s not a jet engine, but the noise is certainly noticeable, a common compromise in the SFF space. Performance remains consistent, however, with minimal evidence of significant thermal throttling, which is a major win for ASUS’s thermal engineers.

Features and Upgradeability

For a compact machine, the G22CH is well-appointed with connectivity. The front I/O includes a USB-C and two USB-A ports alongside a combo audio jack, while the rear hosts a full suite of modern connections. Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5G Ethernet ensure you have the fastest networking options available.

Inside, the story is a bit more complicated. While the tool-less access is fantastic for swapping out the RAM or primary M.2 drive, major upgrades are a different story. The custom motherboard, proprietary power supply, and constrained internal volume mean you won’t be swapping in a different cooler or a next-generation triple-slot GPU. The G22CH is best viewed as a complete system that allows for light maintenance and component refreshes, not a foundation for a future DIY project. This is a pre-built PC in the truest sense, prioritizing convenience and out-of-the-box performance over long-term modularity.

The Verdict: A Niche but Compelling Powerhouse

The ASUS ROG G22CH is a triumph of compact engineering. It successfully delivers on its promise of high-end gaming performance in a chassis that is both stylish and space-saving. For the gamer who wants a powerful, attractive, and hassle-free rig that fits anywhere, it is an absolutely fantastic choice. The performance is there, the design is sharp, and the accessibility for basic maintenance is best-in-class for its size.

However, this specialized design comes at a cost. The price is firmly in the premium bracket, and you could certainly build a more powerful, quieter, and more upgradeable mid-tower for the same money. But that’s missing the point. The G22CH isn’t for the die-hard DIY builder. It’s for the tech-savvy user who values form factor, convenience, and a cohesive design language above all else. If your desk space is at a premium and you want a console-sized PC with no-compromise 1440p gaming power, the ASUS ROG G22CH is one of the most compelling options on the market today.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon