Out of the Computex expo in Taiwan, PC hardware manufacturer Asus has outlined the latest additions to its gaming-centric Republic of Gamers lineup, including two compact form-factor designs, one of which, the ROG GR8 is intended to be part of Valve's Steam Machine initiative. Here are the brief:

ROG G20 gaming desktop

ROG G20 is designed to dominate the field of small-form-factor gaming desktops, and has already received the exclusive Best Choice of the Year Award and Best Choice Golden Award at Computex. The G20 features a compact 12.5-liter case that houses an Intel Core™ i7 processor and an NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX™ 780 graphics card for unstoppable HD-gaming performance and entertainment.

G20 has no visible exhaust vents, but takes advantage of natural convection with a thermal design featuring a hidden airflow tunnel that ensures efficient heat management and near-silent operation, measuring just 25dB at idle. G20’s case has a sophisticated design, with aggressive lines, Mayan stenciling, matt-black finish and customizable lighting effects that showcase up to eight-million colors across three different zones.

G20 is as energy-efficient as it is powerful. In Eco Energy Mode, it requires only 20W — delivering energy savings 50% better than the industry average. It also features the ASUS-exclusive Aegis application for monitoring system performance through a gamer-friendly user interface.


ROG GR8 console gaming PC

ROG GR8 is full-on PC gaming with high style and fantastic convenience. With an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750Ti graphics, GR8 packs immense PC power into sleek console dimensions for gaming experiences that push far beyond your expectations. From the outstanding SupremeFX audio output to 4K/UHD graphics and no-lag Gigabit Ethernet networking, along with a design allowing easy upgrades of storage devices and memory, GR8 is hardcoded for gaming. The slimline design is as at home in the living room as it is in a bedroom, and occupies hardly any space. It also has a built-in Miracast™ receiver, allowing HD content from supported Android smartphones and tablets, Windows 8.1 PCs and WiDi 3.5+ devices to be streamed straight to the big screen.

The first GR8 runs Windows 8.1 and is fully compatible with SteamOS and the Steam Controller. A SteamOS-powered ROG GR8 will be launched at a later date, in alignment with Valve’s Steam Machine schedule.

That "in alignment with Valve’s Steam Machine schedule" is still an unknown timeable, with the latest comments from Valve suggesting that SteamOS and the Steam Controller won't be ready for prime time until 2015.