ASUS ROG Cronox Is A $560 Showcase Case With A 9.2-Inch LCD

When you're a teenager or twenty-something optimizing your PC build for maximum framerate per dollar, the case is one of the easiest things to skimp on. As an adult who can afford to treat yourself (and your PC) a little better, more expensive options become attractive for their exclusive features, like the new ASUS ROG Cronox chassis' included 9.2-inch LCD screen that can display "system stats, notifications, digital clock mode, or custom visuals."


This is hardly the first case we've seen with a screen, but this one is odd as it appears to simply be a regular LCD screen inside the case rather than affixed to one of the case's panels. It attached to the outside of the case's unusual rotated PSU shroud, and hinged, so that builders can angle the screen to be more easily visible while sitting in front of the case. ASUS says it has a 1920×462-pixel resolution, a 60-Hz refresh rate (not a guarantee with small screens like this), and that it can shine at 400 nits. It's not clear if it simply takes a display connection or if it's something more proprietary, though.


Besides the screen, the case remains pretty fancy. The aluminum "GR801" comes in black or white, and has tightly-angled wrap-around glass in the front rather than the two awkwardly-joined panels you see on lower-cost chassis. It supports full E-ATX-sized motherboards, and it also supports "back to front" motherboards if you want to make the cleanest machine ever built. DIY-friendly features like a flip-down graphics card holder, dedicated cable routing paths, rear cable clips, and an easy-access expansion slot clamp complete an already very attractive package.


This is clearly a case for enthusiasts, so the enthusiast pricing makes sense, but honestly you get a lot of value for the money. The front panel I/O uses a unified header design that makes it very easy to connect it to the mainboard, and there's relatively expansive front-panel USB, with four Type-A ports (all 5 Gbps) and a pair of Type-C ports, both of which support fast 20-Gbps transfers and up to 60-watt fast charging, if your motherboard provides same. There are ambient ARGB lighting accents up top, angular metal feet to keep it off the floor, and if you get the version that comes with the fans, you get an ARGB "lighting panel" with a stylish design.


In case you didn't pick up on this yet, the case is quite large, with support for graphics cards up to 40cm (15.75") in length—so, essentially all graphics cards—as well as CPU coolers up to 18cm (~7") in height. If you love liquid cooling, the ROG Cronox GR801 can mount dual 360-mm radiators; all total, it has a whopping fourteen slots for 120-mm fans.


Indeed, ASUS is launching the case with the ROG Eurox GR120 ARGB fans, and that $560 price includes four of the fresh fans, which have three individual lighting zones, daisy-chain connectors, and an impressive 85 CFM airflow despite a basically-silent 33 dBa noise level. Each of the fans runs $40 a pop direct from ASUS; if you don't care for the exotic aesthetic (or simply have your own fans), you can grab the case without any fans for $399. The fans are also available in a reverse-blade version that offers slightly worse performance in exchange for superior aesthetics.