ASUS M32AD-US001T Review

The ASUS M32AD-US001T is a mid-range tower desktops that packs enough power for daily computing needs, moderate multimedia editing, and Internet browsing and is a good bet for home entertainment. It features a 4th Gen Intel Core i3-4170 processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM, a roomy 1TB hard drive, Windows 10, generous number of connectivity ports, and retains legacy features, like VGA and HDMI ports and a card reader for older media formats, that keep veteran users happy. Similar specs are seen in the ASUS M32CD, only that the latter adds up to the computing power with Intel Core i5-6400 Quad-Core 2.7 GHz processor (turbo to 3.3GHz).

Still, for users who want more storage, you have the option of the ASUS M32AD-US026S, still in the same family, with similar size and port selection except for the larger 2TB storage, 4th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and Windows 8.1 instead of Windows 10 in the other two models. For the ASUS M32AD, expandability, new technologies, multimedia performance, multitasking prowess, and a decent price all factor in for a win.

Design

The ASUS M32AD’s midtower chassis measures about 16 by 15 by 6.90 inches (HWD). It is slightly raised on the front than in the back, making it easier to access the I/O ports and the Integrated 24X DVD-RW Drive on the front panel if you tend to keep your PC on the floor under your desk. The M32AD is painted bright silver to mimic the look of brushed aluminum. The case doors are actually black, and the top and front panel are made of plastic. The system has potential to grow, thanks to empty slots at the back cover and we hop e for more in the spacious chassis unlike the small-form-factor (SFF) that are have limited expandability options.

The chassis still has room for an additional hard drive, one more optical drive, and more PCIe x1 expansion cards. That’s pretty good for a midrange system. Connectivity comes in way of beyond Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, with the M32AD also featuring dual monitor capability through the HDMI and VGA connections available.

Rounding out the package are 2x USB 3.0 (front) ports, 2x USB 3.1 (rear), 3x USB 2.0 (rear) ports and 8-channel audio. For entertainment, M32AD desktop PC features ASUS SonicMaster audio technology along with MaxxAudio from Waves to deliver fine-tuned surround sound for movies and games. The included ASUS AudioWizard features five preset profiles to optimize sound from music to voice recording. You also get a bundled ASUS keyboard and mouse in the box, which is quite a kill for the price.

Performance

Outfitted in the ASUS M32AD is a 4th Gen Intel Core i3-4170 processor, which will offer you decent power for daily tasks. The Haswell processor is paired with Integrated Intel 4400 HD Graphics and 8GB or memory that will definitely push performance to new excellent levels. You’ll appreciate the turbo power when you have multiple projects running simultaneously, let’s say 10 browser windows, over 5GB data transferring and a video encoding somewhere in the background and the system won’t even for a minute.

With these specs, we expect the ASUS M32AD to push competition to new frontiers and even come closer to stronger competitors such as HP Pavilion 550-050 although it comes with a discrete graphics card for gaming and even the similarly priced HP Pavilion outfitted with AMD Quad-Core A8-6410 Processor.

All said and done, the ASUS M32AD the offers ample computing power and will perform well in casual gaming although its Intel H110 GPU may not match the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX760 we’ve seen in the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D ; but still the HD Graphics will give you decent playability for some modern titles. If you need in inexpensive gaming rig that can also multitask at the same time, the Lenovo X315 and Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G are recommendable options, but hardcore gamers will looks upwards at the HP ENVY Phoenix 810-460 or even the All-in-One MSI 24GE 2QE-016US gaming desktop. Still, for the price category the system remain competitive on the game grid with playable scores.

Summary

The ASUS M32AD-US001T is a competent and compliant multimedia desktop. It gives you what you’d expect at this price point: very good multimedia benchmark performance, a good amount of day-to-day performance, and some multimedia prowess. The combination of forward-looking technology, such as a 4th Generation Intel Core i3 processor, 1TB hard drive, Windows 10 and the latest USB 3.1 ports, and legacy features means that the unit offers the best of both worlds.

If you’re looking for a multimedia-oriented, do-it-all system, the ASUS M32AD-US001T should be at the top of your list; and so is the ASUS M32CD (Intel Core 5, 1TB) and even the Intel Core i5-powered Dell Inspiron 3000 Series i3847-4617BK Desktop with similarly amazing computing power. However, for a few more bucks, the ASUS M32CD is a more recommendable option as it features the same design and adds some superior computing power in way of an Intel Core i5 processor and forward-looking technology among other niceties.