AORUS Model S 12th Gen Gaming PC Review

A Closer Look

One thing I really love about AORUS is that they’ve been really consistent with their designs, branding and even their material finishes for such a long time. It’s a small detail that many brands overlook a lot. However, if I have another AORUS system from years ago, one of their old laptops, even one of their first GPUs or anything really, you’ll find the aesthetics still look great next to their new stuff; Apple and Razer get this right too.

The system looks stunning, and while it looks like a similar design to the Xbox Series X, it is a fair bit bigger. The Xbox Series X is 6.86 litres, while the AORUS Model S is 14, but it’s still much smaller than most desktop systems, that’s for sure, especially given it’s packing some fairly serious hardware.

Up on the top, a good amount of ventilation, plus, I like that the lines are in two directions, it gives it a cool look.

The power button is simple enough but conveniently placed.

A nice shiny AORUS eagle.

The front I/O is decent enough, with a pair of USB 3 ports, a combi audio jack, and a Type-C. My only issue is this design works well if the system is on top of your desk, but if you put the system on the floor? Well, the ports would be a pain in the arse to reach.

Cooling is simple enough on the Model S, with three large intakes on the lower half of the sides of the system, and a single heat exhaust hole at the top.

There’s a good-quality mesh in there, which will keep dust and debris out. It’s also enough to stop the occasional penny or lollypop stick being poked through. Can you tell I have kids? Hmmm.

The rear has a lot more ventilation, but I must admit, the ventilation design really does look rather stylish. There’s a lot more going on here too, of course. The motherboard I/O is nice and tidy, offering up plenty of connectivity and plenty of USB ports.

The system uses an SFX PSU, but don’t be fooled by its size, it’s still a 750W 80 PLUS (GOLD) unit, so more than enough for powering the Intel/Nvidia combo within the system.

One thing I really love is this custom backplate. It’s basically an extender running from the rear of the GPU which is mounted vertically within the case. This means you can cleanly install cables here, rather than having to route them to somewhere deeper within the case yourself.

Either way, from any angle, the Model S looks pretty awesome. It’s also not too surprising that it’s quite heavy, but find me a high-end RTX 3070 gaming PC that isn’t!

The underside has thick rubber grips though, not that it’ll slide around much, but it’ll stop unwanted vibrations on your desk and also stop it from scratching up any wooden surfaces.