ASUS TUF Gaming GT502 Case Review

Conclusion

While there is a lot to love about ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502, our opinions about the case as a whole are mixed. Dual chambered PC cases like this have become very common over the past few years, a factor that has given ASUS some stiff competition. A lot of PC cases are trying to fill this niche, and the question that we will ask you today is if ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502 is be best case within this market segment.

Let’s start with aesthetics. ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502 is a great looking enclosure, offering panoramic views of your hardware through two tempered glass side panels and a lot of little design features that differentiate the TUF from standard dual-chambered cases. For starters, this case features two carry handles, an uncommon addition that makes this case a lot easier to move and transport than its rivals. While most PC builders will not utilise this feature often, those that do will find them very handy. 

Another thing that we like about the TUF Gaming GT502 is its inclusion of a vertical GPU mounting bracket and a GPU support, allowing users of this case to vertically mount their GPU (if they purchase a riser cable) and better support their graphics card whether it is vertically mounted or not. This GPU support is a great addition given the size and weight of today’s high-end graphics cards, and this case’s vertical GPU mount can keep triple-slot graphics cards at a healthy distance from this case’s side panel window, ensuring good airflow.

With an asking price of £159.99 in the UK, ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502 is a case that is on the expensive side of the PC spectrum, especially after you consider the fact that this case doesn’t come with any fans. This makes ASUS’ £159.99 asking price a starting price, as buyers will likely need to invest in a lot of additional fans if they want to get the most out of this enclosure.

Given its £159.99 asking price, ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502 is begging to be compared with NZXT’s recently launched H9 Flow chassis. It retails for £169.99, and it ships with four included 120mm (non-RGB) fans, and features a similar aesthetic. While ASUS’ carry handles, vertical GPU bracket, and GPU support are great add-ons, NZXT’s H9 Flow offers users a stronger out of the box experience with its four included fans. Both case have their pros and cons, and there are many areas where the GT502 feels more premium (with its included rubber grommets, handles, and less boxy overall design), it is hard to argue that the TUF Gaming GT502  offers buyers a lot of value. I’m sure a lot of our readers will be considering the phrase “ASUS Tax” when reading this review.

Thermally, our results only serve to show is that our case testing hardware and methods are not well suited to PC cases that are not supplied with any fans. Had we tested this case in its “out of the box” configuration, it would have performed poorly due to a lack of airflow. Even with a few added fans, we found that this case would likely benefit from the addition or more fans, or more optimal placement of the fans that we had included. Additionally, this case is clearly designed for use with a top-mounted 360mm liquid cooling radiator, something that would immediately add three exhaust fans to this case and move CPU-generated heat outside of the system very effectively. We didn’t test the thermals of this case in an ideal way, but doing so would have been unfair to the other cases that we have tested. 

The ASUS TUF Gaming GT502 is a case for tinkerers, who will spend some time making sure that their fans are mounted in ideal positions and utilise hardware that works to the strength of this dual-chambered chassis. This is not a case that will offer users a great experience out of the box, but with some thought, some added fans, and the right hardware, users of this case will be blessed with an excellent system. Whether or not this case is for you depends on whether or not you want to put that kind of effort into your system, or if you want something that is a little simpler and more straight forward. 

You can join the discussion on ASUS’ TUF Gaming GT502 White PC Case on the OC3D Forums. 

Video