ASUS M32AD Review: Decent Prebuilt Desktop PC

The ASUS M32AD is a solid budget desktop PC, that offers the best of two worlds. It has forward-looking capabilities, such as a Wi-Fi card and Bluetooth 4.0, and integrates features such as a sixth-generation processor and enough storage, that keep most users happy.

The M32AD is one of those desktop PCs that you can’t easily scratch off your shopping list. It has its multimedia, entertainment, and multitasking functions in order, and goes the extra mile to include seamless wireless connectivity.

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 gaming prowess. The combination of forward-looking technology, such as the latest 6th 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.

This article will provide you all the basic information that you need to know about this product. Have a look at it!

Table of Contents

ASUS M32AD Introduction

The M32AD maintains the same tower design as ASUS M32AD-US001T, but throws in there some upgrades such a sixth-generation Intel Core i3-6100 processor, 8GB memory, 1TB hard drive, and integrated HD graphics 530. It has everything you need in a general-purpose PC, plus the extra features that make it a better choice for the long haul. For all these reasons, it’s our Editors’ Choice budget desktop.

Features

The M32AD is fully loaded from the factory. The standard configuration includes a 1TB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM), Intel Core i3-6100 processor up to 3.7GHz, Intel HD 530 Graphics and 8GB of system memory. 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.

Design

It has the same design as its other stablemates, the ASUS M32AD AS31 and ASUS M32CD-US003T. The mid-tower chassis measures about 16.1 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 is made of plastic. The system has the potential to grow, thanks to empty slots at the back cover and we hope for more in the spacious chassis unlike the small-form-factor (SFF) that are have limited expandability options.

Performance

The sixth-generation (Skylake microarchitecture) 3.7GHz Intel Core i3-6100 processor will offer you subtle performance, thanks to the dual-core processor’s hyper-threading support of up to four threads as needed. The Core i3 processor has paired with an integrated Intel HD 530 graphics card and 8GB of 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 stutter even for a minute. With these specs, we expect the M32AD to push the competition to new frontiers and even match 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.

Connectivity

Connectivity comes in a way 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.

The ASUS M32 comes with all the connectivity options you need e.g. enhanced entertainment via HDMI to an HDTV when watching movies or videos. Additionally, you can transfer data up to 10 times faster with SuperSpeed USB 3.0.

Desktop PC

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, the 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.

4th Generation Core Processor

With the integrated 4th generation Intel Core processor, experience enhanced multitasking performance to do more of what you enjoy. You can take advantage of improved performance, vibrant visuals, and built-in security features that give you the power to play, create, entertain, and much more.

Advanced Graphics

The ASUS M32 desktop PC features enhanced graphics processing power that delivers twice the performance of the previous generation of graphics processors. Watch up to 4K Ultra HD video, and enjoy smoother visuals and more responsiveness when playing the latest games.

Some Other Features

Music to Your Ears

This ASUS M32 desktop PC features ASUS SonicMaster audio technology along with MaxxAudio from Waves, combined to give you finely-tuned surround sound for games and movies through your speakers or headphones.

Cool, Quiet Operation

Giving you reliability with convenience, the M32 desktop PC monitors internal temperatures and intelligently adjusts the fan speed to ensure efficient cooling while staying under 25dB of sound at idle – quieter than a library.

Sound for Each Occasion

ASUS AudioWizard is a pre-loaded app with 5 selectable point-and-click audio settings for music, movies, games, voice recording, and speech. Each one is designed to cater to your particular media preferences.

Pros

It includes powerful 6th Gen. Intel Core i3 processor and roomy drive.
It provides excellent day-to-day performance.
It has USB 3.0 ports on the front panel.
With the integrated ASUS SonicMaster audio technology you can take advantage of enhanced audio playback whether you plug in your headphones or a pair of speakers.

Cons

Maybe we’d start seeing faster SSDs trickle into budget desktop PCs.
Integrated graphics chip not meant for gamers.

To Sum Up

This may not be a fully “specked-out desktop” the truth is that it offers an excellent value for what Asus is looking to charge us.

The Core i3 processor is very good at handling an assortment of tasks, 8 GB of RAM is plenty for most of us (though we may upgrade) and storage capacity is pretty much standard in the market. We would’ve liked a more “game-friendly” graphics chip but at this price point, it’s understandable that this wasn’t in Asus’s plans.

All in all, as a desktop home computer to work or serve as an entertainment center the Asus M32AD-US001T is an excellent choice.

FAQ’s

Is it good to upgrade ASUS’s M32AD?

ASUS’s M32 series of desktop computers are quite good base offerings, which makes them a popular candidate for future upgrading. Be aware that if you are thinking of upgrading this PC in the future, it does come with a warranty seal on the case – this means that if you open the case and break the seal, you void the manufacturer’s 1-year warranty. A good option is to hold off on any upgrades until after the computer is out of the warranty period.

What’s inside the box of M32AD?

The box of M32AD contains the following things: • M32AD PC • USB Keyboard • USB Mouse • Power Cord • Warranty Card • Quick Start Guide

ASUS M32AD Review: Decent Prebuilt Desktop PC – [2021]