PC component maker Asus has launched a new exclusive line of PC hardware, based around the 90s anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and one of its most iconic characters. The range, dubbed EVA-02, is now available to buy in the US, and enables you to assemble an entire anime-themed PC build. The lineup includes a Z790 motherboard, an AIO cooler, and one of the best-looking graphics cards we’ve seen. Every part of this Asus Evangelion collaboration has clearly been given a great deal of attention.
While the whole range is amazing in its own right, one of the main standouts is the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero EVA-02 Edition motherboard. As to be expected with ROG Maximus motherboards, it’s chock-full of PC enthusiast features, and the original Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is one of our favorite Z790 boards.
However, it’s the Evangelion theming that truly shines on this motherboard. The red, orange, and green accents of Asuka’s Unit 02 mech, and her matching pilot suit, are recreated on the motherboard, which even features a Polymo Lighting display that lights up and switches between images of the two.
The Evangelion theming continues with the Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB EVA-02 Edition AIO cooler. Its aluminum bezel features popular quotes spoken by Asuka throughout the series, and a connecting 3.5-inch LCD can even display animated GIFs of the red-headed pilot herself. The 120 mm fans, which connect using the magnetic daisy-chain method, also offer customizable lighting features, and feature Evangelion-branded stickers throughout.
However, the custom Asus ROG Strix Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 OC EVA-02 Edition graphics card is arguably the main attraction of the entire range. Asus has gone above and beyond the usual effort in order to mirror the colors and accents of Asuka Langely’s pilot suit onto the custom RTX 4090 card, down to the mech unit number on the front. Even the logo of the central organization of the anime series, NERV, is present in the center of one of the three fans.
While the design of this custom graphics card is utterly stupendous, anyone familiar with Nvidia GPUs will know the RTX 4090 is high-powered to boot. The 4090, based upon the flagship Ada Lovelace AD102 GPU from Nvidia, and is listed on our best graphics card guide as the best GPU for 4K gaming.
With a range as meticulously designed as the ROG EVA-02 range by Asus, it doesn’t come cheap. For the privilege of making your rig fit for even Shinji to pilot, you’ll be expected to fork out $699 for the Z790 Hero motherboard, $399 for the 360 ARBG cooler, and a whopping $2,900 for the custom RTX 4090 graphics card.
While the base price of a GeForce RTX 4090 GPU is already a point of contention for many, in this case, you’d be paying a huge amount extra for the Evangelion styling, which even the most hardened Neon Genesis Evangelion fan might find difficult to justify.
Currently, the EVA-02 PX hardware range by Asus has sold out already with retailers such as Newegg. If you’re one of the lucky few to get your hands on the motherboard, cooler, or custom RTX 4090, you can expect them to ship on September 22. At that point, you won’t have long to wait until you can make your rig worthy of even Gendo’s approval.
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