Buying a significantly reduced price ASUS ROG 20, is it worth it?

[dbreimhurst]

Hey folks, I am looking to upgrade my current system and hopefully down size at the same time. I currently have a mid size ATX tower and I want to get something in a SFF. The current system is running:
AMD A-8 APU
Radeon 7870oc (2GB)
8GB DDR3

I want my new system to be priced below $900, have a small footprint, and be able to run most games at reasonably high settings at just 1080p.

I noticed that my local MicroCenter is selling the ASUS ROG G20 for $699 with the following specs:

Intel Core i7-4790 Processor 3.6GHz
Microsoft Windows 8.1 64-bit
8GB DDR3-1600 RAM
1TB 7,200RPM Hybrid Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX960

I'm having a hard time deciding if this is a good deal or not. It would certainly be an upgrade over my current system and in the future I could swap in a GTX 1070 or 1080 if I wanted some more graphical horsepower.

Alternatively I could build a new system but even with an i3-6100 I'm having a hard time configuring a SFF system that would compete with the G20 in performance and price. All feedback is welcome and appreciated.

 

[refillable]

If you have to go with SFF... It's a great deal, but like most Pre-builds, some components are probably lower-quality.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kyBwt6

It's not as small as the ROG, but it's a good reference I guess.

 

[CV_Taihou]

If you're willing to forgo the i7, you could get a good SFF build with an i5-6500, SSD and a 4gb GTX960. Might even be able to squeeze in a 970 once the 1070 drops

i5-6500