Specs of Purchased Unit:
CPU- Intel i7 8700K
GPU- ASUS GTX 1070 Ti Cerberus
RAM- 16GB ADATA XPG (2 @ 8GB)
Motherboard- MSI Z370 A Pro
Water Cooling Unit- Corsair H60
SSD- Apacer 250GB
HDD- Western Digital 1TB
Power Supply- 500 watt non name brand (more on that below)
Fans- One NZXT and one "ARC" fan (that has red LED's) in a push/pull configuration on the radiator of the water cooling unit (both 120mm)
USB Ports- 6 USB 3.1 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports
Before purchasing this computer I had always been interested in building a PC. As the price of graphics cards and memory have gone up in the last year because of Bitcoin mining, I thought I would never be able to have a nice gaming PC. Then I started looking into this PC and what a good value it was and I thought it would be a great jumping off point for my PC hobby. I wanted something that would chew through graphically demanding games on ultra settings without issue. I also wanted a computer that would run general tasks quickly for many years in the future. I have dabbled in PC gaming in the past but the majority of my gaming had been done on consoles. I have not played anything too graphically demanding on it yet, but I have run Heaven benchmark on it and got a ~2500 score on 1080p with ultra settings and 8x AA (if you are reading this and don't understand what that means don't worry. Just know that the PC did very well in benchmark testing). Running games at 4K resolution isn't impossible, but it is nowhere near as smooth as running at 1080p. This is not a slight against this computer however, because only the newest graphics cards (1080 Ti) can handle 4K gaming and even those cards don't hit 60fps averages from what I have researched (remember, I am pretty new to all of this). I am coming from an HP Pavilion dv7 laptop that is 6 years old, so there are a lot of quality of life upgrades that come with this PC as well. Please note that the individual parts that IBuyPower PC's come with can vary from unit to unit, but most things are comparable (from what I have read in other reviews). Now that I have had the computer for a little bit, I wanted to share some thoughts about it. I don't work for any PC companies, and I didn't get this for free to write this review (although it would be awesome to get free stuff just to review it, I can't believe people get to do that)
Pros:
Startup is very fast because windows 10 loads from the SSD. If your computer still boots up from a standard HDD you have no idea what you are missing.
Gaming is gorgeous and the computer is super quiet even when running stress tests and benchmark programs. (I have the PC hooked up to a new 55" TCL tv that has very little input lag).
Upgrading- As a person just starting to get into the tinkering aspect of PC's, this computer does not disappoint. Let's start with the case itself. The case has the option to add 120mm fans to the top panel toward the rear of the case (above the rear panel vent that currently has the radiator and push/pull fans exhausting air out the back), on the bottom panel toward the front of the case, and the front panel of the case has 3 vents to add 120mm fans or (I think) 3 140mm fans. To add fans to the front of the case you have to pop off the front cover that has the red diagonal LED line. It pops on and off fairly easily (make sure you pull from the slot located at the bottom of the front cover and not from the vented opening on the sides of the front cover, and the red LED line is connected with a wire so hold on to the front cover when it comes off). The tempered glass side panels are easy to take off and put back on (thumb screws) and they are on both sides of the case, allowing easy access to the cables (it had great cable management for a pre-built) and the 1TB HDD. The case also has feet that keep the computer raised about an inch off of whatever surface it is on. The case dimensions are 18.5" tall (with the feet on), 8.25" wide, and 18.5" deep (the front cover protrudes out adding about 3/4 of an inch).
Next we have the motherboard. The MSI z370 A Pro is great for adding components and for overclocking (which is a whole new level of tinkering). The BIOS is easy to navigate and allows for a ton of control over the components in your PC. It has 4 slots for DDR4 RAM (up to 64GB) and mine came with 2 8GB ADATA XPG sticks. The motherboard does not allow for SLI because the 2nd 16x PCIe slot is only rated at 4x. For the inexperienced reading this review (which I was a few weeks ago), SLI is being able to add a second video card to your PC and get added graphical processing power for games and what not, and this motherboard can't do that. This shouldn't matter to most people, cause if you want to run two graphics cards in SLI you are probably not going to buy a pre-built computer but instead build your own. The motherboard specs can be found on MSI's website if you are curious to know more.
Lastly, the AIO (All in one) Corsair water cooler is nice as opposed to an air cooler. From what I have researched, AIO water coolers are very low maintenance compared to a custom water cooling setup. I am actually upgrading the AIO to a larger Corsair one in the next few days but there is nothing wrong with the one that came with the PC.
Overclocking- The GPU (graphics card), CPU (Intel processor), and RAM (ADATA memory) can all be overclocked but I haven't started that process yet. Just know that you can potentially increase the performance of the GPU, CPU, and RAM by about 15-20% by overclocking (but there are some drawbacks to the longevity of the parts).
RGB LED's- The LED lighting in the case is nice addition to the system that adds some wow factor at very little cost to IBuyPower (since LED strips are pretty cheap now). It isn't top of the line LED customization like you can get with companies like Corsair or NZXT but it gets the job done. The remote works decently, but often requires multiple presses of the button even when pointed directly at the small sensor located near the SSD. I also have found that my TV remote sometimes gets picked up by the LED sensor in the computer and it changes the color or display setting of the LED strip inadvertently. But it is easy to change it back and this is another thing I am currently in the process of upgrading with Corsair LED strips.
Cons:
Power Supply- I read online that pre-built PC's often come with a low quality power supply to help cut down on costs for the company putting it together. A lower quality power supply puts all of your precious and expensive PC components at risk if it were to have an issue. The one that came with my PC was 500 watts and the system worked fine with it. The research I did indicated that the power supply would be fine for the time being, but I should consider upgrading it sooner rather than later (especially if I wanted to add more components that required power). So I decided I didn't want to take the risk and I upgraded the power supply to a Corsair RM750x ($120 on Amazon). I promise I don't work for Corsair or anything like that, their products just look nice (packaging and the units themselves) and I have read that they have good customer service.
TL:DR
If you want a computer that just works fast and runs games at the highest settings you won't be disappointed. If you are new to the world of PC tinkering and upgrading, this is a great starting point. If you have an old computer that is starting to die on you and you want something that will last a long time, treat yourself to this behemoth. If you want to build your own PC, but the inflated prices on PC components have you waiting until Bitcoin mining becomes less popular or profitable, this PC is a reasonable value right now. If you can afford it, get the 1070 Ti version over the 1070 and the i7-8700K over the i7-7700K because the surrounding components will probably be a little nicer as well. (Also, sorry for all the parenthesis)
The components themselves are good, but as many others, I had problems logging in. I was presented with a login screen of a "defaultuser0" with an unknown password. For anyone that might encounter this problem, do the following:
1) Click in the bottom right corner on the shutdown options. Hold shift and click on restart.
2) You will be given three options. Choose the troubleshooting option and follow the instruction to enter in "Safe mode with Command Tool".
3) Wait very patiently (for me it was 15 minutes) for the computer to enter in safe mode (while claiming I should have waited "Just a moment...").
4) In the command line, type "net user administrator /active:yes".
5) Reboot the computer. You can simply type "shutdown /r".
6) Follow the instructions and you'll finally be able to access.
I work in the field of Computer Science and it still took me one hour to find the problem and to fix it. This is unacceptable, given that the sole reason to buy a pre-built machine is laziness in the first place. The four stars are for this reason, coupled with the fact that the included wifi is worthless (I planned to use it until I bought an ethernet cable, but it was so bad that I was pretty much forced to go out and buy one immediately).
The system performs exactly as intended. So glad I ignored the negative reviews! I'll address each of the issues noted by other reviewers one at a time:
1. BOOTING: The system booted into Windows 10 from the SSD. I takes a while to boot the first time you turn it on, so you will see the MSI Bios splash screen for up to 10 minutes while windows initializes, so be patient. After that, systems boots up in about 10 seconds or less from a complete shutdown. If for some reason computer does not boot, hold down delete key immediately after powering on to enter BIOS, then be sure that "Windows Boot Manager" is listed under Settings\Fixed Boot Order Priorities\Boot Option #1, and also under settings\UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities. That said, I have not had any trouble booting this computer.
2. TEMPERATURE AND NOISE: Quieter than my imac, even when gaming. Temperatures well within normal at 99% GPU utilization over extended usage periods, without any disruptive noise.
3. GPU: Verified NVIDIA GTX 1070 TI. Mine is a slightly customized card by MSI, but is still the genuine NVIDIA product underneath the hood. Ignore reviews stating that the graphics card was switched out because it says ASUS or MSI on the label--it is still the NVIDIA card slightly customized to work with the computer/motherboard it is being sold with. The GTX 1070 TI runs very cool and quiet. GPU fan is generally OFF unless gaming -- that is normal for this card and speaks to the low power usage compared to an equivalent AMD card.
4. PORTS-- This computer has ALL necessary ports. The GTX 1070 TI occupies space for TWO slots at the back of the computer. You will see the DVI port by itself prominently protruding from the second slot position. That is probably why some reviewers think the GTX 1070 TI only has DVI. In the slot above you will find 3 displayports and 1 HDMI port, all connected to the GTX 1070 TI, and sometimes covered with black plastic covers such that they are not very visible. Additionally, the motherboard has a DVI, Displayport, and VGA port. Use these motherboard ports ONLY if you are using the ONBOARD graphics adaptor (ie, you have disabled or removed your GTX 1070 TI).
5. CABLES: Computer comes with an HDMI cable which carries sound and video to your monitor (monitor purchased separately, of course). There is also a sound cable to connect the computer to the monitor to activate the microphone jack on the monitor. Note: if you plug in the microphone jack, then you will NOT get sound from the monitor speakers. All power cables are also provided.
6. MOUSE AND KEYBOARD: The mouse is surprisingly good for a budget computer, but did take a little getting used to. The keyboard is marginally functional. The "enter" key is spaced an extra key further than a standard keyboard so it does not work well for typical typing. The right shift key can get "stuck" going down unless pressed in center and can cause mistyped passwords. One of my children complains that this keyboard yields "ghosting" when gaming. Overall, I consider this keyboard adequate for gaming but not for typing. We eventually replaced with a Redragon mechanical keyboard (red backlit), which is a great visual match for this system and a huge improvement. No matter what keyboard the vendor provides, someone is going to complain, so may as well provide a budget keyboard. I have no issue with that.
7. USB AND WAKE FROM MOUSE -- Computer has 6 USB3 and 2 USB2 ports (8 USB total). The two USB3 on top of case are powered even when the computer is off. If you use a USB hard drive for backup, DO NOT plug it into either of the two top powered USB ports or the USB hard drive will remain on and spinning even when the computer is off. If you want to resume the computer from sleep using your mouse button, you will need to configure the BIOS under Settings\Advanced\Wake-up Event Setup\Resume by USB Device and set to "Enabled". Plugging in the mouse into one of the top powered USB slots will keep the mouse lighted when the computer is off as a reminder that a click of the mouse will turn everything back on.
8. SOUND: Not sure what is meant by reviews stating there is no sound card. Whether or not there is an actual card, the computer provides good sound to the monitor (ours has speakers) and to our USB connected gaming headset (purchased separately), so for us this is a non-issue.
9. WIFI: Tested the wifi for this gaming desktop compared to my imac with an airport wifi adapter, and see similar performance, so no issues for us. Of note, our wifi router is in the same room as both computers.
10. CASE LIGHTING -- The remote for the case lighting works when the remote is held close to the case. The default lighting is very nice. I like that the lighted case has a nice refined appearance that will appeal to both adults and kids alike, and not gaudy like other gaming systems. My 15 year old son shrieked for joy the first time he saw it, so good enough for him.
iBUYPOWER Gaming Desktop PC i7-8700K 6-Core 3.7 GHz, Geforce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB, Z370 Motherboard, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 240GB SSD, Liquid Cooled, 802.11AC WiFi, Win 10 Home 64-Bit, Slate 9210, RGB Case
At first I was really skeptical about buying a computer online and having it shipped. I was also really hesitant to buy a pre-built PC but because of the prices of parts, I found that this might be the best option. I used to be into wanting to see every component physically before dropping my money on something expensive. I did some research before buying this PC. I looked at countless computer builder/parts sites and got prices from $800 - $2500+. After seeing this option on Amazon, I decided to go with them. This PC has exceeded my expectations in every way and has given me newfound confidence to buying more big purchases online.
iBUYPOWER really did well with their packaging when shipping my PC. Everything arrived on the expected shipping date and it was packaged very well. The inside of the PC had blown up plastic inside it to keep all the parts from falling out during shipping which kept everything secure. Once I un-packaged the contents and followed the instructions, I was extremely amazed at how easy it was to have it up and running.
Here are the specs I got for my PC:
Video card/Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB
Processor: Intel i7-8700K @3.7GHz (Hexcore)
Ram: 16GB DDR4 2400MHz
OS: Window 10 Home 64-bit
Motherboard: Z370-A Pro LGA1151
WiFi Adapter: Generic Realtek adapter
Storage: 240GB ADATA SU650 SSD (Boot drive)
Storage: 1TB Western Digital 7200 RPM HDD
Case: Slate Gaming Case (Dual Glass Side Panels)
USB Ports: 4 USB 3.0 (2 in front) 4 USB 2.0
Free iBUYPOWER mouse and Keyboard were included as well.
The case is really bold with the red strip down the front just like you see in the pictures. The glass panels are easily removable and have a semi-dark tint. The LED lights are very nice and a remote comes included to adjust various setting for it. It can also be turned off if that's not your thing.
On start up, the SSD really gives a fast boot, averaging less than 20s. I was pleasantly surprised to find no bloatware on any kind aside from the usual Windows 10 apps. The multi-tasking is a beast and doesn't slow down at all. All apps and programs open insanely fast. This thing doesn't know what the word "slow" means.
As far as gaming goes, I haven't truly tested it yet with any AAA games. I only have League of Legends downloaded at the moment and it runs super smooth at 4K resolution. I will edit this review once I get a graphic intensive game and see how well it does.
Overall, the PC is super quiet, has flawless performance and doesn't hiccup whatsoever. The only thing I can think of that would make this stand out as a true great for this price point is a built in media card reader (MicroSD or SD slots) and a CD or Blu-ray drive.
Pros:
- Super quiet
- Amazingly fast
- Free Keyboard and Mouse
- Great price for the amount of performance built in
- Mouse is nice and smooth with lighting on the side
Cons:
- No media card reader / CD or Blu-ray drive
- Not much room for upgrading
- Keyboard is lacking a bit and not backlit
I purchased this for a client, largely due to the bitcoin-driven run-up in retail graphics card prices. I would typically have built a custom gaming rig, but buying this pre-built was actually cheaper with a few extra bells and whistles like the whiz-bang LED lighting.
The Good: Fast...really fast. The 8th generation i7 6-core processor, 16GB of RAM, SSD and conventional hard drive, Asus GTX 1070 with 8GB DDR5 and factory installed liquid cooling check all the right boxes for some serious, out-of-the-box performance and over-clocking capabilities if so desired. The case is fairly sturdy with solid, thick tempered glass sides to show off the spiffy RGB LED lighting inside, and the red LED lit accent stripe on the front adds an extra bit of interest. Power switch, USB and audio ports are on the top and easily accessible. Then it gets a bit weird.
Inside this massive case, there are surprisingly minimal upgrade capabilities. In the apparent minimalist goal to provide a squeaky clean view through the glass side panels, there are only mounting points for two SSDs in the main compartment, and two HDDs hidden behind the motherboard plane and accessible from the right side. Unfortunately, adding a second hard drive also requires an extension SATA power cable since the existing one does not have enough space between connectors to reach both drives with the vertical mounting scheme. You would have thought they would have discovered and corrected this oversight, but then this computer was never really designed for much expansion. In keeping with current gaming case design trends, there are no external drive bays, so adding an optical drive or other front panel accessories isn't an option.
The not-so-good: After setting up the computer and adding the client's old data drive as a second HDD (and extension SATA power cable due to aforementioned issue), I found on delivery and in-home setup that no WiFi adapter was identified. Nothing showed up under the Network settings and nothing in Device Manager. I first contacted Amazon, who's only response was to start the return process. This wasn't really an option since they were then sold out, and I had just spent several hours configuring the computer with my client's personal information and apps, so I contacted iBuypower. Tech support (and I use the term loosely) never bothered to try to assist me with troubleshooting, and simply suggested that I send this monster back to them for evaluation, sending me an RMA. Again, that would mean spending more hours removing client data and hard drive, then repeating setup again when computer was returned. The concept that I didn't feel I should have to spend several hundred dollars of unbillable time for their mistake was apparently beyond the grasp of the "support" person. I asked if they could tell me where to look for the adapter inside the case and they couldn't. I even offered to send them a screen shot of Device Manager showing no WiFi adapter connected and photos of the interior, but they insisted the only way they could (or would) resolve the issue was to send the entire computer back to them. Since the client didn't need WiFi initially, I left things alone and attempted to find additional information, which was in scarce supply.
The client's situation changed and they needed to move the computer to a room that required working WiFi. Another unbillable visit to loan him a USB WiFi adapter, and further investigate inside the computer to see if I could find anything I had previously missed. This time, I found the WiFi adapter hidden up near the top of the case, a Realtek micro USB attached to a cable that was supposed to have been connected to a USB port on the motherboard, operative word being "supposed to." The cable had never been connected in factory assembly, nor apparently had the computer gone through any kind of QC to confirm all components were installed and functioning correctly. I reconnected the USB cable and the adapter showed up. Unfortunately, the WiFi adapter included with this system seems fairly wimpy for a full-on gaming rig. Connection speed to their Netgear R6300v2 router on 5G yielded only about 345 MB, and Ookla Speedtest app showed only 88 Mbps downstream. For comparison I plugged in an external Netgear A2600 USB adapter and connection speed went up to 565 GB and Speedtest yielded 289 Mbps downstream. Maybe it's the fact that the WiFi adapter is inside the metal case and that's shielding it, but performance is definitely wanting on this front.
Conclusion: Lots of bang for the buck with some sexy RGB lighting bling thrown in for sex appeal. Minimal expansion capabilities, and no external front bays. Quality control is lacking and tech support could be improved. RGB lighting is cool, but need to have remote fairly close to change and was not compatible with MSI motherboard or Asus video card standards, so not able to incorporate those components in an overall lighting scheme. Wimpy included WiFi adpater will likely not be sufficient for any serious online gaming.
Feature Product
- System: Intel Core i9-9900k 8-Core Processor 3.6 GHz (5.0 GHz Max Turbo) | Intel Z370 Express Chipset | 16GB DDR4 2666 Ram | 1TB HDD | 240GB SSD | Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit high-end
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB Dedicated Gaming Video Card | VR Ready | Display Connectors: HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI
- Connectivity: 4 x USB 3.1 | 2 x USB 2.0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 | Audio: 7.1 Channel | 802.11AC Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Ready |
- Special Add-Ons: iBUYPOWER signature trace Tempered glass RGB Gaming Case | Liquid Cooled | 802.11AC Wi-Fi + Bluetooth Ready | Free iBUYPOWER Gaming Keyboard & Mouse
Description
Experience outstanding high Performance from this intel-powered iBUYPOWER gaming desktop PC. Whether you are looking for intense gaming, entertainment, streaming, content creation, research, or multitasking, this desktop tower rig will take you there! Our gaming computers are packed with powerful processing power & latest graphics, you will be able to tackle on tasks & system intensive programs quickly and efficiently without any lag time.
this iBUYPOWER desktop tower is powered by an Intel Core latest i9-9900k processor – Designed for performance and reliability. This ultra gaming desktop rig offers immersive graphics powered by NVIDIA's Latest GeForce RTX 2070 8GB Dedicated Graphics card that will surely enhance your experience whether it is for your personal, gaming, or business needs. 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 RAM will allow your PC to perform at fast optimal speeds with higher FPS in games. Experience with ease system-intensive applications and multitasking in streaming, video editing, or intense gaming. This computer comes with a 1TB 7200Rpm SATA III hard drive and 240GB SSD that provides ample storage for all your favorite games and content. Equip yourself with this powerful gaming desktop and enjoy most demanding and popular games on the market today!
*all iBUYPOWER systems include 1-year parts warranty.
*lifetime technical support - Our exceptional support Connects our customers to our dedicated customer service specialists and top-notch support technicians who are experts in their field.
battlefield V: 112 average fps
rainbow six Siege: 232 average fps
the Witcher 3: 114 average fps
total War: Warhammer: 124 average fps
hitman 2: 93 average fps
monster hunter world: 92 average fps
dragon quest Xi: 174 average fps
system:
processor: Intel Core i9-9900k 8-core processor 3.6 GHz (5.0 GHz max Turbo) overclockable
graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB Dedicated Graphics card VR ready
memory: 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 ram
hard disk: 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
ssd: 240GB solid state drive
power supply: 600 watts power supply
os: Windows 10 Professional 64-bit Windows 10
I finally decided to take the plunge into buying a PC for gaming and photo/video editing and I'm satisfied with my purchase. Initially, I purchased a previous model from iBuyPower which had some sound issues. I was in contact with their customer service and they were extremely helpful and friendly. My current PC has no issues and everything is running well thus far!
There are some very nicely detailed reviews about these PCs, so I won't detail all of the technical specs.
But since the GPU seems to be the part that varies most amongst these PCs, I'll state that the GPU that was installed in mine was the GIGABYTE RTX 2070 Gaming OC 8G ($549.99 current retail price).
PRO:
1) This PC is powerful. I decided to go with an RTX 2070 because I couldn't afford a 2080 or 2080ti. I'm happy to say that games run smoothly and I'm getting well over 60fps at 4k at high settings or 1440p on ultra settings. I'm currently playing a lot of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (October 2018 release) at 1440p and high settings and consistently get 90-100+fps. I've tried a number of other games and performance has been great on all of them. There's plenty of power to go higher in terms of fps if you want to. Needless to say, photo and video editing is a breeze as well.
2) Ray tracing and DLSS - the RTX 2070 supports these. So theoretically, this should mean better looking games and/or higher frames for future games out of the same card. A nice perk for sure, even if it's just wait and see at this point.
3) The case is nice. 1 side is tempered glass and the included remote allows to change the colors of the RGB lights. The remote is inexpensive and simple, but it is responsive. One great thing is that the trace case allows for the RGB lights to be turned OFF completely, which is very useful if you're using your PC in the dark and don't want any extra lights shining. So it's possible to use your PC without any bright lights distracting you (like many gaming PCs have) or turn the lights on and customize as you please. You can also change the color on the front of this case, whereas you had no option other than red in older cases.
4) Includes a mouse and keyboard that are perfectly serviceable - but admittedly, I will upgrade soon.
5) Doesn't get hot, cooling seems to work well. I sometimes have played for a few hours at a time and the computer doesn't get hot, only very slightly warm. That's very reassuring.
CON:
1) It's a bit loud. Not distracting, but I can hear it lowly humming during quiet moments. I haven't noticed it getting any louder thus far, even after intensive gaming sessions, so that it a great thing. More of a minor point, than a con.
RECOMMENDED?
YES. It's a quality, prebuilt PC. It has some good, quality parts installed and is a good buy for those who don't want to or don't have the time to build your own PC.
Quickly shipped and received with prime, very excited about the computer. The product I received has a MSI Aero gtx 1070, 2x8gb XPG DDR4, with a z370 pro4 mobo. Really quiet, and quick. The Rgb lighting is cool but a pain to switch with the remote, tip: aim remote down the grill on top of the case. Definitely a deal with all the components included in light of current crypto mining/video card demand.
It came packaged quite well. A box within a box with packing around it. At start up I was greeted with the wonderful message below. Talk about ruining the experience of getting a new computer. I mean they build them, can't they figure out where the memory is supposed to go to be optimized? Luckily I was able to do it myself. But I shouldn't have had to... Anyways, it plays games quite well. I have multiplied the frame rate by 4 times over my old computer. World of Tanks is clocking along at about 120 FPS with maximized settings. Battlefront plays amazingly well and quite smoothly. The 8 gigabyte card is very impressive in performance. The solid-state drive has a very quick load time and the one terabyte is what you would expect. The processor is only scoring about a 10 to 15% on The Benchmark scales compared against other processors of the same type. I then did some research and realized I did not have mine overclocked or set to turbo like they must have. Honestly it is fast enough for me without it. Would I buy it again? Right now I would say yes, but I've only had it for a week.
Dear friends - I bought this computer on Black Friday, because I looked as a great deal, at least in theory. Great processor and graphics card for a great price.
It was also my first purchase with delivery abroad directly from Amazon for a large price item. I've been an Amazon customer since 1997, and I'll stay as a customer, because Amazon provides great service. I was willing to try.
1. Delivery to Chile: really depends on which carrier Amazon uses. It seems rather random which one is selected. On the same day I bought other items - they got shipped by DHL, and arrived earlier than promised. This shipment in particular was shipped by UPS. Guaranteed delivery was for Nov. 30th in Chile. it finally arrived Dec 12th.
Amazon customer service was a little odd (maybe it was a chatbot, who asked me to call the police!), by finally they helped my sort out what had happened in UPS (item was waiting in customs). Amazon refunded the extra money paid in shipment.
2. Video card. This is where research pays off. I didn't do enough research on the RTX 2070 card. According to many posts from Nvidia.com forums, many cards die on arrival or have significant issues. Unfortunately it was the case for me. The card behaved normal, until I started a game - World of Warcraft (which I've been playing for over 12 yrs). Screen started getting artifacts, and PC crashed (black screen, frozen - had to hard-reset by cycling power). PC didn't reboot.
After upgrading video card drivers to latest version, same issue continues. Forums say:
1) Defective card
2) Defective power supply
3) Drivers
Since the power supply seems ok by the voltages measured by Apps like CPU ID, i concluded that the video card was an issue. It was consistent with all the forum inputs.
Amazon customer service is great, but seems that Amazon still needs to improve its global sales. Instead of returning the videocard, Amazon asked me to return the whole computer! I kindly declined a replacement computer, given the bad experience with the shipment, and decided to buy a new card from a local store - GTX1080 are on sale now!
Will probably RMA the card with Gigabyte, since it has a 3 yr warranty.
Amazon will make me a partial refund for the PC due to the failed video card. Unfortunately that doesn't help me very much
On the bright side, the PC runs very smooth. The SSD + the i7 8th generation is really an upgrade from my previous PC (AMD Phenom II X6 1090T), going from 6 to 12 logical processor.
But the best change is noise (or lack thereof). The watercooling for the CPU is great! I have to look at the computer to see if it is turned on (previous one was so noisy, that you could know it was on next door!)
Great purchase overall, except for the unfortunate logistic issue with UPS and the defective video card (which I guess is partially my fault by not researching it properly).
I wanted to wait a week or so before I did a review on this model . Amazon buyers (and sellers) live and die by reviews, so I will be as honest and thorough as possible.
What came in my machine:
Processor: Intel Core i7-8700K Six-Core 3.7 GHz (Overclockable to 4.7 GHz)
CPU cooler: off-brand generic AIO liquid cooler
MoBo: ASRock Pro
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB (Manufactured by Asus)
Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666 RAM (Apacer)
Hard Disk: 1TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive (WD Blue)
SSD: 240GB Solid State Drive (WD Green)
Power Supply: 600 Watt (Thermaltake SMART series 80+ GOLD)
Case: iBuyPower case as shown.
Operating System Windows 10 home 64-bit
This is my first gaming PC, and while I was initially planing to build, I wavered back and fourth between some of these "high-end" prebuilts. I found this deal on Black Friday and to be honest, for what you get it IS a good deal. I'd be hard-pressed to build a similar machine for the same price, all said and done.
The unit was packed well in styrofoam and arrived completely intact.
COMPONENTS: To be honest I was pleasantly surprised by most of the components. I expected them to cheap out on the PSU, which they didnt. It isnt a top-tier model but hey a Thermaltake SMART 80+ gold is pretty dang good for a prebuilt.
The RAM and CPU cooler, however, is where the cheapness is found. RAM is Apacer (some russian bulk brand), and the CPU cooler AIO is some generic company I have never heard of. I couldnt even find it on PCPartPicker.
The CPU and GPU speak for themselves--that's why I bought this unit. So far they are performing flawlessly. CPU does stay quite cool, usually in the 40's.
The GPU, however, does run a bit hot with big games. Playing the Witcher 3 on 1440/Ultra settings, it's hanging around 72-73 C, which is consistent with benchmarking. Not "red zone" hot for this model but this could be a lot cooler if you simply installed a couple fans on top of the case and 2 intake fans on the front.
ASRock motherboard, forget the model name. I believe it is a "pro" version.
Western Digital Green SSD and Western Digital Blue HDD. The SSD is, of course, fast as hell, but Green is their base model. Both seem to be good, reliable, middle-of-the-road storage units.
The included keyboard and mouse are perfectly serviceable, but needless to say will be getting upgraded soon.
It comes with a CD for the GPU interface and one for a windows reinstall, but no optical drive. Sort of odd, why not just include a USB drive?
AESTHETICS: This machine leaves a lot to be desired in the aesthetics department. The RGB lighting is in strips on the top, underside, and front of the case. It comes with a remote that has some preset patterns and sold colors. It looks good enough, but compared to some of the other RGB cases and fan options out there, it's just ok. Because the hardware looks so unassuming, this machine could have been put in a solid case but that's not really what sells these days.
Cable management was not perfect, but neat. The CPU cooler cable was draped across the RAM cards which is annoying for a neat-freak like me to look at.
The tempered glass side panel is easily removable. The case itself has enough space for upgrades, and comes with 2 magnetic dust filters--one on top and one on the front behind the plastic cover.
PERFORMANCE: So far in my limited testing, it has lived up to my expectations. I have only ran the Witcher 3 and ThroneBreaker, the former of which I am getting 60 fps at 1440p on all Ultra settings, with GPU temps at about 72-74C. I do have a 32" 4K monitor and while images look absolutely gorgeous on this screen, the GPU does not quite have enough juice to run a hardware-hog game like the Witcher 3 at 4k at Ultra, High, or even Medium settings. It will run the game at medium, but it is at 99% capacity and fps will drop into the 40's, low 50's. A game like ThroneBreaker, of course, is child's play for this machine, and I suspect most modern shooter titles like Battlefield, etc will run at 4k no problem without a big hit to fps.
CPU has never gotten above 50 C or so.
Windows boots up in less than 10 seconds from a cold start. My games will load from the SSD in 10-15 seconds.
PROS: Overall great hardware for the price you pay. Fast, capable gaming machine. All the hardware that really matters is from reputable brands.
CONS: Aesthetics are lacking for what you pay. Only 1 (one!!) exhaust fan, and that's the fan for the CPU cooler. RGB light strips on my unit will rattle at random intervals. Cheap keyboard and mouse (expected). Cheap no-name RAM and CPU cooler, but those are not too pricey to upgrade.
OVERALL INITIAL IMPRESSION: This is about as good as it gets for a pre-built gaming machine. The price to value ratio is quite good, and at the current retail price I think it's a fair buy if you dont want to build your own.
**However**, for about the same cost you could build an equally-powerful rig with some beautiful aesthetics, and probably even work in some nice peripherals to boot.
These pre-built companies are walking a fine line between providing the consumer with a high-quality machine that runs all the latest hardware, while still turning a profit from a business standpoint. That's where you get your cheap RAM cards, coolers, fans, and peripherals. It is what it is, just know that going in.
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