The Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G gaming desktop not only looks imposing, but its quad-core Intel Processor and enthusiast level NVIDIA GeForce GTX745 Graphics with 4GB of Discrete Video Memory powered by Intel Core i5-4590 Processor will help annihilate PC game opponents. This is a perfect match for gamers looking for a perfect desktop PC, but are finding it more difficult to decide on exactly what they need; it can be easy to buy too much hardware or the wrong hardware, or pay too much.
The Acer Predator wraps up the risk, thanks to a number of useful, high-end-mainstream performance features that will make the day of gaming enthusiasts who handle some serious games or run weighty applications. But since it isn’t designed for everyone, this PC may fail to live up to your full expectations if you plan on using it for other things. It’s a fine number-cruncher, but its deceptive packaging might convince you you’re getting a powerful gaming machine you aren’t quite. Will the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G Gaming Desktop be Acer’s big break? Or the Acer Predator gaming laptop takes the honors?
Design
The top of the chassis is recessed to form a tray you can store your smartphone in. It also has good selection of I/O ports, including two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an SD card reader, and audio jacks for headphones and a microphone. The back has audio ports, a DisplayPort, two DVI ports, an Ethernet jack, a HDMI port for connecting to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse PS/2 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports. In addition to Gigabit Ethernet, there’s also Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n dual band Wi-Fi.
The interior has limited expansion. There’s space for an additional slim optical drive and an additional 3.5-inch internal hard drive, but only a single remaining SATA port on the motherboard. There are two free memory DIMM slots, allowing you to upgrade the existing 8GB of memory to a maximum of 32GB, and two free PCIe x1 expansion slots. A neat folding brace protects the heavy graphics card and keeps it in place during shipping.
The front of the Predator AG3-605-UR1G has two panels. Behind the first is a Blu-ray drive (BD/DVD±RW DL) for all of your movie watching, game loading, and disk burning needs. The second opens and slides down to reveal two other hidden features, the first is a quick-access hard drive bay, giving you a slot for added a second hard drive without having to open up the tower.
The second looks like another optical drive, with a small eject symbol prompting you to press it. Push the button and out pops a built-in hanger for a gaming headset. Whether or not this is entirely necessary is debatable, but it at least shows a design made with gamers in mind, and it may help keep one gaming peripheral off of your floor or desk.
Performance
The Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G is at home on the gaming grid, thanks to its fourth-generation Intel Core i5-4590 Processor (3.3GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.7GHz) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX745 Graphics with 4GB of Discrete Video Memory. Both combine to give the system smoothly playable frame rates on both gaming tests at maximum quality settings at 1,920-by-1,080 resolution (58 frames per second on Aliens vs. Predator; 56fps on Heaven).
This is slightly lower than the higher-priced Lenovo Erazer X700(Black), the Dell XPS 8700 Special Edition, and the popular CyberpowerPC Zeus Mini ZMA800A; which is popular among game twerkers in the mid range gaming category. The AG3-605-UR1G cements its reputation as a gaming rig by putting forward some of the best gaming prowess as compared to similarly priced gaming PCs.
The designs of the Acer Predator line have been toned down considerably since the days of the (movie) “Predator”-inspired Acer Predator AG7750-U2222, with its sliding “face-mask” and mandible optical drive cover. About the only things to continue onto this system is the use of bronze-orange accents and a ribbed motif that has been dialed back several degrees.
The new design puts the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G more in line with HP’s off-the-shelf gaming system, the HP Envy 810-160. Like the HP Envy 810-160 Desktop, the Acer Predator presents a tower that is fairly mundane, but dresses it up with brightly colored accents, aggressive detailing, and a few gamer-friendly features you won’t find on any mainstream desktop.
Summary
As an off-the-shelf gaming rig, the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G does a good job of pairing decent performance with gamer-friendly features, and it even leaves some opportunity to upgrade, making it a good choice for the gamer who may not be ready to try building a system. For knowledgeable PC builders and elite gaming enthusiasts, the Predator AG3-605-UR1G won’t appeal too strongly; if you want something that’s ready to go and offers the performance needed to enjoy the latest games, the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR20 is a pretty good pick. That said, the CYBERPOWERPC GXIVR8020A4 remains our Editors’ Choice entry-level gaming desktop.
