The CyberPower PC Master GMA8980CPG is a nice-looking, affordable gaming desktop with modest components backed by AMD’s Radeon RX 580 graphics card. Granted, it isn’t as powerful as the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer GXiVR8060A8 – our Editors’ Choice for budget gaming desktops, it’s more than up to the challenge for HD gaming. Plus, the standard tower chassis makes for a highly configurable PC in case you need to add more oomph to your rig.
A stylish design and reliable out-of-the-box performance make the Master GMA8980CPG a worthy money-saving option for gamers looking for something affordable for playing in HD. It is less pricey than similarly configured gaming PCs, and that’s more reason to buy it.
- Need more buying options? Check out our Best Gaming Desktop PCs in 2021
Design
Packing an array of components into a slick case, our Gamer Master GMA8980CPG strikes an exciting balance between elegant and imposing. The real kicker here is the transparent glass side panel, which give you a clear look at the machine’s blue backlighting and impressively neat cable and component layout.
At 17.9 x 17.7 x 7.9 inches and 28.9 pounds, the CyberPower PC Master GMA8980CPG will occupy some desk space, though we still have some case options in the gaming niche that are both (bigger and smaller). Our review unit is bigger than mainstream gaming desktops like Alienware Aurora and MSI Trident X Plus, but not as huge as the CUK Continuum Gaming PC or Maingear Vybe.
Connectivity
On this CyberPower PC Master GMA8980CPG, connectivity comes via front-top panel I/0 ports: two USB 3.0, separate headphone and mic jacks, a power button, a reset button, and a drive activity light-up. The rear panel holds about every other connection you could possibly need, which house two USB 2.0 ports and four USB 3.0 ports, as well as a full suite of audio connections.
There is also an Ethernet port that supplements the built-in 802.11 AC Wi-Fi. The system lacks an SD-card slot, which would be nice for professional creative and photographers. Bundled into the package are a gaming mouse and keyboard. You’ll have to buy the monitor separately, but a budget monitor like the 21-inch Acer SB220Q bi offers a good 1080p gaming experience.
Gaming and VR Performance
Packing AMD’s entry-level AMD Radeon RX 580 (4GB) graphics card, the CYBERPOWER PC Gamer Master delivers predictably decent performance. Its scores aren’t the best around, though. Played at high quality settings in 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) resolution. It runs modern titles at fairly good frame per second (FPS): Resident Evil 2 – 104 fps, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – 68 fps, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – 122 fps and Hitman 2 – 97 fps.
Once you adjust the everything to Ultra quality, the clarity and fps take a hit and drop which is expected at this price range. After all, you’re paying for a budget gaming machine that should only get you playing in Full HD (1080p) and high settings, and anything above the standard 60 fps is impressive.
Overall Performance
When not gaming, the Gamer Master’s 3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 5 1600 can be used for productivity tasks, including media editing, word processing and other general computing tasks. It holds its own against Intel’s entry-level CPUs and the included 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 480GB storage make things run faster.
The AMD Radeon RX 580 competes directly with Nvidia’s GTX 1060 graphics card, with both support VR headsets such as HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, meaning your virtual reality headset will run well without glitches. However, the robust performance comes at the expense of a good amount of fan noise – not enough to disturb your gaming sessions, but loud enough to be heard from across the room.
Verdict
The Gamer Master GMA8980CPG is a pre-built gaming desktop that offers good performance, a strong feature set and a slick, yet spacious case that will accommodate future upgrades with easy. It is reasonably priced relative to assembling one yourself from custom parts, and it’s hard to imagine any DIYer doing a cleaner wiring job, and the component selection is just top-notch.
This pre-configured model offers the best value for budget buyers, but CyberPowerPC still offers high-end configurations, and will do everything from adding the latest RTX 2080 Super graphics card to hardline liquid-cooling if budget isn’t a factor. That’s exactly what you get in the company’s high-end gaming desktops.
Is there a better alternative?
Competitors to the Gamer Master GMA8980CPG include CyberPowerPC’s own CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8060A8, which is our Editors’ Choice for budget gaming desktops. In addition to a clean aesthetic, it offers solid gaming and VR performance thank to a 9th-generation Intel Core i5-9400F processor, a refreshed Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 (6GB) graphics card, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage. For a few more money, it looks like an ultimate alternative worth having at the top of your list.
If you need something inexpensive for gaming, but doesn’t have the aggressive design, one that can be used even in the office, the Dell Inspiron i5676-A696Blu is a perfect match. The Inspiron is offered in a toned-down chassis, but still packs an AMD Ryzen 2 2700 processor, AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card, 16GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive for storage.
Should you buy it?
Maybe. If you’re buying for future upgrades and tinkering, then the CYBERPOWER PC Gamer Master GMA8980CPG offers real bang for the buck.
However, if you’re after solid out-of-the-box performance, the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8060A8 strong overall performance at a reasonable price point that’s competitive than other rigs.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC, Intel Core i5-9400F 2.9GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB, 8GB DDR4, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD, Windows 10 Home (GXiVR8060A8, Black)
6 used from $999.99
