As Nvidia’s Pascal graphics architecture spin into budget systems, AMD have countered with the latest Ryzen CPUs: Both are now changing how much performance we’re getting for decreasing amounts of money. Recently, AMD released the RX 580 graphics card, and the first system that the RX with Intel’s Kaby lake processor is the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A4, a VR-Ready gaming desktop that, when it comes to processing tasks, can hold its own against desktops that cost more.
If your wallet can stretch a bit, it’s possible to find a better gaming rig. But if all you want is a capable system for work and play for much less, it won’t be easy to find something better than this.
Design
The reasonable price of the Gamer GXIVR8020A4 does work in its favor on aesthetics. Like most boutique builders, CyberpowerPC occasionally goes overboard on the bling, and it’s something perfected on this system. The case is all aluminum and all black along the front and top, with airflow perforations underlain by signature lights. Tinted tempered glass doors cover not only the sides, but the front as well, letting you view and access the components.
The choice of lighting on the casing bestows a serious and mature look, and the entire build gets a good visual appeal. However, the biggest splash is made by three concentric rings on the front, with a CyberpowerPC logo near the bottom. Overall, it’s a nice-looking design, measuring 17.89 by 7.09 by 18.5 inches (HWD) and weighing 27.6 pounds. It is a roomy tower, with enough space to grow into something bigger in future.
Connectivity
There’s no optical drive, which is OK considering that these days you won’t be installing your PC games from disks, rather download from digital services like Steam or Origin. In fact, having one would only spoil the case’s stylish austerity on the front. As it is, you get easily accessible ports on the upper deck –two USB 3.0 ports, microphone and headphone, a reset button and Power button.
On the backside, there are four more USB 3.1 Type-A ports, audio ports, an Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports (for connecting old-school keyboard or mouse). There’s also an HDMI and DisplayPort on the graphics card for connecting to external displays. For a VR-Ready system with HTC VIVE and Oculus Rift, having more ports is a bonus. Wireless connectivity comes via 802.11AC Wi-Fi.
Storage
Storage comes in way of a 1TB 7200RPM hard drive. While this is enough for your movies and files, it lacks the boost of having an SSD option for such a system. Lately, we’re seeing SSD storage trickle down to even budget systems, so having one here wouldn’t impact the price, at least, not so much. The CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8060A2 offers a good storage option – 1TB hard drive plus a 120GB SSD. In addition to extending storage, an SSD suffices for snappy performance, thus a worth inclusion.
Performance
Apart from the refreshed design over its predecessor from last year, the Gamer GXIVR8020A4’s raison d’être must be the AMD RX 580 4GB graphics card. This is AMD’s new midrange GPU, which is a direct competitor to Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, and a successor to last year’s AMD RX 480 graphics card. In this system, it is paired with an Intel Core i5-7400 processor and 8GB of RAM.
This is also a new seventh generation ‘Kaby lake’ chip with a base clock speed of 3.0GHz and four processing cores. This configuration allows the system to perform both as a gaming rig, and can as well be used for photo editing, video encoding or other media tasks.
For gaming, the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A4 compares favorably even with more expensive systems, too. The AMD RX 580 4GB graphics card delivers decent 1440p performance, which is a smudge better than the usual 1080p gaming experience on most entry level systems. Ideally, when it comes to gaming, a PC’s graphics matters more than the processor, and with the new graphics card it stacks well against pricy behemoths on the market.
The system’s hardware ensures that you get sufficient full HD or VR gaming. For instance, it delivers 60.6 fps on Grand Theft Auto V (1080p) and 176 fps on League of Legends; versus the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8060A2’s GTX 1060 GPU that delivers 221 fps and 62.8 fps-respectively, on the same games. Its scores fall a little short, but at full HD, these differences are gravy.
The Bottom Line
The CYBERPOWERPC GXIVR8020A4 packs about everything you’d want from a midrange gaming PC into a nice package. It doesn’t cost too much, is easy on the eyes, has some real estate to grow into something bigger, and the gaming experience is just below high-end gaming machines. You get a nicely done VR-Ready PC with plenty of ports and enough storage for creatives to store media and games. Its gaming capability is well above average.
It stacks up well against pricier desktops like the CyberPower Gamer GXiVR8060A7 gaming desktop, and it’s not easy to get a much less expensive rig and maintain this level of performance. Factoring all this together with its forward-looking potential, the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A4 gets a nod among our top picks for midrange gaming desktops.
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[Ryzen & GTX 1050 Ti Edition] SkyTech ArchAngel Gaming Computer Desktop PC Ryzen 1200 3.1GHz Quad-Core, GTX 1050 Ti 4GB, 8GB DDR4 2400, 1TB HDD, 24X DVD, Wi-Fi USB, Windows 10 Home 64-bit
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A4 Gaming PC
US 1+
Pros
- Strong all-around performance
- Useful port options
- Elegant case design
Cons
- Other desktops offer SSD option storage
