Review for system version: Intel Core i7 11700F 2.5 GHz, RTX 3060 Ti, 1TB NVME SSD, 16G DDR4 3200, 600W Gold PSU, AC Wi-Fi, Windows 10 Home 64-bit
I am an old guy and for the past 15+ years, I have built my own systems based on what I was going to use them for. That being said, this time around I had priced out a new build for mild gaming and general productivity. I was interested in the Skytech Blaze 3.0 Gaming Case for my build because it wasn't super expensive, had the ventilation potential I was looking for and had a lot of room for extra add-ons. Shopping for the case is how I came across this pre-built system.
This system is considerably less powerful in every way compared to what I would build myself, but after reading the basic setup and components of this pre-built system, I gave it some serious consideration and ultimately decided to buy it to save my old tired eyes from the strain of putting together a self-built system.
Everything looked good and acceptable for my needs except for when I got to the line in the description indicating that the component make and models may vary depending on availability (paraphrasing), I became hesitant, but in the end, I took the plunge.
Reviews were mostly good with a few negatives due to failing components out of the box or soon after setup, but most of the negatives would be relatively easy to fix for someone with novice experience in building computers. Besides, my build would have costed 3-4 times more than this pre-built system and would have been absolute overkill for my real needs.
Common failure issues with any new pre-built system, even after testing, include memory stick failure, PSU dying and broken glass from the case and even sometimes USB failure. These failures can happen with any manufacture and even after testing, so be prepared to fix them yourself if you don't want to go without your new computer while waiting for it to be fixed under warranty repair or replacement.
Being that the component make and models may vary depending on availability, I was pleasantly surprise with what I received.
- ASRock B560M-C Motherboard. I must have received a version II of this board, if there is one, because ASRock's web site indicates this board only has one M.2 slot, mine came with two dedicated M.2 slots, 1 used and 1 available. This board also has 4 PCIe slots with 1 used for the GPU and one is open but covered by the GPU, so only two PCIe slots are accessible and open, 4 memory slots supporting up to 128GBs and plenty of USB options (3.2 & 2.0) and the board and BIOS (UEFI) on mine supports XMP for higher memory frequency. It has onboard Intel 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth.
** When I got the system running, the memory was operating at 2400Mhz, so I had to go into the BIOS and switch the memory setting to Profile 1, which enabled the XMP so that the memory could run at 3200Mhz.
- 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11700F @ 2.50GHz, 2496 Mhz, 8 Cores, 16 Logical Processors. The F means that it has GPU capabilities, which is good for troubleshooting if the GPU ever goes out.
- OLOy 16GB (2 x 8GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200. Has had stability issues but I am not familiar with this brand other than what I have read. I have ordered Corsair Vengeance LPX 64GB (2x 32GB) DDR4 3200 as an upgrade.
- ASUS NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 TI w/8GB & RGB. 3 Display ports and 1 HDMI. It supports ray tracing and runs Cyberpunk 2077 above 60fps on high and ultra settings with no discernible skipping or lagging. Haven't tried VR yet, but my old 1660 Ti had no problems with VR, so there shouldn't be an issue. I've always had a good experience with ASUS products.
- Intel 670p Series M.2 2280 1TB PCIe NVMe. Not the greatest but definitely not bad in any way. Will probably get another for the second M.2 slot.
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home, 64-bit version 21H1. Would rather have Pro for the stability, but it is what it is.
- Liquid Cooling. The CPU is liquid cooled but I couldn't find the brand for the system. It has a full front panel radiator with two RGB fans in front of the radiator and the case has one in back that is RGB also. Fans run quiet even under load. Nice RGB on the CPU cover with the Skytech logo. It does not leak and has kept under 32c even while playing Cyberpunk 2077.
** The ASRock MB supports RGB and there is software by ASRock installed that supports pretty much full RGB control. The GPU also has a small RGB, but it is not controllable with the provided software.
- 600w PSU. The PSU is located in a compartment at the bottom of the case. I did not open it to find out what brand or to check if it was Gold or not because I plan on upping to a 750w Gold PSU sometime soon.
- Intel Wireless LAN, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi with Bluetooth 4.2/3.0 + High Speed class II. Works pretty good... it detected my surround system on the other side of my house and paired to my Edifier Speakers in nothing flat.
****** Update for Intel Wireless LAN: Kept losing connection to my router, even with line-of-sight placement it would lose connection every few seconds. Tried many adjustments and driver updates to no avail. Ended up disabling the Intel Wireless LAN and plugged in a USB Linksys AE3000 stick adapter. Works perfect. I did have to download the drivers and disable the Intel LAN in Device Manager. Just keep that in mind if you run into issues connecting to the internet.
- RGB Keyboard and mouse. Seems very sturdy but the keys are quite noisy, mouse has Skytech logo that lights up. RGBs are on all the time and I am not a big fan of RGB anything, so I plan to turn the RBG off if I can figure out how, or I will replace with a standard Logitec wired keyboard. Not a fan of the mouse... I had typed up this review last night and when I was almost finished, I accidentally hit one of the accessory buttons on the left side of the mouse and all my review was deleted. Be careful.
- Skytech Blaze 3.0 Gaming Case with tempered glass and front mesh - black edition. I like this case. Plenty of room for extras and ventilation is good but with a couple more fans for the top side vents, it will be great. I was going to use this case if I built my own system. Handle the glass side panel with care, from reading other reviews, it breaks easily.
The system came well packaged with no damage to the outer shipping box or inner system box and there was extra padding protection inside the case that needed to be removed, which was great.
The system I received is how it was describe plus more than I expected and no bloatware at all. All in all, I would recommend this system. But remember, since components in the system are dependent to what is available at the time of build, you may not get what I got.
Best of luck if you choose this system. I am happy so far with what I received. I will update my review if I run into any unexpected issues in the future that are manufacturer related. Remember, some failures and issues can come up ever though the manufacturer took all testing and precautionary steps prior to shipping.
| Standing screen display size | 1 |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| Processor | 2.5 GHz core_i7 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 3200 MHz |
| Hard Drive | 1 TB SSD |
| Graphics Coprocessor | 3060 Ti |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 8 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 1 |
