Description
Upgraded from my previous rig built all the way back in 2017! Going from a 1080 Ti all the way to a series 40 card, more memory, better bigger case. Took years of saving (thank you, living in a small country with a weak currency and steep import fees 😔✊), but it was all worth it.
Built primarily for gaming, but it also helps when I have to run scripts and work with big spreadsheets for my job. After a few weeks, this PC has handled everything I throw at it without missing a beat. I picked probably the absolute worst time to try buying a GPU, so it ended up being the final component I tracked down while everything else waited in boxes. Dire things happening with the graphics card market, but I have succeeded this time. Lots of research and some stressing out, but in the end I couldn't be happier with the results.
Part Reviews
CPU
Everything you could really want - great balance of power, quality, and pricing. It is prone to heat spikes during certain processes, but nothing that adjusting fan activation times cannot fix in order to avoid them ramping up to max when it's unnecessary as it does not last longer than a second or two. So long as you have a good cooler, this CPU will run smoothly and reliably.
CPU Cooler
Installation is easy and straightforward, and I really enjoy the aesthetics of it. The lights on the cooling block and fans are quire vibrant, easy to chain together, and the logo design is distinctive without unnecessary branded writing on it. Works flawlessly at keeping my 7800X3D cool, however the fans can get quite loud if spinning up to max so I recommend tinkering with your curve settings instead of leaving it on default.
Motherboard
I know Asus has quite a dire reputation now, and I personally don't trust any manufacturers on principle. But just going on a case by case basis, this is a great mobo model. The BIOS flashback feature is super convenient, plenty of ports, built in M.2 heatsinks, and good spacing/amount of various headers. Some unobtrusive RGB effects on the side of the board make it feel pretty primo without being Too Much.
However I must agree with other reviewers in that the Asus software is absolute ***. I do not interact with it enough to dock a star from this board, but be warned - it does in fact suck.
Memory
Kinda large, so you may need to make sure you have enough clearance to fit these in. Work great and looks striking.
Storage
Very good affordable little SSD. I've had it for years and encountered no issues. Currently using as a boot drive and software install directory so the small storage amount is not an issue.
Storage
Using it as a dedicated gaming drive, and this thing's lightning quick.
Storage
Acquired this to replace a primary media/general storage HDD drive. Price-wise this is a more mid-range M.2 model, but if you need a big drive then it's noticeably more affordable than say Samsung models that offer the same amount of storage. Working well for me so far, and if nothing else definitely an upgrade over my old HDD.
Video Card
The low end offering from MSI's selection of 4080 SUPERs, so it doesn't really have any of the bells and whistles of pricier models like RGBs, definitely feels a little plastic-y, and it's got a lower clock speed. However in February of 2025 getting your hands on any 4080 without selling a kidney is already an achievement, so I am happy to have it at all. As far as actual function goes there is absolutely nothing to complain about, runs any modern game I wish without issue while keeping at a chill ~56C most of the time. Fans are quiet, no coil whine, and I think it does actually look nice if you're able to hook it in via a riser cable to show the fan side.
I am however extremely skeptical of the support bracket included with the card, it does not feel like it fully props up the far end of it. I would recommend purchasing your own just in case, as these modern models are quite large and heavy.
Case
Great case. Plenty of space to work, great cable management opportunities, construction feels quality. You can fit in a huge radiator and a total of 9 fans on this bad boy. Built in USB-C port is a nice bonus too. Very reasonable price for what you get, I see very similar configurations going for almost twice as much.
Power Supply
Total beast, and lives up to the name - runs quiet. Native support for PCIe 5.0 GPU connections too, which will spare you the headache of the bulky three head splitter.
Operating System
Well, what're you gonna do 🤷♂️ It's Windows, bloatware and all.
Case Fan
The amount of bang you get for your buck with these cannot be understated. If you need a lot of fans at once other popular but pricier models could put you in the hole for the cost an entire new 2tb SSD for a set of six fans. The low price point would make anyone skeptical, but these are indeed damn good fans. They're somewhat low power compared to what is usually used in PC builds, topping out at 47 CFM. But if you're getting a lot of them at once, which is what makes the price point so attractive, it really will not make a difference. All together in a well-arranged case they'll move all the air you need, run quiet, look very sleek - and all for a third of the price.
Monitor
Nice lightweight gaming monitor, no complaints. You do need a display cable for the Nvidia G-Sync/AMD FreeSync to work, an HDMI won't cut it.
Monitor
Excellent 2k gaming monitor - crisp image, great colours and contrast. I've seen other reviews describe it as being close to OLED for a fraction of the price, and that does feel accurate. Only complaints are that it is quite heavy and the stand is unnecessarily large. For the latter I have it mounted on an arm anyway, but be aware.
Keyboard
As far as the actual feeling and functioning of the keyboard I have no complaints. However the SteelSeries Engine software is very buggy with this specific model, at least for me. It'll mix up or delete profiles, and follow the OLED image settings pretty inconsistently.
Mouse
Very good budget mouse, I have had no issues with it after years of use.
Headphones
Great sound quality and you get a choice of connection type between usb-c and standard audio jack. They also feel incredibly light to wear, after a while you'll forget they're even there.
Custom
Really great webcam - the image is very crisp and clear, FoV is very generous, construction feels sturdy, and the privacy cover is a really nice bonus.
Custom
Very nice flexible cable, works without issue with my be quiet! PSU.
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