We have witnessed a sea of change in the gaming landscape in the past couple of years. On one hand, bespoke gaming systems are no longer the domain of a casual gamer, thanks to ever-burgeoning prices for premium components (We have crypto-miners to thank for that). On the other hand, the launch of NVIDIA’s Pascal GPUs last year has given pre-made gaming rigs a shot in the arm. Without sounding blasphemous, I can say that it is completely possible to get yourself a desktop gaming PC that has enough muscle to tackle even the most demanding games, without spending an arm and a leg for it.
One of the most popular options and one of my personal favorites in recent times is the CyberpowerPC Gamer Panzer PVP3020LQ. This brute of a machine sports the Pascal GPU with Intel’s recent Kaby Lake chips to deliver butter-smooth frame rates for AAA titles at max settings. I am not talking about slightly older games like Crysis or GTA either. I have played titles like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Ark Survival Evolved (Epic preset) without choppy pixelation or the slightest lag in the gameplay.
That for me, is the ultimate test of mettle for any gaming device. We wrote about a slightly more affordable CyberpowerPC computer just a few weeks ago. If you are interested in this manufacturer for their budget PCs and still want to play VR games, take a look at our CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme review here.
With that said, here is my Cyberpowerpc Gamer Panzer PVP3020LQ review.
The Design: Minimalist but pleasant
CyberpowerPC doesn’t go overboard with its aesthetics. Instead, they choose a subdued and minimalist design that helps keep the price tag in check. Personally, I’d pick performance over aesthetics any day, although I do see the value in purchasing hardware that looks good.
With a mid-sized tower that’s 18.3 x 18.3 inches, the PVP3020LQ saves you some valuable estate on your desk. Looking at it head-on, the all-white metallic case looks clean and crisp, but may seem a tad unassuming, considering that expectations have surged after the likes of the ROG GT51 and Alienware Area 51 hit the market.
But the 10-inch tempered glass side will put your aesthetics woes to rest. Here lies the bling factor with a dazzling LED light show that allows you to flip through 16 colors while the machine is running.
Inside, everything looks neatly tucked and arranged. Potential design-disasters, like power supplies for example, are hidden away from public view. Cables are perfectly routed, the liquid cooling stands tall and the ventilation is top-notch thanks to the perforated vents on the top, back and front.
The bulk of the ventilation does happen from the top vent though.
Features and Specs: A well-balanced mix of features
Most gamers rarely look beyond the processor, RAM capacity, and the video card while picking a rig. But it’s the supporting components that ensure consistent performance irrespective of whether you intend to use it for hardcore gaming or for equally power-hungry tasks like video or image editing.
The Cyberpowerpc Gamer Panzer Pvp3020lq has a well-balanced mix of features and specifications. Here are the ones that took center stage for me while writing this review.
- Intel i7-7700K Quad-Core processor: This is among the fastest processors in the market currently for gaming and CPU-extensive workloads.
- NVidia 8GB GTX 1080: nVidia’s beast of a video card that offers fluid gaming in 4K as well as VR. Whereas if you are using it to game even at 1440p, you will be in gaming-heaven as it will have no problems at all at 60 fps and more.
- 32 GB DDR4 RAM: The general consensus among gamers is that more RAM does not equate to a better gaming experience. But for general computing, 32 GB of RAM is massive. It allows you to multitask with all the programs and apps that you’d want to run without any jitters or delays.
- 2 TB HDD: There’s enough room to store all your favorite AAA titles and a few more. With the excellent mid-size case we mentioned earlier, there are enough bays to upgrade your hard storage if you needed any more.
- 240 GB SSD: The Panzer PVP3020LQ comes pre-installed with Windows 10. The boot-up time is lightning fast and the SSD drive offers enough room for your frequently used programs (Steam, Origin) and titles.
- Multiple connectivity ports: There are two USB 3.1 ports perfectly-positioned on the top panel for quick access and five on the back. The video card has HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort outs that allows you to hook up multiple display devices to the machine.
- Gaming mouse & keyboard: The backlit gaming keyboard has well-spaced out keys with a tactile response. Dedicated media buttons allow you to easily access the function keys during button mashing games. The mouse is pretty decent quality at 4000 DPI. However, if you intend to use it for competitive gaming, an upgrade might be on the cards.
Performance: All muscle
Powered by the wings that the Intel i7-7700K Quad-Core processor and GTX 1080 combination gives it, the Cyberpower Gamer Panzer churns out a consistent and jitter-free performance across a variety of AAA titles at more than 100 fps. Like I mentioned earlier, I have played almost all of the most graphic-intensive AAA titles at max settings such as Metro: Redux, Project Cars, GTA V, Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider and ARK: Survival Evolved. All of these were at either ultra and max settings playing on a minimum resolution of 1440p. I am yet to find a nit to pick with the PC.
The performance is near flawless. Thanks to the liquid cooling, the chip can be overclocked too. Because this PC is quite expensive and it does come with the i7-7700K, I would highly encourage overclocking. If you don’t know how to do that, do a quick search on it because it definitely is worth doing.
Affordability: The Spendthrift’s choice
The CyberpowerPC Gamer Panzer can easily hold its own against rigs that are priced much higher than it. It uses premium quality components that can give any self-made rig a serious dent in confidence. Priced right around $1800 currently, it comes with a 1-year warranty and tech support at your fingertips, which is absolute value for every dollar you spend on it. It helps that CyberpowerPC’s support system has been consistently good for the last 5 years as well. I am continuously impressed by their customer service, so do not hesitate to contact them.
With flawless performance even at peak frame rates, there’s not much more that you can ask for.
Conclusion
- System: Intel i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core | Intel Z170/Z270 Chipset | 32GB DDR4 | 240GB SSD | 2TB HDD | Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit
- Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1080 8GB Video Card | 1x DVI | 1x HDMI | 1x Display Port
- Connectivity: 6 x USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 2.0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 | Audio: 7.1 Channel | Keyboard and Mouse
- Special Feature: Liquid Cool for Processor Only | Tempered Glass Side Panel | 10 Color LED Light | USB 7 Color Gaming Keyboard
- Warranty: 1 Year Parts & Labour Warranty Free Lifetime Tech Support
This is hands down, one of the best pre-made gaming rigs in the market currently. It is a well-rounded package with a reasonable price tag. If you prefer a no-brainer approach to gaming, then this should be on the top of your wishlist.
Expensive, but excellent components
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Features
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Functionality
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Design
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Value
Summary
At the current price, the Panzer is more expensive than market averages. But you do get the powerful GTX 1080 + i7-7700K combination to power right through games, and it comes with a nice bundle of components to add to the mix.
Last update on 2023-11-11 at 11:43 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
