PCSpecialist Cortex Pro Prebuilt Desktop Review

With the release of the 5000 series graphics cards from Nvidia, comes the release of new prebuilt gaming desktops, and today we assess the Cortex Pro from PCSpecialist. It features an RTX 5080 graphics card alongside a Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 memory running at 6000MT/s, and a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro M.2 SSD – a spec list that puts it on the cutting edge of gaming technology. With a price tag of £2699 though, it raises the question, is it worth it? That’s the question we're aiming to answer today.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:59 Overview
01:28 Mat's current PC (compare system)
01:54 PCS system Specs / Price
02:26 ASUS RTX5080 Tuf OC Edition
03:25 Memory / Storage / Mobo
05:15 PSU / Cooler / Fans / Case
07:01 Build quality / cable management
07:44 The 2 system test comparisons
07:58 Counter Strike 2 (1440p)
08:26 Hogwarts Legacy (1440p)
08:57 Sniper Elite Resistance (1440p)
09:34 Forza Horizon 5 (4k)
10:20 A Plague Tale Requiem (4k)
11:10 Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (4k)
11:55 Cyberpunk 2077 (DLSS / FSR / Frame Gen / RT)
13:12 Hellblade 2 (4k)
13:51 Gaming Performance thoughts
14:32 Synthetic benchmarks
14:58 Cinebench R23 Multi Core
15:13 Cinebench R23 Single Core
15:28 3DMark Timespy
15:45 Total System Power
16:14 System Noise
16:43 Thermal Imaging
18:35 Closing Thoughts

Specifications:

• Case – PCS LUMIN ARGB MID TOWER CASE (PWM)
• Processor (CPU) – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core CPU (Up to 5.2GHz/104MB w/3D V-CACHE/AM5)
• Motherboard – ASUS® TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI (AM5, DDR5, M.2 PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7)
• Memory (RAM) – 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6000MHz (2 x 16GB)
• Graphics Card – 16GB ASUS TUF GEFORCE RTX 5080 OC – 2 x HDMI, 3 x DP
• Storage – 2TB SAMSUNG 990 PRO M.2, PCIe 4.0 NVMe (up to 7450MB/R, 6900MB/W)
• Power Supply – CORSAIR 1000W RMx SERIES™ – MODULAR 80 PLUS GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
• Processor Cooling – PCS FrostFlow 360 Series ARGB High Performance Liquid Cooler

The core specs are confirmed in the following CPUZ and GPUZ screenshots

Gaming performance is impressive on the Cortex Pro desktop. The combination of RTX 5080 GPU and 9800X3D CPU enable smooth and fast gameplay in all titles tested. For full details and comparison to a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and AMD Radeon 7900XTX based system, head over to our YouTube channel to watch the full review.

Screenshots from Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Cyberpunk 2077, Senua's Saga: Hellblade and Hogwarts Legacy are below.

Synthetic testing resulted in the Cortex Pro comfortably beating that comparison Ryzen 7 7800X3D and AMD Radeon 7900XTX based system, as we would expect to see. Total system power draw was a particular highlight and showcases the efficiency of the newer technology found in the Cortex Pro.

Click to enlarge

You can buy the Cortex Pro Desktop from PCSpecialist for £2699 HERE.

Pros:

• RTX 5080 excels in ray tracing compared to the 7900 XTX.
• Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the gaming CPU on the market.
• Great build aesthetics and component design choice.
• Fast and large SSD.
• Good cable management.
• Prebuilt machines could be a good way to get access to the latest generation Nvidia graphics cards if stock is an issue elsewhere.

Cons:

• Expensive.
• RAM latency (at CL36) could be better.

KitGuru says: The Cortex Pro is undoubtedly a very powerful gaming machine featuring one of the latest graphics cards from Nvidia. The high price tag will certainly put it out of reach for many, but if you can afford it, it's a well built gaming powerhouse.

 

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