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When it comes to pre-built gaming PCs the standards don't get much better than this. 8Pack's Asteroid is a mini-ITX gaming PC with bags of performance potential and a fully-custom watercooling loop that looks fantastic and performs even better. There's also the option to fully customise the colour scheme by changing the colour of the case, fittings, fluid and braided cables. Below you can see an alternative blue and green configurations, but any colour is possible on request.
It shouldn't come as a surprise that having a renowned professional overclocker design, overclock, deliver and support a system doesn't come cheap. In the configuration we tested you're looking at £3,989.95 and that can increase to £4,469.95 should you opt for a GTX Titan X and 16GB of 3,733MHz DDR4.
OCUK has confirmed it will be offering a GTX 1080 option in the near future once stock lands and a waterblock is available. As it stands it is advisable that prospective buyers hold out for this upgrade as it should have great benefits for 4K UHD gaming based on what we've seen in our review. If you simply cannot wait, then OCUK will upgrade your Asteroid at a later date charging only for the additional parts used – no labour charges, which is a nice service.
We don't think the 8Pack Asteroid is perfect though, and when the price is set as high as it is there's justification to be pedantic. For the ultra-premium price point we expected to see NVMe storage and an option. In this instance the lack of M.2 on the ASUS motherboard and expensive nature of U.2 drives underpins this decision, but OCUK could have opted for a different Z170 motherboard.
An option to choose an X99 ITX setup with a Core i7 5960X, or the rumoured incoming i7 6950X, for the ultimate in bragging rights may also be appreciated. Naturally, the cost would be elevated further still, but when you're outlaying £4,000 on a system what's another £1,000?
Furthermore, the lack of advanced lighting controls or RGB lights is a little disappointing – at the price point we'd expect to see it included as standard. Since the Asteroid is as much a showpiece as it is a high-performance system, we think further enhancing the aesthetics and customisation with lighting is an important feature.
Most keen enthusiasts would scoff at the thought of buying a pre-built system but the 8Pack Asteroid isn't aimed at that type of buyer. Ultimately if you've got deep pockets and are looking for a fantastic compact gaming system, and certainly don't want the hassle of assembling it yourself, then OCUK has you covered. Nonetheless, even an experienced PC builder can appreciate the craftsmanship that has gone into the 8Pack Asteroid.
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Pros:
- Excellent cooling performance and acoustics
- Top-draw ITX gaming performance
- Clean design and styling
- Personalised delivery and support services
Cons:
- Lacks NVMe storage
- No mini-ITX X99 option
- Lighting options are basic
KitGuru says: The OCUK 8Pack Asteroid system is probably the best pre-built compact PC available right now…but has a price tag to match.
