Acer Predator Orion 3000 PO3-620
Fair game
DESKTOP PC ❘ £1,500 from Currys www.snipca.com/38977
The Predator Orion 3000 is an off-theshelf gaming desktop PC. It certainly looks fantastic, and you can control the colour of its illuminated fan to match your mood or decor. The fan’s colour is then synced with the LEDS that illuminate the interior of the case (pictured below) and light up the triangular power button at the top. It has an integrated carrying handle and even a pop-out hook for hanging your headphones on.
This striking gaming PC plays hard and fast, but falls short on allround performance
A discreet cover on the front conceals several connection points – a USB-C port, a USB 3.0 port and two 3.5mm audio jacks. Around the back there are four more USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports and three more 3.5mm jacks (for headphones, mic and audio out). There’s also a port.
Inside, the PC is powered by an Intel Core i7-10700 processor, 16GB of RAM, and both a 512GB M.2 SSD and a 1TB hard drive. This is an older 10th-generation Intel processor, which is a bit disappointing (and surprising) in a desktop PC at this price. As a result, in our benchmark tests its Windows performance fell short of similarly priced PCS with 11th-generation Intel or the very latest AMD processors.
However, what Acer has saved on its processor has been invested in the graphics. The Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 graphics card runs the latest games at very decent frame rates, even when using 4K resolution or high-quality settings.
We were a little disappointed by the lack of upgrade potential. As is often the case with mass-produced PCS like this, manufacturing efficiency has taken priority over user-friendliness. For example, access to the memory modules is hindered by the large graphics card, which you’d have to temporarily remove if you wanted to upgrade the memory.
There’s also no spare M.2 slot, so to add more SSD storage you’d need to use a 2.5in SSD drive, along with an adapter to fit it into the spare 3.5in bay that sits alongside the additional hard drive.
SPECIFICATIONS
Intel Core i7-10700 processor • 16GB memory • Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 graphics • 512GB SSD • 1TB hard drive • Wi-fi 6 • Bluetooth 5.1 • 3x Displayport • 1x HDMI port • 1x USB-C port • 5x USB 3.0 ports • 2x USB 2.0 ports • Gigabit Ethernet • Windows 10 Home • 386x175x392mm (HXWXD) • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/38977
A powerful PC but its focus on graphics performance over everyday Windows tasks makes it ideal for gamers only
VERDICT
Chillblast Fusion Cruiser £1,500 This gaming PC has more upgrade potential and a faster AMD processor, but its graphics hardware can’t match the
Predator Orion’s
ALTERNATIVE