Corsair Vengeance 6182
You’d struggle to find a better all-around AMD build
SINCE THE RELEASE of Ryzen’s secondgen CPUs in 2018, AMD has gained some serious hardware clout. Even so, it’s not often we get our hands on an all-AMD rig. But it’s the third-gen Ryzen CPUs and 5700-series graphics cards that have finally given gamers real choice when it comes to high-end power, and Corsair’s new Vengeance PCs (6180 and 6182) are just the first in what could grow into a healthy ecosystem of AMD-based builds.
There isn’t much difference between the 6180 and 6182 models, so while we’ve reviewed the 6182 here, you can safely expect the same core performance between the two. The only differences are the motherboards, SSD, and price. The 6180 comes with a B540 chipset and 460GB of SSD space, while the 6182 comes with a X570 chipset and 1TB of SSD space. The rest of the specifications are the same—plus or minus a few USB ports—priced at a reasonable $1,899 and $1,999 respectively.
The Vengeance 6182’s dual-chamber case showcases the GPU, RAM, and other flashier components on the tempered glass side with such clarity that you can’t help but be drawn in by the RGB lighting reflecting off the components. The opaque side houses the PSU and other non-eye-candy components.
Compared to the previous-generation 5180, which used an Intel Core i7-8700 and an RTX 2080 (and was $400 more at release), Corsair’s AMD Vengeance 6182 performs near or on par in both synthetic and in-game benchmarks. Multicore and single-core Cinebench scores for the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X topped out at 2,049 and 198 respectively (without an overclock). 3DMark scores for the RX 5700 XT were lower than the RTX 2080, so no surprise there—about 100 points lower at a 1440p resolution and 300 lower at 4K—but actual in-game performance was more evenly matched.
GAME CHANGER
We’ve updated our testing procedures with different games since the 5180 review, but we did test Shadowof the
TombRaider and GhostRecon:Wildlands at 1080p, too, for a better comparison— 103fps on SoTR and 60fps on Wildlands on the 6182. The 5180 fared a little better, with 113fps and 75fps respectively.
This makes the pricing scheme for both the current 5181/5182 and new 6180-series interesting. Not only is there a better motherboard and SSD storage in the 6182 compared to the 6180, but there’s also faster RAM than the 5182, and both the 5182 and 6182 cost $1,999. The 5181, which has a larger SSD than the 5182 and 6180, but no secondary storage, is $1,899, like the 6180. However, the 5181 and 5182 both have an RTX 2070 Super, which is faster than the RTX 5700 XT. In terms of which model has the “better” components, they are all evenly matched when breaking it down like that.
It’s worth noting that the Vengeance 6182 is only available from Corsair’s own website, while the 6180 and 5182 models are available on Amazon. And as usual with pre-builds, DIY with the same parts costs a few hundred dollars less—but, of course, that doesn’t include the cost of labor or the two-year warranty. Strange pricing scheme aside, there aren’t any glaring flaws with the Vengeance 6182 gaming desktop. It’s compact. It’s quiet, even when under stress. It’s a competitively priced, highend rig that’s uniquely good looking.
If ray tracing is a must-have, sacrifice faster RAM, a faster and larger SSD, and a better motherboard, and go with the 5182 for the same price as the 6182. The 2070 Super is a better card than the RX 5700 XT, but it’s only six percent faster, and both cards can perform comfortably on ultra at 1080p and 1440p. The best value, though, is the Vengeance 6182, a smart, overclockable investment when you consider the full specs. Upgrade the graphics card in a couple years, and the rest of the system should still be going strong. –JOANNA NELIUS