Acer Predator Orion 5000 PO5-650-UB11 Gaming Desktop Review
Updated: Aug 19, 2024
Let' begin:
If you're looking for an easy to start with gaming computer, this is a strong contender! The box includes a desktop that has enough horsepower to get you started on high quality, high framerate gaming out of the box, a decent enough keyboard that types pretty well for an included keyboard, and a mouse that is not terrible (for an included mouse). All of this together means that the computer will be able to grow with you over time, whether that be a new keyboard and/or mouse, connecting it to your monitor/TV/projector/all of them, or upgrading components inside!
Disclaimer
This is NOT a sponsored post, but I did receive this as a member of Best Buy's Tech Insider Program. As a member of this invitation-only program, I am provided products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased reviews. I did not purchase this product.
My Predator Orion 5000 PO5-650-UB11 desktop came equipped with an i7-13700F (no on-CPU graphics), a NVIDIA RTX 3070, 1TB NVMe SSD storage, and 16GB of the latest DDR5 RAM. Basically, this is an awesome gaming package that is just waiting for you to hook up a gaming monitor and WOW yourself with excellent performance and a very customizable rig! There is more than enough RGB for those that like it, and it's addressable! That means you can customize the look just for you! The RGB on the motherboard instead of on the RAM, GPU, or elsewhere is weird, but it works and still looks good! The case is durable! There's a slim chance that something like the graphics card is going to shake loose, maybe the RAM, but even that is locked in! The side and top panels are removeable to get to the components and dust filters (all removable and easy to clean!), they are held in place by a Philips head screw that was cranked on pretty tight for mine, but you can mostly leave those in a drawer after you have it home and rely upon the quick release latch system to keep things contained and allow easy, tool-less access!
This rig had no problems handling COD Warzone/BO:CW/MW at max settings, Fortnite, Forza, or Fallout 4 & 76, and GTA V at max settings! The productivity side is even more impressive, with the i7-13700F and RTX 3070 making for a solid streaming and video editing rig! The amount of power you get from this CPU/GPU combo allows you to easily stream at high quality 1080P or 1440P without an additional capture card or streaming rig, perfect for someone just getting into streaming, casual streaming, or is more interested in recording and editing videos for YouTube! There are two more RAM slots that are not populated for memory expansion, especially if you're looking to stream and record, then edit with Premiere Pro. The 3.5" HDD/2.5" SSD sleds in the bottom of the case are also pre-populated with the SATA data and power cables! You literally just have to pop them onto the drive sled and slide them in!
Pros:
-Great airflow!
-Excellent match of hardware
-New RAM sticks look good! (not just plain PCBs)
-Good amount of included storage space and LOTS of options to add more!
-Keyboard and mouse are more than usable, not just e-waste
-Good thermals, all around!
-High performing out of the box.
-Very limited proprietary programs and bloatware.
-Hot-swappable 3.5" HDD/2.5" SSD trays for easy storage upgrades!
Cons:
-Second NVMe SSD mount shoots off the side of the motherboard
-On-board RGB LEDs are an odd choice
-Case can be used with other equipment inside of it, but there may be some oddities, such as the 2.5" hot-swappable drive mount that isn't usable and the massive GPU brace (that can be removed, but not reused)
Final thoughts:
Overall, this is an amazing value and a great pick for someone who wants to get into higher-end PC gaming, but doesn't want to fiddle with building their own. This is also a great value for the parts inside and performance! I would highly recommend it!
Comments