The PC gaming crowd can be tough to please. They want a high-resolution gaming machine that runs at 60-plus frames per second – but it can't be a one-trick pony, either. Every component needs to be upgradeable and be available on store shelves. Oh, and if it's built by someone else, it better be almost as affordable as building it yourself.
It's quite the list of demands.
You can imagine my surprise, then, when Digital Storm's latest Vanquish II gaming PC scribbled a checkmark next to each and every requirement in the book.
You wouldn't know it by the unsuspecting, jet black case – no green neon paint or gaudy, haphazard, LED light show here – but underneath the hood of the Digital Storm's latest Vanquish II beats the heart of a wallet-friendly gaming PC. That is, under the cool hue of a steady blue light.
That starts with the 4th gen Intel Core i5 processor that works as the brains behind the brawn, while 8GB of Digital Storm-certified memory and a GeForce GTX 770 graphics card deliver the power needed to play this year's biggest and best games. The included storage options in the model sent to TechRadar – a 120GB SSD and a 1TB, 7200 rpm hard drive – are a good start, but will fill up fast. Thankfully, the included power supply supports an additional SSD and two extra spinning drives, giving you enough expandability for years to come.
