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ABS Cyclone Ruby Review
When it comes to buying a pre-built PC, it can be hard to choose between AMD or Intel CPU options. The ABS Cyclone Ruby is an interesting machine to review, as it’s so similar to the ABS Cyclone Aqua we covered previously – the two machines carry CPUs at the upper end of the two companies’ ranges, backed by an Nvidia GPU and 32GB of RAM. This makes them as useful for creative work as they are for gaming, able to bring that rendering power to bear on graphics and movies, as well as being able to run the neural networks Adobe (and lots of other companies) is so keen on right now.
Key Specifications
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
CPU: |
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X |
4/5 |
|
NPU: |
n/a |
3/5 |
|
Graphics: |
Gigabyte RTX 4070 Super Windforce 3X OC |
4/5 |
|
Memory: |
TeamGroup Delta RGB 32GB DDR5 6000 MHz |
4/5 |
|
Storage: |
Kingston 1TB SSD |
4/5 |
|
Ports: |
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 4x USB 2.0, 1 x PS/2 |
3/5 |
|
Wireless connectivity: |
Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2 |
3/5 |
|
Dimensions: |
200mm x 415mm x 321mm |
3/5 |
Design and Build
The ABS has hit a winning formula with its Cyclone series. The simple ATC tower case with its single transparent panel contains a Gigabyte motherboard and GPU board, two sticks of Teamgroup RAM and a Thermaltake air cooler. There are case fans and some RGB lighting as you’d expect, while all the cables are tidily routed out of the way and the PSU is hidden beneath the floor.
Price
The Cyclone Ruby is available through Newegg, and is regularly available both at a discount and as a refurbished unit. This makes it good value, especially as it’s possible to pick this PC up for the same sort of price as the Aqua, which has a better CPU but weaker GPU. This means it’s the same price as the most expensive (until you start adding extras) M4 iMac, which comes with less RAM and storage but does have the benefit of having a built-in monitor.
Value Score: 4/5
Who is it for?
- Home workers and students
- Gamers and creatives alike will enjoy the benefits of a PC like the Cyclone Ruby. While its CPU may be a generation behind, it keeps up well with modern workloads, and the 4070 Super GPU is able to handle any of the kind of workloads modern creative apps can ask for. Whether it’s polygons, movies or neural networks, it can do it all.
Buy it if…
- You want desktop power for not so much money
- You don’t want to pay for the latest generation
- You want to play games too
Don’t buy it if…
- Only the latest tech will do
- You don’t want to have to buy a monitor separately
- One fast USB-C port is enough
Also consider
- The Aqua
- The M4 iMac
- The latest generation of the Cyclone series
