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EXCELLENT
As an off-the-shelf gaming rig, the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D does a good job of pairing decent performance with gamer-friendly features, and it even leaves some opportunity to upgrade, making it a good choice for the gamer who may not be ready to try building a system.
Finding the perfect desktop PC for you is more difficult if you’re not sure exactly what you need; it can be easy to buy too much hardware or the wrong hardware, or pay too much. That’s a risk wrapped up in the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D, it offers a number of useful, high-end–mainstream performance features that will make the day of those who deal with seriously weighty applications. But because that isn’t everyone, this computer might fail to live up to your full expectations if you plan to use it for other things.
The Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D is a fine number-cruncher, packs powerful 4th Generation 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 12GB DRR3 memory, a more than enough 2Tb HDD and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Graphics for your games and media editing needs. Its packaging itself is convincing that you’re getting a powerful gaming and media editing machine. In this mid-level gaming desktop, you are assured of decent performance and upgradeability, with a couple of features that as a gamer you’ll find appealing.
Design
The designs of the Acer Predator line have been toned down considerably since the days of the (movie) “Predator”-inspired Acer Aspire Predator AG7750-U2222, with its sliding “face-mask” and mandible optical drive cover. About the only things to continue onto this system is the use of bronze-orange accents and a ribbed motif that has been dialed back several degrees.
The new design puts the Predator AG3-605-UR1D more in line with HP’s off-the-shelf gaming system, the HP Envy Phoenix h9-1320t. Like the HP h9-1320t, the Acer Predator presents a tower that is fairly mundane, but dresses it up with brightly colored accents, aggressive detailing, and a few gamer-friendly features you won’t find on any mainstream desktop.
Connectivity
A DVD burner and a multi-format digital card reader provide additional external storage options. Connectivity potential is ripe, with two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and headphone and microphone jacks on the front panel; on the rear panel you’ll find two PS/2 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, and High-Definition 5.1-Channel Audio Support. Video outputs comprise two DVI and 1 HDMI ports on the video card.
Wi-Fi comes courtesy of a PCI Express (PCIe) x1 card supporting the common 802.11a/b/g/n frequency, an Ethernet port is also thrown in the rear; there are two other PCIe x1 slots free for future expansion. The system comes with a bundled USB Keyboard and Optical Mouse, while it is a good idea, if you plan on gaming you can find better gaming options such as the CM Storm Devastator – LED Gaming Keyboard and Mouse Combo Bundle and they don’t cost a lot. It comes with Windows 8.1, but you can upgrade it to Windows 10 released a few days ago.
Performance
The system’s Intel Core i7-4770 quad-core processor—the same found in the Dell XPS 8700 Special Edition—is a fairly potent CPU, and with Turbo Boost, the base clock speed of 3.4GHz (6 MB total cache) can be bumped up to 3.9GHz for the smoothest multitasking. Add to this the generous 12GB of RAM, and you’ll have to put the Predator AG3-605-UR1D under a pretty heavy load before you start to see any slowing or stuttering.
This is the same processor iteration we’ve seen in the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR20, although the latter comes with even more generous 32 GB DDR3 system memory. These specifications will give you a smooth gaming experience on some of the popular gaming titles and heavy video editing tasks, better than it less pricier sibling the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1G (which I profiled early this year). It is a strong competitor when put side by side with other systems with the same processor, staying ahead of the likes of Dell XPS 8700 and the Dell XPS X8700-3130BLK in multimedia processing.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 card in the Predator AG3-605-UR1D, on the other hand, is very competent although we’ve seen gaming systems with even better graphic processors around the same price. With discrete graphics combined with a 1.5GB dedicated video RAM, your 3D games and other cinematic visuals will be rendered without stutters.
All these are further enhanced by High-Definition 5.1-Channel Audio Support for realistic sound effects to be in the heart of the action, so this is quite an advanced multimedia centre. Intel i7-4770, 12GB memory and the GTX 760 graphics give you all the power and speed you need to play the latest game titles such as Battlefield 4, Shovel Knight and The Wolf Among Us; at the highest settings. They also enable you edit complex multimedia and perform your daily tasks very efficiently. 2000GB HDD is massive amount of storage space for all your videos, photos, common files and games.
Summary
As an off-the-shelf gaming rig, the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D does a good job of pairing decent performance with gamer-friendly features, and it even leaves some opportunity to upgrade, making it a good choice for the gamer who may not be ready to try building a system. For knowledgeable PC builders and elite gaming enthusiasts, the Predator AG3-605-UR1D won’t appeal too strongly; if you want something that’s ready to go and offers the performance needed to enjoy the latest games, the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR20 is a pretty good pick.
The CYBERPOWERPC GXIVR8060A2 remains our Editors’ Choice thanks to its better gaming performance, but the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR1D is still worth a look, especially when looking for a multi-purpose workhorse that can occasionally be used for gaming.
Editors' Choice
Skytech Shadow Gaming PC Desktop – Intel Core i5 10400F 2.9 GHz, RTX 3050, 1TB NVME SSD, 8G DDR4 3200, 600W Gold PSU, AC Wi-Fi, Windows 10 Home 64-bit
