Tested product: PC Specialist Tornado R70 PCS-D2322222
Award: SEK 19,990 at Elgiganten
PC Specialist is one of several smaller computer manufacturers that have established themselves in recent years as an alternative to the branded computers and the store-built jars. Through its own online store, the UK manufacturer sells computers that you configure and select components of your choice, but they also have ready-made models that they sell through various retailers in Europe. In Sweden, PC Specialist is sold by Elgiganten.
Rating 3.5 out of 5
Opinion
The Tornado R70 is not a bad buy and shows that a Ryzen computer is doing well in the competition against the more common Intel computers. But we had hoped for more thoughtful details from PC Specialist. Handling of rgb lighting and fan control is a bit cumbersome, and we have some concerns with pre-installed programs that should have been avoided.
Positively
- Good performance, especially for games
- Large and spacious box
- Relatively subdued cooling at high loads
Negative
- Some fan noise at low load
- Occasionally cumbersome rgb control
- Lacks the correct control programs
The computer we have received for testing is called the Tornado R70, and looks to be a bit cheaper than if we pick up the same PC in “loose weight” in the PC Specialist’s store. What you get is a large and spacious computer box with a glass wall on the side. The box is sold under PC Specialist’s own brand, and then the computer has a mix of hardware inside. It comes both from our own brand and from manufacturers such as Asus, Corsair and Gigabyte.
Everything is in standard format and the computer is carefully assembled, so it is easy to access for maintenance and future upgrades. The computer has three large chassis fans mounted on the front edge and one on the back, all with colorful rgb lighting. The light effects are controlled with a button on the top of the computer, where various effects can be cycled through, and a long press turns off the whole thing.
It does not affect the lighting in the processor fan and memory circuits. These we have to dig into the motherboard’s bios to turn off. Same thing if we want to adjust the fan speed during low-intensity operation. It is possible to do if you are used to it, but we would have liked to have programs for it installed. The AMD Ryzen Master program, which should be able to control overclocking, is installed, but if we start it, we only get an error message that our processor is not supported.
Challenges with Ryzen …
However, the processor is an AMD Ryzen, an eight-core Ryzen 7-5700X that provides satisfactory basic performance regardless of whether we can overclock it or not. In our tests, it pulls evenly with the corresponding Intel Core i7 in generation eleven, but just like it did after Intel’s processors in generation twelve. But it has a couple of other benefits. First, it is clearly more energy efficient and cooler in operation.
This means that the processor cooling does not have to be as active during everyday use. The processor fan stays at low speeds longer than a computer with an Intel Core i7 does. Unfortunately, the fan is not as quiet as we would like to use it in a good way. It has a noticeable sound level in the quietest mode. On the other hand, it does not increase much in volume when it goes up in laps, which is a plus.
Secondly, the processor is good at combining its power with performance from graphics cards, which gives advantage in games and some productivity programs. We are talking marginal differences that can be achieved with efficient cooling or other optimization in other computers as well, it should not determine your processor choice.
If you want to upgrade to a new generation Ryzen in the future, the 7000 series that is expected to arrive at the end of the year, you will also need to change the motherboard, as AMD will start with a new processor socket next generation. But with the performance you get here, we see no need for it in a long time. You may also need to upgrade its 650 watt power unit if you want to maximize graphics card and extra storage.
… But not with Radeon
The graphics processor in the computer, however, is not AMD Radeon but Nvidia Geforce. An RTX 3070 card from Gigabyte to be exact. And we do not complain about that. With that, we actually get almost the same measurement result as a computer with a more powerful RTX 3070 ti card we tested.
You can by a good margin enjoy the best image quality and high frequency in most popular games on up to a 1440p screen and maybe even 4k in some less demanding games. The card has three fans and good dynamic fan control. It stays quiet for the most part, and is not disturbingly loud when cooling starts.
You get 16 gigabytes of ddr4 memory and have the easy opportunity to upgrade it to double with two free dimming slots. You also get an ssd on a terabyte with well-approved but not dazzling performance, and it is possible to install an extra m.2 slot on the motherboard and up to two extra hard drives via sata connector. There are four sata connectors on the motherboard, but in the chassis there is room for a 2.5-inch disk and a 3.5-inch disk.
Spacious inside
Despite a large processor fan that is a bit in the way, it is fairly easy to access inside for upgrades and maintenance. The only thing that is unsmartly placed is space for extra m.2-ssd – to reach it we need to loosen the graphics card.
Two pci express card slots are available, and a third has a wifi 6 card installed. We are a little hesitant that there will be room in the slot right next to the graphics card. It may need some space for cooling. This means that the only extra card we can install is one of the pcie x1 type. But with graphics cards and wifi already in place, it is mostly easier to add extra function via usb. And you have plenty of fast ones in your computer.
The computer comes with Windows 11 Home, and not much more. Bullguard Internet Security is pre-installed, but only a free trial version that you can just as easily download yourself. In addition, there is only Geforce Experience and the already mentioned AMD Ryzen Master.
Specifications
Product name: PC Specialist Tornado R70 PCS-D2322222
Tested: May 2022
Contact: PC Specialist
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-5700X
Memory: 16 GB ddr4
Storage: 1 TB ssd
Graphics: Geforce RTX 3070, 8 GB
Connections, front: Usb 3 gen 1 type a, 2 pcs usb 2.0, headphones, microphone
Connections, rear: Usb 3 gen 2 type c, usb 3 gen 2 type a, 4 pcs usb 3 gen 1 type a, 2 pcs usb 2.0, lan, hdmi, 3 pcs display port, s / pdif, 5.1 audio out, audio in, microphone
Wireless: Wifi 6, bluetooth 5.0
Expansion sites: 2 pcs dimm, 1 pc pcie x16, 1 pc pcie x1, 1 pc pcie m.2,
Power supply: 650 W
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Noise level: 34-42 dBa
Power consumption: 1.5 W standby, 60-374 W active
Size: 20.8 x 40 x 45.8 cm
Award: SEK 19,990 at Elgiganten
Guarantee: 24 months
Performance
Cinebench R23, a core: 1,523 points
Cinebench R23, multiple cores: 13,364 points
Geekbench 5, a core: 1,645 points
Geekbench 5, multiple cores: 9 360 points
Geekbench 5, graphic: 143,648 points
3dmark Fire Strike (Directx 11): 29,923 points
3dmark Time Spy (Directx 12): 12,734 points
3dmark Port Royal (Radiation Tracking): 8,039 points
Storage, reading: 2 498.47 MB / s
Storage, writing: 1 878.22 MB / s
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