VERDICT
Compact, fast and affordable, but this all-AMD system
makes a lot of noise, and there’s no hardware support
for ray tracing in games.
OVERALLSCORE
84 %%
PERFORMANCE
23 / 25
DESIGN
19 / 25
HARDWARE
20 / 25
VALUE
22 / 25
RAIDERSOF
THELOSTARK
+ Veryfastingames
+ Excellent
CPUpower
+ Sturdy,compact
case
TEMPLEOF
DOOM
- Noray-tracing
hardware - Tooloudand
cramped - Basic motherboard
BENCHMARK RESULTS
Meanwhile, the processor is fast. Its single-threaded image
editing result is level with equivalent Intel chips, and it’s quick in
our heavily multi-threaded Handbrake test video encoding test
as well. The CPU performance is superb for a sub-£1,500 PC.
The SSD is quick too – its read and write speeds of 3,363MB/
sec and 2,947MB/sec can’t match the latest PCI-E 4 drives, but
this PCI-E 3 Corsair drive is plenty fast enough.
Temperatures are fine too, with CPU and GPU delta Ts of 61°C
and 52°C respectively. However, the CCL is consistently noisy,
producing a noticeable rumble, even when it’s idle. The noise
comes from the Corsair Hydro’s two intake fans, and they
already use Corsair iCUE’s Quiet profile, so not much can be
done aside from turning up your speakers or using a headset.
Conclusion
The Radeon RX 5700 XT is a fast graphics card for 1080p and
1440p gaming, and it can even push you into 4K territory.
Impressively, it’s faster than more expensive systems with
the RTX 2070 Super. Elsewhere, the CPU is great for both
work and gaming and the case is robust, plus you get good
memory, a solid warranty and a decent PSU.
However, the motherboard is basic, the case is cramped and
the machine is loud. The lack of ray-tracing hardware in the
AMD GPU is also an important consideration when it comes to
futureproofing. If you prioritise frame rates over ray tracing, and
you’re not bothered by fan noise, then CCL’s machine serves
up ample power for a very good price. Just be aware of this
machine’s shortcomings before placing an order.
MIKE JENNINGS
GIMPIMAGE
EDITING
64,776
HEAVYMULTI-
TASKING
248,589
HANDBRAKEH.264
VIDEO ENCODING
611,851
SYSTEM
SCORE
235,649
LUXMARK
OPENCL
86,908
SHADOWOFTHETOMBRAIDER
2,560x1,440,HighestDetail,TAA
0 50 100 150 200
CCLRaiderX 79fps 101fps
3,840x2,160,HighestDetail,TAA
0 50 100 150 200
CCLRaiderX 42fps 54fps
TOTALWAR:WARHAMMERII
2,560x1,440,UltraDetail,DX11
0 50 100 150 200
50 100 150 200
CCLRaiderX 66fps 86fps
3,840x2,160,UltraDetail,DX11
0
CCLRaiderX 42fps 49fps
BATTLEFIELDV
2,560x1,440,Ultrasettings, DX11
0
CCL RaiderX 81fps 105fps
3,840x2,160,Ultrasettings,DX11
0
CCL RaiderX 53fps 60fps
50 100 150 200
50 100 150 200
Minimum Average
high refresh rates. Its 2,560 x 1,440 minimums were decent,
too, with enough speed to play top-tier games at beyond
60fps. Even 4K gaming is within reach, with the CCL never
dropping below 42fps at this resolution.
However, AMD’s GPUs don’t have ray-tracing hardware,
so its Battlefield V frame rates aren’t comparable with
those of RTX machines. That’s not an issue if frame rates
alone are your top priority, but it does mean you won’t be
able to enable all the top eye candy in some of the latest
games, including Control and Metro: Exodus.