CLX Ra Gaming PC: Specifications
price: $6,045 reviewed
processor: Intel Core i9-12900KF
sheep: 32GB
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
Storage: 1TB SSD (system), 4TB HDD (storage)
accessories: none
port: USB 2.0 (2), USB 3.0 (2), USB 3.1 Gen 2 (5), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (3), USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (1) Headphones, Microphone, HDMI (2), DisplayPort (4), S /PDIF, 7.1 channel audio
size: 20.5×9.7×20.5 inch (HWD)
weight: 57.5
Buying a fully assembled gaming computer has never been a problem. Big companies like Dell and Acer have the connections and know-how to buy powerful components at low prices and back them up with much-needed service and support in an emergency. But just as these mass-production techniques produce high-performance systems at mouth-watering prices, they also ensure that thousands of other people get the same PCs they buy. can.never unique you.
To do that, you’ll have to turn to so-called “boutique” PC makers, who can build everything from scratch, from CPUs, motherboards, and RAM to graphics cards, cooling, and cases. Wichita, Kansas-based CLX Gaming is one such company. With its flagship Ra Gaming PC, you can fine-tune every aspect of your system and pack in the parts that meet exactly your needs and budget.
The version of Ra the company sent you wasn’t necessarily designed by you, but you might want to. Built and painted with sparkling precision and care, equipped with top-notch hardware that makes it a 4K monster in every game we throw at it, it’s almost as good as a gaming desktop. At $1,000 more than other high-end desktops that offer similarly good performance, it’s not cheap.
That makes the CLX Ra a tricky proposition, at least in this fragile version.But the trick here is there, so it’s best gaming pc we have seen over the years.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: Pricing and Availability
Like other boutique manufacturers such as Falcon Northwest and Maingear, CLX offers the Ra an almost endless number of configuration options. That makes for a relatively affordable $1,799 system with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, 16GB of RAM and 500GB of PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD storage in a standard black Phanteks. is realized. Evolv X case — not bad for beginners.
Or a 16-core Intel Core i9-12900KF processor, Nvidia RTX 3090 graphics card, 32GB of RAM and a whopping 5TB of storage (1TB NVMe SSD for Windows and other programs and 4TB spinning for general purpose file storage). hard drive), and an Evolv X Foundry II case with a nifty “lapis lazuli” paint job, and a one-year lifetime warranty on parts, including just about every other bell and whistle imaginable. (Other configuration and warranty options may result in higher prices.)
Please note that each computer is built from scratch, so yours may not arrive immediately. As of this writing, a configuration comparable to ours will ship in just over a month.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: Design
The Evolv X Foundry II case is designed to show off the inner workings of your PC, and for Ra this is a big plus. Sure, the exterior is nice, with a glossy paint job in various shades of blue and a gradient, sunburst yellow on top of the checkerboard pattern, CLX branding in white on the bottom of the front panel, and the Ra and Intel logos in a bottomless spiral Surrounding front and center. (The power button is located on the front of the top panel for easy access whether the tower is above or below your desk.)
But the real star here is the glass side panel, which introduces you to the inside of the system. The CLX’s build quality is exceptional, and the visual aesthetics are classy yet utterly gamer-ish. There’s no RGB strip, but all the elements of the RAM and cooling system – fans (7: 3 front, 3 top, 1 rear), liquid cooling reservoir, CPU water block, and graphics card. Liquid cooling assemblies — all glowing in the same muted, pulsing colors, imbuing Ra with a sense of classy excitement. (The lighting design even seems to change the color of the cooling pipes, like everything else.)
image 1 of 3
Although the Evolv X Foundry II technically qualifies as a mid-tower case (it measures approximately 20.5 x 9.7 x 20.5 inches), [HWD]), which is not a lightweight system. Configured weight is 57.5 lbs. This explains the use of CLX’s ‘Sarcophagus’ package, combined with the high volume of glass tubing and standard delicacy of the components. This involves using cardboard boxes heavily packed inside a crate in addition to regular foam. to protect the inside.
Not uncommon in itself (Origin has been doing this sort of thing for years, even with laptops), CLX is the first company to add hinges to the crate. Use a drill or crowbar to reach the computer. Simple and nice touch. I hope more companies will follow suit in the future.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: Ports and Upgradability
You will never run out of Ra ports. Hidden behind pop-up doors at the top, front panel selections include two USB 3.0, one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, headphone and microphone jacks, and Phanteks D-RGB mode and D-RGB color. It consists of two intended buttons. (Like the wires, these did nothing on our unit.)
On the back, thanks to the Asus ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming motherboard, there are a dizzying 10 additional USB ports (8 of which are USB Type-A, 2.0, 3.2 Gen 1 and 3.2 Gen 2). two of the types). This is Type-C, one Gen 2×2 supports transfer speeds up to 20Gbps). 2.5Gb Ethernet jack; two connectors for included external Wi-Fi antennas when using integrated Wi-Fi 6E. One port for S/PDIF digital audio output. Five additional audio jacks for setting up a 7.1 sound system. There are also buttons for clearing CMOS and flashing back the BIOS, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, but I rarely use those instead of the 3090’s ports (3 DisplayPort, 1 HDMI).
Both side panels open easily with a slight pull from the front (no screws to loosen). Everything inside is organized, maximizing airflow and an uncluttered look. Be aware, though, that the upgrade you want to perform is likely to be a chore. increase). But in most other cases, at least part or all of the liquid cooling system needs to be dismantled. This is a cumbersome procedure that you want to avoid if possible. Also, the motherboard only has 3 PCIe slots and uses an extender to relocate the graphics card in the main PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, leaving the PCIe 3.0 x16 and x1 slots virtually inaccessible.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: Gaming Performance
Given Ra’s price, you would expect it to be top-tier in handling of any title on the market, and it really is. Beats all budget systems in our gaming benchmark tests, Corsair One i300 and the Original PC Millennium Comes right behind Corsair in the $5,000+ price range assassin’s creed valhalla When far cry 6but otherwise excellent.
| row 0 – cell 0 | CLX Ra Gaming PC (fps, 1080p/4K) | Corsair One i300 (fps, 1080p/4K) | Origin PC Millennium (fps, 1080p/4K) | Alienware Aurora R13 (fps, 1080p/4K) |
| assassin’s creed valhalla | 115/65 | 122/70 | 115/62 | 106/56 |
| Dirt 5 | 180/98 | 175/68 | 171/92 | 154/81 |
| far cry 6 | 118/71 | 143/82 | 112/67 | 104/62 |
| grand theft auto v | 184/69 | 181/66 | 178/67 | 171/56 |
Gaming at any resolution up to 4K (with graphics settings cranked up) is fine with this configuration. The RTX 3090 offers enough extra headroom to connect an 8K display without issue. detail).
Another advantage of high resolution games is that you don’t have to worry about noise. Ra doesn’t run quietly—few computers have 7 fans!—but the case keeps it from producing much noise under normal circumstances, ensuring your system stays cool even under heavy sustained gaming loads. Some high-end gaming desktops sound like jets taking off when gaming is at its most active, but not here.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: Overall Performance
The usual productivity tests weren’t a problem for Ra either. Performance results in Geekbench, File Copy, Multimedia Editing, and Video Transcoding tests were at or near the forefront of the pack for comparable systems.
| row 0 – cell 0 | CLX Ra Gaming PC | Corsair One i300 | Original PC Millennium | Alienware Aurora R13 |
| Geekbench 5.4 (multicore) | 18,274 | 17,965 | 18,096 | 15,329 |
| 25GB File Copy (MBps) | 2,036 | 3,006 | 1,023 | 1,894 |
| HandBrake (minutes:seconds) | 3:16 | 3:28 | 3:22 | 3:52 |
In fact, only File Copy scored second, with a transfer speed of 2,035.5MBps, well ahead of all but Corsair’s 3,006. But even Ra’s lower transfer speeds are excellent, and quite a bit better than most other systems we’ve seen, so we’re willing to let this slide.
It was not included in Ra’s review unit. keyboard Also mouse; both can be added during configuration, but even the lowest version is not standard. CLX definitely (and probably rightly) assumes that most gamers either already have these basic peripherals or know very well what they want and don’t need help. . But it’s important to keep in mind that these are commonly included in mass market gaming PCs.
CLX Ra Gaming PC Review: The Verdict
when i started this job Tweet A few years ago, the best and most powerful gaming desktop the average person could afford was around $11,500 in 2022, adjusted for inflation. It never ceases to amaze me that systems available today for half that (or less) outperform others in terms of performance. If all that matters is maximizing such value, Alienware Aurora R13, Dell XPS 8950and the Acer Predator Orion 3000 is one of the desktops we’ve seen this year that breaks all budget barriers and offers great gaming at a (relatively) affordable price. If you can (and want) to spend more money, the Corsair One i300 and Origin PC Millennium top the list of games available today at around $5,000.
Yes, all of these systems are priced lower than the CLX Ra Gaming PC. But they’re also someone’s take on what your dream gaming PC should look like. Not only are you limited by your configuration choices, but whether you want a custom paint job or a fancy metal exterior rather than plastic has little to no impact on your design. , there is a big difference between going halfway and going to the end.
Only you can decide if any of these make sense for you and if the premium price is worth it considering what you may have to give up (I For our model, you can easily upgrade). But from what we’ve seen, Ra is worthy of the name of the Egyptian sun god and deserves some serious attention from anyone buying a serious gaming computer.
