Corsair has done a great job in terms of offering a balanced system that delivers exceptional performance all around. Sure, the Intel i7-8700 and B360M motherboard combo will not allow for any overclocking. However, for most users buying a pre-built, its inclusion is unnecessary. That said, other than a few outliers, the system and its GeForce RTX 2080 offer solid performance with exceptional frame rates at 1440P. It even has enough grunt for proper 4K gaming depending on the desired frame rate. If performance isn't up to par, a few dropped settings should result in stable frame rates in the vast majority of titles.

Rather then ship just a system, Corsair did add some solid peripherals; while not high-end, they certainly get the job done with the Harpoon RGB mouse working just as well as my daily driver, the Mionix NAOS 7000. The keyboard, on the other hand, is usable, but uses rubber domes, and while its feature set is good, I myself have been spoiled by mechanical switches. However, a first-time PC gamer or someone who doesn't care as much about how a keyboard feels, will find it more than serviceable. Finally, they also included a Netgear AC1200 WiFi USB 3.0 adapter, which, while a nice inclusion, just makes me wish they had picked a board that had built-in WiFi for cleaner looks.

In terms of appearance, the Vengeance 5180 Gaming PC is certainly something to behold with its insane amount of RGB LED illumination. With the fans, CPU block, LED strips, memory, and even the peripherals illuminated, everything but the graphics card gets the RGB treatment. Keeping that in mind, some will not find all the lighting to their taste, but it can be disabled within the iCUE software. The only black mark in terms of looks with or without LEDs is that etched tempered glass side panel. It gives off a super tacky vibe; however, it basically screams typical Corsair and as such, the system wouldn't feel like one of their products without it. In general, the overall build quality is quite good as well. Only one magnetic dust filter in the front doesn't like to stay in place, but once it is properly reset, it stays in place until the system is moved again. I consider it a minor annoyance, but for nearly $2400, issues like these should not be present.

Thankfully, since Corsair has used off-the-shelf-parts here, upgrading the Vengeance 5180 gaming PC is a breeze. However, most users won't need to lift a finger in that regard for some time. Performance, as mentioned, is solid, and with the Hydro Series H100i RGB Platinum (240 mm all-in-one liquid cooler) being included, temps and noise are kept under control. The system never thermal throttled or exceeded 42 dBA under even the most stressful of tests. For those wanting lower temps, the BIOS is fully featured and allows for custom PWM profiles, so getting CPU and case fan speeds where you want them is easily done. Meaning, you can bring temps on the CPU down at the expense of a bit more noise. Overall, the system is very well thought out with only a few quirks to speak of.

That said, price to performance, while not terrible, is still not this system's strong suit. Enterprising DIY enthusiasts can easily build a system with similar specifications and the same keyboard and mouse for around $1900, which is nearly $500 less. However, having looked at what's available, it would mean a cheaper case, no RGB LEDs, etc. Building the same system with the same parts and a couple of RGB LED strips would run users around $2100. Keep in mind that these prices are without tax and shipping. Still, with the same parts, it's roughly a $300 upcharge for the Corsair system. However, considering how good it looks and how well it performs, that isn't too bad.

Typically, building a system is always cheaper; therefore, in the end, it comes down to convenience vs. the joy of building. Corsair offers a fantastic system here for anyone looking to game on a PC. However, those who like to tinker will likely scoff at the idea of buying a pre-built system no matter who it is from. That said, I have no qualms recommending the Corsair system to anyone who doesn't wish to build their own gaming PC.