The Continuum Micro from Computer Upgrade King is quite honestly a solid all-around performer that offers tremendous value. CPU-wise, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 offers exceptional multi-threaded performance, and even with its slower clock speeds, it is more than enough to properly push the Radeon RX 580 4 GB it has been paired with. Together, they provide a great 1080p gaming experience. Even with the system being a more budget-friendly build, it was nice to see that they didn't cut costs on memory with the system having 16 GB of DDR4 3000 from Team Group. Considering Ryzen tends to respond well to faster memory, this was nice to see.

Performance in games was a surprise, to be honest. I expected the 4 GB frame buffer on the Radeon RX 580 to be a limiting factor, which turned out to be false for now. At 1080p, even the Witcher 3 ran smoothly at maximum settings with NVIDIA Hairworks on high and AA set to 4. A few tweaks will have that title running at nearly 60 FPS if you don't need the extra eye candy. All other tested games ran flawlessly as well. If you are willing to make a few concessions, most games will run fine at 1440P as well. Just don't expect to play at 4K—it wouldn't be a fun time.

Storage is often overlooked, so it was a surprise to see Computer Upgrade King opting for a single 512 GB Intel 660P M.2 SSD rather than a smaller SSD with an HDD combo, which seems to be the favored setup by many other manufacturers. Future upgrades, additions, or changes are easy to make with this system as well because of the use of off the shelf parts. The only items in this build that are not strictly off the shelf are the six fans and the RGB hub which uses proprietary connectors, something I am not a fan of. I would have much preferred more ubiquitous standard RGB headers as it would solve the next gripe I have—AMD's Wraith Spire cooler which is RGB enabled but can't be connected or controlled. The proprietary RGB hub won't work with it, and the ASRock B450M-HDV motherboard has no RGB header either. This can be rectified with some know how, but for a system where RGB lighting is such a key component, the cooler should be synced with the fans.

In terms of the overall design, I found it rather pleasant. The RGB lighting is definitely a love-it or hate-it feature, but the unique infinity mirror styled front panel really makes it stand out, offering an excellent focal point that is quite different compared to other cases on the market. The six PWM 120 mm fans mean adequate airflow isn't an issue, either. My only concern initially was the possibility for high noise levels, but my assumption was unfounded as the system stays relatively quiet even under moderate loads. Only when pushed hard or when gaming will you hear and notice the system. However, it was not intrusive to any severe degree. In fact, the loudest part was the GPU, and that is because the heatsink on this card isn't entirely on the same level as higher-tiered offerings, though it still does the job adequately enough. Still, you could say MSI phoned it in on the Armor series RX 580, and it shows with temperatures maxing out at 87°C during extreme stress tests. During regular gaming tests, on the other hand, temperatures are a bit lower at 84–85 °C. Noise levels are the same in both situations at 46 dBA.

My only other thoughts come down to the motherboard choice. Due to the system being budget-friendly, an affordable motherboard makes sense. That means some compromises have to be made, and the ASRock B450M-HDV uses the quite old Realtek ALC 887 audio codec. While not awful by any means, it's just a bit old, and while I find no real fault with its inclusion, those wanting or used to better audio may find it lacking. That said, what I do find bad with the motherboard's current revision is that ASRock included VRM heatsinks on the earlier versions and does not here. Again, it is not a make-or-break issue for this build, but I would have liked some sort of heatsink for the VRM, which is an issue to take up with ASRock and not so much Computer Upgrade King as the board performed just fine with no stability issues even under extreme loads.

Overall, the Computer Upgrade King Continuum Micro is a solid general-purpose gaming PC that looks fancy, performs well, and doesn't break the bank, making it of good value.