TechRadar Verdict
Though affordable and attractive, the XBC Deluxe's average 1080p performance lets it down.
Pros
- +
Affordable
- +
Attractive and smart case
- +
Runs fairly quietly
Cons
- -
Underwhelms at 1080p
- -
Lacks an SSD
- -
No built-in Wi-Fi
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There's never been a better time to get into PC gaming. For a few hundred more pounds you can buy a machine that outperforms the PS4 and Xbox One and plays thousands of downloadable games in just a few clicks.
Like the cheap and capable Zoostorm Gaming Desktop PC, the Deluxe from XBC (formerly going by the name Xebec Tech) can be picked up for a palatable £499 from Amazon and aims to deliver 1080p (or Full HD) gaming straight to your door.
XBC has gone with NZXT's quietly attractive S340 mid-tower case. It's about as reserved as gaming PC cases get, opposite the in-your-face Acer Predator G3's tank-like shell.
That's not to say it's unattractive – its durable steel construction sports a glossy black finish that looks quietly classy. The design is best described as 'minimal' in the absence of anything except an NZXT logo on the front panel.
Along the case's right-hand edge is a large window that lets you peer inside at components without having to remove the side panel. The inside is lit up by 16 individually-lit spotlights that offer three levels of brightness when controlled using a switch at the back of the machine
There isn't a great deal of variation between the different lighting strengths, which are there for visual effect rather than a means to see what you're doing.
On the inside, there's 280mm of radiator support, which helps NZXT's Kraken X61 cooler draw in cool air from the outside before expelling it through two fans located in the case's back panel and roof.
They operate with an audible hum that's constantly there but isn't annoying, and you can download NZXT's CAM 2.0 desktop software or mobile app to control fans manually to keep their noise levels down.
The X61 draws your eyes away from its other components, thanks to its blue, light-up logo, with an MSI-branded Radeon R7 260X graphics card (due to be an R7 360X in future models) and two silver-edged sticks of Corsair Vengeance memory also vying for attention.
