PROS / Digital Storm uses a high-end Intel processor and NVIDIA graphics card for speedy gaming performance.
CONS / The Vanquish 5 has a relatively modest design.
VERDICT / While the Vanquish 5 is one of Digital Storm's mainstream gaming PCs, it makes few compromises when it comes to performance.
Among top gaming desktops, it's easy to mistake bells and whistles for substantial features. Add-ons like custom finishes, hulking cases and LED lighting can often draw attention away from areas like underpowered graphics cards and overpriced configurations
- This is the high-definition performance in Battlefield 4.More is Better
At first glance, the Digital Storm Vanquish 5 doesn't appear to have much of the former. With its modest dimensions and unassuming design, the Vanquish could easily fit into a home office environment. However, this gaming desktop's strengths come from its focus on the fundamentals shared by the best gaming PCs. Thanks to an excellent performance ceiling, the Digital Storm Vanquish 5 earns the Top Ten Reviews Silver Award.
The Vanquish 5's midrange configuration has high-performance specifications with a price tag that emphasizes value. Internally, this arrangement is built around a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, and during benchmarking from our colleagues at Anandtech, the GTX 970 showed its abilities as a premium graphics card. 
While running the graphically intensive title Battlefield 4, the card produced an average frame rate of 80.7 frames per second (fps) on Ultra graphics settings at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. At comparable graphics settings, the card had similarly impressive respective marks of 91.7 and 55.8 fps in older titles Crysis 3 and Grand Theft Auto V. Generally, a custom gaming PC needs to produce a frame rate of more than 30 fps in order for games to be playable without visible delays.
The GTX 970's processing overhead makes it well-suited to handle the performance needs of a high-end gaming PC without missing a step. The Vanquish's price tag limits potential upgrade options like a multiple graphics card setup, but the optional GTX 980 provides additional processing power for demanding gamers.
Graphics & Performance
While running the graphically intensive title Battlefield 4, the card produced an average frame rate of 80.7 frames per second (fps) on Ultra graphics settings at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. At comparable graphics settings, the card had similarly impressive respective marks of 91.7 and 55.8 fps in older titles Crysis 3 and Grand Theft Auto V. Generally, a custom gaming PC needs to produce a frame rate of more than 30 fps in order for games to be playable without visible delays.The GTX 970's processing overhead makes it well-suited to handle the performance needs of a high-end gaming PC without missing a step. The Vanquish's price tag limits potential upgrade options like a multiple graphics card setup, but the optional GTX 980 provides additional processing power for demanding gamers.
Processor & Storage
This configuration is built on a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-6700 processor that provides excellent midrange performance. In processor test Geekbench 3, it produced a stellar score of 15,527 points. For comparison among our evaluated setups, this mark is only topped by the 19,345 mark of the Core i7-6700K, which is an upgrade option for the Vanquish 5. In practice, there's little that the 6700 can’t handle, whether you're gaming our using the computer for tasks like video rendering.
Elsewhere, Digital Storm includes a standard slate of hardware options. All of the configurations rely on an ASUS Z170-A motherboard and come with at least 8GB of RAM. Digital Storm also offers several hard drive options on each configuration, with respective limits of 6TB and 2TB for hard-disk and solid-state drives. Multiple hard drives can also be installed in the Vanquish for additional storage.Design & Connectivity
Externally, the Vanquish 5 has a relatively low-key design. The custom gaming desktop's case is certainly durable with easily removable side covers, ventilation and solid build quality. It also includes standard features like multiple USB 3.0 ports and audio output. Through the checkout process, you can also add hardware including a Blu-ray drive and high-end sound cards.Apart from the two LED fans in the front of the case, there's also little in the way of design flourishes. The case comes in a single slate-black finish, and internal lighting can be controlled via remote. Since this model is Digital Storm's mainstream premium gaming PC, the Vanquish 5's barebones look is certainly understandable. It doesn't negatively affect the case's functionality and is only a minor concern, but the compact gaming PC isn't especially visually striking .
Help & Support
Digital Storm includes multiple support options for the Vanquish 5, including a three-year warranty with coverage for parts and labor. The company also provides additional support via phone, email and its website. Digital Storm's website features resources like a FAQs section along with forums for other Digital Storm customers.Summary
Considering the Vanquish 5's modest look, it could have easily been designed as a cheap gaming desktop with equally budget parts. However, it prioritizes functionality in several different areas. With high-quality components and a competitive price tag, the Vanquish 5 might not be the fanciest gaming desktop on the market, but it outperforms much of the competition and earns its billing as a top-ranked gaming PC
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