When browsing Amazon best selling computer list you will find many expensive gaming PCs in the TOP 100, but this CyberPowerPC is cheaper than most others, but is it even worth the $559 price tag? The CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA882 might look like a good deal and good value for money for being under 600 dollars, at least to an average computer buyer. The fancy case, high position in Amazon.com best selling desktop towers, relatively positive reviews, free gaming mouse & keyboard all seem very tempting. Unfortunately it is not as good as it seems, but what is wrong with it then? The specs seem to be pretty good, right? AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz six-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB graphics card look pretty decent on paper, but in reality CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA882 isn’t the best you can get for $559. See below why.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA882:
AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz (3.8GHz boost) 6 cores/3 modules
AMD 760G Chipset motherboard
AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB graphics card
8GB of DDR3 memory
1TB SATA HDD
Windows 10 Home 64-bit operating system
24X DVDRW Dual-Layer
Case with tempered glass side panel and seven color LED strip
Keyboard and mouse
1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty | Free Lifetime Tech Support
Processor/motherboard:
The 6 cores/3 modules FX-6300 Piledriver based AMD CPU runs at 3.5GHz base clock and boosts up to 3.8GHz. It was released in October 2012 and it uses the old AM3+ socket, you can only gain 2 cores/1 module when upgrading to FX-83xx series. The high core speed and core count looks tempting, but in reality the 3.5Ghz AMD CPU has poor single thread performance. It will also be and bottleneck for better video cards, so upgrading the graphics card to something faster than GTX 1060 is pretty pointless.
The motherboard (unknown model) uses AMD 760G chipset, so it misses some modern features. It has no built in WiFi, you need to buy a separate USB WiFi adapter or internal card. Overclocking will also be limited by poor VRM on the motherboard and the cheap power supply.
Graphics card:
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA882 comes with an AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB graphics card, it is not specified which version of the card it is. There are variants with GDDR3 or GDDR5 VRAM and with 128-bit or gimped 64-bit memory bus. Either way this graphics card was released in 2013 as entry-level choice, not something a gamer should buy.
Triple-A games of recent years have Radeon R7 270 as the minimum requirement which is many times more powerful than R7 240, so the most demanding games are unplayable on this computer. The AMD Radeon R7 240 is not much better than integrated Intel graphics on newer CPUs and it is much slower than new Ryzen APU’s with dual channel memory. The R7 240 costs around $60-$70 today, roughly the same as 5 years ago. You can upgrade the video card, but spending $150 on a graphics card makes it a ~700 dollar gaming computer which doesn’t make much sense, because there are much better choices for around $700. One example is the amazing value for money CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXIVR8020A5.
RAM and storage
Due to the old AM3+ socket, it can only use DDR3 ram, not DDR4 memory like newer AM4 Ryzen CPUs and latest Intel processors. 8GB is the norm for computers in this price range, plenty for this setup.
1TB mechanical hard drive is what you usually get in a $400 to $700 gaming PC. Having both HDD and SSD is very rare in this price range. Some alternatives have an 120-240GB SSD, that would mean faster booting, shorter loading times, but there would be no room for multiple games.
Case and power supply
GUA882 has a modern looking case with tempered glass side panel and 7 color LED strip with control button (behind ODD cover). The case has much more room for upgrades than small office computers. But keep in mind, you need to buy a new PSU if you plan to upgrade the computer. It’s because this, like many affordable gaming computers come with very basic no-name brand power supply. This computer also has an optical drive, so you don’t need to buy an external USB DVD drive. Many modern cases don’t even have a bay for installing a DVD or Blu-ray drive.
Conclusion
While this CyberPowerPC is obsolete in 2018, at least it isn’t as overpriced as some other computers, its parts + operating cost around 500 dollars. But remember, this computer is fine for older or simpler games like WoW, League of Legends, Sims, CS and other e-sport games at low settings, but don’t assume you can easily play all the newest demanding AAA games, many will be unplayable even at low settings. If you only play light games and you really like this specific case and the included “gamery” keyboard and mouse, then this PC might make some sense, but otherwise it is not recommended. There are many reviews that say this is a perfect beginner or starter PC and it’s good value for money, but it is not true. The problem is that there are better PCs for even less, especially after the launch of Ryzen APUs. Check our roundup of best gaming PCs under $500.
Pros:
Looks more expensive than it is
Not that bad for productivity or older games
Decent case
Has a DVD drive
Cons:
Very old processor and AM3+ platform
Graphics card can’t handle recent games
There are many better choices for cheaper
Other:
PSU not ready for major upgrades
No WiFi out of the box
Approximate prices of components:
AMD FX-6300 ~$70
motherboard with AMD 760G chipset ~$60
AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB ~$60
8GB of DDR3 RAM ~$50
1TB HDD ~$40
Windows 10 Home 64-bit OS ~$100
DVD drive ~$20
Case with tempered glass side panel ~$60
Basic power supply ~$20
Keyboard and mouse ~$25
Total: ~$505
What are the alternatives?
HP Pavilion 690-0010 is a decent alternative for cheaper. It is much better performance wise with AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, AMD Radeon RX 550 and 8GB of RAM. Although it doesn’t have that flashy “gamery” look.
If you want the best pre-built for under $600:
There are few PCs with GTX 1050 or RX 560 for under $600 like HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop 790-0010.
If you are a CyberPowerPC fan…
Need an alternative CyberPowerPC computer? Then I would get CyberPowerPC – Gamer Ultra Desktop GUA1600BST. Yes, it uses the same old AMD AM3 platform as the GUA882, but it has a decent graphics card. AMD Radeon RX 560 is night and day versus R7 240. You can look for other gaming PCs with at least GeForce GT 1030 or Radeon RX 550 video card. Don’t get one with GT 710/GT730 or R7 240.
Similarly gaming PCs that we DON’T recommend:
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA883
Same specifications as the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA882, but it includes a WiFi adapter. Other difference is that it doesn’t have an optical drive or even a bay for installing it, like most modern PC cases.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA3120CPG
Basically same as CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Ultra GUA883, but with a different case.
iBUYPOWER Gaming Enthusiast Desktop PC AM010A
Similar to the GUA883, but this one has even weaker NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 1GB graphics card.
iBUYPOWER Gaming Computer Desktop PC AM005A
This one has 2 more cores than previous PCs, also larger (2TB) hard drive. Its GeForce GT 730 2GB is in same performance class as Radeon R7 240, but there are different versions of both cards. It is still slower in games than many desktops in our $500 gaming PC roundup.