HOW is Costco Selling This Gaming PC for CHEAP? MSI with A RTX 5080!

This video unboxes and reviews a $2600 pre-built gaming PC from Costco, featuring an RTX 5080 and a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 900X. The PC boasts Wi-Fi 7, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2 TB M.2 SSD, and liquid cooling. Despite some minor limitations, such as only two RAM slots, the build quality is praised, with impressive wire management and a robust cooling system.

Performance benchmarks reveal exceptional gaming capabilities. The GPU handles demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p with ray tracing at an average of 258 FPS. The PC also performs admirably in other games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, easily exceeding 180 FPS even at high settings. The cost breakdown suggests that building a similar PC independently would be around the same price, making this pre-built a competitive option.

Overall, the PC is deemed a great deal and Costco's most powerful gaming PC available. While some components are sealed, limiting immediate upgrades without voiding the warranty, the RAM and PSU offer more flexibility. The unboxing experience, including a travel bag for the PC, is highlighted as a premium touch, underscoring the brand's quality in pre-built gaming systems.

• The PC features an RTX 5080 and a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 900X.
• Key specifications include Wi-Fi 7, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2 TB M.2 SSD.
• The liquid cooling system keeps CPU temperatures well within limits during testing.
• Gaming benchmarks show the RTX 5080 capable of averaging over 250 FPS in demanding titles at high settings.
• The total cost to build a comparable PC is around $2660, making the $2600 pre-built a fair deal, though future upgrades may void the warranty on certain sealed components.

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Unboxing and Initial Impressions [0:00]

• The PC is a pre-built gaming machine from Costco priced at $2600.
• It is equipped with an RTX 5080 graphics card and a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 900X CPU.
• Other notable features include Wi-Fi 7, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2 TB M.2 SSD.
• The PC comes with Windows 11.
• The speaker notes that building a similar PC individually would cost approximately the same price.
• The unboxing process includes essential paperwork, power supplies, SATA cables, and instruction guides.
• Peripherals like a keyboard and mouse combo are also included.
• The PC tower itself is described as relatively light and has handles for easy carrying.
• It is packaged with foam and a protective bag.
• The tower has a glass side panel, indicating a modern aesthetic.
• The graphics card, an RTX 5080, is large and features a bracket to prevent sagging.
• Wire management is surprisingly impressive for a pre-built system.
• It includes an MSI liquid cooler with RGB lighting.
• IO ports on top include power, reset, USB-A, USB-C, and an LED control button.
• The rear IO panel features HDMI for the motherboard, a flash BIOS button, multiple USB-A ports, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi antenna connectors.
• The GPU ports include HDMI and DisplayPorts.
• The PSU is located at the bottom rear of the case.

The initial unboxing reveals a well-packaged and thoughtfully designed gaming PC. Key components like the RTX 5080 and Ryzen 9 900X are highlighted, along with features like Wi-Fi 7 and ample storage. The speaker is immediately impressed by the build quality and wire management.

This is actually a pretty competitive price because if you go ahead and build one on your own, even an aircooled one, non liquid cool, this one's liquid cool, comes out to be around the same exact price point.

Internal Components and Build Quality [00:39]

• Dismantling the PC reveals the internal components and assesses their brands and build quality.
• Wire management is again noted as very impressive for a pre-built.
• The power supply is an 850-watt, gold-rated unit from the High Power brand, which is better than the expected 750 watts.
• A slight disappointment is that the PSU is not modular, leading to more cable management challenges during removal.
• The motherboard has only two RAM slots, which limits upgradeability to a maximum of 64 GB (requiring two 32 GB sticks).
• All core components, including the water cooler, PC fans, and radiator, are from MSI.
• The motherboard features proper heatsinks.
• The 2 TB M.2 SSD is a Western Digital model.
• The graphics card is noted for its extreme length, but the metal support board underneath prevents sagging.
• The GPU has a holographic graphic effect.
• A dust guard is present at the bottom of the case, which is removable for cleaning.
• The front of the PC can be easily removed to expose additional fans for cleaning.
• A GPU stand is included to further prevent sag.
• The case fans are configured as intake at the front and exhaust at the rear, ensuring good airflow.
• The RGB lighting on the fans and cooler adds to the visual appeal.

The internal inspection reveals a commitment to quality components, primarily from MSI. While the non-modular PSU and limited RAM slots are minor drawbacks, the overall construction, cooling, and airflow are commendable, with the included GPU stand being a thoughtful addition.

• The PSU is a High Power 850 watts, gold-rated.
• The motherboard has only two DIMM slots for RAM.
• All core components observed are MSI branded, including the water cooler, PC fans, and radiator.
• The M.2 SSD is a Western Digital 2 TB.
• The GPU is an MSI Gaming RTX 5080 16GB Gaming Trio OC.

First impressions, the wire management is pretty impressive. Ooh. However, the PSU is not modular.

Performance Benchmarks and Gaming Capabilities [06:10]

• The PC is connected to a monitor to test its performance and frame rates.
• Cinebench 2024 scores: CPU multi-score of 1507, single-core score of 133, with a ratio of 11.32X.
• During Cinebench testing, the maximum CPU temperature reached 75°C, with an average of 55°C, indicating effective liquid cooling.
• The RTX 5080 is currently unsupported for GPU testing in Cinebench 2024, causing it to be grayed out.
• For gaming benchmarks, the RTX 5080 is described as "OP" (overpowered).
• At 1440p ultra settings, Cyberpunk 2077 was easily run at over 300 FPS.
• With overdrive ray tracing enabled at 1440p, Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 258 FPS.
• At 1080p with overdrive ray tracing, Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 318 FPS.
• Fortnite at ultra settings achieved 200 FPS without issues.
• At 1080p, Fortnite averaged 180 FPS, which the speaker suspects is due to game optimization rather than the GPU's capability.
• Apex Legends at 1440p ultra averaged over 444 FPS, with no difference at 1080p.
• The PC is powerful enough to achieve close to 200 FPS in AAA titles even with the most demanding settings.
• The 16 GB of VRAM on the GPU is beneficial for running mods and other demanding graphical tasks.

The performance benchmarks highlight the exceptional power of the RTX 5080 and Ryzen 9 900X combination. The PC effortlessly handles high-resolution gaming with ray tracing, demonstrating its capability for demanding titles. The speaker notes potential optimization issues in some games rather than limitations of the hardware itself.

This GPU, spoiler, it's OP because if you look at the graph for Cyberpunk, when I was first running the Geekbench courses, I was just using 1440p ultra and it was a walk in the park. This computer was easily able to run 300 FPS or over.

Cost Analysis and Value Proposition [09:03]

• A breakdown of individual component costs to rebuild the PC independently.
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 900X - $400.
• Cooler: MSI liquid cooler (similar model) - $150.
• RAM: 32 GB (2x16GB) DDR5 - $89.
• Motherboard: MSI (one-off model) - estimated at $97 (based on eBay sale).
• Storage: Western Digital 2 TB M.2 SSD - $120.
• Graphics Card: MSI Gaming RTX 5080 16GB Gaming Trio OC - $1580.
• PSU: OEM gold-rated 850W - $96.
• Case: MSI - $170.
• The total estimated cost to build a comparable PC is $2698.
• A $20 rebate is mentioned, bringing the build cost down to $2678.
• Using PCPartPicker with substitutions, the price can be lowered to $2660 with the $20 rebate.
• The speaker concludes that the $2600 pre-built from Costco is a fair deal, as it costs approximately the same to build it yourself.
• Future upgrades might be complicated by factory-sealed tape on components, which would void the warranty.
• However, RAM and PSU upgrades are generally not affected by seals.
• Costco's warranty is typically 2 years.
• The PC is considered Costco's most powerful gaming PC available for immediate purchase.
• The convenience of buying it off the shelf versus ordering online is highlighted.
• MSI's packaging and unboxing experience, including a travel bag, are praised.
• MSI is recognized as a high-quality brand for pre-built gaming computers.
• The build quality shows no loose parts or connectors.
• The PC runs quietly.

The cost analysis confirms that the Costco pre-built PC offers significant value, being competitively priced against a self-built system. While the warranty implications of upgrading sealed components are a consideration, the overall convenience, build quality, and performance make it a compelling purchase.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 900X ($400)
• Cooler: MSI liquid cooler ($150)
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 ($89)
• Motherboard: MSI ($97 estimated)
• Storage: Western Digital 2 TB M.2 SSD ($120)
• Graphics Card: MSI Gaming RTX 5080 ($1580)
• PSU: 850W gold-rated ($96)
• Case: MSI ($170)
• Total estimated build cost: $2698 (or $2660 after rebate and PCPartPicker adjustment)
• Pre-built PC price: $2600

In other words, this is actually a fair deal from Costco as it pretty much will cost you around the same if you like to build an exact one. So yes, this is in conclusion a fair deal.