CyberpowerPC GXiVR8040A14 Review

CyberpowerPC continues to release prebuilt gaming PCs for various budgets, including the Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8040A14, for those who want the best PC gaming experience at a very reasonable budget. This particular PC features both a 13^th Gen Intel CPU and Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series GPU and still manages to keep costs down while offering reliable performance.

This is a midrange gaming machine through and through – and can easily be one of the best budget gaming PCs around – so don’t expect a premium build or neck-breaking speeds to rival top-tier machines like the MSI Aegis RS featuring the latest 20-core Intel Core i7-14700KF processor and RTX 4070 GPU. On the plus side, it comes with a bundled gaming mouse and keyboard, which, while basic, are better to get you gaming straight out of the box; the monitor is sold separately.

Being an entry-level desktop, it has a few flaws such as the lack of a USB-C port inherent in entry-level hardware. But you shouldn’t expect a computer with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti to handle ultra-settings with ray tracing on. 

Beyond that, the overall package is good enough that, for at least anyone looking for a decent budget gaming option, it might be one of the best affordable gaming PCs available right now. While it doesn’t get cheap enough for those looking for the ultimate budget gaming PCs, it’s one of the most affordable RTX 4060 Ti-powered gaming PCs out there.

Design and Features

The GXiVR8040A14 uses a CyberpowerPC ONYXIA II case, that features a glass front panel with three RGB circles, a tempered glass side panel, and a cooling fan at the back. It measures 23 x 22 x 12.5 inches, weighs 33.5 pounds and has enough space for future upgrades. To access the system’s internal components, you just need to remove the transparent side panel that’s held in place by thumbscrews, and you’re done.

Port selection is decent, but not excellent since the machine lacks a USB Type-C port that’s becoming standard in both laptops and desktop PCs. Front access ports are located on the top of the machine, they include two USB Type-A ports, microphone jacks, a headphone jack, a power button, a reset button, and a drive activity light-up.

Around the back, there are an additional six USB ports, two legacy PS/2 ports for older mice/keyboards, and audio jacks. The GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card has DisplayPort and HDMI connections for multi-monitor setups.

Performance

Performance-wise, the GXiVR8040A14 sits comfortably between the likes of the Skytech Nebula and the Alienware Aurora R15, with the former at the lower end and the latter at the high end. This consistent gaming rig delivers the kind of performance you would expect from a budget machine. For the under $1500 price, this is decent enough for starters looking for something for both gaming and productivity.

And while this PC won’t run heavy titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at the highest framerates, even more, expensive machines struggle to hit higher fps on such titles, it nonetheless does a fine job at 1080p. In real-world gaming, you’re assured of over 60 fps at high settings, which should be enough for casual gaming. Played at 1080p high settings, Forza Horizon 5 reaches 126 fps, Far Cry 6 averages 112 fps, while Cyberpunk 2077 hits 76 fps – quite acceptable for an entry-level gaming machine.

It also makes a great for a great productivity machine, as the 13^th Gen CPU can handle lots of work-related tasks with ease, and some creativity tasks as well. But I wouldn’t bank on it handling heavy creative or editing projects, and it will not look great at the office. If you need something for gaming and productivity, there are lots of alternatives out there, including the HP Envy Tower (2023), which comes with a dedicated graphics card, a powerful Core I CPU, and a whopping 4TB of SSD storage.

Again, the Gamer Supreme GXiVR8040A14’s 1TB solid-state drive is speedy enough, meaning you can transfer your large files in a few minutes. The solid-state drive and RAM are upgradeable should you need more space and speed to store your documents, game files, photos, and videos. The HP Envy TE02-0042 offers the same 1TB SSD storage, but comes with an Intel Core i9-12900 and offers excellent connectivity including USB-Type-C with Thunderbolt 4, for around the same price.

Should you buy the CyberpowerPC GXiVR8040A14?

The CyberpowerPC GXiVR8040A14 is a great midrange custom-built machine, that’s a perfect fit for anyone looking for decent 1080p gaming performance without spending an arm and a leg. While it’s billed as a gaming machine, its gaming credentials are impressive, and makes a lot of sense compared to building a system with similar specs from scratch.

If you need a gaming PC mainly for eSports purposes, the GXiVR8040A14 is one of the best machines around. At 1080p, this gaming desktop can handle popular AAA titles including Doom Eternal, Gears 5, and the like at mid-to-high settings.

That said, if you’re not on a tight budget and need the latest hardware in a stylish design, the CyberpowerPC GXiVR8080A34 is an excellent choice. In addition to a sleek design, it arrives with a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900KF CPU, Nvidia’s flagship RTX 4070 Ti graphics card, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD storage at a very reasonable price, compared to peers equipped with the RTX 40 Series cards. It’s our newest Editors’ Choice for midrange, pre-built gaming PCs.