The Skytech Azure (ST-AZURE2-0670-B-AM) launched in late 2022 as the latest boutique-built gaming PC from Skytech and can be customized with some of the most powerful components on the market – provided you have the money to spend.
This is an affordable route to owning one of the best gaming PCs on the market without having to build one yourself. Building your gaming desktop is always the surest way to get a high-performance PC at a low price.
Even then, you’ll have to spend time researching components or assembling and configuring the system to fit your needs. If you’re someone who wants to avoid that hustle and get a more unique system, boutique vendors like Skytech, CyberPowerPC, and iBuypower have you covered.
Powering the Skytech Azure, one of two configurations as of this writing is an Intel Core i7 12700F and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, which is a powerful combination at 1080p, 1440p, and some 4K gaming.
The Azure is worthy of consideration for anyone willing to spend a little under two grand on a pre-built PC, and some space for future upgrades. Competition is tough in the midrange gaming PC category, with rivals like the CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR offering the same RTX 4070 Ti GPU alongside the latest Raptor Lake (13th generation) CPUs for around the same price. Is Skytech Azure a standout in the crowded gaming PC market? Let’s find out.
Skytech Azure Specifications
| Processor | Intel Core i7 12700F |
| Memory | 16GB DDR4 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti |
| Storage | 1TB NVME SSD |
| Video Output (GPU) | 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Dimensions | 26 x 25 x 14 inches |
Design and Features
- Sleek, premium design
- Lots of ports
- Spacious case
The Skytech Azure is a bit of a mashup between a gaming rig and the Mac Pro. The most outstanding feature, for better or worse, is the glass side panel on the left and front, and a cheese grater-style design on the top and part of the right panel. If you like that design on the Mac Pro, you’ll surely like it here, but it’s less polished here. And the mesh design on the bottom quarter, just after where the glass panel ends looks fantastic.
Skytech’s chassis is largely a black box. I’m fine with that -PC gamers are used to more utilitarian chassis that are mostly designed to house their parts. While some part is glass, large amounts of it are metal, and it looks and feels premium.
The top and right sides of the box have a cutout to allow airflow in or out of the chassis. I wish a dust filter was built into that top part, or even a cheap reusable one.
As mentioned, there’s a glass panel on the left side and the top of the Azure, letting you see your parts and any RGB effects you’ve got going. On our unit, all six fans are custom RGB lit, illuminating the spacious interior, and giving you that gaming aura.
At 26 x 25 x 14 inches, I imagine the Skytech Azure is just big enough that most people will keep it on the floor or under a desk. It’s quite as big as other recent RTX 40 series we’ve reviewed, including the CyberpowerPC GXiVR8080A34 (22 x 21.5 x 16 inches).
Skytech has three USB ports on the top of the Skytech Azure Tower: two USB 3.1, and one newer Type-C port. There are also separate ports for headphones and a microphone. On the back of the Skytech are more USB ports and there’s an HDMI and DisplayPort on the RTX 4070 Ti graphics card. That’s a decent amount of connectivity, and it includes an Ethernet jack and audio ports.
Gaming and Graphics Performance
- Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU
- Intel Core i7 12700F CPU
- Solid gaming performance
Configured with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and an Intel Core i7 12700F can power through many games at their highest settings at 1440p resolution. At 1080p, which uses the CPU more, it sometimes ends up on par with systems, with the more powerful RTX 4080.
The GXiVR8680A can handle Control (which remains a punishing game after all these years) at its best, albeit not at 60 fps. At 1440p (Very High Quality), it plays Assassin’s Creed Valhalla at 131 fps, which is almost at par with previous-gen flagship performance, just 2% slower than the AMD Radeon 6950 XT (146 fps) and up to 5% faster than the RTX 3090 Ti (134 fps).
At 4K resolution (Very High Quality) the RTX 4070 Ti trails the AMD Radeon 7900 XT by an 11% margin, averaging 75 fps against 96 fps. Still, that’s an impressive performance, but it’s slower than the RTX 4080 (101 fps) thanks to its RTX 3090 Ti-like performance.
On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest preset), the CyberpowerPC Gamer achieves 157 fps at 1440p and 80 fps at 4K. That’s less than the RTX 4090-toting Alienware Aurora R15 and MSI Infinite RS 13NUI-421US. Still, the Gamer Xtreme shows off strong generational improvements over the iBuypower Revolt which we’ve reviewed with an RTX 3080.
Overall, the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti card used here is one designed to make Nvidia a lot of money and give enthusiasts gamers a punch without spending too much. For one thing, it’s a GPU that manages to deliver gaming level either level with or ahead of the RTX 3090, and regularly beyond the more expensive new AMD RDNA 3 graphics cards, too. And when you factor in the twin benefits of DLS 3 and its impressive Frame Generation tech, you also get the ability to throw hyperbolic performance numbers that can be backed with actual benchmark data.
Anyone looking to dive into the PC gaming world or simply need a pre-build rig to play the more popular esports titles and run productivity tasks without breaking the bank should give the Skytech Azure some attention. Beyond the solid gaming performance, the Intel Core i7 12700F processors, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 1TB NVMe SSD storage should be more than sufficient for all your productivity and creative needs.
Most importantly, the 1440p and 4K performance is respectable on mid-to-high level settings on most games and those wanting to eventually upgrade can do so without much problem.
Skytech Azure Review: Verdict
Yes, all the latest configurations of the Skytech Azure with RTX 40-series cards are not for the budget buyers looking for an under-$1000 gaming PC, but not even competitors are offering these newer cards at those prices. A similarly configured Lenovo Legion T5 Gamer (AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, RTX 4070 Ti, 32GB RAM, and 512GB SSD) sold for over two grand when we wrote this. And if you need the latest Intel Core i7-13700KF processor, the HP OMEN 45L (2023) pairs that with an RTX 4070 Ti GPU for a few hundred more.
So, depending on what you need in a pre-built gaming PC, you could spend a few dollars less with the Skytech Azure and get a standard motherboard, quieter operation under load, and a more premium-feeling case, albeit with a previous-generation processor. But competitors like the CyberpowerPC Gamer GXiVR8720A are offering the latest Intel i9-13900KF processor and the same exemplary RTX 4070 Ti graphics card, you just have to stretch your bank account a little more.
Overall, with Skytech Azure, you’re getting the quiet, solid operation, more expansion options, and better performance in both gaming and productivity than you would from mainstream sellers like HP and Lenovo. The CyberpowerPC Gamer GXiVR8040A14 remains our Editors’ Choice for midrange, pre-build gaming PCs.
Recommended Configuration
Skytech Azure Gaming PC Desktop – Intel Core i7 12700F 2.1 GHz, NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti, 1TB NVME SSD, 16GB DDR4 RAM 3200, 750W Gold PSU, 360mm AIO, 11AC Wi-Fi, Windows 11 Home 64-bit
1 used from $1,343.19
The Review
Skytech Azure
The Skytech Azure is a well-built powerhouse PC that offers solid gaming and productivity performance thanks to an RTX 4070 Ti GPU and Core i7 12700F, all in a premium-looking case.
PROS
- Upgradeable design with standard parts
- Solid gaming performance
- Plenty of ports on the front
- Case feels premium
CONS
- RAM not running at full speed
- Very large
Review Breakdown
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ARS SCORE
