CCL Athena Aura (i5/1070) System Review

On the whole, the CCL Athena Aura is an impressive pre-built system.

It is very well-built and the specification is well-balanced, too, with quality components used throughout. The fact that all of the RGB lighting can be controlled via ASUS' Aura software is an added bonus that is very much appreciated.

I do have to point out the fact that the i5-7600K processor has not been overclocked, though, meaning its max frequency is just 4.2GHz when we know Kaby Lake chips can reach 4.7-4.8GHz with ease. There is also ample thermal headroom for this kind of overclock so it is a bit disappointing to see the CPU left at stock clocks.

On-top of that is the fact that Intel's i5 line-up – quad-core chips without HyperThreading – do seem less desirable now that Ryzen processors have been released. After all, the Ryzen 5 1600 offers 6 cores and 12 thread for less money than this i5-7600K, while gaming performance is not too far behind either.

Still, the i5/GTX 1070 combination is tried-and-trusted and the Athena Aura delivers the goods when it comes to gaming. We saw excellent frame rates across the board, though 4K gaming is still hit-and-miss with a GTX 1070. 1080p and 1440p gamers, though, will have no problem cranking the IQ settings to the max.

On the whole,  we are happy to recommend the CCL Athena Aura. It costs £1614.99, which is a mark-up of around £180 over individual component retail prices. This is slightly steep but CCL does offer a 3-year on-site warranty which goes a long way to making it seem a better deal. Even so, you are clearly paying a bit extra for the ROG ecosystem and synchronised RGB lighting.

You can buy one for £1614.99 inc. VAT HERE.

Pros

• Well built.
• Very good looking, especially with the RGB lighting synchronised.
• Great for 1080p and 1440p gaming.
• Fast M.2 SSD.
• 3-year on-site warranty.

Cons

• i5 has not been overclocked.
• Ryzen 5 1600 is definitely worth thinking about as an alternative to the i5.
• Could do with a £50 price cut to be more competitive considering the spec.

KitGuru says: The CCL Athena Aura is a very solid gaming PC. It is well built, filled with quality components and looks great – especially when the RGB lighting is turned on. However, not overclocking the CPU was a mistake, while I would even argue a Ryzen 5 1600-based system is worth considering as an alternative processor to the i5.