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I have been living with the Cube Gaming PC Core i7 Overclocked Assassin for the last week and I can't help but feel that BOX have created one of the finest systems we have ever reviewed. Visually it is also very appealing as BOX have colour coordinated all the components in red and black.
When we look down the list of components in the ASSASSIN, it is almost as if BOX had specified the build based on Kitguru's highest award winners.
The MSI Z87M Gaming mATX motherboard is an engineering tour de force. My colleague Luke reviewed this diminutive mATX board back in November 2013 and it walked away with our highest award. This is the first time I have had a ‘hands on' with the Z87M Gaming since it was launched and I can only agree with everything that Luke said at the time.
Not only is the board layout first class, but the onboard audio is dynamic and a perfect partner for a gamer using high end speakers or headphones. SATA and USB 3.0 performance is stellar and the Killer E2205 NIC helps ensure that those online games are given network priority.
BOX have installed an Intel Core i7 4770k in the MSI Z87M Gaming board, and overclocked it to 4.2ghz, adding some minor tweaks for stability. These are hot running processors, so BOX opted for the capable all in one MSI Dragon Water cooler. They upgraded the cooling performance by adding another Aerocool Dead Silence 120mm to the radiator – another gold award winner in the KitGuru labs.
In real world terms, the BOX Assassin runs cool and even under forced synthetic stress situations the Core i7 4770k didn't exhibit any thermal throttling. BOX probably could have pushed the processor a little further, but we like the fact they opted for a reasonable, safe overclock without pushing all the components to the absolute limit. The Kingston HyperX Beast 2,400mhz memory delivers plenty of bandwidth, helping to ensure the Assassin is capable of handling intensive 3D rendering and video editing duties without a problem.
The MSI GTX770 Twin Frozr OC is a great choice. The Nvidia GPU can power through all the latest Direct X 11 titles at 1080p with the highest image quality settings. Thanks to the excellent Twin Frozr cooler, even under load it remains quiet, fitting in with the ethos of the ‘Assassin' moniker.
This brings me to one of the main selling points of this system. The complete lack of noise.
I last reviewed a system around 10 days ago, the MSI Nightblade. While I liked the Nightblade immensely, it was extremely loud under load. This distracted from the well designed chassis and powerful component selection.
After a week of testing MSI's Nightblade my ears had adapted to the high noise levels. When I moved to the BOX Assassin immediately afterwards I thought there was actually a fault on first start up. It was only the hard drive light that indicated the system was actually running. I couldn't believe how quiet this system was, even when gaming.
A week later and I still manage a smile when I start the Assassin. At idle, you wouldn't know the system was actually turned on. When gaming, there is a slight whisper of fan noise from the GTX 770 Twin Frozr cooler. BOX have managed to reduce the overall noise levels thanks to the adoption of class leading Dead Silence fans on the CPU radiator. We really do advise readers check out our previous review of these cutting edge Aerocool fans, over here.
Inside, there are many nice little touches to indicate that BOX have a good handle on how to build a great gaming system. The cables are mainly hidden in the lower compartment, out of sight of the windowed panel. There is a handy wireless card inside, ideal for the audience who move their system around regularly out of reach of network cabling. All of the components are colour coordinated in red and black to improve the appearance dramatically.
The only real weakness of this system is the inclusion of the Andyson sourced Aerocool Strike X 800W power supply. There is no doubt it is very quiet power supply, up to around 600W load, however it would not be our first choice for a powerful gaming system. We didn't experience any issues in the last 100 hours of intensive stress testing so we are willing to overlook this today. BOX include a 2 year warranty with the Assassin system so you can rest assured if problems did develop, they would look after you.
You can buy this Assassin system direct from BOX, for £1,119.99 inc vat from this link.
If the asking price is too high, BOX have other configurations starting at only £849.99 inc vat. Check them all out over here.
Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.
Pros:
- compact.
- extremely quiet.
- powerful gaming machine.
- overclocked 4770k can handle serious tasks as well as just gaming.
- MSI Z87M Gaming is an incredible motherboard.
- colour coordinated.
- pre-overclocked.
- built in wireless.
Cons:
- The Aerocool Strike X 800W wouldn't be our first choice of power supply.
Kitguru says: The Box Assassin is attractive, powerful and very very quiet. If you are tired ‘listening' to your old system and don't want to build a new one yourself, then this deserves some serious consideration.
That is a great system, good specification and well thought out – never heard of box before, but will be keeping my eye on them.
I love the case, my friend bought one and its very very quiet indeed. my own thermaltake chassis sounds like a helicopter. about time I invested a little cash into upgrading.
Its a good list of components for the price. I know a lot of people say you should build your own, but after you have done it a couple of times, it loses the charm. A lot of the good UK companies have guys now that can do it as well as myself. Box seem to be one of the handful I would trust.
this unit is just like fooling all the people that is interested in purchasing if you will ask me iwill never buy this unit it is still the best if you build your own unit and put all the best parts you know about computers…