Freshtech Solutions Project 7 GTX 1080 Gaming PC Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing 

At the time of writing, the Freshtech Solutions Project 7 is available from the company’s website for £1599.00. As per usual, to determine a system’s value proposition, we endeavour to compile an identical self-build and compare the price. This allows us to analyse the fee (if any) that a system integrator is choosing to charge customers for its services. Please note all prices include shipping and we don’t permit Windows 10 keys from disreputable sites. Of course, you might want to acquire a digital code much cheaper, but it’s not something we’re happy to recommend as many keys can be MSDN-based with limited activations. When looking into the price of custom water loop builds, it’s more involved due to the increased selection of parts.

• Case: Aerocool Project 7 = £79.93*
• Motherboard: Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 5 = £164.99
• Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K Overclocked to 4.4GHz = £226.98
• Processor Cooler: Corsair H110i GT Hydro Liquid Cooler = £99.99
• System Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB dual-channel DDR4 3000MHz = £80.99
• Main Boot Drive: Samsung 500GB 850 EVO SSD = £149.99
• Additional Storage Drive(s): Western Digital Blue 1TB 7200RPM = £44.96
• Graphics card: Zotac GTX 1080 AMP Edition 8GB GDDR5 = £608.99
• Power Supply: EVGA 700B 700-watt 80+ Bronze non-modular = £69.96
• OS: Windows 10 Home = £74.99

*Please note, the case could only be found in a black colour but I doubt this impacts on the pricing too much.

Once totalled up, an identical self-build comes to £1601.77 which actually costs £2.77 more than Freshtech’s creation. To be fair, the current asking price of the i5-6600K is ludicrous and more than some i7 processors from previous generations. Unfortunately, this is the current market value and component prices have increased substantially since the Brexit vote. When you take into account the widespread price rises, you have to commend Freshtech for maintaining an attractive price point.

Overview

The Freshtech Solutions Project 7 is based on an innovative design which should appeal to consumers who enjoy striking RGB illumination. In particular, the chassis’ front lighting creates such a unique finish and the ability to select from a wide range of gorgeous colours is superb. Also, the case houses a few transitional effects which act as a talking point and is bound to capture people’s imagination. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend using these effects for desktop use because they are distracting and probably going to cause eye fatigue. Nevertheless, it’s a fun aspect of the system and helps it to stand out from the competition.

On another note, the case’s bizarre shape and elongated support bars have a certain charm which makes you admire the system’s visual exuberance. Unfortunately, the chassis’ budget, plastic construction doesn’t evoke a premium feel and the protruding feet cause the system to wobble. If you adopt a gentle approach near the rig, this shouldn’t happen on a regular basis. The case also has a number of pretty decent features including front SSD bays and a large PSU cover. This aids cable management and allows for a cleaner finish. Throughout the build, the cabling has been finished to a high standard and the routeing is remarkably clean considering the power supply’s non-modular design. Also, the case’s lack of rubber grommets isn’t ideal and complicates the process slightly. Although, there is a section which hides the majority of cable length quite well. Overall, I think Freshtech Solutions have done a stellar job as demonstrated by the logical cabling runs and copious supply of zip-ties.

Even though the system has an array of beautiful hardware, it’s difficult to see once the side panel has been shut. Freshtech Solutions should have included some internal case lighting via LED strips or something like the NZXT Hue+. It’s a shame because the entire front section is lit up in a bold fashion while the main system remains obscured. The only elements you can look at is the Zotac RGB logo and Corsair pump branding. Both of these support customisable lighting which can be useful to focus on a particular shade. To be fair, the darkened internal portion is easily fixed and shouldn’t increase the asking price by a large degree once fixed.

The system’s Corsair H110i GT cooling solution is a work of art and the textured tubing looks absolutely fantastic. Not only that, the product is able to easily cope with the i5-6600K running at 4.4GHz and reported a maximum load reading of 69C on the hottest core. Also, this was achieved at respectable noise levels thanks to the Quiet profile. During idle conditions, it’s even better and the system is almost silent. The only oddity I experienced was some rattling during stress testing which appeared to dissipate after a while. Perhaps, a screw or another fitting has come away ever so slightly and resulted in minor vibrations.

In terms of storage, the system’s boot SSD is one of the finest options around and consistently outputs impressive read/write rates. Granted, the SATA3 interface is quite limiting and pales in comparison to NVMe solutions. Clearly, Freshtech Solutions could have invested in a Samsung SM951 or similar but it would have been difficult to achieve the 500GB capacity without dramatically increasing the price. Honestly, I think they made the right call and the performance should be fine for most individuals.

The system’s GTX 1080 doesn’t need any introduction and upholds an astonishing gaming experience even when a 4K monitor is deployed. Throughout the testing procedure, the graphics card managed to maintain excellent performance numbers, especially at 1920×1080 and 2560×1440. Interestingly, these resolutions make 60 frames-per-second an easy target and it’s unlikely that the minimum figure will drop below this. As a result, the gameplay remains perfectly fluid and stable enough to please those who easily notice frame rate fluctuations. As expected, the system isn’t quite able to offer a 60 frames-per-second 4K gaming experience at the highest presets but it’s surprisingly close. The data shows that the performance tends to hover between 43-65 frames-per-second depending on the benchmark. This doesn’t tell the whole picture because some titles have sudden frame dips and it’s recommended to scale back the settings to ensure the user experience doesn’t feel too jarring. Overall, the GTX 1080 is unbelievably powerful and the performance isn’t held back by the i5-6600K’s lack of hyperthreading.

Pros

• Attentive packaging
• Eye-catching design
• Excellent networking
• Extremely quiet
• Fantastic price for a complete GTX 1080 system
• Good cable management
• i5-6600K doesn’t inhibit the GTX 1080’s potential
• Marvellous gaming performance
• Suitable for 4K gaming at demanding settings
• Wonder thermal results

Cons

• Aerocool 7 chassis doesn’t feel overly sturdy
• Lack of internal lighting makes it hard to see the components

“The Freshtech Solutions Project 7 is a visual treat and greatly benefits from the chassis’ spectacular lighting system. Not only that, the system contains a balanced selection of components, remains really quiet and offers a premium gaming experience while being cheaper than an equivalent self-build.”

Freshtech Solutions Project 7 GTX 1080 Gaming PC Review

Thank you Freshtech Solutions for providing us with this sample.