PC Specialist Azure (LGA 1151) Gaming PC Review

A Closer Look

First impressions are always imperative, and the Azure looks stunning due to the white and black colour scheme. As you can see, the case arrived without any imperfections and smudge-free. However, I’m not overly keen on the instructions notice being directly placed on the windowed side panel. This forces you to pry away at the masking tape and could potentially cause accidental scratches.

The top portion has a removable dust filter which comes off with a distinctive click and unveils the 240mm radiator installation. There are no trailing wires from the radiator, and the screws aren’t over-tightened. The optical bay cabling is another highlight and is obscured with zip ties.

On top of the case, there is a 3 speed fan controller, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, reset switch and power button. The 3 fan settings are extraordinarily quiet and set to a respectable RPM speed. All of the connectivity options are easy to access, and the main power switches feel solid. Although, the reset switch is poorly positioned and quite easy to press by mistake.

Moving onto the front section, we can see an optical drive and spare bay for an LED fan controller or another optional extra device. The dust filter is removed by a single press, and grants access to the 2 x Corsair AF-140 LED fans. On the dust filter, is a classy PC Specialist logo which identifies the product without being too flamboyant.

The back features vents to help with airflow and has 9 PCI expansion slots. Furthermore, the rear IO is installed in a perfectly straight position and devoid of any fingerprints. All of the fittings are of a high standard and there’s no evidence of paint wear throughout the case.

The internal construction is sublime and illustrates the gorgeous contrast between the white and black components. PC Specialist have positioned the 24-pin and 8-pin EPS without any excess cabling which creates a clean look. The CPU block mount is excellent with the tubing moving in a uncluttered direction. If I had one area to complain about, it would be the RAM colour. I personally believe white memory would have created a more aesthetically pleasing build and added a certain flair. Although, DDR4 white RAM is quite difficult to source unlike current stock levels of DDR3 so PC Specialist can’t exactly be blamed for this.

Here we see the reference GTX 980Ti in all of its glory and installed without any GPU sag and straight cable runs. In this particular build, the GALAX 980TI HOF would have been an ideal choice to fit the white theme but retails at a much higher price point than the reference model.

A zoomed out shot of the entire rig emphasizes how wide the 780T is which makes upgrades more convenient and offers greater space to feed cables behind the motherboard tray. The case’s ample dimensions assists with airflow and allows the components to run supremely cool.

The front fan cables are neatly tied together and the LED strips have a flush finish. LED strips can be a pain to fit without minor bumps forming or becoming undone due to inadequate glue. I was surprised with the strength of the fittings and how well they held up during transportation.

The Azure’s cable management is staggeringly good and the best I’ve seen in any custom PC build. PC Specialist’s engineers have used a combination of taught zip-ties and short cabling to make for a wonderful, awe-inspiring finish. Every inch of room is used in the most efficient manner and shows the painstaking attention-to-detail throughout.

Unbelievably, the 8-pin EPS almost looks glued onto the chassis and exhibits astonishing cable management. This means that the side panel has a large threshold to shut without be obstructed by poor cabling. The skill level involved here emphasizes why custom PCs can be such a wise investment.

The HyperX Savage SSD clips onto the case through a tool-less installation method. The SATA cable and SATA power feeds through a tight gap which enables the SSD to fit without feeling overly restricted. On another note, the SSD bracket is solid and the mechanism adopts a clever, intuitive design.

When it comes to the 3.5″ hard drives, they utilize plastic snap-on clips and feed into a steel bay. The bay is quite strong and uses 3 screws to hold it in place and reduce vibrations. Once again we can see how tightly packed the cabling is to stop anything coming undone or effecting airflow.