Inside the CCL Vault: 6 Gaming Picks We’re Loving This Week

I couldn’t believe the value packed into the Horizon Ryzen 5 RTX 3050 Gaming PC. Right out of the box (which arrived the next day, as promised), I was up and gaming in minutes. Windows 11 Home came pre-installed, so setup was basically plug-and-play. The specs are stellar for 1080p gaming: an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 6-core CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a speedy 1TB NVMe SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 8GB graphics card?. In real-world terms, this means snappy performance and plenty of storage for my game library. I loaded up some of my favourite titles and was getting great frame rates. For example, in a demanding game like Cyberpunk 2077, the RTX 3050 delivered roughly high-50s FPS at 1080p on High settings (and even ~47 FPS at 1440p Ultra in a test I saw)?. That tells me 1080p gaming at high/ultra settings is smooth as butter on this rig, and less intensive esports games easily push well into the 100+ FPS range.

The build quality exceeded my expectations. The case is a head-turner – it has a mesh front panel and comes with four pre-installed fans with vibrant ARGB lighting. The first evening I set it up, I just stared at it glowing on my desk – it looks seriously cool (and runs cool too). The airflow from the triple front fans and rear exhaust keeps the temps in check even during intense gaming sessions?. Inside, the cabling is neat and components are laid out nicely by CCL’s builders. Peeking through the tempered glass side panel, I can see the quality of the assembly – no loose wires or messy internals. The CCL team clearly took pride in the build, and it’s even hand-built in the UK with a 3-year warranty for peace of mind?.

Performance in games has been fantastic. The Ryzen 5 5500 might not be the absolute newest CPU, but with 6 cores and 12 threads it handles today’s games without breaking a sweat. In multiplayer shooters like Warzone and Apex Legends, I’m easily clearing 100 fps at 1080p High. The CPU/GPU combo is well-balanced; neither bottlenecks the other in the titles I’ve tried. The RTX 3050, being an entry RTX 30-series, even lets me dabble with ray tracing on older titles and enables DLSS in supported games for a nice FPS boost?. I was playing Shadow of the Tomb Raider with ray tracing on medium and still got smooth performance thanks to DLSS. And that 1TB Gen4 SSD – wow, it’s quick. Windows boots in seconds and game levels load almost instantly (no more long loading screens!)?. I transferred a bunch of games from my external drive and the install speeds were impressively fast as well.

As a complete system, it’s ideal for gamers on a budget or first-time PC gamers who want great performance at 1080p. It’s also a perfect choice if, like me, you didn’t have time to build a PC from scratch – CCL did the hard work and testing. Upgradability is there too: the 650W PSU included has headroom if I later swap in a more powerful GPU, and there’s space for extra drives. I also love that it has built-in Wi-Fi (867Mbps) – handy if you can’t run Ethernet to your room?. If I had to nitpick a con, I’d say hardcore enthusiasts might eventually crave an even stronger GPU for 1440p ultra settings or high refresh-rate 1440p gaming. The RTX 3050 isn’t a 4K card, and it’s not meant to be – but it absolutely nails the intended use-case of 1080p high settings. Also, the Ryzen 5 5500 lacks PCIe 4.0 support (it’s PCIe 3.0 only), but in practice I haven’t noticed any real-world downside since the included NVMe is plenty fast and the graphics card doesn’t saturate PCIe 3.0 x16 anyway. For the price point of around £550, those minor “cons” are hardly complaints.

Overall, I’m thrilled with this Horizon gaming PC. It’s quiet, cool, and delivers reliable performance. I feel it’s a perfect fit for a mid-range gamer who wants maximum plug-and-play value. Whether you’re diving into open-world AAA adventures or enjoying esports titles, this PC won’t let you down. It’s got the looks, the power, and the price tag that’s easy to love. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to jump into PC gaming without the hassle – it’s truly a “power up and dominate” machine, just as the marketing says!

Ideal for: 1080p gamers, students or newcomers to PC gaming, or anyone who wants a hassle-free pre-built that looks awesome. Minor cons? It’s not meant for 4K gaming – but if you stick to FHD or 1440p, you’ll be very happy. Considering the quality assembly and 3-year warranty, it’s a long-term winner for me.

2. 1TB Crucial P3 Plus M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Storage upgrades don’t usually get me excited, but the Crucial P3 Plus 1TB NVMe SSD truly impressed me. After doing my homework on this drive, I installed one in my gaming rig and immediately noticed the difference coming from a SATA SSD. Installation was a breeze – I just popped it into the M.2 slot on my motherboard, secured the tiny screw, and it was ready. No cables, no fuss. If you’ve never installed an M.2 SSD before, don’t worry; it’s about as straightforward as it gets and Crucial provides cloning software if you’re migrating from an older drive. In my case, I was adding it as a dedicated game drive. Within minutes, I had Windows recognising the full 1TB of ultra-fast storage.

On paper, the P3 Plus is a Gen4 x4 drive rated up to 5,000 MB/s reads (and around 3,600 MB/s writes), which is solid for a “budget” NVMe. In benchmarks, it’s certainly not the very fastest Gen4 SSD out there, but in actual everyday use – game loads, Windows boot, transferring files – it feels plenty fast. Loading huge open-world games like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Cyberpunk now takes noticeably less time compared to my older SATA SSD. Fast travel and level transitions are almost instantaneous. The phrase “fast enough and affordable” from a PC World review perfectly describes it?. Crucial basically aimed to deliver Gen4 speeds at a Gen3 price, and I’d say they succeeded. For gamers, that means you get the benefits of snappy load times without paying a premium.

One thing I appreciate is the reliability of the Crucial brand. The P3 Plus comes with a 5-year warranty, which shows they stand behind the drive?. It uses 3D NAND (QLC in this case) and even without a DRAM cache, I haven’t run into any stuttering issues during gameplay or installs. There’s a debate online about QLC NAND having lower endurance and slower speeds once the SLC cache fills, and it’s true this drive isn’t built for continuous heavy server workloads. But in my use – installing games, recording gameplay footage, editing videos – I’ve had zero slowdowns. For context, the 1TB P3 Plus is rated at about 220 TBW endurance?, which translates to writing 120 GB every day for 5 years. I definitely don’t write that much data in a day, and most gamers won’t either, so endurance is a minor concern only for edge cases. In a forum discussion, one user summed it up well: “there aren’t many people that actually need something faster than the P3 Plus; it’s a fine drive for the vast majority of use cases”?. That matches my experience – in real-world gaming and everyday use, I can’t tell this drive apart from my more expensive SSD in normal operation.

The benefits for gaming are clear. I moved a bunch of games from my old hard drive onto the P3 Plus, and games like Forza Horizon 5 and Elden Ring not only load quicker but also stream open-world data more smoothly. If you’ve ever had a game hitch because it’s loading assets from a slow drive, switching to NVMe largely eliminates that. Even when I die and respawn, I’m back in action faster, which actually improves the gaming experience (less waiting, more playing!). As a bonus, the P3 Plus supports Microsoft’s DirectStorage tech, so it’s ready for future games that use GPU-accelerated asset loading.

In terms of value, this SSD is hard to beat. It often comes at a lower cost per GB than many TLC Gen4 drives, yet delivers a similar feel in typical workloads. A Tom’s Hardware review highlighted its “good value” and high capacities as big pros?. I got mine on sale and felt like I stole something – 1TB of high-speed storage for around the price of an older-gen drive. That means more budget left for other components or games.

Now, are there any drawbacks? As mentioned, the P3 Plus uses QLC NAND, which has some inherent downsides: write speeds can drop during very large file transfers (hundreds of GB in one go) once the dynamic cache is exceeded, and the drive’s endurance is lower than TLC-based SSDs?. If you were doing heavy video production with constant 4K raw footage writes or running a database, a higher-end drive might be better. But for gaming, content creation light-duty, or as a super-fast Steam library, these drawbacks don’t detract much at all. I installed 100GB worth of games in one sitting and it was done in a snap – I never hit a visible slowdown. Another minor thing: because it doesn’t have a hefty heatsink (it’s a bare drive), if your motherboard doesn’t have an M.2 heatsink and you hammer it with sustained writes, it might get warm. My board had a tiny heatsink I could stick on, but even without it, I only saw it peak around 60°C during a massive file copy, well below any throttling point. In normal gaming use, it stays cool.

Who is this drive for? It’s perfect for budget-conscious system builders or upgraders who still demand excellent performance. If you’re building a mid-range gaming PC with Gen4 support, the Crucial P3 Plus slots in perfectly. It’s also a great PS5 upgrade option (with a third-party heatsink added) due to its high read speeds and low cost per GB. Essentially, any gamer or general user who wants a lot of fast storage without overspending will love this.

For the price I paid, I feel like I got 95% of the performance of the priciest SSDs at a fraction of the cost. My PC feels more responsive, games launch with lightning speed, and I have room for all the new titles coming out. It’s an upgrade that offers instant gratification. No more deleting games just to install new ones – 1TB goes a long way. The Crucial P3 Plus delivered exactly what I hoped for: a worry-free, fast storage boost with long-term reliability. I’m genuinely enthusiastic recommending it to friends – it’s one of those “sweet spot” products that hits performance, price, and reliability all at once.

3. Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB CPU Cooler (Black)

This might be the most fun I’ve had reviewing a CPU cooler – the Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB is an absolute beast! I’ll admit, when I first got this cooler, I was sceptical because of its low price. But as soon as I unboxed it, the build quality and attention to detail were apparent. Dual-tower heatsink, six heatpipes, two 120mm ARGB fans... all in sleek matte black – it looks as mean as its name suggests. Mounting it on my CPU (an Intel i7-12700K) was straightforward; Thermalright provides all the brackets for Intel & AMD sockets and even a handy screwdriver. It is a big cooler, no doubt – a true twin-tower design – so I had to be mindful of clearance (155mm height, which fit my mid-tower case just fine). Once mounted, it completely dominates the centre of the case, in a cool way, with its symmetric dual-fan setup. The black fins and top-plate, plus the subtle ARGB glow from the fans, make it one of the better-looking air coolers I’ve used.

Performance-wise, the Peerless Assassin lives up to its legendary reputation. I had heard from enthusiast forums and YouTube reviews that this cooler punches far above its weight – and they weren’t kidding. In my testing, it handled my i7 under full load like a champ. Even after an hour of stressing the CPU with Blender and Cinebench, my temps stayed well within safe limits. When gaming, the CPU barely goes over 60°C. Gamers Nexus found that the Peerless Assassin was “tied for the top-performing air cooler” they’ve ever tested, basically matching the much pricier Noctua NH-D15 and DeepCool AK620 in thermal performance. And Tom’s Hardware gave it an Editor’s Choice, stating “not only is it the best-performing air cooler I’ve tested, it runs whisper silent”. I can confirm: this thing is amazingly quiet. The fans spin up under load, but even then, the noise is a gentle whoosh. At idle or low loads, it’s practically inaudible – I often have to glance at the fan LEDs to see if they’re even spinning. The included fans top out around 1550 RPM and use fluid dynamic bearings (in the SE ARGB version), and Thermalright even offsets the heatsink slightly to avoid RAM interference, which is thoughtful design.

One of the first games I tried after installing this cooler was Cyberpunk 2077. Previously, with my stock cooler, long play sessions would push my CPU into the high 70s °C and the fan noise would ramp up. After switching to the Peerless Assassin, my CPU temps dropped by a good 15-20°C under the same load – genuinely astonishing. I can game for hours and the cooler barely breaks a sweat. It’s no surprise that this cooler is often called a “Noctua-killer” given it offers similar cooling for a fraction of the price. At under £40, it’s an insane value. In fact, KitGuru gave it a “Worth Buying” award, and Tom’s Hardware literally found no cons to list for it (apart from maybe availability).

The ARGB lighting on the fans is a nice bonus. The fans have a ring of LEDs that produce a soft glow (not overly bright or garish). I was able to sync them with my motherboard’s RGB header easily. If you’re not into RGB, Thermalright also includes a little controller or you can just not plug the lighting in – the fans will work either way. Personally, I enjoy the subtle rainbow cycle inside the case – it adds character without being too flashy, especially since the rest of the cooler is stealth black.

Build quality and design details: I have to praise Thermalright here. The heatsink fins are evenly spaced and didn’t have any bent fins out of the box. The base is a nickel-plated copper with a smooth finish, ensuring good contact with the CPU. The mounting system used spring-tensioned screws; it was secure and robust (though you do need to apply some pressure during installation, which is normal for these big coolers). Thermalright’s manual was clear. They even included extra fan clips in case you want to add a third fan (not that it needs it!). Overall, assembling it gave me confidence – nothing felt cheap or flimsy. In fact, the exterior and fit and finish rival coolers that cost twice as much.

Now, any cons or things to consider? Honestly, very few. The main consideration is its size: this cooler is tall and somewhat bulky. In small form factor cases, it likely won’t fit. Also, if you have very tall RAM heatspreaders, the front fan might need to be mounted slightly higher to clear them (in my setup with standard height DDR4, it wasn’t an issue). It’s also not the cooler for extreme overclockers – not because it can’t handle high thermal loads (it can handle over 200W just fine, but because on Intel K-series or Ryzen X chips you’d ideally use a Z-series or X570 board to tweak settings – and by that point, some people might opt for AIO liquid coolers. But honestly, this air cooler is so good I’d even trust it on an overclocked Core i9 or Ryzen 9 at reasonable frequencies. One minor quirk: the fans use proprietary connectors for the ARGB (daisy-chained 3-pin, which do plug into standard 5V headers) and standard 4-pin PWM for power. Managing the two sets of cables (PWM + ARGB) per fan took a bit of zip-tie work to keep tidy. But that’s a very minor thing.

Who is this cooler ideal for? Everyone! If you’re building a gaming PC and want quiet, effective cooling without spending a fortune, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE is a top pick. It’s especially great for mid to high-end builds where you have a powerful CPU that you want to keep cool to boost performance (high boost clocks are easier to maintain when temps are low). For example, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D or an Intel i5-14600K (at stock/Turbo) would pair perfectly with this. Small disclaimer: if you have an ultra-compact mini-ITX case, you might need a smaller cooler – but for ATX or MicroATX builds, this fits in most mid-towers.

After using it, I genuinely feel like this cooler redefines what you can expect for the price. It has long-term appeal too – it’s so well-built that I can reuse it in future builds (with mounting kits for new sockets, which Thermalright often provides). And with two quality fans included, you don’t need to buy anything extra for top-notch air cooling. The phrase “best bang for buck” gets thrown around a lot, but here it absolutely applies. I can’t help but be excited about it – as a longtime builder, seeing such an effective cooler at this cost is almost game-changing.

In short, the Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB made me a Thermalright fan (pun intended). It’s been quietly (and I do mean quietly) keeping my system cool, and I’m enthusiastically recommending it to all my fellow PC gamers and builders. This assassin definitely slays the competition. 

4. ASUS GeForce RTX 5080 TUF Gaming OC 16GB

As a gamer who craves high-end performance, getting my hands on the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5080 OC was like Christmas morning. This is a next-gen powerhouse GPU, and you can feel it from the moment you unbox the card. It’s a huge triple-fan card with that signature TUF design – rugged industrial aesthetic, thick metal backplate, and a beefy heatsink that screams quality. I actually had to re-arrange my case to accommodate its 3.6-slot thickness and length (make sure your case has around 320mm clearance and adequate support, because this card is hefty). ASUS includes a GPU support bracket in the box which I gladly used to prevent any sag in my PCIe slot. Once installed, the card powered up with a tasteful RGB logo on the shroud and three axial-tech fans that remained off (silent) at idle.

Performance – simply put, the RTX 5080 is a 4K gaming beast. Coming from an RTX 3080 previously, the leap was immediately noticeable in ray-traced games and heavy scenarios. NVIDIA’s new Blackwell architecture really shines in things like path-tracing or when frame generation (DLSS 4) is enabled. In Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, I cranked every setting to max at 4K with RT Overdrive, DLSS 4 Quality + Frame Generation, and was seeing smooth frame rates that looked incredible. Without frame gen, native performance is still very strong – roughly on par with or a bit above the last-gen flagship. In traditional rasterization, this TUF 5080 OC roughly trades blows with the mighty RTX 5090 (except in scenarios where VRAM might matter). Some reviews noted it’s not a massive generational jump unless you leverage DLSS 4’s frame generation?. For me, I play a lot of the latest titles that do support these features, so I’m getting the absolute most out of the card.

The ASUS TUF OC edition specifically adds a few things: a mild factory overclock (my card boosts to ~2730 MHz out of the box, a bit above the reference 2700 MHz, an extremely robust cooling solution, and dual BIOS (Performance and Quiet modes). I tried both BIOS modes; honestly, even in Performance mode the card ran cool and quiet. After hours of gaming, the hottest I saw was about 62°C, which is fantastic for a high-end GPU – it’s actually running cooler than my old card did. And the fans, even under load, are barely audible over my case fans. ASUS uses a vapour chamber and 7 heatpipes on this beast, plus that phase-change thermal pad they advertise which supposedly improves contact with the GPU die. It seems to work – the cooling is top-notch. In a Tom’s Hardware review of the 5080 (Founders Edition), they praised the card for running cool and quiet, and the TUF OC with its oversized cooler performs even better in my opinion. The triple fans have this slow whoosh sound at full tilt, but usually they ramp up to only ~1300 RPM in my usage, which is practically silent. The card also features military-grade components (TUF chokes, capacitors, MOSFETs) for durability – it’s reassuring knowing the power delivery is rock solid. I haven’t experienced any coil whine either (and I’m usually sensitive to that); one user on Reddit mentioned their Asus 5080 TUF had no coil whine as well, so it seems ASUS did a good job in that department.

Gaming on this card is an absolute joy. I tested Horizon Zero Dawn at 4K120 on my monitor and it held near 120fps on max settings – something my previous GPU could only dream of. In Flight Simulator 2024, I can finally max out the terrain detail and still stay above 60fps at 4K, which is incredible given how CPU and GPU heavy that sim is. Where this card really flexes is in ray tracing and future-looking tech. It has 4th-gen RT cores and 5th-gen Tensor cores, which means improved ray tracing performance and DLSS capabilities. I tried out a tech demo with full path tracing and the 5080 handled it far smoother than any 40-series card I’ve seen. DLSS 4’s multi-frame generation is frankly a game-changer – in supported titles, you can effectively quadruple your framerate with minimal latency cost. It makes enabling ray tracing a no-brainer now, whereas before you had to consider the big FPS hit.

Now, 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM is on board, which is the same capacity the 4080 had (but using faster memory). I know some folks might wish for more VRAM, but so far 16GB has been sufficient for everything I play at 4K, even with ultra textures. Memory bandwidth is significantly improved thanks to GDDR7’s high speed (over 900 GB/s throughput), so the card isn’t starved. Sure, the RTX 5090 comes with 24GB, but at a much higher price – for gaming purposes, 16GB strikes a balance and keeps the cost (somewhat) reasonable. One con noted in reviews was indeed that NVIDIA stuck to 16GB, potentially limiting future “future-proofing”. I think for the next few years it’ll be fine, but I will keep an eye on VRAM usage in modded games or upcoming titles.

Comparing to competitors: The RTX 5080 sits near the top of the GPU hierarchy. Only the 5090 (and maybe any hypothetical Titan) outperforms it. AMD’s closest would be something like a hypothetical RX 9090 or whatever they bring, but at the time of writing, this Nvidia card is as high-end as gamers get without going ultra-enthusiast. The value proposition is interesting – early benchmarks indicate the 5080 is only ~10% faster than an RTX 4080 Super (if those exist) for traditional rendering, which might not seem huge. However, factor in frame gen and improved ray tracing, and it leaps ahead in those scenarios. In essence, if you already have a 40-series, the upgrade is modest unless you specifically want the new features. But coming from a 30-series, it’s a massive jump. For someone building a new rig or coming from an older card, the 5080 is extremely appealing if budget allows.

The ASUS TUF 5080’s target audience is definitely the enthusiast gamer or creator who wants near-flagship performance without paying the absolute flagship premium. It’s still expensive, and I paid a bit of a premium for the OC model). If you’re a competitive gamer playing at 1440p, this might be overkill – an RTX 5070 or 4070 could already push high frame rates at that resolution. But if you’re like me and you game at 4K or ultrawide resolutions, and you want all the eye-candy on (ultra settings, high ray tracing), the 5080 is a dream. Also, if you dabble in content creation – the AI acceleration (like using Stable Diffusion, Blender Cycles RTX, etc.) is phenomenal with Blackwell’s upgrades. I rendered a 4K video in Adobe Premiere using GPU encoding and it was faster than real-time.

A few minor cons: It’s large and power-hungry. I upgraded to a quality 1000W PSU to be safe (Nvidia recommends 850W minimum). Under max load, the card can draw ~350W or a bit more when overclocked. That means heat output is significant – ensure your case airflow is good. Also, the card uses the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. ASUS did include an adaptor (3x8-pin to 16-pin) in the box. I used a native 12VHPWR cable from my PSU to be safe and avoid any issues. The connector has been revised to be more robust, and I haven’t experienced any problems, but it’s something to plug in carefully. Lastly, stock was limited at launch (I got lucky on a restock). Availability and pricing can be a joke early on – early adopters tax is real. If you can hold off a bit, prices should normalise.

In gameplay though, none of those cons detract from the experience: the card is an absolute unit, delivering top-tier performance with quiet cooling – exactly what we enthusiasts want. I feel a huge sense of future-proofing too, knowing I can comfortably handle upcoming games for years to come. The ASUS TUF model in particular gives me confidence with its build quality and extra features (like that protective PCB coating against dust/moisture. It’s truly a “TUF” card built to last.

In summary, using the RTX 5080 TUF OC has been a thrill. It’s the kind of hardware that rekindles your excitement for PC gaming. I’m replaying older games just to see them maxed out with new tech, and everything new I throw at it, it crushes. If you’re a high-end gamer or creator, this card will serve you extremely well. Just make sure your case can fit it and your wallet can handle it! I wholeheartedly recommend it for those who refuse to compromise on their gaming experience and want that next-gen performance right now.

5. GameMax Tornado Gaming Mouse

I never thought a super-budget gaming mouse could impress me until I tried the GameMax Tornado. I picked this mouse up out of curiosity (and because its price was unbelievably low – roughly the cost of a takeout meal) and it has been a pleasant surprise. Right from unboxing, the Tornado felt ergonomic and comfortable in my hand. It’s a medium-sized, right-handed mouse with a sculpted shape that supports my palm nicely. I have average-sized hands, and my grip naturally falls between palm and claw – this mouse caters to that perfectly. The top has a smooth rubberised coating which gives a bit of grip and prevents that sweaty hand feeling during long play sessions. The sides are plastic with some textured pattern – could be a tad grippier, but honestly at this price it’s more than acceptable. It’s also pretty lightweight (around 95 grams not including the cable?, which is great for flick shots in FPS games.

Despite its bargain cost, the Tornado packs the essential features a gamer needs. It has six buttons: the usual left/right click (which feel crisp, not too heavy or too light), a clickable scroll wheel, a DPI toggle button behind the wheel, and two thumb buttons on the left side. The thumb buttons are well-placed – I can easily hit them with my thumb to melee or ping in games, and they have a decent tactile click. The scroll wheel is also noteworthy: it’s quiet (advertised as a noiseless scroll wheel) and has distinct steps, and it’s coated in a rubbery texture so scrolling feels controlled. The optical sensor offers four DPI levels: 800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 DPI?. Switching DPI with the top button cycles through them, and there’s an LED indicator colour for each (or you can infer from cursor speed). Now, 2000 DPI isn’t as high as more expensive mice that go 10k+, but realistically I play at 1600 DPI on a 1080p screen and it’s fine. In-game, tracking felt accurate and responsive – I didn’t experience any spin-outs or jitter. I played some CS:GO and Valorant with it, and my aim was as steady as with my daily driver mouse. A KitGuru review even noted that tracking and movement were accurate, with no issues from the sensor?. That gave me confidence that GameMax didn’t skimp on the basic sensor quality.

The 7-colour LED lighting is a fun touch. This isn’t per-key RGB or software-controlled – instead, the mouse has an internal LED that smoothly cycles through 7 preset colours (cyan, blue, magenta, white, red, green, yellow)?. It glows through the scroll wheel and the logo (which looks like a little tornado graphic) on the palm rest. In a dark room it looks cool – not too bright, just a subtle colour shift that gives the mouse some personality. Since it continually cycles, you can’t fix it on one colour, which is fine by me because I treat it like ambient lighting. If you prefer no lights, you might have to disable it by software (Windows power settings) or just ignore it. For me, the simple cycling LED is totally acceptable in a mouse this affordable (and honestly, some mice in this range have no lighting at all, so this feels like a bonus).

Build quality is where I tempered my expectations, but again the Tornado did well. It’s all plastic, but it feels solid enough – no creaking when I squeeze it. The buttons are rated for 5 million clicks? which is decent longevity. The braided USB cable is about 1.5 metres and surprisingly not too stiff; it doesn’t snag on my mouse mat which is good (though it’s not as slick as premium paracord cables). After a week of use, I didn’t notice any major issues. There is no fancy weight tuning or removable panels – it’s a straightforward build – but sometimes simplicity is reliable. The mouse glides on two large feet that allow smooth movement on my cloth pad.

Using it in different game genres, I found it performs admirably for casual and moderately competitive play. In fast-paced FPS games, I was able to aim accurately. The lightweight nature and decent sensor contributed to that. In MOBAs and RPGs, the comfort over long sessions stood out – I had no fatigue or cramping after hours of Diablo IV. The ergonomic shape really supports the hand well, which is something some cheap £10 office mice absolutely do not do. GameMax clearly designed this with gamers in mind, and it shows. They advertise the “anti-sweat” coating and I can vouch that my hand stayed dry; that rubber finish works as intended.

Now, let’s be realistic – what are the trade-offs for the low price? Firstly, the DPI maxing at 2000 means if you use a 4K display or multi-monitor and like very high sensitivity, you might find it limiting. Most average gamers don’t need ultra-high DPI, though. There’s no dedicated software for customisation – so you can’t reprogramme the buttons or fine-tune the DPI steps or LED behaviour. Again, at this price, that’s expected. The LED is either on cycling or off; there’s no per-game integration or anything fancy. The overall feel, while comfortable, isn’t luxurious – the plastic isn’t as premium as a £80 Logitech or Razer mouse. For example, the side grips are just hard plastic with a pattern – adding a rubber insert would’ve been nice for extra grip (KitGuru also noted it “could be grippier” on the thumb rest)?. Also, if you are very particular about click feel, the clicks here are a tiny bit softer than something like an Omron switch in a high-end mouse. But they’re still consistent and I had no misclicks or issues – just an observation from someone who’s used pricier gear.

One minor con I encountered: the mouse goes through a colour cycle, and when my PC is asleep the mouse’s LED still slowly pulses through colours. It’s actually kind of a nightlight, haha. If that bothers you, you’d have to unplug it or turn off USB power during sleep in your BIOS. It’s not a big deal for me, and in fact I like the gentle glow on my desk.

Considering the price category, I have to say the GameMax Tornado far exceeded my expectations. It proves that you can get a totally functional, even enjoyable gaming mouse experience for an ultra-budget price. It’s an ideal mouse for a beginner gamer, a child’s first gaming PC, or a secondary/travel gaming mouse. If a friend needed a mouse in a pinch, I wouldn’t hesitate to lend or recommend this. It’s also a great option for an office mouse upgrade – the silent wheel and ability to switch DPI for different tasks is nice, and the occasional colour glow adds a bit of fun to a work setup.

In conclusion, using the Tornado has been a lesson that “budget” doesn’t always mean “bad.” In fact, it’s quite good. I found myself reaching for it even when I had more expensive mice on my desk – that’s how comfortable it is. It nails the basics: ergonomic shape, responsive clicks, and accurate tracking?. The fancy stuff like ultra-high DPI and software customisation are missing, but those aren’t necessary for a lot of gamers. This mouse proves you can game on a budget and still have a reliable, enjoyable experience. I’m genuinely excited to tell people – especially those building low-cost gaming PCs – about the GameMax Tornado. It might be cheap, but it sure doesn’t play cheap.

Ideal for: Casual and budget gamers, students, or as a backup gaming mouse. It’s also a nice choice for those who want a comfortable everyday mouse without spending much. Minor cons: Limited DPI and no software, but these don’t detract from its core value – which is ridiculously good for the price.

6. ASUS ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi Motherboard

Building a compact gaming PC with the ASUS ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi motherboard was an absolute delight. As an ITX enthusiast, I know we often have to accept compromises due to size, but this board made me feel like I was working with a full-featured ATX board shrunken down to mini-ITX. Out of the box, the ROG Strix B760-I looks gorgeous: a black PCB with stylish cybertext and ROG graffiti accents, metal heatsinks covering the VRMs and dual M.2 slots, and even an integrated I/O shield (thank goodness – no more fumbling with a loose I/O shield during installation!). It exudes that ROG premium feel with sturdy construction. Even though B760 is a more “budget” chipset than Z790, ASUS didn’t skimp on the Strix lineage here – it’s clearly built for gaming and durability.

Setup was smooth. The board supports Intel 12th and 13th Gen CPUs on the LGA1700 socket, and in my case I dropped in a Core i5-13400F. With two DDR5 memory slots, I installed 32GB (2x16) of DDR5 at 6000MHz XMP – the board had no issues training the memory to XMP profile. One pleasant surprise: the rear I/O on this ITX board is loaded. We’re talking WiFi 6E, 2.5Gb Ethernet, a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gbps) USB-C port, multiple USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 for integrated graphics, and even SupremeFX 7.1 audio outputs. Honestly, it rivals many ATX boards in connectivity, which is fantastic for a small build. I plugged in my WiFi antenna (the included antenna is compact and magnetic) and got excellent reception and speeds on WiFi 6 networks. Bluetooth 5.2 is also built-in, which is great for connecting my Xbox controller and headphones.

The board layout is well thought out for ITX. There’s one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the graphics card – I installed an RTX 3060 Ti, and the slot’s reinforcement and clearance were perfect. The two M.2 slots were a big selling point for me: one sits on the top (CPU-connected, PCIe 4.0 x4) under a heatsink, and one on the back of the board (chipset-connected, PCIe 4.0 x4 as well). Having dual M.2 in ITX is awesome because it meant I could run my NVMe OS drive and a separate NVMe game drive without using any SATA cables. The board still provides two SATA ports on the front for additional drives which I used for an SSD and an old HDD. Everything is packed tightly, but accessible enough. They even used combo headers (for example, a single connector for front panel audio to save space). ASUS also put the front panel header along the edge and provided a Q-connector in the box – that little block you can plug the case wires into then plug as one unit into the board – which made wiring the case LEDs and power button easier in the cramped space. It’s these small touches that show it’s a premium ITX board aimed at making the builder’s life easier.

When it came to performance, the Strix B760-I handled my Core i5 and RTX GPU with ease. B760 chipset doesn’t allow CPU overclocking (that’s Intel’s limitation), but I could still tweak things like XMP for RAM and undervolt or power limit adjustments if I wanted. Realistically, I don’t miss overclocking on this board – modern Intel chips turbo on their own and this board’s power delivery is strong enough to sustain those boost clocks. The 8+1 phase VRM design (if I recall correctly) with hefty heatsinks meant my VRMs stayed cool even during heavy CPU stress tests. I played hours of Cyberpunk and Halo Infinite and the system was perfectly stable, no VRM throttling or anything. The board’s UEFI BIOS is the typical excellent ASUS interface – easy for someone like me who wants to tinker with fan curves and boot priorities, but also simple if you just use EZ mode to enable XMP and go.

One feature I love is the ROG Strix design elements – the little RGB ROG eye on the I/O shroud, and the “STrix” holographic text on the M.2 heatsink give it a vibrant look. In my case with a glass side panel, the small board actually stands out visually because of these. It’s like a little jewel of a motherboard. The RGB is subtle and can be synced via ASUS Aura (the board has a couple RGB headers if you want to add LED strips or RGB fans too).

Networking and audio: The Intel 2.5G LAN gives fast and reliable wired connectivity – great for low-latency gaming. The WiFi 6E as mentioned is top-tier for wireless. The audio uses an ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 codec (with DTS support), which I found delivers very clean sound to my headphones. Honestly, I was surprised to get such “decent audio” on an ITX board – often space constraints lead to lower-end audio, but not here. It’s not a substitute for a dedicated sound card or DAC for audiophiles, but for gaming and general use, it’s perfectly fine. There’s also a front panel USB-C header (which I connected to my case’s Type-C port) – having internal USB-C on ITX is great.

Compared to other ITX boards, the Strix B760-I is positioned as a high-end option but with the B760 chipset. That means it’s a little more affordable than the Z790I Strix, yet you get almost all the same features except CPU overclocking. A review noted ASUS “worked some magic to make this packed Mini-ITX board affordable” for hobbyists, and I agree – it feels like a sweet spot for a compact gaming build that doesn’t require extreme OC. Some competitors like Gigabyte’s B760I or ASRock’s ITX might be slightly cheaper, but often have one M.2 slot or fewer USB ports. The Strix really gives you everything on a tiny board. That said, if you were a hardcore overclocker or wanted to push an i9 to its limits, a Z790 ITX board (or going mATX/ATX) might be better, since B760 has some limits (fewer PCIe lanes from the chipset, so a few expansion options missing, and no CPU overclocking). For me using a locked i5, B760 was perfectly fine and I didn’t feel any practical limitation.

Ease of build was great. Because it’s ITX, cable management was tight, but the board’s connectors are placed smartly around the edges. I especially liked the front panel USB 3.2 header having a right-angled orientation – it prevented the thick USB3 cable from sticking up awkwardly. Also, the Q-Latch mechanism for the M.2 drives (no tiny screws for one of the slots) was a lifesaver – more boards need to use that. The integrated I/O shield I mentioned – it ensures a proper fit in the case’s rear and looks clean. These little ROG quality-of-life features made the build process less frustrating than some other ITX builds I’ve done.

After building, I updated the BIOS using ASUS’s EZ Flash (grabbed the file on a USB drive, flashed in BIOS – took 2 minutes) just to ensure 13th-gen support and memory compatibility were optimal. Since then, the system has been rock solid. I’ve been using it for both gaming and productivity. With a beefy GPU, ITX builds can sometimes run hot, but the Strix board has fan headers in the right spots to set up a good airflow pattern. I connected two case fans and the CPU fan, and tweaked curves such that the system stays quiet at idle and only ramps up under load.

In daily use, I sometimes forget this is a mini-ITX system because it’s as capable as a larger desktop. The ROG Strix B760-I deserves a lot of credit for that – it doesn’t feel like I gave up much to go small. Temperatures, performance, connectivity – all on point. And it’s ready for the future too: if I want to upgrade to, say, a Core i7 13700 or even a future 14th-gen (if they remain LGA1700 compatible), this board can handle it. VRM temps suggest it could run a higher wattage CPU just fine. There’s also an extra PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot via an addon card option (ASUS sells a ROG Hive or something for Z790 – not sure if it works on B760 though), but either way, expandability for storage is more than sufficient for me right now.

Who is this board for? It’s tailor-made for small form factor PC builders who want a no-compromise gaming system. If you’re building a mini-ITX LAN party rig, a compact living room VR setup, or just love the minimal desk footprint of ITX, the Strix B760-I is awesome. It particularly makes sense if you’re pairing with a locked 12th/13th gen CPU or simply don’t care to overclock manually. You still get high memory speeds and all the goodies. Enthusiasts who want to tinker a bit but not hardcore overclock will also appreciate the Strix BIOS and fan controls. Given its feature set, it’s also great for a home theatre PC that doubles as a high-end console – the robust audio and HDMI/DisplayPort out for iGPU mean you could build a powerful HTPC with it.

Any downsides? The main one is inherent to B760: no CPU overclocking (so if you have a K-series and want to OC, you’d feel constrained) and slightly fewer PCIe lanes (meaning, for instance, you get two M.2 instead of maybe three that some Z790 ITX boards achieve by using a daughterboard). Another is price – it’s not a “cheap” board; you pay a premium for ROG and ITX. But I honestly felt it was justified. Another minor thing: being ITX, only two RAM slots (max 64GB) – but that’s normal. The WiFi antenna is external (some boards have antenna integrated into the rear I/O, but those are larger usually); the included antenna works well though, just occupies a bit of desk space with its little cable. None of these detract much from the overall value in my view, because anyone choosing ITX likely understands these points.

In conclusion, the ASUS ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi blew me away with how much it offers in a tiny form factor. It truly brought desktop-class performance to my mini build. It’s reliable, packed with features, and carries that ROG flair that makes it feel special. My gaming ITX rig now has the heart of a Strix, and I couldn’t be happier. If you want to build a small yet mighty PC, this board should be at the top of your list. It has made my SFF gaming experience seamless and exciting, which is exactly what I hoped for. Big thumbs up to ASUS for this one!

Final Thoughts

Thank you for joining me in this week’s CCL Staff Picks roundup! I had a blast testing and sharing my personal take on these products – from the game-ready Horizon PC and the speedy Crucial SSD, to the ultra-effective Peerless Assassin cooler, the formidable RTX 5080, the shockingly good GameMax mouse, and the feature-packed ROG Strix ITX board. It’s clear that whether you’re on a tight budget or looking for no-holds-barred performance, there are awesome options out there in every category.

We do these Staff Picks every week, so I’m excited to see what cool tech next week brings. If you don’t want to miss out on future deals, competitions, and our candid staff recommendations, be sure to subscribe to our updates below. We love sharing our genuine experiences with the latest gear, and we hope it helps you make informed choices for your own setup.

Happy gaming and building! Thanks for reading, and see you in the next roundup. Until then, game on and enjoy the tech!