Review on Skytech Gaming Shiva HDMI Gaming Desktop: A Powerful Build for Enhanced Gaming Experience by Stephen Kressley

First let me say that this computer is excellent in every way. It runs relatively new and graphics-heavy games like Death Stranding and Red Dead Redemption 2 on high settings at 60 frames per second. It starts up in seconds and runs very quickly and smoothly thanks to 16 GB of RAM and an SSD. However, as with most pre-built PCs, you can almost certainly buy individual parts and assemble them yourself for a fraction of the price. However, for those who lack the technical know-how to comfortably try such an endeavor and have the money, this is a great gaming PC. I can't speak to the helpfulness of Skytech technical support as I didn't need to contact them. The PC came packaged in a very padded box with some helpful documents on how to run the PC for the first time, including a troubleshooting checklist. The PC itself arrived in perfect condition, except that one of the SSD trays was slightly crooked. However, all I had to do was open the case (easy to do by removing the four pins holding the glass panel in place and carefully setting them aside) and aligning the tray's pins with the holes , which were designed to fasten it in place. As for the case itself, I find it a bit gaudy, especially when all the LEDs are on at the same time, but since you can turn them off I don't find that a complaint. Speaking of which, the LEDs and fans are controlled by two smaller buttons on the top of the PC case, with the unlabeled "LED" button apparently controlling the fans. As far as I can tell, they work completely independently of the computer itself, and I don't think they can be controlled in any other way. The LEDs have about twenty different patterns to scroll, but if you just want to turn them off, you can just hold down the button. Likewise, fans have three settings: low, high, and off. Sometimes the LED button doesn't seem to work properly and holding down the fan button seems to fix the problem, but I'm not sure if this is a bug or a feature. It's not a big problem, so it doesn't really bother me. It's also worth noting that the GPU has its own small LED that illuminates the brand's logo (in this case "Zotac Gaming", although it may be different on others) and that this LED ALSO works independently of the others in the case. Don't know if there's a way to turn this off, but it's a very small and dim light, so it doesn't bother me. The metal grille in front of the fans, designed to collect dust, looks oddly angled. Design. I'm not entirely sure if this is intentional and intended to collect dust, or if it's just part of the modern art design aesthetic, but it's efficient and easy to clean, so I have no issues with it. The grille can be removed by pressing on its top end. You will hear a clear click and you can pull it out at the top. There are two tabs on the bottom that fit into two holes and can be easily lifted at this point. I haven't had a reason to do this yet, but it's worth mentioning. That's all I can say about this PC. Overall I am very happy with the product and how it has performed over the past month and a half. I was sure that I would have more problems on the technical side, but thankfully I was apparently spared. If you're not tech savvy enough to consider building your own PC, I highly recommend this machine. The bug/feature I noticed while holding down the button that controls the case fans is almost certainly a feature, specifically a way to "fix" the LED settings. Holding this button saves the LED settings. . That way, each time you turn on the computer, the LEDs light up the way they were set the last time you turned it off. I'm reasonably sure this is correct, but since it's not documented anywhere, it's hard to be 100% sure. I also found that I didn't account for the lack of an internal Wi-Fi antenna. It comes with an external one that has worked very well for me, although you can upgrade if it doesn't meet your standards.