This is our review and test of a pre-built desktop system called Overclockers Infin8 Nebula. The latest system from Overclockers is one of the most powerful we’ve seen, and its cooling system is one of the slickest and most extensive water-cooling rigs we’ve seen for a long time.
It’s an effective system, and Overclockers has worked to make it aesthetically pleasing too. A light-strip starts at the bottom of the case, beneath the graphics cards, and carries on to the back of the chassis, and a button on the front panel flips between ten different colors. The position of the lighting makes it look as though the illumination is inside the reservoir and waterblocks, and it provides a striking view through the Nebula’s window.
The large Phanteks Enthoo Mini XL case is also striking. It’s hewn from steel and sand-blasted aluminum, and its dark front panel is indented with a meshed area next to a raised ridge that houses the buttons and front-facing I/O. It’s heavy too, and build quality is reassuring.
The SSD is attached to one of two 2.5in drive mounts on the rear of the motherboard tray, and the PSU sits sideways on rubber pads in the top corner of the chassis, behind the two radiators. Dust is kept at bay, thanks to a variety of magnetic and push-to-release filters, and it’s impeccably tidy, with cables hidden away behind the motherboard tray and water-cooling hardware. We only have a minor quibble, which is that the sheer volume of hardware inside the case makes it a little cramped – working inside the Nebula requires delicacy and precision.
The busy interior isn’t a major problem, though, because there isn’t a huge amount of room to grow. Two memory slots and some SATA connectors are free, but the graphics cards block the M.2 connector and the 1x PCI-E slot. Various storage bays lie vacant around the case, but the intricate build and sheer power available mean that users will unlikely to add extra hardware.
Thanks to the cooling system, the 4GHz Intel Core i7-4790K has been overclocked from 4GHz to 4.6GHz, and it’s paired with 16GB of 2,400MHz DDR3 memory. This CPU provides more than enough power for most work and play, although anyone wanting to run highly demanding multi-threaded applications would be better off with an LGA2011 machine.
Meanwhile, the impressive Asus Maximus VII Gene has power and reset buttons at the bottom, a mini PCI-E slot at the very top and SupremeFX audio. It looks good too, with lighting on its heatsinks, and the I/O is well stocked, with quartets of USB 3 and USB 2 ports, a clear-CMOS button, an optical S/PDIF output and a PS/2 connector. The two GPUs mean the pair of PCI-E slots run at 8x speed, but that’s still enough bandwidth to avoid a performance bottleneck.
Windows 8.1 64-bit is installed onto a 250GB Samsung 850 Evo SSD, and there’s a 3TB Seagate hard disk. The latter is a huge amount of storage for games, although a larger SSD would be preferred for this machine’s price. Speaking of which, it’s possible to save money on this PC by dropping down to a single GTX 980. That move restricts the Nebula to 2,560 x 1,440 gaming, but it does save you £585.
The Nebula also includes the standard Overclockers three years warranty, which includes two years of collect and return parts coverage, and one year of labor coverage.
Performance
The pair of GTX 980 cards makes for a 4K-capable system. In our Ultra-quality Battlefield 4 benchmark at 3,840 x 2,160 the Nebula hit a smooth minimum of 37fps, and the Nebula went beyond the crucial 30fps figure in Crysis 3 too. In short, this is one of the fastest gaming machines we’ve ever seen.
The overclocked CPU proved rapid too. Its overall benchmark result of 132,078 is great, and only a handful of systems have proved significantly faster, and they all use LGA2011 hardware. This is ample power unless you regularly deal with heavily multi-threaded workloads.
The cooling system worked flawlessly too. The overclocked processor’s maximum delta T of 58°C is far below the chip’s thermal limits, and the graphics cards were even cooler – they topped out with delta Ts of just 30°C. It’s consistently quiet too, with only a low whir to be heard, even during tough game benchmarks.
Conclusion
The Nebula deeply impresses in every respect. Its water-cooling system looks superb and works admirably, and it’s used to chill a trio of powerful components; the processor has undeniable speed, and the pair of graphics cards enables smooth 4K gaming. There’s no denying the price, though, especially when a fair amount of cash has gone on aesthetics. However, if you have the money, and you want a powerful, well-built, cool and great-looking machine, this 4K gaming rig is superb.
VERDICT
The system is impressive in almost every department. This overclocked rig might be pricey, but it’s fast and beautiful.
CLOUDY CICRCUITRY SCORE: 90
