Corsair Vengeance i7200 review

Trade in Corsair Vengeance i7200

(Image credit: Corsair)

The Corsair Vengeance i7200 stands out as one of the premier gaming PCs available today, although its initial appearance might not immediately convey its impressive capabilities. Unlike other desktops that rely on flashy case designs and LED lighting, Corsair opts for a more understated aesthetic with a sleek black finish accented by strategic splashes of color. This mature and refined design ensures that the PC blends seamlessly into any environment while still making a statement.

Don’t let its subdued exterior fool you—the Corsair Vengeance i7200 packs a serious punch when it comes to performance, excelling in both entertainment and productivity tasks. While it doesn’t come with peripherals, the high-quality components housed within more than make up for it, guaranteeing top-notch performance for years to come.

What’s more, the aggressive pricing of the Corsair Vengeance i7200 allows you to customize a model for significantly less than comparable machines from other brands. Our unit came in at well under $3,000, making it not only a standout performer but also an exceptional value proposition. Plus, with the option to use a Corsair coupon code, the deal gets even sweeter.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Price and availability

Our review unit of the Corsair Vengeance i7200 belonged to the entry-level CS-9050007 model—although calling it “low-end” would be a misnomer. Priced at $2,799, this machine boasts a liquid-cooled 10-core Intel Core i9-10850K processor, an MSI motherboard utilizing the Intel Z490 chipset, 32GB of Corsair’s Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200 RAM, a 750-watt Corsair RM750 power supply, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, a 1TB NVMe solid-state drive for OS and applications, and a 2TB 7,200rpm hard drive for additional storage needs.

Opting for the $3,999 CS-9050004 model maintains most of these components but upgrades to the cutting-edge Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card and a 1,000-watt Corsair RM1000x power supply. The highest-tier option, the $4,899 CS-9050001, boosts RAM to 64GB and includes two 2TB NVMe SSDs. Of course, customization options are available for all configurations to suit individual preferences.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Design

When powered down, the Corsair Vengeance i7200 exudes a classic gaming desktop aesthetic. Encased within the Corsair 4000D airflow case, this mid-tower ATX model presents itself as a robust black monolith measuring 18.3 x 9.1 x 17.4 inches. Its tinted-window side panel offers a subdued glimpse into the interior components, albeit in dim lighting.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

However, once the Power button is pressed, the system comes to life with a burst of color emanating from its intricate RGB lighting arrangement. The trio of fans adorning the front panel, concealed by a removable grill bearing the Vengeance logo at the apex, undergoes a captivating display of cycling colors. Adding to the spectacle, intermittent flashes of white resemble sporadic lightning strikes, enhancing the overall RGB effects.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Peering through the side panel, you’ll catch sight of the system’s top-mounted radiator and trio of fans. The cooling apparatus, featuring its water block and the tops of the DIMMs, adds to the RGB lighting spectacle. This illumination unveils a meticulously organized interior within the case. Only the essential cables and wires are visible, linking the water block to the radiator and discreetly connecting the graphics card to the power supply via a channel.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Another noteworthy aspect of the design is the bottom panel, which sits slightly elevated, protruding more than an inch when the Vengeance i7200 is positioned upright. This subtle adjustment addresses the perennial issue of desktop airflow. Typically, airflow is compromised when the bottom of the case rests flush against the desk or floor, but Corsair’s solution elegantly circumvents this problem.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Ports and upgradability

As is customary for gaming desktops, the Corsair Vengeance i7200 offers a respectable array of ports.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Embedded within the motherboard are six USB ports, consisting of two USB 2.0 ports for peripherals like the keyboard and mouse, three USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type-C port. Additionally, there are HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, a 2.5G Ethernet jack, six HD Audio jacks, and a solitary PS/2 port. Furthermore, the graphics card provides two HDMI ports and three DisplayPort connectors.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The Corsair Vengeance i7200 comes equipped with a dedicated 802.11ax wireless networking card, ensuring you can enjoy wireless connectivity without the need for an Ethernet cable. However, to optimize your wireless signal, you’ll need to attach the two included antennas. This process can be a bit cumbersome due to limited space, particularly when dealing with the monitor cable. Additionally, you’ll find two vertically mounted expansion slots adjacent to the horizontal ones, offering room for additional SSDs.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

The front-panel ports, situated on the top front of the desktop, offer a basic yet functional array of options. Alongside the Power button, you’ll find two USB 3.2 Gen. 1 ports (one Type-A and one Type-C), a headset jack, and a Reset button.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

While some companies bundle gaming desktops with peripherals or additional accessories, our Vengeance i7200 arrived devoid of any extras—no keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, or the like. While this omission might not deter most PC gamers, who likely have their preferred peripherals on hand, it’s worth noting that you’ll need to supply your own gear if you don’t already have it.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Gaming performance

Sporting top-of-the-line components, including the RTX 3080 graphics card, the Corsair Vengeance i7200 is well-equipped for 4K gaming. It delivered impressive results across all our 4K gaming trials, even if it occasionally fell short of the 60 frames per second (fps) mark we consider indicative of entirely smooth performance.

(Image credit: Corsair)

Even in those instances, the system often came remarkably close. It maintained an average of 55 frames per second in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, 56 fps in Grand Theft Auto V, and 59 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider—figures comparable to those of the latest Alienware Aurora R11. However, the Corsair didn’t perform as well in our most demanding gaming test, Red Dead Redemption 2. Here, we adjust the graphical settings to prevent weaker PCs from struggling. Yet, even with these adjustments, the Vengeance i7200 managed a respectable average of 45 fps (anything above 30 fps maintains a smooth visual experience).

The only game where the Vengeance i7200 fell short of achieving over 100 fps at 1080p was Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but its result of 98 fps is still commendable.

While some gaming PCs can become unbearably loud under heavy load, the Vengeance i7200 remains unobtrusive. Even during intensive 4K gaming sessions, it emits a low hum rather than the ear-piercing fan noise often associated with high-performance machines.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Overall performance

Non-gaming performance posed no challenge for the Corsair Vengeance i7200, which is expected with a powerhouse processor like the Intel Core i9-10850K. With its 10 cores, 20 threads, and a base clock speed of 3.6GHz that can turbo up to 5.2GHz, this system is more than capable of handling a wide range of tasks. Coupled with ample RAM, the i7200 can effortlessly tackle demanding workloads. Its multicore Geekbench 5.3 score of 11,047 was exceptional, on par with the Aurora R11.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

In our Handbrake video encoding test, the Vengeance i7200 edged out the Aurora R11, completing the task in 5:13 compared to 5:21 for the Alienware machine. Similarly, Corsair’s system also achieved a slightly higher score on the HDXPRT 4 test, which evaluates performance in music, photo, and video editing, scoring 124 versus the Aurora R11’s 119.

However, the Alienware excelled in our 25GB file copy test, achieving a speed of 1,191.5MBps compared to the Corsair’s 824.4MBps. Despite this difference, the variance is unlikely to be significant in everyday use.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

In summary, the Vengeance i7200 is a versatile machine capable of handling both gaming and productivity tasks with ease. If you require high-threaded applications and work as seriously as you game, Corsair offers the One Pro i200, which features a 14-core, 28-thread Intel Core i9-10940X processor and twice the RAM. While the One Pro i200 showed a slight advantage in the latest Geekbench test with a multicore performance of 12,691, its gaming performance suffered due to its last-generation Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti video card. For everyday gaming, the Vengeance i7200 stands out as the better choice.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Software

Similar to many gaming PCs, the Vengeance i7200 comes with minimal pre-installed software, as Corsair prioritizes maximizing system resources for gaming performance. The primary exception is the iCUE application, which allows users to customize lighting and fan settings. Within iCUE, users can choose from a range of pre-designed profiles or create their own configurations.

Corsair Vengeance i7200 review: Verdict

With a starting price of $2,799, the Corsair Vengeance i7200 may not be within reach for everyone. Unless you’re heavily invested in playing games at 4K resolution, the investment might not seem justified. Over recent years, gaming hardware, especially graphics cards, has significantly advanced, allowing for the possibility of building a comparable gaming PC for a lower cost, still providing an excellent gaming experience across most major titles.

However, within the context of the gaming PC market, where prices can be quite inflated, even the base configuration of the Corsair Vengeance i7200 offers great value. Its exceptional performance and craftsmanship, both internally and externally, make it a compelling option. If you’re looking for superior gaming performance without breaking the bank relative to other high-end gaming PCs, the Vengeance i7200 warrants serious consideration.

Source: Tom’s Guide