Anker quietly released a new 25,000mAh power bank earlier this year that sits alongside their Anker 737 and Prime series of power banks. This particular model boasts a massive 25,000mAh battery capacity, 165W of total charging output, and two built-in USB Type-C cables in case you forget to bring your own. It normally retails for $135, but there's a deal today that drops the price to $91.99. This is a great complement to your power-hungry gaming handheld PC like the Steam Deck, Xbox Ally X, or Lenovo Legion Go. In fact, it can also charge non-gaming laptops including most new MacBooks.
Note that the 165W spec is a bit misleading. Although the Anker power bank can indeed deliver up to 165W of total power output, an individual USB Type-C charging port can actually only deliver up to 100W max.
New Release: Anker 25,000mAh 165W Power Bank
The new Anker power bank features a 25,000mAh battery capacity, which is the second largest capacity we've seen from Anker in a compact form factor. So how much juice will that offer to today's gaming handheld PCs? A 25,000mAh battery equates to a 95Whr capacity. An 80% power efficiency rating (which is standard for power banks) means you get about 76Whr of usable charge. That means this power bank will charge a Steam Deck or ROG Ally (40Whr) from empty to completely full 2 times, an Asus ROG Ally X (80Whr) 1 time, and a Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about 4.75 times.
The Anker power bank has one USB Type-C port and one USB Type-A port. In addition, there are two built-in USB Type-C cables. One is a retractable cable that can extend up to 2.3 feet. The other is a fixed 1-foot cable that doubles up as a lanyard when not in use. Each USB Type-C port is capable of up to 100W of Power Delivery with a total 165W maximum output. That enough to fast charge any gaming handheld PC at its fastest rate. It's also powerful enough to max out the charging speed on most non-gaming laptops, including the MacBook Air and the 14" MacBook Pro.
Another feature common to Anker's other premium power banks is the digital LCD readout. It displays a wealth of information like remaining battery capacity, current charging rate, input/output wattage, battery temperature, battery health, charge cycle count, and more.
TSA-Approved
TSA states that power banks must be under 100Whr in capacity for carry-on (check-in is not allowed under any circumstances). This Anker power bank is rated at 95Whr. You might get checked simply because this is a relatively hefty power bank, but you shouldn't have any problems getting it cleared.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Alienware has just dropped the price of its flagship Alienware Area-51 prebuilt gaming PC equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card starting at $4,299.99 with free shipping. This is the lowest price I've seen for an Alienware 5090 gaming PC and is reasonably competitive compared to other boutique PC builders. The GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card is currently the most powerful GPU on the market, and by a wide margin.
Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC From $4,299.99
The least expensive Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 gaming PC configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor with 240mm liquid cooling, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and 1TB SSD. For an extra $400, you can upgrade to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, double the storage capacity, and a beefier 360mm all-in-one cooler. Both systems are powered by a 1,500W 80Plus Platinum power supply.
Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PCs at Dell Outlet
Alternatively, Dell Outlet is now offering an assortment of Clearance, Like New (Refurbished) and Scratch & Dent Alienware Area-51 gaming PCs equipped with both RTX 5090 graphics cards. You'd be saving up to $1,000 less compared to buying an identical system brand new and includes the same warranty. Dell's certified refurbished systems are submitted to a rigorous refurbishing process. These previously owned products could have observable minor blemishes that do not affect performance, or could look as good as new.
The RTX 5090 Is the Most Powerful Graphics Card Ever
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has emerged as the most powerful consumer GPU on the market. Although with this generation Nvidia has prioritized software updates, AI features, and DLSS 4 technology to improve gameplay performance, the 5090 still boasts an impressive 25%-30% uplift over the RTX 4090 in hardware-based raster performance. If you want the absolute best performance for your gaming PC, there is literally no other option from any other brand.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It’s that time of year, when retailers start to announce their Black Friday sales. The latest announcement for the holiday shopping event comes from LEGO. The official LEGO Store Black Friday sale is scheduled to run November 28 - December 1, 2025. That’s right, it’s a four-day sale that starts promptly on Black Friday and runs through Cyber Monday.
While LEGO’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale is a multi-day event, it’s quite a bit shorter than some other retailers are planning for their sales. Best Buy’s Black Friday plans, for instance, span the entire month of November, and will likely include plenty of discounts on LEGO sets as well. You can expect similarly elongated sales (including LEGO deals) from other retailers, like Amazon, Target, and Walmart, as well.
What Kinds of LEGO Black Friday Deals to Expect
LEGO is pretty predictable when it comes to sales. General smaller sales throughout the year tend to get you about 20% off a variety of sets. For bigger sales, like Black Friday, you can expect a good number of sets to drop to 20%, 30%, or even 40% off, depending on various factors. Factors include how long ago they were released and whether they’re on the list of LEGO sets retiring soon.
In addition to discounts, LEGO always has GWPs (Gifts With Purchase) to give away when you buy certain sets. These are smaller sets you get for free, often for spending a certain amount on the LEGO Store. Last year, for instance, if you bought The Endurance set, you got three GWP sets for free. We’ll have to wait to learn what GWP sets will be available this Black Friday.
LEGO Insiders Weekend Date
You don’t have to wait for Black Friday to kick off the LEGO holiday shopping festivities. Each year, the company runs a LEGO Insiders Weekend sale the weekend before Black Friday (so, November 22 - 23 this year). This sale is only open to LEGO Insiders, but you can sign up here for free. You can check out the LEGO Insiders Weekend page on the LEGO Store here, but there aren’t any discounts and no real information at the time of this writing. All the company says to expect is a weekend “filled with surprises, gifts with purchases and much more.”
Pro-style controllers are a dime-a-dozen nowadays, but Scuf has pioneered the third-party gamepad that comes with extraneous features that are supposed to give a competitive edge. Things like programmable back buttons, swappable thumbsticks, hair trigger stops, and finely tuned analog control can genuinely make for a better gameplay experience, particularly for competitive scenarios where precision and split-second inputs matter. With so many options already available, where does that leave the new Scuf Valor Pro? It’s in the smaller details.
While there are a few new additions that aren’t necessarily game-changing, like onboard volume-chat wheels (and an upcoming 1000Hz polling rate for PC users), what matters is how it iterates on familiar features to make them feel better to use. The wired version comes in at $100 while the wireless model goes for $190, and it's a tough ask even for those looking for something geared towards competitive play, but aside from a few quirks, it’s one of the better controllers for PCand Xbox.
Editor's note (10/22/25): This review, originally published on February 24, 2025, has been updated to reflect my experience using the new wireless model of the Scuf Valor Pro. A new section has been added to highlight it specifically as well.
Scuf Valor Pro – Design and Features
With this primarily being for Xbox, it takes on the same layout and similar ergonomics as the stock Xbox controller. Nearly across the board, however, every button has a better and more responsive tactile feel. The face buttons have a nice bounciness that makes them easier to tap rapidly, and the eight-way directional pad still has a distinct clickiness but it doesn’t have that stale crunch of the normal Xbox controller.
What’s arguably the biggest upgrade with the Valor Pro is the switch to magnetic Hall Effect analog sticks (and TMR on the wireless model). As the concern over stick drift on traditional controllers leaves folks burned by defective parts and expensive options for replacements, Hall Effect and TMR sticks have been increasingly common in high-end third-party gamepads. They’re much more durable since the magnetic parts create less friction, and it also feels great from a performance standpoint here on the Valor Pro.
The Valor Pro stacks up against some of my favorite third-party controllers in recent memory.
Another noteworthy addition is the unique onboard volume and chat balance control. On the bottom next to the 3.5mm audio jack are two scroll wheels – the left one handles in-game volume and the right one controls chat volume. Many wireless gaming headsets have a volume-chat mix dial of their own, so the one on the Valor Pro is strictly for devices plugged into the audio jack. This limits its use-case somewhat, but can make things convenient for those who go with a wired analog headset.
As for the more minute details, the left and right bumpers have a great mouse-like click to them, making them much easier to press with a light touch while providing good tactility. The triggers are smooth and consistent all the way through so it’s easier to apply a specific amount of pressure. On the inner side of RT and LT are trigger stops to put the hair trigger mechanism in place – it creates a much shorter throw distance so you can theoretically actuate and reset trigger inputs faster.
Back paddles are key to any good pro-style controller and the four programmable buttons are decent, but not exactly my favorite of the many controllers I’ved used in the past. The two main buttons, labeled P1 and P2, sit along the inner side of the controller’s grips where your middle fingers would typically rest. While their positioning and tactility are great, they’re a tad too stiff for my liking – at least I never accidentally pressed them even with a tight handle on the controller.
The back buttons labeled P3 and P4 are interesting in that they’re more like hunches that sit closer to the center of the controller’s rear. You can either flick them with the backside of your middle finger or press down on them directly, which makes them easier to use than P1 and P2 thanks to their soft, mouse-click feel. If you only need two back buttons and/or find the inner P3 and P4 buttons to get in the way, you can easily remove them by plucking them out from the notch on the inner side.
The rubberized texture that lines the handles creates a firm and comfortable grip – with all these extra features and pieces built for performance, having a solid grip on a controller that has a decent weight brings it all together.
Scuf Valor Pro – Customization and Software
With Scuf being under the Corsair umbrella, it's a bit surprising that the Valor Pro doesn't use the iCue software suite on PC for manual configuration. It’s one of my least favorite software suites among the major peripheral manufacturers, so it's actually fine. Not having a customization app isn’t the end of the world since there just isn’t much to fiddle with on the Valor Pro. Mapping the back buttons is done easily on the controller itself – just hold down the profile button the back, press the back button and normal button you want to map together, and that’s it. You can even map d-pad directions and stick clicks in rare cases that would help more. The profile button swaps between three different settings (indicated by the LED color on the top right) so you don’t need to keep remapping things if you need specific setups for different games.
A post-launch update brought 1000Hz polling rate to PC users – polling rate refers to the frequency at which the controller sends registered inputs to the device it’s plugged into. High polling rates are increasingly common in gaming mice and keyboards, and there’s a theoretical advantage to that, and while I find polling rates over 1000Hz to bring a minimal to negligible benefit, bringing a controller to the 1000Hz standard helps it keep up with the input fidelity offered by higher refresh rate displays (if you use them).
Like other Scuf controllers, you can lift the Valor Pro’s faceplate off since it’s held in place magnetically. Customizing a faceplate is cool and all, but this is how you swap out the thumbsticks by just pulling them out. The normal concave-style sticks are on by default, but I quite like the convex-style sticks, especially since there’s a taller one I can use as the right analog stick to create more room for precise motions (which helps aiming in a shooter).
Now, for the fun part – I played a good amount of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer, Avowed, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, and Forza Motorsport to get a full picture of how it performs in various scenarios. And from hours of playing these games, the Valor Pro stacks up against some of my favorite third-party controllers in recent memory.
The first thing I did before jumping into Black Ops 6 was map the face buttons to the back buttons to make sure my right thumb never had to leave the stick. As I mentioned above, the P1 and P2 buttons are quite stiff, but that wasn’t too much of a problem when having jump and crouch set to them – being able to initiate a slide while constantly aiming felt great and the P2 button worked well for that. Reload and switching weapons often need to be done in heated moments so setting them to P3 and P4, and giving them a light flick, did the trick in intense firefights.
Call of Duty is the type of game that would benefit from hair triggers, and it’s the one area the Valor Pro falls short. I tend to avoid using hair triggers on account of the fact that I just don’t like how it feels, despite the potential benefit. But even more so with the Valor Pro, I was even less inclined to use them since they make the triggers stiff as a board. It takes far too much pressure to initiate the trigger, which defeats the purpose of a hair-trigger that’s supposed to be light and fast on the draw. And if anything, it hindered my ability to get the jump on my enemies. If this is a feature you rely on with high-end controllers, it’ll be a dealbreaker.
A wired controller for $100 (and the wireless version for $190) is a somewhat tall ask, but you’ll be getting one of the better options available for PC and Xbox.
I quite enjoyed my time with Avowed using this controller simply because I can map jump to a back button (there’s surprisingly a lot of parkour in the game). The overall build and feel shined throughout a long session, which is something I can also say from playing through more of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. It being an action game that requires lots of rapid pressing of the face buttons, the bounciness of A, B, X, and Y made the experience a bit more enjoyable and took some pressure off my right thumb. Ninja Gaiden also has a few button combos for special attacks, so using the back buttons to more easily press A + B or B + Y turned out to be a nice convenience.
Forza Motorsport proved the finesse of the triggers. The smooth and consistent throw of RT and LT let me feather the gas and brake with precision, more so than the stock Xbox controller. The triggers find a good balance between being firm and light, and manage to have no friction, stickiness, or unwanted resistance along the travel distance. So, while the hair triggers leave a lot to be desired, its normally set triggers have the edge over some of the best controllers on the market.
Razer's Pokemon themed gaming Kraken Kitty V2 headset sold out immediately when it was first launched stateside back in early August. The only way to get your hands on one was on eBay for a marked up price. Fortunately, Pokemon fans can rejoice because supply has finally caught up with demand. Target currently has the Razer Pokemon Kraken Kity V2 Gengar Edition headset in stock at its intended retail price of $139.99 with free and immediate delivery. If you're a Target Circle cardmember, then you can even get an additional 5% off your purchase.
Razer's Pokemon Gengar Edition Gaming Headset in Stock
The Kraken V2 headset is a wired headset featuring Razer's Triforce 40mm drivers with 7.1ch surround sound, a hypercardoid boom microphone, and reactive RGB lighting effects. The Kraken Kitty collection is a spinoff of this headset featuring a cute cat-ear aesthetic. This particular model resembles the ghost-type Gengar Pokemon, decked out in a two-tone purple color scheme and adorned with Gengar's iconic head spikes and pointy ears.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, this revelation comes from a U.K. tax filing made by EON Productions, the former 007 franchise production company run by Barbara Broccoli and her stepbrother, Michael G. Wilson.
“On 20 February 2025, the company entered into an agreement for the sale of its interest in the Bond franchise, all associated assets as well as its subsidiary companies, B24 Limited and B25 Limited. The total consideration for the sale amounted to $20 million (USD),” according to EON’s filing.
But, as THR notes, it’s likely Broccoli and Wilson will ultimately make far more than a mere $20 million off the franchise that their family had run since the 1960s.
According to the trade, “the Broccoli family will continue to have economic exposure to the Bond franchise through the joint venture structure of the deal. It is also possible that there are other elements like earnouts or stock options that could impact the value of the final sale price. Sources said at the time that the total value could be closer to $1 billion.”
Ahead of the holiday season, the official LG Store just dropped the price on a current generation LG OLED TV. Right now you can order a massive 77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99 with free delivery, which also includes your choice of free stand setup or free wall mounting. LG is also offering a free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and subwoofer bundle when you add it to the same order. If you can't wait until Black Friday, this is a great deal on a current gen 2025 OLED TV.
Note that Amazon has price matched the TV, however you do not get the soundbar.
77" LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,999.99
Free LG S40T 2.1ch soundbar and sub (must add to the same order)
LG's OLED TVs have been our favorite TVs for console gaming for three years running thanks to their outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The 2025 C5 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which is significantly brighter and offers a wider color gamut than traditional W-OLED TVs. Aside from higher production costs, there's no downside to this technology; the C5 boasts the near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times you'd expect from any OLED TV This is easily the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.
The LG C5 has the necessary gaming features as well, including a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz, HDMI 2.1 inputs for running PS5 games in 4K at up to 120fps, variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C5 is also lightweight for its size because the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber; for example, this 65" model weighs only 36 pounds without the stand, making it much easier to wall mount.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
IDW has been busy establishing a new shared universe of Godzilla comics in 2025, including the flagship Godzilla series by writer Tim Seeley and artist Nikola Cizmesija. It seems Seeley and Cizmesija aren't wasting any time before shaking up the status quo in a profound way. Godzilla #6 features nothing less than the death of Godzilla himself, complete with a cover homaging one of the most iconic Superman images of all time.
Godzilla #6 features a cover by artist Dan Jurgens, inker Breet Breeding, and colorist Glenn Whitmore, all of whom worked on the cover to 1992's best-selling Superman #75. This new cover pays direct tribute to that memorable image of Lois Lane cradling a dead Man of Steel. Check it out below:
It might seem strange to kill off the title character so early into a new Godzilla shared universe, but IDW is making no secretof the fact that this is merely the start of a new and strange evolution for the massive kaiju. Godzilla will return in issue #7 as the Kai-Sei Energy Godzilla.
Check out the cover to Godzilla #7 below to see Godzilla's new form:
“When the good folks at IDW asked about the possibility of a special 'Death of Godzilla' cover that would play off the iconic cover that Brett Breeding and I did for Superman #75, I was definitely up for it," Jurgens tells IGN. "I’ve always been a fan of the big guy but hadn’t had a chance to draw him so this was the perfect way to scratch that itch. It was great fun to be able to contribute!”
“Allowing IDW to “kill” Godzilla only six issues in to the new Kai-sei Era series just goes to show how much trust TOHO International has in both rock-star writer Tim Seeley and Eisner winning Godzilla editor, Jake Williams. These types of comic events cannot be handled lightly," says Aaron John Gregory, Godzilla Product Development Manager. "In '92, as a young teenager I waited in a long line to buy a copy of Superman 75, “The Death of Superman”, and was blown away by the consequential brutality in those pages. I can tell you that the incredible team behind our new Kai-sei era of Godzilla have delivered on that level; with all the electrifying excitement and pummeling panache you’ve come to expect in this series. You may need a kaiju-sized Kleenex.”
“Our goal is always to expand and reimagine the Godzilla mythology in bold and meaningful ways," says Kristin Parcell, General Manager of Toho International. "The IDW comics line exemplifies that vision, offering stories that challenge expectations, captivate fans, and continue to evolve the legacy of the King of the Monsters.”
Godzilla #6 will be released on January 7, 2026, with a preorder deadline of November 24. You can order a copy at your local comic shop.
If you're looking to cut the cord with cable, then Hulu + Live TV is one of the best alternatives right now. Hulu + Live TV is a complete streaming package that combines the base Hulu subscription with over 95 live TV channels as well as Disney+ and ESPN. Right now you save save 30% off your first three months, which comes out to $64.99 per month. Afterwards, you'll be enrolled into the standard $89.99 rate plan unless you choose to cancel before your subscription ends. This is the perfect opportunity for you to sign up and watch all of the 2025 baseball World Series games that starts October 24.
This particular ends at 3pm PT on November 5. New subscribers and anyone who hasn't had an active subscription in the past month are eligible. Current subscribers of Hulu, Disney, or ESPN are not eligible.
Save 30% Off Your First 3 Months of Hulu + Live TV
Hulu's Live TV service is a more economical cable alternative, offering over 95 live channels from traditional linear networks that includes Fox News, ESPN, MSNBC ABC, CBS, NBC, and more. For sports fans of local teams, you'll get to watch most or all of your team's home games as well as any additional games that are aired on networks such FS1, TBS, or FOX. You'll have access to breaking news, and current shows on national and local networks.
In addition to the Live TV component, you also get full access to Hulu's online streaming library, which includes Hulu Originals such as Only Murders in the Building, Paradise, and Shogun. Catch up on popular movies like Dune 2, Ballerina, or Top Gun, or classics like the entire Twilight saga. Note that this is the ad-supported plan.
Disney+, another outstanding streaming service, is also included in the package. That means you've got access to the massive Disney catalog that includes the Marvel movies and TV shows, Star Wars movies and TV shows, Pixar movies, National Geographic content, and so much more. Again, this is on Disney's ad-supported plan.
Stream the 2025 MLB Word Series on FOX
The Toronto Blu Jays look to usurp the crown from the reigning champions LA Dodgers in this year's MLB World Series, with Game 1 of the best-of-seven series kicking off on Friday, October 24. All of the games will be airing on FOX, which means that you'll be able to stream them through your Hulu + Live TV subscription as long as the FOX network is available in your area. If you're looking to sign up for a single month of Hulu + Live TV just to watch the World Series, the $65 you'll pay is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a single ticket to even one of those games.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Most folks know building a gaming PC can save quite a bit of money, but not everyone's looking to assemble components and tinker before they can jump into a match of their favorite game. Pre-built PCs offer less tech savvy players an opportunity to pick a performance level that matches their budget and get right to the fun. And for those looking to game at 4K with high framerates, the NZXT Player Three Prime might just be one of the most attractive and powerful options available right now.
Design and Features
The NZXT Player Three Prime comes in the company's roomy H9 Elite PC case in either black or white. I love this case's dual-chamber design, which isolates the power supply and SSDs in the chamber behind the other components. This makes cable management much more efficient while allowing the main compartment to remain tidy. It's as gorgeous as it is spacious, sporting tempered glass paneling that wraps from the left side to the front so you can admire the build from multiple angles.
The cable management is so orderly that it'd be a shame to see any of it undone, but there's always a chance you'll want or need to tinker a bit. Luckily, getting into either chamber just requires removing a small screw on the back before popping off the side panel. The top panel features a small lip on the back, so lifting it with medium pressure is enough to remove it, and it snaps back into place with a bit of pressure. Easy peasy.
The top of the H9 Elite provides one USB-C (3.2 Gen 2x2) port and two USB-A (3.2 Gen 1) ports, as well as a combo audio jack for headphones or microphones. That's fairly standard, but there are plenty more ports along the rear, including a total of ten USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and an ethernet port. There are also HDMI and DisplayPort connections on the motherboard I/O, but those are more for audio or troubleshooting – you should definitely be plugging into one of the ports on the GPU for video output.
There's plenty of customizable RGB, too, which can be easily changed via the NZXT Cam app. You can set unique lighting for each fan, both memory sticks, and the Gigabyte logo on the GPU. You can even personalize the 360mm AIO's 1.5-inch LCD display with a clock, infographics for GPU/CPU temps, or even a GIF. So, naturally, I put an Ace Ventura GIF on mine because I'm an adult and can do what I want.
Though I love the way NZXT takes advantage of the H9 Elite's features, there's no denying that the Player Three Prime is a large, heavy pre-built that won't fit in everyone's setup. At 19.49 inches tall and 18.35 inches in length, it takes up a significant amount of space on my desk. And considering it weighs around 40lbs, moving it can be cumbersome – especially if you've got a bad back like me.
Speaking of moving it around, I'm happy to report that my Player Three Prime arrived densely packed inside and out to prevent any of its expensive components from getting out of whack during shipment. In a time when some companies don't take as many precautions to protect the delicate pieces housed within their cases, it's wonderful to see NZXT taking this concern seriously.
Go Big Or Go Bigger
NZXT changes up its configurations randomly – including at least once during the time between me receiving my unit and reviewing it – but at the time of this writing, the base Player Three Prime comes with a GeForce RTX 5080, Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB NVMe M.2 SSD for $3,499. Every configuration above it, however, includes an RTX 5090, which means you'll see a minimum price bump of $1,000.
The most enhanced unit currently available is $4,899, which includes an RTX 5090, 128GB RAM, and a whopping 8TB of storage. There's no denying that the 128GB RAM is brag-worthy, and it could be a good call if you're running a streaming setup or doing intense video rendering, but it's absolutely overkill for gaming at the moment. I'd argue that the $4,699 version with 64GB should be more than enough for most folks.
With either of these configurations, though, the upgrade to an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the real reason to dish out a few hundred extra bucks. The Core Ultra 9 285K is a flagship processor with excellent productivity and gaming performance, but the 9800X3D blows it out of the water for gaming, specifically, while also running a bit cooler in most cases. Since it's paired with the upgrade to the RTX 5090, this makes for substantial future-proofing.
All of this is super premium stuff for the most frame-chasing enthusiasts, so none of it is required to have a good gaming experience. Unless you're determined to spare no expense in pursuit of bleeding-edge tech, the base configuration of the Player Three Prime is a perfectly safe choice that will keep you satisfied for quite a few years without needing any meaningful upgrades.
Unfortunately, you're never able to be quite sure which components you'll receive in the Player Three Prime. A glance through its tech specs on the NZXT website makes it clear that the motherboard, memory, and storage brands used in their systems vary. This isn't entirely unusual in the world of pre-builts, but it does mean that you're essentially playing the lottery. You could get, say, a brand of SSD that is known for being extremely reliable or one that has a higher failure rate than others. The fact that you don't get to know ahead of time just, well, sucks –— especially when you're paying so much money for a PC.
The wording on NZXT’s site also sends mixed signals about what to expect from the Player Three Prime's CPU cooler. The "overview" section mentions that it will sport a Kraken 360, while the image carousel at the top of the page states it only comes with a Kraken 280. I can confirm that it does come with the Kraken 360, but little miscommunications like this –- along with the random configuration updates and inconsistency with certain components – can make the buying process more frustrating than it needs to be.
That said, NZXT does offer free returns within 14 days if you find that you're unsatisfied with how your PC turned out. It also offers a decent 2-year warranty, meaning you stand a fairly good chance of having any failed components replaced.
Performance
As someone who plays a lot of my games on consoles, I'm simply not a graphics or performance snob. I've been using a pre-built with a 4070 Super since last year, and I doubt I've ever spent more than thirty seconds in the graphics settings of any game I've played on it. But that hasn't stopped me from being wildly impressed with the overall performance leap I've seen from the Player Three Prime during my time with it over the past few weeks.
NZXT sent me an upgraded configuration with an RTX 5090, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and 64GB RAM. Unsurprisingly, it dominated every game I maxed out at 4K while maintaining very reasonable noise and cooling ranges.
Cyberpunk 2077's Ray Tracing Ultra preset with DLSS in performance mode consistently hovered around 125 fps with no frame generation. Black Myth: Wukong, despite being notorious for its poor optimization, was still getting between 100-110 fps using the Cinematic preset at TK resolution, with DLSS set to 40%.
Games like these can benefit from frame generation to reach some outrageous framerates (often beyond the refresh rate of all but the highest-end monitors). I'm not very sensitive to any added latency that comes with frame generation — especially in single-player games — so I enjoyed letting the Player Three Prime flex its muscles just to watch the big, fancy numbers dance around on the top left of the screen while I played.
The only game to (barely) average under 100 fps was Metro Exodus, but that's not too abnormal. The game is known for being problematic even on exceptional hardware, and its benchmark tool pushes things even harder than most gameplay sequences, not to mention that we run this benchmark with ray tracing and without any upscaling.
Do note, though, that the upgraded specs in my Player Three Prime unit make for a consequential bump in performance over the base configuration, so the cheaper version simply won't put up numbers quite as high. Even so, it's like comparing different models of Ferraris — no matter which you pick, you're getting an immensely capable machine.
Billy Givens is a freelancer at IGN with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can also be found on GameSpot, USA Today, Digital Trends, Tom's Guide, and more. You'll find him blabbering on about video games and more on Twitter at @mektige.
In January 2025, NVIDIA announced Reflex 2. Since then, though, we haven’t seen it being implemented in any game. Thankfully, there is now a tech demo that you can download to try it. This tech demo is not an official one. It comes from modder PureDark, who has been behind some truly amazing DLSS 4 … Continue reading First NVIDIA Reflex 2 Tech Demo Available For Download→
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