OCUK Infin8 Empress Mk3 System Review

OCUK Infin8 Empress Mk3 System Review

Introduction

It can’t have escaped your notice that there is a new range of Intel processors on the market with an attendant chipset. Any time there is a new chipset it makes us crave a new system with all its new technologies. Even if you’re really happy with your own setup it’s easy to look at front panel USB 3.1, or NVMe M.2 storage speeds, and catch yourself browsing for upgrades.

But if you’re upgrading a few things, maybe it’s worth upgrading everything? Why go half measures when for a bit more outlay you can get an entirely new system. One that doesn’t require building and part matching. One that just arrives, unpack, plug in, play.

If you’ve ever done the ‘when I win the lottery I’ll…’ game then you’ll have come across the Overclockers.co.uk 8Pack systems. They are eye-wateringly expensive but unquestionably count as dream systems with monster levels of performance and all the best hardware. For those who want the 8Pack experience but without needing to break the bank, OCUK have an Infin8 range of systems which ape the stylings of the 8Pack models but for a, relatively, more affordable entry price.

The Empress Mk3 that we have for review today is one such system. It is very much at the premium end of the Infin8 range, but a glance at the specifications, looks, and particularly the performance will have all of us reaching for our wallets. So let’s take a look.

Technical Specifications

Even if you’ve only a passing interest in PC hardware then you’ll know that the Empress Mk3 comes with all the kit. Z270 motherboard with heavily overclocked Core i7-7700K CPU and twin GTX 1080 graphics cards – all of which is watercooled – form the backbone. This is backed up by some blistering storage from a Samsung 950 Pro and all wrapped up in a premium Lian-Li PC-08 cube case.

– Case: Lian Li PC-O8 Aluminium & Glass Cube Case
– CPU: Intel Core i7 7700K Kaby Lake (Socket 1511) Processor Watercooled and Overclocked to at least 5.0Hz
– Motherboard: Asus Maximus IX Hero (Socket 1511) ATX DDR4 Motherboard
– RAM: Up to 32GB (2x16GB) 3200MHz Quad Channel DDR4 Kit
– Graphics: 2 x GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Graphics Cards Configured in SLI & Watercooled
– Cooling: Full Custom Watercooling Loop
– Visual Features: Synchronised Software Controlled RGB Lighting
– Primary Drive: Intel 600p 512GB NVMe Solid State Drive – (Samsung 950 Pro in review system)
– Secondary Drive: Samsung 840 Evo Series Solid State Drive
– Tertiary Hard Drive: Mechanical SATA Hard Drive
– Audio: 7.1 Channel HD Audio with SPDIF I/O
– Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 64-Bit (Options Available)
– Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Platinum 850W 80 Platinum Rated Power Supply