Last Updated on January 4, 2021
I noticed that the SkyTech Archangel gaming computer on Amazon was selling well after an update so I figured it’d be a good idea to look it over and review it!
For the most part, pre-built PCs rip you off – especially when you don’t take a look on what’s in on the inside. It’s one thing to read the product reviews on Amazon itself but it’s a whole different story when you understand what’s really going on with the hardware of a pre-built.
With that, let’s get to the review.
Product: SkyTech Archangel Gaming Computer
Recommended Price: Around $850
Cheapest Place To Buy: Amazon.com
Warranty: 1 Year
My Rating: See below!
The Graphics Card Is Most Important
When you check out the Amazon product page it gives you details on what’s inside of this pre-built and all in all, SkyTech does a pretty good job at letting you know what’s all inside.
I get that pre-built computers are a harder product to mass produce, they take a lot of money up front and the company has to pay their employees and what not. I get it, but that doesn’t mean that people should be getting “sorta” ripped off.
I say sorta because the hardware itself really isn’t that bad, it’s just that with $800 you could have a custom PC that has more power…
Though with today’s hardware market being as overpriced as it is, I can see why a pre-built would be on your radar.
The graphics card that comes with this PC is a 6GB GTX 1660. This card is pretty decent today when you’re trying to play at 1080p. There was an older version of the SkyTech Archangel that used a GTX 1050 Ti and this card is more than double the performance of that type of card.
For any lower demanding indie title today you’ll be maxing it out at 1080p. When thinking more along the lines of higher demanding AAA titles, you should expect to be able to run them on a tweaked high/med setting if you want to stay at 60 FPS.
The only downfall that I see with this PC is that it has a bit less power than the the power of a $600 build which isn’t necessarily bad – except when you’re paying $850 for around $600 worth of power.
When it comes to a gaming computer, that margin of difference really does make all the difference. Sure, with today’s hardware being overpriced it makes more sense but that’d be up to you to decide if the price different is worth it or not.
Taking A Further Look At The Hardware
For the other parts that help with gaming performance – this PC also includes a Ryzen 5 3600 for the CPU, Windows 10, a 500GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, built in wi-fi and it also comes with a keyboard and a mouse.
The Ryzen 5 3600 is actually a pretty good processor, that’s the same processor that I previously recommended using on a $800 custom PC build.
But that’s just it, when you go for a custom build for around $800 today you’d be able to have that CPU as well as other higher performing parts to go with. I’ve got to give it to SkyTech though, they updated this gaming rig to include a Ryzen CPU rather than the old FX-6300 that they used to ship with this one.
Especially compared to the old version of the Archangel, you get a decent amount of power per dollar spent here.
Sure, for the same amount you can have better overall performance but it isn’t a significant amount of a difference.
Combine the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU with the GTX 1660 on top of 8GB RAM, a 500GB SSD, Windows 10 pre-installed without tons of bloatware and built-in wifi and I can see the value here.
Some people say that they pay that extra bit for warranty, for someone else to build it for them or because they’re too lazy or they “don’t have enough time” to put one together. Or that it comes with a few extra things like the built in wi-fi or a HDMI cable…
But I mean come on, Amazon offers part warranties when you buy computer parts, it’s actually easier than you think to build your own PC and for those that think they don’t have enough time… they do.
Sure, it’d take a good bit to put one together for the first time but with the sheer amount of tutorials out there, it’s easy to learn how it’s done and it’s not going to take something like a full day just to get a PC build finished.
As far as coming with come extras, it literally costs a few dollars to get a good HDMI cable and it’s going to be roughly $30 to add a wi-fi connection solution to a custom build.
I hate to come off strong on this matter but there really aren’t any excuses as to why someone can’t build their own PC. You get so much more power per dollar spent, it’s an awesome learning experience and it sounds cool when you tell friends and family – “Yeah, I built my own computer from scratch.”
On the flip side, I definitely get it and if this was the previous version of the Archangel then I’d say that it’s a no go for sure. But if you want to pay around $100 extra to have the building done for you and have it ready right out of the box… That makes complete sense.
At Least SkyTech Is Honest
I do have to give a hats off to the SkyTech company though, they really didn’t leave anything out when they listed this PC for sale on Amazon.
They have all of the pieces of hardware and they have a dedicated support team for the sales and what not as well. At least they aren’t like most pre-built gaming computer companies which have the illusion of having a cool looking computer on the outside when the inside of it is low quality – which is the most important part of a gaming computer in the first place!
A lot of good reviews are posted with this pre-built and for good reason – a GTX 1660 along with all of the other specs really isn’t bad at all when you’re looking for some entry-level gaming at 1080p.
Now that they have the Ryzen CPU included instead of the outdated FX-6300, it’d be worth getting for those that want something that is ready to game right away.
I’d make sure to check out some of the reviews over on Amazon as well!
If you’re more so interested in doing a PC build of your own then you should follow a guide that has similar performance compared to this PC.
Again, a pre-built PC like this makes a lot more sense now that hardware is as overpriced as it is but there is still value in putting your own together and knowing that you’re getting exact what you want inside of the PC.
Check Out The Guide On A $800 PC Build!
You should really consider checking out that guide, a $800 PC build has even more power than what the above PC provides and you’ll come out saving some money in the end!
So, are you still going to be picking up this PC?
Plan on any upgrades for it?
Or are you willing to look at building your own PC?
Trust me when I say that you definitely wouldn’t regret doing so. 😉
Let me know in the comments below! 😀
Hey there! 👋 I’m Colton, founder of PC Builds On A Budget.
Whether you need help putting your PC together, finding a great pre-built rig, or want some help finding awesome peripherals – I’ve got you covered!
I share my experiences of anything and everything related to gaming PCs with you here. 👍
I bought the exact one you reviewed as a Christmas gift for my son, and cannot get it to stay connected to my wifi _ any idea why ?
Hey Erica,
Have you tried making sure that the drivers and/or Windows 10 is up to date? Sometimes the wifi adapter will not work without making sure things are updated.
You can type in “Device Manager” after clicking start on the desktop, look for the network adapter, right-click and then click on “Update driver”. For checking Windows, simply type in “Windows 10 Update” in the start menu and check the update settings to make sure that the PC has the latest version of Windows.
Let me know if that helped or if I can help you any further! And Merry Christmas! 🙂
I ordered the blaze II will that run wow on high
Hey Brady,
You’re referring to this exact PCthis exact PC then, right? If so then yes, you’ll absolutely be able to run it on high, ultra if you really wanted to. WoW is an older game that has never really required much in terms of hardware and that PC is much higher than what is recommended for hardware specs for WoW.
Just got the version with these settings:
CPU
Intel Core i5 9400F Coffee Lake 6-Core 2.9 GHz (4.1 GHz Turbo)
Case
Thermaltake H200 TG RGB, Black
CPU Cooler
Wraith Stealth Cooler
Fans
Built-in RGB Fans
Motherboard
B365M
RAM
8GB DDR4 3000 MHz
Graphics
Nvidia GTX 1660 6GB GDDR5
Primary Hard Drive
500GB SSD
Power Supply
500 Watt
Networking
802.11 ac
And I’m sure I can run games like modern warfare and apex etc at 60+ fps but it’s one of the newer versions
I think you are referring to this exact PC – If so then that’s the SkyTech Blaze, another awesome rig from SkyTech.
Those specs are absolutely going to run the newer titles! What do you like most about it so far?
This computer is a great pre-built “IF IT WORKED”. I just bought this a MONTH AGO and just got this 2 days ago. Skytech Gamings customer service is the worst that I’ve EVER dealt with in my life. They just don’t care about their shipments or customer needs. I ordered this guy Mid September and got it Mid October. A prebuilt should not take that long to get out. When I called them repeatedly they gave me many lies. Like “It’s out for shipment, and it wasn’t. Or how it was in the shipping dept, which it wasn’t. And after all that they said “It’s still being built”… STILL BEING BUILT? IT’S A “PRE-BUILT” PC!!!! When I finally did get my order I inspected to see if everything was there, because I just can’t trust them at this point. Everything that I ordered was indeed there, but NOT EVERYTHING WAS PLUGGED IN RIGHT? What the heck kind of a show are you guys running at Skytech Gaming. I will NEVER buy from this company ever again. Very unreliable. Don’t care to pick up the phone at all. Can’t even trust they’re product.
Brax,
It’s crazy to me that I’m hearing this kind of feedback about SkyTech, I’ve only heard good things… 🙁
Did you purchase the rig directly from their website? Or did you order the Archangel through Amazon? Unfortunately, it’s the same with most companies with any kind of product – Amazon’s customer services handles mistakes like this better than the actual companies behind the product(s).
Do you care to elaborate on how not everything was plugged in right? Would love to be able to share some of this info within the review to make sure people know that at times SkyTech doesn’t have it together at all times. Would also love to know if it was through Amazon or them directly.
It’s one thing to make a mistake and own up to it but to lie over and over? That sucks.
is this PC worth it, i want to run Cs go,pubg,gmod, and overwatch. it would be my first pc plus i still need a chair, desk, and monitor is this the way to go or do i find something else.
It’s pretty decent if you plan on playing a tweaked med/high setting for those games you mentioned. CSGO and gmod will run at ultra very smoothly without any issues. The other more demanding titles will need some tweaking.
You might also want to look at doing your own build. A $700 build is around the same price but you get a lot more power behind it.
I understand you like to build your own Pc’s but the amount of bias and kind of shoving “build your own” down people’s throats are rather offputting. Mention it once then assist people with their question not make them feel like they have to do what YOU prefer
I mean, it does make sense compared to this rig but as I stated multiple times as well, after Skytech updated the parts with the Archangel, it makes complete sense to go with this PC. Multiple times in the post I recommend getting the PC while also multiple times adding in that building your own rig is also possible. I might come off strong in that regard in your opinion but I want to make it clear that we’re back to the time where building your own will result in more performance.
When the older variation of the Skytech Archangel had a GTX 750 Ti in it then of course I’m going to make sure people understand that there was a lot more power to have with a build of their own. After the hardware update I see why – for those that don’t want to or aren’t interested in building their own – it makes more sense to go with this PC.
I am thinking about buying this pc on amazon, but different specs. The one I want has a Ryzen 3 1200 and a GTX 1050ti. I believe this setup, both the cpu and gpu would be viable, what do you think? I know you recommend building but I’m new and I need a basis to start upgrading it down the line.
Hey there Peter,
I’m glad you mentioned the updated version of it! I’ve just now updated this review to correlate with the Ryzen 3 1200 version. Be sure to check out the updated review, I’d say go for it! For around $600, you’re only paying around $100 more to have everything ready to go right out of the box.
Let me know what you decide to do!
alright so I got the 1050ti version loving it so far its my first pc and I don’t know anything about pcs but I do plan on upgrading it in the future where should I start?
It’s using a FX-6300 CPU which is decent, but you could go up to a FX-8350 and then with some good cooling options that would fit the case you’d have a good upgrade there. Otherwise you’d have to use a different type of motherboard to go with Ryzen.
Other than that, you can go up to a GTX 1070 down the road if you’re really wanting to bump up power. It’s just that a 1070 is so expensive right now… it’s best to wait a long while until the pricing makes sense again.
Skytech tech support sucks the big one. Sent a computer back to me still broken and lied about it shutting down unexpectedly on them when it was in the critical event log!! Promised they wouldn’t keep it longer than 14 days…it’s been a over a month and they kept it a month or more the first time they had it and didn’t fix it…. I’ll build my next computer myself.
Hey Falon,
That’s unfortunate to hear… I haven’t heard of their customer service being like that. Did you order it through Amazon?
If you need help with moving forward on a build of your own be sure to bookmark this site and come back! More than happy to help you build something that makes sense on the price while also being powerful 🙂
Can it run pubg on decent settings?
Make sure you go with the 1050 Ti version(s) if you’re wanting to and you’ll run PUBG at a tweaked medium setting with higher FPS. Otherwise a build of your own would be more powerful and cheaper.
Hey thanks so much for this guide this will help a ton! Do you know if any of these specific parts go on sale from time to time?
Hey Ary! You’re welcome 🙂
For sure some parts will go on sale during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales at the end of this month, I’ll be writing new posts on the deals that I come across to share with everyone here. Otherwise not really, most prices are predicated on the overall supply/demand with the market.
Always here if you need help with a build, let me know!
Can it play bo3
Sure it can, just not at a higher graphics level.
actually the pc comes with a gtx 1050ti and comes with mouse and keyboard if you look closely \.
Hey Zane,
Not the above version that I reviewed, but thanks for pointing that out I’ll update the review with the 1050 Ti version!
I bought this hell no way I was building this.
Hope you upgrade the video card in the near future if you’re wanting to run games at better settings, did you just not trust yourself to put your own PC together?
Are you happy with the Archangel?
I was thinking about buying this pre built pc and putting either a gtx 970 or a gtx 1050 ti in it. Would that make the pc worth while? I intend on playing,crysis 3 gears of war 4 gta5 gmod LoL etc on it.
Not really Colin.
The processor would bottleneck a bit with a 970 or a 1050 Ti. You’d be much better off spending this much on a build of your own to maximize the performance.
How would it bottleneck? I’ve a lot of gtx 970 in this particular build. Seems to run just fine, I don’t plan on running this same build forever just a year or so then gradually upgrade
It’ll definitely be an improvement on performance but there is a bit of performance room left out. Meaning that the FX-6300 ran at stock settings isn’t fully up to par with the performance of a 970.
Again, it’s still a great card to go with and it’s not like it wouldn’t work. But it’d work even better with a slight overclocking to the CPU.
Ohh okay, thank you for the response. I actually decided to go with the gtx 1050 ti because I’m budgeting for a desk chair and monitor.
Right on, also a good choice! There won’t be any bottlenecking there. Happy gaming!
Hey I was thinking about getting this computer for casual gaming, I only play 2 games for PC, WoW and SWTOR. Can this computer run them on high/med graphics? Do you recommend a cheaper one that can? I’d really prefer a prebuilt one but I’ll take anything into consideration.
Hey there Juts,
I personally wouldn’t recommend this one. It’s a bit outdated. It’ll handle WoW just fine but I wouldn’t say the same for other games, WoW’s requirements are a lot less demanding.
I would instead recommend this pre-built if you really must go with a pre-built. I highly recommend doing a build of your own but when it comes to a pre-built that makes sense – the one I just linked above is what I’d go with! It’s going to run WoW and SWTOR at max settings no problems at all.
Update: I ended up buying this pc for WoW and SWTOR, it runs both on max settings with about 60 on Star Wars, and 60-90 on WoW. I agree that this is NOT the absolute best PC for the price, but it gets the job done. I was lucky and got mine on sale, so for the price I got it at it’s 10/10
Right on, it’ll get the job done for older games. It doesn’t really meet a good level of performance for what you pay but on a sale I could see how it’d be a viable option.
I’m glad it’s working well for the games you planned on playing with it!
Colton P
Glad I ran across this website “On a budget.com”
I think I’m a little like you. I love building my own puters (probably built 8 maybe 10 puters) but I guess I don’t put enough time in shopping and\or looking for sales because by the time I find all the parts to do it (usually Newegg) I find I could have bought one of the same or even better quality for cheaper. But I just had back surgery so nothing but time I’ll give it another whirl. Starting with downloading your instructions for the $500.00 build. If there are any other dollar amount builds I would like to see them please.
Thanks for the help already Colton P. see you’ve helped already and weren’t even aware.
Thanks again
Artty
Hey there Artty,
Awesome, yeah the market goes all over the place especially these days but with the new hardware finally getting to an acceptable price point it makes sense to be looking into getting parts. It’s going to be a bit yet before graphics cards will be getting changed up for optimal levels.
I have guides for other budgets as well, check out the top navigation on the site here and highlight “PC Builds” you’ll be able to navigate to the other guides from there!
I’m looking for a new or build my own computer to run all my old xp games, any advice would be appreciated
Ty
For the most part, Mark, you’ll be able to run older games in Windows XP compatibility mode on Windows 10.
This link should also help more in-depth to give you other solutions for games/programs that don’t work with the compatibility mode that is in Windows 10!
Right about the computer being overpriced. I just coustom built a gaming rig with comparable parts all from ebay and a solid state drive+ 1 T.B. storage drive and a seasonic 650W 80+ bronze PSU and the same video card for under $400.
Exactly man. It’s just too much money for the hardware that you get. It makes so much more sense to do a build of your own.
Yeah try building one today, the prices on a video card alone are more than that PC lol, you couldn’t build a decent PC right now for under 2,000
Right, we were discussing that price back in summer of 2016. Lol, times have definitely changed. You can still build a nice rig, it’s odd that pre-built PCs actually make sense. I wonder if the prices of pre-built PCs will increase overtime…
You are not counting the cost of Windows OS and labor in your comparison. So this is not an apples to apples.
Still Horacio, a lot more performance on a build of your own. A significant amount at that in comparison. For $650, you’ll easily get double the performance.
You can find an OS for super cheap if you really wanted to, there are all sorts of keys that run for $20-$30 for Windows 7 and then the free upgrade to Windows 10 comes with. Ever heard of Kinguin?
And for “labor”, it’s really not that hard at all to put a PC together. I know it sounds crazy to people that have never done it, but with the right guide and the will to want to learn something new it can be done. For me, it’s a super fun experience to learn and to actually build one!
It just makes a lot more sense to build your own. Sure, this PC is “OK” but it’s just not up to par with how much power you get per dollar spent.
There is another version of this pc that come with 1050ti instead of 750ti. Is this much an improvement or should I go with another pc? I will want to play games like battlefield, csgo, overwatch, and pubg. Im not looking for crazy fps but I would like to get better than my xbox. Any info helps.
Gotcha, you’re talking about the changes made with this exact version then, right?
Ehhh…. I wouldn’t recommend going with it. If you did a build of your own for $700 you would have a big boost in overall performance. Especially if adding in a 1060 into the mix.
Let me know what you decide to do!