Introduction

A big thank you to Digital Storm for providing the Lynx system for review.

Digital Storm may not have the market presence of Dell or HP, but having been in business since 2002, they are not a newcomer by any means. From that point onward, they have grown at a breakneck pace, delivering cutting-edge performance and rock-solid support to customers. Along the way, they have grown into a premier boutique PC builder in a highly competitive market that regularly produces some of the fastest gaming computers on the market out of a desire to give customers an experience that is unmatched by the competition.


Today, I take a look at the first Digital Storm gaming PC to cross my desk. Dubbed the "Lynx", I have here their ultimate configuration for review, and it's packed with high-end parts and RGB LEDs. Number crunching is handled by an Intel i7-9700K, while graphically demanding games are eaten alive by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070. Add in 16 GB of DDR4, a 500 GB M.2 SSD, and 2 TB of regular storage, along with an ultra-clean design, and you end up with quite the system on paper. Before I heap any praise on it, let's take a closer look at the specifications and see what else is on offer.

Packaging and Contents

The box used is quite large but nothing special. It is essentially a slightly larger case box with better protection, but that is all there is to it. When it comes to protecting the system, things are a bit different. The system itself has foam that is softer than what is seen on just cases on top and bottom. Meanwhile, the components inside the chassis are protected by expanding foam that cups the hardware and prevents it from moving.


The accessories box has all the miscellaneous hardware included with the various components. Digital Storm makes sure to send out the extra modular cables that go with the power supply, along with the various books and driver discs. Best yet, they provide a USB recovery drive, which is a nice touch and something I wish more companies would actively offer.

• Digital Storm Lynx PC
• Modular PSU cables
• 1x USB recovery drive
• 2x Driver discs
• Misc literature
• 1x RGB remote

A Closer Look

The front of the Digital Storm chassis carries the company logo which, like other components in the system, is illuminated by RGB LEDs. To improve cooling, the entire front panel features venting for adequate airflow. While not as good as proper mesh, it should prove enough to keep temperatures in check considering the use of an all-in-one liquid cooler in the front. A tempered glass side panel allows for a perfect view of the interior of the system, with the panel itself slipping into place at the bottom while two screws hold it at the top. This gives us a clear look at the RGB-illuminated components, which include the fans, LED strips, graphics card, and liquid cooler.


The back of the case is the standard mid-tower fair with an RGB LED 120 mm fan. The motherboard supports 2x PS/2, 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 3x audio ports, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1x HDMI, and 1x DisplayPort. Finally, the left side panel is just a typical solid panel with no protruding parts or features.


The front I/O consists of a reset switch, 2x audio jacks, power button, and 2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports. Taking a look further back, we see a magnetic dust filter; however, it is currently not being used directly as there are no fans at the top of the chassis. Flipping the case over, there is also a screen on the bottom for the power supply.


Taking a closer look at the front panel, ventilation is alright, but could also be better as the fans are pushed up very close against the backside, as seen from below. While temperatures were fine during testing, a more open design would allow for better airflow; however, in this particular configuration, it wasn't necessary.

A look Inside

Due to the system being a standard ATX mid-tower design, taking it apart is simple. Removing the side panel gives us access to a fairly roomy and clean interior. Thanks to the all-in-one liquid cooler, the motherboard is clear of large obstructions, making accessing system memory and the M.2 SSD a breeze. The cables inside are well laid out—I should once again step up my game and do a better job of managing these in my personal system. As for the AIO, the tubing is routed nicely over the memory and tied in place to keep things tidy.


Audio and front-panel connectors are cleanly routed alongside two SATA cables, and everything is held in place with zip ties. While keeping the interior looking good is always nice, it's the great care taken with cable routing around the back that shows a company cares. Each cable run here is well thought out, with the RGB fan hub a great feature that helps minimize what could easily be a rat's nest of cables.


Other aspects to look at include the PSU bay, where you can see a trusty Corsair RM 750X modular power supply ready and more than capable of pushing this system. Meanwhile, taking a closer look at the RGB fans on the front panel, you can see the light-up logo is actually slightly on the thick side and blocks a bit of airflow. Finally, with all the components removed, we see the motherboard's full layout consisting of 4x PCIe X1 slots and 2x PCIe X16 slots.


Taking a closer look at the limited HDD storage space, the system is capable of holding just 2x 3.5-inch drives in total. While not a big problem, I did find it a bit odd that the extra SATA cable, which is also pre-routed, had been zip tied to the HDD tray. Not a big deal, it does stop one from removing the top drive, and while I understand the motive behind the decision, it seems counterproductive.


When it comes to the individual components, Digital Storm primarily sticks to offerings from named brands. Granted, the system memory has their name on essentially generic heatspreaders, but other than that, a Seagate 2 TB 7200 RPM HDD, 500 GB Samsung EVO 970 M.2 SSD, and an ASUS RTX 2070 Turbo are used. The graphics card offers 2x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 2.0, and a USB Type-C for VR outputs. Being a blower-style design means it isn't likely to be ultra quiet, but should move most of the heat out of the case well.