Looking for an already-built desktop that will drop a few jaws thanks to its appearance and high performance? Look no further than the REAPER, the result of a partnership between Xotic PC and Asus. This machine is now available through Xotic PC for a starting price of $4299.
"We're always looking for the next best thing, not only in terms of performance, but also in looks and esthetics," said Josh Keller, Xotic PC sales executive. "The new S-Frame from IN WIN has to be one of the most unique chassis to ever hit the market. Pair that with unbelievable Asus and Republic of Gamers components, and the REAPER will definitely turn some heads."
This machine uses the Asus X99 Deluxe motherboard packed with an Intel Core i7-5820K "Haswell-E" processor, 16 GB of Crucial 2100 MHz DDR4 memory (2x 8 GB), a 1 TB 7200 RPM hard drive and a 250 GB Samsung 840 EVO SSD. Windows 8.1 is the operating system of choice.
The REAPER also comes packed with two Asus STRIX GTX 980 cards (4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM) in SLI mode. The cooling is handled by a Corsair H105 Liquid CPU cooler and a 240 mm radiator (H2O: Stage 2). There's also a 1200 watt Corsair Titanium AX1200i power supply, red braided cables and a red interior neon lighting kit.
Of course, that's just the base model. Customers can choose to upgrade the chassis fans, the neon lighting, the cooling, liquid tubing, power supply, motherboard, processor and more. On the CPU front, options include the Intel Core i7-5930K (+ $218) and the Intel Core i7-5960X (+ $652). Customers can also option to have just one graphics card, or up to four cards from AMD or Nvidia.
Xotic PC's product page reveals that for IN WIN’s unique S-frame chassis, a piece of 4 mm thick aluminum sheet is cut using laser processing. The result is a 6.5-foot long piece of metal that's bent 15 times to achieve the unique design. Dual anodize procedures increases the resistance of the aluminum surface and provides a dual-color look.
So is this an exclusive deal with Asus? Jay Svoboda, Xotic PC's Chief Marketing Officer, told Tom's Hardware that the company is working exclusively with Asus on a line of PCs called "Powered by Asus." The REAPER model is the first gaming desktop in that line of PCs. There will be a total of six exclusive Asus gaming desktops; more will be revealed later this month and into early November, just in time for the holidays.
"Xotic PC was responsible for all parts selected on these 'Powered by Asus' Systems," he said. "Since these are branded as Asus systems, we don't offer competitive components on them. For example; Asus is well known for their graphics cards and motherboards, thus we wouldn't want to offer Gigabyte Motherboards or EVGA graphics cards on an Asus branded system. These systems are built exclusively with Asus components, where applicable. Since Asus doesn't make memory or power supplies, for example, we opt for premium components in those areas that don't overlap with ASUS' product line (ie., Corsair and EVGA power supplies, and DDR4 memory from Corsair and Crucial)."
Still, the price of REAPER is rather steep. He admitted that the price is high, and that the company debated over the final price for months. But he also pointed out that REAPER is a premium limited-edition desktop with premium Asus components, and it's aimed at a niche community that has no problem shelling out the big bucks for a REAPER-like PC.
"The REAPER comes with two Asus GTX 980 graphics cards, which some could argue are the best GPUs on the market currently aside from the TITAN Black and TITAN Z (which we do offer as upgrade options)," he told us."The chassis, with being a limited edition chassis made of one piece of bent high-grade aluminum, probably adds the most to the price. Even on NewEgg, the chassis is near $800.00 USD, taking up 20 percent of the REAPER's MSRP cost. Secondly, DDR4 memory is near 1.5 times more expensive than expected and that much more over DDR3 memory. This has been reported and 'nagged' on by many in the public and we hope premium DDR4 manufacturers will find a means of lowering RAM costs on the latest technology. Assuming prices drop on DDR4 memory, you can expect all X99 systems on Xotic PC's website to reflect market trends in component pricing. If component prices drop, then we do the same on systems."
He went into the debate over purchasing a high-end machine versus building one yourself. Basically, when you purchase a gaming machine like the REAPER, you also get 24-hour USA-based technical support over the phone.
"If your gaming mouse breaks at 2am, our team will answer the phone to assist you no matter what the problem. So the added support is added value outside of building a PC on your own," he said. "Also the simple luxury of not having to build the PC on your own, spending weeks or months sweating over unknown and uncontrollable issues has gotten many gamers and PC enthusiasts to opt for purchase a PC pre-built versus building one themselves. We've seen huge growths over the last 18-24 months on desktop systems. It seems many don't mind the small added expense of having someone else build their dream machine."
PC gamers not interested in building their own high-performance PC can head here and configure the REAPER into the PC of their dreams. Paying in cash? You get a 3 percent discount, dropping the starting price point for the REAPER at $4170.03.
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