The Skytech Shiva II
Looking for a powerful Skytech Shiva II gaming PC review? If you’re on a tight budget, it can be hard to find a good gaming PC that won’t leave you bankrupt. Fortunately, the Skytech Shiva II blends excellent performance with reasonable pricing to create a product that won’t empty your wallet.
We’ve looked at gaming desk PCs from this manufacturer before, but the Shiva II is a fascinating specimen. It uses a 12-thread Intel Core i5 CPU that comes with an integral GPU, much like the previously tested Core i5 12400. However, 12400 lacks an iGPU, meaning the gaming desktop requires an additional graphics card.
Combine a powerful processor with an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, a lightning-fast 1TB NVMe SSD, and 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, and you’ve got an attractive package. Factor in a stunning icy white case, and you might end up with a gaming PC that could put consoles to shame. Naturally, we’ve put this desktop through its paces to give you an idea of what to expect.
Skytech Shiva II Specs
The Skytech Shiva II starts at $1,379.99 on Amazon, but you can currently get it at a discounted price on Newegg. We’ve used the Newegg build (specs below) in our PC review, but you can also pick and choose components on the company’s website.
In our opinion, the following specs do more good than harm. For example, the Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU is easily one of the company’s best graphics cards, and for good reason. You could opt for a cheaper Radeon GPU, but you’d have to compromise on the overall experience provided by the desktop.
Even though this is a gaming PC review, we feel compelled to point out that the RTX 4070 doesn’t feature an iGPU. You see, the aforementioned Core i5 12400 does boast an integrated graphics unit, so its GPU can act as a proxy for iGPU performance. Since the 4070 is externally fuelled, it’s impossible to measure its worth against the 12400’s iGPU, which means it’ll act as an independent graphics card.
The Nvidia RTX 4070 performs exceptionally well in tests. In fact, it crushes rivals using the new Radeon 6250 GPU at 4K resolution, keeps frame rates high during heavy battles in Rainbow Six Siege, and offers smooth goggle at 1440p when playing Tekken 7. That said, don’t expect it to knock it out of the park at 1440p Ultra, particularly compared to the latest Radeon GPUs.
This gaming PC trades speed for storage space. Like its 12400 counterpart, the Skytech Shiva II boasts a 1TB NVMe SSD, which should provide ample space for immersive, high-spec games. Mind you, the storage may feel a bit slower compared to other options, but keeping the cost of the PC affordable is the takeaway here.
The Skytech Shiva II actually makes use of 16GB of RAM, which feels like overkill for most gaming scenarios. With that said, it’s a double-edged sword; running heavily modded games like Cities Skylines or Nations Redirector could cause it to buck, even at lower resolutions. That said, memory could always be upped in the future to accompany your gaming PC journey.
Skytech Shiva II Specs – The Final Verdict
The Skytech Shiva II is currently sitting at $1,379.99 on Amazon, but you may be able to get a better price on Newegg. We highly recommend seeking out deals if you’re after unlimited power, because it’ll put you in a position to outgun stand-alone options like the Acer Predator Helios Free and MSI Phantom43X.
In our opinion, this PC nails it when it comes to balance. Components like the 12-thread i5 12400F refrain from targeting high resolutions and instead relinquish screen real estate to graphics hardware.
