I’ve only recently returned to the PC-building game. Whilst I’ve always had a PC, dating all the way back to my old Pentium 4 playing Far Cry and being blown away with that graphical fidelity, I made the jump back to consoles in my teen years before finding my way back to PC building at the start of covid.
Whilst it was overwhelming at first, it’s been amazing how much the industry has come in the last 5 years, in terms of ease of building and how manufacturers have simplified slotting in parts in a way that makes it almost impossible go to wrong. MSI has been at the forefront of this, and I’ve been really lucky to have worked with them quite a lot over the last few years to have a really detailed understanding of what they’re trying to achieve, and I’ve been lucky enough to see how a lot of these parts and design principles come together in a total build with the Scorptec Vanguard RTX 5080 Gaming PC (which you can find here).
Before we get onto the actual build and components, I want to shout-out Scorptec for how well this was all put together. You can tell that the build was put together with a great amount of care with how well the few visible cords were hidden and how everything was routed and this isn’t an easy case to ship given how much glass is featured on the case and how heavy it is, but it was well protected and obviously stress-fee in regards to turning it on and it booting straight into Windows without having to touch anything inside the case.
If there are ever issues, there’s obviously a warranty there to protect you and a highly local customer service team to sort out your issues. Scorptec offer a whole range of ready-to-run PCs and you can check them out online or in their stores based all over Australia where you can even sit down with a technical expert to help plan your next project from picking hardware all the way through to assembly.
I’ve been gaming on the MSI’s Vanguard RTX 5080 Gaming PC for a few months now, and it’s kitted out with some of the best PC gaming gear for 2025. AMD’s fantastic Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, MSI’s premium GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD GPU, a whopping 64GB of fast DDR5 memory, 4TB of high-speed Samsung SSD storage, and more. Also, it looks gorgeous thanks to the panoramic views from the MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ case, MSI MAG Coreliquid A13 360 CPU Cooler, and ARGB fans.
The most natural place to start talking about this build is with the case. It features the MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ case, which offers 270-degree panoramic views of all components, fans, and coolers, and it’s absolutely stunning to look at. It’s obviously on the larger side, but it still feels minimalist in how it looks and showcases all of your components.
It’s a case built for 2025, supporting the latest motherboards, power supplies, and more. There’s even support for MSI’s fantastic PROJECT ZERO boards that hide cables behind the motherboard for a clean and pristine look. The MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ case is also roomy, with plenty of spots for fans for increased airflow and the ability to install a massive and powerful GPU like the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD without having to worry about running out of space.
To understand what’s possible with PROJECT ZERO long-term, this MSI concept case from CES really highlights where we’re heading:
It comes with three of MSI’s 120mm ARGB fans pre-installed, too, which is nice, and with ARGB and fan control, you can easily sync it up with your motherboard for complete control. Maintenance is also easy, as the side, top, and bottom dust filters are easily removable for cleaning.
The absolute hero piece inside the case is without doubt the GeForce RTX 5080 is a beast for 4K gaming on PC, pushing 100+ FPS in games like DOOM: The Dark Ages, Cyberpunk 2077, Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and more. With ray-tracing, DLSS 4, and Multi Frame Generation, you can reach a level of performance that we might not see in the living room until the arrival of the PlayStation 6.
MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD is one of the most powerful GPUs on the planet, with overclocked settings and performance that deliver incredible gaming experiences. MSI’s premium VANGUARD design is brand-new for 2025, created specifically for high-end GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics.
The stylish look includes several RGB flourishes, including MSI’s iconic dragon logo that lights up. The most impressive thing about the MSI GeForce RTX 5080 VANGUARD is the cooling, which includes three of MSI’s brand-new STORMFORCE fans, a vapor chamber for the GPU and 16GB of memory, and premium components. Add all that up, and the graphics card remains quiet and cool inside the MSI MAG Pano 100R PZ case – even when gaming in 4K.
In addition to one of the best-performing and visually impressive GPUs on the market, the build also includes the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU which will future proof you for years to come. It’s the perfect companion to the RTX 5080 and means you’ll be able to utilise it to its full potential.
Alongside one of the most powerful graphics cards for gaming and the best CPU for PC gaming in 2025, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, this PC also includes the fantastic MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI motherboard, built for gaming.
Outside of its cutting-edge features and support for the latest PCIe Gen5 SSDs, everything about this motherboard is DIY-friendly for beginners, which is perfect. From MSI’s EZ DIY features that let you install things like SSDs, GPUs, and more without the need for tools like a screwdriver, the BIOS (which is like the motherboard’s operating system) includes a brand-new UI and design built for both one-click overclocking and in-depth tuning.
This is a big one for me – I’ve already had to remove the GPU several times to test others, and even just the simplicity of getting the GPU in and out without fiddling around is a huge improvement, and similar for the SSDs that just snap in without a screwdriver, it’s all just come such a long way and they seem like such minor changes but go a huge way to improving the PC building experience without taking away from the fun of physically putting it all together.
In addition to being at the forefront of tech with Gen5 storage, this motherboard has the latest Wi-Fi 7 tech for fast networking, high-speed 5G LAN, and so many USB ports I could connect everything from controllers to keyboards, mice, portable storage, and more, and still have room for more.
All-in-all, if you’re after the best of best both in design and performance, you can’t go past the Scorptec Vanguard RTX 5080 Gaming PC. It obviously comes pre-prepared and ready to game at the highest frame rates right out of the box, but you can also feel safe in the fact that all the parts individually in addition to the case are future proof and setup to take you through your next decade of gaming.
The Scoprtec Vanguard RTX 5080 Gaming PC is available at Scorptec for $5,499 AUD HERE.