Digital Storm Aventum 3: Easy Upgrading for Enthusiasts

LAS VEGAS - If you're hardcore about tricking out your gaming PC, but not so hardcore about the mess of wiring it sometimes entails, Digital Storm's upcoming Aventum 3 might be for you. Launching this spring for a starting price of $2,999, this behemoth of a gaming desktop is designed to stay super-cool, while providing gear enthusiasts with plenty of room to upgrade with minimal physical hassle.

Like its predecessors, the Aventum 3's towering chassis is built for those who like things extra-large. The first thing I noticed about the machine was its elegantly laid-out liquid cooling system, which, like the rest of the PC's internal wiring, is designed to let gamers upgrade components without having to tinker with an overwhelming amount of cables. This easy-upgrade philosophy extends to the eight hot-swap hard drive bays to the left of the cooling system, which allow you to swap new drives in and out using tool-free knobs.

MORE: CES 2015 Day 2: Top 10 Stories

It's hard to find an inch of the Aventum 3 that isn't well-ventilated, as the PC is stuffed with fans and perforated on every edge. The desktop sports Digital Storm's unique exhaust chamber, which directs excess heat from liquid-cooled components toward the back of the PC. The prototype Aventum 3 I saw featured USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks and memory card readers on the front panel, with access to video card ports, audio inputs and more USB ports in the rear.

With a starting price of $3,000 that can jump to the $6,000 range when tricked out, the Aventum 3 remains a machine for elite enthusiasts. Still, if you've got the money for it, the hulking mega-desktop has plenty to offer for those who want to tinker with their machine without accidentally ripping essential wires out. Stay tuned for our full review of the Aventum 3, when it arrives in Spring.

Mike Andronico is an Associate Editor at Tom's Guide. His CES 2015 is dedicated to finding some of the fanciest gaming machines around. Follow Mike @MikeAndronico and on Google+. Follow us @TomsGuide, on Facebook and on Google+.

TOPICS

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored. He was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, where he wrote extensively on gaming, as well as running the show on the news front. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.

Welcome to the Tom's Guide Club !

Hi ,

Earn Your First Badge

Complete 1 quiz to unlock your first badge.

Keep earning badges

Explore ways to get more involved as a member.

See what you’ve unlocked.

Members Exclusive