Digital Storm Bolt X Stays Super Cool While Gaming

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Digital Storm's Bolt X desktop retains the compact and upgradeable design of its predecessor, while adding a new ventilation system that keeps the machine extra-cool while gaming.

The slick, compact and easy-to-upgrade Digital Storm Bolt 3 is the kind of gaming desktop that seemed hard to improve on, but the company has found a way to make it even better. Enter the Digital Storm Bolt X: a new gaming PC that retains the smart design and high-end power of its predecessors, while introducing an innovative new venting system built to keep the machine extra cool during long hours of play.

Key Specs and Features

  • The Bolt X features a vented base, which allows cool air to flow in from the bottom while the machine's two 140mm fans blow hot air out of the top.
  • The new desktop can be outfitted with Digital Storm's HydroLux Hardline cooling tubes as well as a 280mm radiator, which, in tandem with the new open-vent design, can keep the PC cool even during intense 4K or virtual reality play sessions.
  • The Bolt X's new component layout is built to be even easier to upgrade.
  • The Bolt X unit we saw packed some of the highest-end components out there, including an Intel Core i7 6700K processor, Nvidia GTX 1080 graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 2TB hard drive and 2 500GB SSDs. As with any Digital Storm machine, you'll be able to customize the Bolt X to your liking at the point of purchase.

Why You Should Care

One of the biggest concerns of compact gaming PCs is their ability to stay cool, given the lack of ventilation space. The Bolt X's unique design could solve that problem, leaving you with a compact, quiet and powerful gaming PC that doesn't make any sacrifices to achieve its small size. Considering how easy it was to upgrade previous Bolt PCs, the fact that the Bolt X's interior layout is even more upgrade-friendly is a great bonus.

Pricing and Availability

The Bolt X is slated to launch in the first quarter of 2017 for a currently unannounced price. We look forward to seeing just how much it improves on one of our favorite gaming desktop lines out there, so stay tuned for our full review.

Michael Andronico
Michael Andronico

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.