With an extremely high-end power profile in a chassis that isn’t much bigger than the Xbox Series X or the PS5, the Corsair One has always been one of the most distinctive gaming computers available. The brand-new Corsair One a200 is no exception; it’s a powerful gaming computer with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 in a 14.96-inch-tall and 7.87-inch-deep chassis.
Of course, there is a hefty price tag attached to this. With the specifications we’ve mentioned to the right, the Corsair One a200 starts at a gut-wrenching $3,799, but you can upgrade to a Ryzen 9 5950X, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD for an additional $4,199. Since an RTX 3080 is included in both configurations, at least you won’t have to sacrifice where it matters most.
Therefore, it is significantly more expensive than other PCs. For instance, the MSI Trident X costs roughly $2,599 and comes equipped with a 10th-generation Intel Core i7, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. Yes, the Intel Core i7-10700K is significantly slower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, but that performance improvement is unquestionably not worth the additional $1,200. The form factor is really what you pay for. Because, while being smaller than the Corsair One a200, the MSI Trident X measures 16 inches tall and 15.61 inches deep. Instead, this little Corsair device is rather larger than the previous cylindrical Mac Pro. Naturally, it also features some elegant RGB lights.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Design
The Corsair One a200 is a rather small (14.96 x 7.87 x 6.93 inches) tower made of matte-black metal with RGB LED lines running down its front, just as the One i160 model we examined in 2019. To give you an idea of how little this system is in comparison to more conventional gaming rigs, consider that the Aurora R11 from Alienware, which we described in our review as “quite compact,” measures 18.9 x 17 x 8.8 inches and occupies more desk space than Corsair’s One a200.
The a200’s bottom-mounted 750-watt SFX power supply draws in air that is vented at the top with the aid of a fan. Additionally, the GPU and CPU generate heat, which is vented out the top. Both parts are liquid-cooled, and air is sucked into them by the big primary fan in the lid through radiators mounted against the side panels.
The replacement of an HDMI port that once resided up front adjacent to the headphone/mic combo connector and pair of USB-A ports is the main external difference between the revised a200 and earlier models. A USB-C port has been installed in its place. With three front-facing USB ports as a result, the device has a rather high level of front-panel connection. However, there are just six additional USB connections in the back.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Ports and upgradeability
The Corsair One Pro a200 can be upgraded, and disassembling the device is actually rather easy. To release the fan, press a button up near the top of the device. The fan must then be disconnected and removed. The coolant tubes for the closed-loop cooling operate as a type of de facto hinge, holding the sides in place, so the next step is to remove the screws holding the side you want to pop open. However, there isn’t really anything to do while you’re there.
This system employs SODIMM modules, similar to those available in laptops, thus replacing the RAM is simple. A screwdriver is required to access the removable slot for the 2.5-inch disk. The GPU also depends on closed-loop cooling, so if you want to make this pre-built computer last longer, you’ll need to think about improvements.
On the back, there are 5 USB type A connectors and 1 USB-C port. On the front, there are 2 USB type A ports and 1 USB-C port. The Maingear Turbo has a few more connectors than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, but that is to be anticipated with devices this small. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 only has three DisplayPorts and one HDMI port.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Graphics and game tests
The first two benchmarks in this section gauge a PC’s graphics performance using game simulations. We use UL’s 3DMark to run the DirectX 11 tests Sky Diver and Fire Strike The other is the Unigine Corporation overlay, which builds a complicated 3D environment using a distinct rendering engine.
In both tests, the One a200’s outcomes were in line with expectations. In 3DMark Fire Strike, the Aurora powered by AMD Radeon performed better, but the Superposition 1080p scores demonstrate that both GPU powerhouses are comparable. In addition, we test actual games and perform Rise of the Tomb Raider and Far Cry 5’s built-in benchmarks at various resolutions. Far Cry 5 makes use of DirectX 11, while Rise of the Tomb Raider will switch to DirectX 12.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Productivity Performance
Due to a slightly slower top boost frequency and four less cores than the high-end 5950X, the Ryzen 9 5900X isn’t quite as potentially fast on paper, but it’s still a very capable 12-core CPU. And when combined with an Nvidia RTX 3080, 32GB of RAM, and a fast PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Corsair One a200 is just as powerful for workplace and productivity duties as it is for gaming.
The Corsair system scored 1,652 on Geekbench 5, a general performance measure, placing it only behind the top systems in the single-core testing. On the multi-core test, however, 11,968 outperformed everyone else. Only the WD SSD in the HP Omen was able to transmit our 25GB of files at a pace close to the 1.27 GBps level, falling short of the performance of the Corsair PCIe Gen 4 SSD in the a200.
Additionally, in our Handbrake video editing test, the Corsair One a200 transcoded a 4K film to 1080p in a stunning 4 minutes, 44 seconds, whereas all the other systems took significantly longer. The 12 cores and 24 threads of processing power on this device will be very useful for video editors.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Gaming performance
As anticipated, the a200’s gaming performance is quite good. Given the similarities in technology, performance is right on par with the top gaming PCs, even though the coveted 60 frames per second is a little difficult to achieve in our 4K gaming tests. While the remainder of our testing suite runs at or close to an average frame rate of 60 frames per second, Metro: Exodus continues to be the most competitive rival, running at 31 frames per second at a 4K resolution on Extreme settings.
Every game I play is 1440p. Total War Warhammer 3’s battle benchmark achieved an average frame rate of 77 on the a200 with all settings at their highest. I saw an average frame rate of 92 frames per second at the Ultra benchmark for Cyberpunk 2077 with Ray Tracing and Nvidia’s DLSS turned on. With a 3080 at hand, there’s no reason not to let the hardware shine. The typical Ultra benchmark disables DLSS and reduces the result to 61 frames per second.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Software
On the software front, there isn’t really anything to report, which is fantastic. The iCUE software from Corsair is included; it allows you to adjust the lighting scheme and check other parameters including temperature. There will be a lot to appreciate in there if you enjoy customization or already own a few Corsair peripherals. Additionally, there is Corsair Diagnostics, which is a branded version of the PC-Doctor program; it provides a summary of the system’s hardware as well as several “diagnostics.” While it gathers a lot of data in a handy location, there isn’t anything here that you can get natively in Windows, and this is precisely the kind of garbage I’d start removing from any personal devices as soon as they boot up.
Corsair One Pro a200 review: Pricing, availability and warranty
In North America, the UK, and some parts of Europe, the CORSAIR ONE i200 Limited Edition, CORSAIR ONE a200, and CORSAIR ONE PRO a200 are now available via the CORSAIR webstore. The availability will eventually extend to more areas. Please consult the CORSAIR website or get in touch with your local CORSAIR sales or PR agent for the most recent availability information.
Along with the CORSAIR global customer care and technical support network, the CORSAIR ONE i200 Limited Edition, CORSAIR ONE a200, and CORSAIR ONE PRO a200 are covered by a two-year warranty. Please visit the CORSAIR website or get in touch with your local CORSAIR sales or PR person for the most recent pricing information on the CORSAIR ONE i200 Limited Edition, CORSAIR ONE a200, and CORSAIR ONE PRO a200.
Final words
A 200 WATT gaming computer called the Corsair One Pro has one unique function. It is ideal for gamers wishing to step up their game because it is jam-packed with top-tier components and can handle the most demanding games at maximum settings.
