Let’s face it, the onboarding ramp to build your own PC has become increasingly steep, especially if you do not know where to start. This problem is made worse by the flood of new components that hit the market each year. These often come with four-digit model numbers that imply “higher equals better,” and the scarcity of these parts can make building a serviceable PC feel like a pipe dream. This is why PC manufacturing companies have begun shipping pre-built gaming PCs, allowing consumers to plug and play much like buying a PlayStation.
NZXT offers several pre-built PC options to tailor components to individual players, and I was able to test their NZXT Player Two Prime Tower outfitted with an AMD Ryzen 9700X CPU. I was impressed. PC manufacturers usually allow consumers to tailor their pre-built rig to the player, and NZXT offers three player options, with higher performance reserved for the higher-numbered build. After testing the mid-range Player Two Prime for the past few weeks, it is clear that being “player two” on game night has never been better. The NZXT Player Two Prime Tower includes everything an aspiring PC gamer needs to jump in and start playing, without fear of being handed the little brother option.
Like other all-in-one systems, the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower includes a range of top-tier PC components inside its NZXT-branded case. The best part about pre-built PC delivery is that no assembly is required. You pull the case out of the box, plug it in and play, just like any other game console. For those who want a complete setup without hassle, similar to most console players, NZXT’s Player Two option is a strong choice for ease of setup.
“The NZXT Player Two Prime Tower includes everything an aspiring PC gamer needs to jump in and start playing, without fear of being handed the little brother option.”
Straight out of the box, one thing is made clear by the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower: it is huge. The hulking PC case dwarfs the Zowie XL2566X+ gaming monitor with its 24-inch display and appears larger than life when placed on a desk. Even with its size, the NZXT case is sleek and features an SGCC steel construction capable of resisting dust and fingerprints, which is a welcome feature for a white PC case. It also includes a tempered-glass window that lets consumers see the internal components at any time and show off their build with pride. NZXT has also included an easy-access hinge for the glass window so users can get under the hood without any tools.
NZXT takes its shipping seriously, so each component is fastened to shipping material when the case comes out of the box. Using the easy-access window hinge, I was able to get inside and remove the packing materials without disturbing any components or wiring. While this can be nerve-racking for a new PC buyer or first-time builder, everything is labelled by NZXT, and the construction is solid enough to withstand any potential snags from the packing material. NZXT earns a gold star for how it packages its pre-builds.
Despite all the power and detail, the NZXT Player Two Prime arrives like an extraterrestrial Nintendo 64 would, with the base and a cord but without the RCA cable. The rest is the player’s journey, and setting up the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower is as simple as asking a sibling to press start on the menu screen. The entire PC also comes in discreet, unmarked packaging, which is a smart choice to deter potential porch piracy in busy urban areas.
“Straight out of the box, one thing is made clear by the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower: it is huge.”
After exploring the interior of the NZXT Player Two Prime case, it is clear NZXT wants its pre-built PCs to be future-proof. There is a lot of real estate inside the case, leaving ample room for extra components or upgrades after purchase. The NZXT Player Two Prime option is the middle ground of NZXT’s pre-built player tiers, but it still offers enough space to become more than its stock configuration.
Straddling the top of the case are easy-access ports that help reduce the behind-the-PC cord clutter normally associated with messy desks. On top, you will find a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports that can support a wired controller or two, and a 3.5-millimetre audio jack next to the power button. Speakers are not included, which is typical of most PC towers. The back of the case also features a wide range of ports, allowing the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower to function as the powerhouse of your gaming setup.
The back ports are numerous and include one USB-C (3.2 Gen 2), six USB-A (Hi-Speed USB 2.0), four DisplayPort 2.1 ports, two HDMI ports and an Ethernet port for wired connections. Through the included Gigabyte motherboard, the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower can also support Wi-Fi, and antenna connectors are included for a more seamless wireless connection. The NZXT Player Two Prime is a true all-in-one powerhouse with multiple display options for multi-monitor setups, allowing users to enjoy expanded split-screen functionality without the need for a dock.
With its powerhouse status, the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower weighs approximately 42 pounds, depending on the installed components. It is a hulking tower that commands a presence. NZXT built the Player Two Prime as a more premium option, and the added weight reinforces that stature. With ventilation surrounding the entire chassis, pet owners should keep the tower off the floor to avoid outside contaminants being pulled inside.
The onboard NZXT CAM software gives users a clear picture of how their PC is performing and also shows what their current loadout is without having to open the case. If users need to monitor the stock options with Player Two, it works well. It is a small letdown that NZXT CAM is not compatible with products outside its ecosystem, such as the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Gen 3 Wireless Keyboard, and although this is the norm for PC-specific software, relying on multiple apps for individual devices can be cumbersome.
NZXT CAM lets Player Two use NZXT’s built-in app for performance tuning. It offers detailed system health reports and component monitoring for regular checks. It caters to both PC enthusiasts and casual users by allowing adjustments to power output and performance settings and by presenting easy-to-read details such as which processes are causing the most system stress. Fortunately, similar to Lenovo’s LegionSpace, there are fan speed presets built in so less tech-savvy users have a simple option to get back into the game, and it works very well. NZXT gives users full control of the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower through NZXT CAM and even asks how quiet they would like their fans to be.
“The NZXT Player Two Prime is a true all-in-one powerhouse with multiple display options for multi-monitor setups.”
While the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower looks great and runs well, the question remains: how does it play? I am happy to report that, like other pre-built PC models, the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X could be one of the best gaming consoles out of the box. The NZXT Player Two Prime offers resolution rates up to 4K, depending on the display used, and with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti installed, DLSS 4 technology is a guarantee rather than a boast.
DLSS 4 is multi-frame generation technology that uses AI to boost image quality with ray reconstruction. Built on Blackwell architecture, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti uses this AI performance boost to give higher refresh rates a sharper edge. In practical terms, visuals are improved automatically without any input from the user, and that is gaming magic.
With all this power under the hood, the NZXT Player Two Prime can handle multiple tasks at once without missing a beat. While running Adobe Premiere, I was able to stream a Stranger Things episode on Netflix while keeping my latest Elden Ring campaign pinned in the background, similar to Xbox’s Quick Resume, without notable system stress.
NZXT CAM informed me that while running all these functions, GPU and RAM loads were still healthy, and the list of the most demanding processes was neatly displayed under Processes. This is a benefit for multitasking users or for multi-display creators who need everything visible at once while still being able to Alt-Tab back to Limgrave when the work is done. NZXT’s included 32 gigabytes of VRAM keeps everything below 40 per cent maximum load, allowing the system to run smoothly almost all the time.
When paired with the BenQ Zowie XL2566X+ gaming monitor, the NZXT Player Two Prime reached a maximum refresh rate of up to 400 hertz while playing VALORANT or Counter-Strike 2, although the latter was less consistent. This performance is largely a result of Zowie’s fast imaging and DyAc 2 technology, but the NZXT Player Two still supports high-end displays with stable, reliable performance.
Much of this capability comes from the system’s loadout: an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU paired with an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X eight-core, 16-thread processor that lets Player Two take the lead. When set to the default profile, the NZXT Player Two Kraken fans stay quiet, except during large downloads, as if they are keeping a secret.
Digging further into the internals of the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower reveals even more gaming strength. A few weeks into heavy use, the system earned a grade slightly above satisfactory on the 3DMark benchmark test for its component class. The NZXT Player Two Prime performs well compared with other rigs using similar hardware. On 3DMark’s Steel Nomad test, the NZXT Player Two Prime scored 6,986, which is slightly higher than the 6,842 average posted for Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. The graphics test also maintained a steady average of 70 frames per second.
When going further with 3DMark’s testing, the NZXT Player Two Prime with 3DMark’s Solar Bay Ray-Tracing benchmark again performed slightly above average with a score of 138,479. During ray tracing, the NZXT Player Two Prime with an AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor moved through the test quickly, achieving 527 frames per second. This pre-built PC could give even seasoned Marvel Rivals players an advantage with its faster response times in battle and offers a slight edge over rigs equipped with the GeForce RTX 5070. With the newer Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series now on the market, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, can still handle the most demanding gaming tasks with ease.
“For consumers who simply want to plug and play, they will be hard pressed to find a better entry point than choosing Player Two.”
While I often experience gameplay stutters or performance issues when playing Delta Force or Battlefield 6 on my Xbox Series X, NZXT’s Player Two moves through dense firefights without hesitation. With collapsing buildings on Ground Zero, the NZXT Player Two Prime did not stutter and continued with the confidence of a standing president in front of a room of constituents. Say what you will about being second. With the NZXT Player Two Prime Tower, I will ask to be Luigi anytime.
The NZXT Player Two Prime Tower with AMD’s Ryzen 7 9700X is a device that breaks the mould of wanting to be Player One. With its mix of components and technical prowess, the NZXT Player Two Prime is still a PC, but it is hard to separate the ease of pulling it out of the box and playing from what is normally a lengthy setup process not associated with console gaming. NZXT does the heavy lifting so consumers do not have to, formatting premium PC components in a clear and accessible way inside a formidable chassis that welcomes newcomers with an open view of the interior.
As PC parts continue to advance and innovate at a rapid pace, NZXT has read the room by giving both experienced and non-PC-savvy users enough case real estate to upgrade this higher-end rig in the future. With components reaching a point of severe scarcity and rising prices, the four-digit price tag of the NZXT Player Two Prime is competitively placed and can save buyers money compared with purchasing all parts individually. For consumers who simply want to plug and play, they will be hard-pressed to find a better entry point than choosing Player Two.
