Chillblast Unveil Icon F1 Gaming PC for High-End Racing Sims

The prebuilt gaming PC manufacturers have also released the Champions Gaming PC, which is a more conventional design that includes custom Formula One themed livery. Whilst this option is probably the more sensible option for fans of EA’s annual F1 releases, we’re putting their V6-inspired powerhouse on the podium.

But what kind of lap times can you expect from this system? And does it have the power to take pole position? Let’s take a look under the hood to find out.

The Ultimate PC for Racing Fans?

Racing sims have always been a popular extension of a PC gaming setup, with racing enthusiasts revelling in the incredibly immersive experience these systems provide in titles like F1 2023, Forza Horizon, and Gran Turismo. But in recent years, the global boom in popularity for F1 in particular has lead to these setups being arguably more desirable than ever before.

But no matter how much you try to replicate the experience of being in the drivers seat with a gyroscopic racing chair, a powerful steering wheel, or an intricate gearbox, the PC or console powering them, needs to be able to keep up with the pace set by the games themselves. Racing games tend to be quite demanding, which means that gamers wanting the most realistic race day possible, need quite a powerful gaming PC to handle the graphically intense and fast-paced gameplay of these lifelike simulations.

So can the Icon F1 provide enough power to support the dreams of racing fans across the globe? Or does the resemblance to the pinnacle of motor engines stop at the aesthetics?

Chillblast Icon F1 Specs & Performance

Most PC building enthusiasts will take one look at this design and see it as little more than a statement piece which shifts the aesthetics of a high-end PC up a gear or two. However, the Icon F1 has been kitted out with championship-calibre components, with a number of design choices that took us by surprise.

In terms of specs, this system comes is powered by a RTX 4090, which is simply the most powerful graphics cards available, offering optimal performance at 4K. On top of this, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D processor means users can enjoy all sorts of high-speed action without unexpectantly crashing. To turbocharge the blistering speeds from the CPU and GPU, the 64GB of DDR5 memory keeps this system at top speed, no matter how many programs are running at one time.

As for connectivity, the body of the Icon F1 is made up of an ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard. This design is well-equipped to support the most elaborate racing sims thanks to the abundance of high-speed USB ports, along with power distribution that keeps all the components featured in this build running at their best. In addition, this build includes two Samsung 980 Pro SSDs, resulting in 4TB worth of rapid storage. This is more than enough to store hundreds of games, files, and software without needing a pit stop.

Whilst all of these elements combined makes for a stellar 4K gaming PC that can support a top-tier racing sim, the parts that put this system ahead of the pack are the chassis and cooling. Not only does the aforementioned engine-like design add some wow-factor that is bound to drop the jaws of any motor enthusiasts, but the methods used to pull off this abstract design will intrigue all kinds of PC gamers.

Surprisingly enough, the PC case is quite easy to explain, as the casing used is a custom version of the AZZA overdrive. This eccentric chassis that is meant to replicate a V6 engine, which are used in modern F1 Cars. Whilst the main selling point of this case is the aesthetics, the exposed nature of this design allows for plenty of airflow, even in tight spaces, and makes it easy to install parts – as soon as your figure out where to put them!

On the other hand, the custom cooling is slightly more complicated than what you’d expect, leading to one of the most unorthodox gaming PCs out there. Instead of opting for one or two triple-fan radiators, this build includes a whopping 6 x 120mm radiators, with a 200m radiator spearheading the design. Along with providing enough cooling to last an entire race weekend, the custom configuration improves this system’s resemblance to an F1 engine.

Can I Buy the Chillblast Icon F1?

Yes. The Icon F1 Gaming is currently available on the Chillblast website, meaning that F1 fans looking to take their racing sim to new heights when it comes to immersion. However, the luxury of owning this beastly gaming PC does not come cheap, as gamers will have to pay a whopping £10,000 to get onto the grid with this prebuilt system.

Luckily, gamers with a passion for all things racing can also pick up the Chillblast Champions prebuilt at a much more affordable price. Whilst it lacks the x-factor of the Icon F1, this PC adopts a more conventional look, which is accented nicely by custom liveries of some of F1’s most iconic circuits.

As for performance, the combination of a RTX 4070 with a Ryzen 5 7600X CPU will be able to run F1 2023 and other racing games such as Forza and Gran Turismo at 1440p and 4K without experiencing technical issues. For those interested in this PC but not willing to splash the cash, Chillblast are running a giveaway until the 10th July for the chance to a win one of their Champions gaming PCs.