Acer Predator Orion 5000 review: an exquisite mid-range machine

Acer Predator Orion 5000: one-minute review

Unmistakably from the Acer Predator line, the brand’s new Orion 5000 gaming PC is a superb machine to pick up in 2026 if you’re looking at the mid-range of what’s on offer. My review unit is the PO5-660 model, and features everything you’d expect from a pre-built, gaming machine from one of the big brands in the space. From specs to ports, and performance to style, it’s a great all-rounder.

The case of the Orion 5000 has a clear gamer lean to its aesthetic, but is otherwise basic and straightforward, with one easy-to-remove side panel, and a slightly protruding front that shows off some fancy RGB-infused fans and an Acer Predator logo that’s dominant – but this might not be to everyone’s taste. That aside, there’s a lot of basic, plain black metal on the outside and inside (visible through the glass side panel) across the case, but that’s nothing to complain about.

You’ve also got plenty of ports: more than enough to cater for even a pretty robust peripheral setup – though I’m personally disappointed there’s no audio optical port on the motherboard (some of us still use that port!). Built-in Wi-Fi 7 is a blessing, though, and Bluetooth 5.0 rounds out a solid connectivity package.

Look inside the case, and there’s a collection of components that make the Orion 5000 perfectly positioned for mid-range, good-value gaming. No matter what game I threw at it, from Cyberpunk 2077 to Frostpunk 2, it chewed through it all – and at great output too. It steamrolls and is very consistent at 1440p resolutions, and can certainly give you a solid and robust 4K gaming experience with DLSS, too. Combine that with a smooth and very quiet level of performance for everyday and work tasks, and the overall performance of the PC is extremely hard to find fault with, considering the price.