MSI MEG Trident X2 14th gen gaming PC review

The MEG Trident X2 is a long-running line of gaming PCs from MSI that’s out there in a variety of configurations, all primarily based on a mid-size tower case with an aggressive angular design. The MSI MEG Trident X2 14th gen is the newest replace to that case design, with a touchscreen on the entrance and a brand new vary of present top-end {hardware}, together with Intel’s newest 14th gen Core processors.

The configuration we’re reviewing consists of an Intel Core i9-14900KF and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, making this MSI machine comfortably essentially the most succesful gaming PC we’ve but reviewed. That’s not all that’s required to safe a spot on our greatest gaming PC information, although, so let’s see what else this PC has to supply.

MSI MEG Trident X2 specs

As with most gaming PCs, the precise specs of the Trident X2 will rely upon the model you purchase. In principle, these techniques begin at comparatively modest costs and specs, with last-gen variations together with Intel Core i7-13700KF CPUs and Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti GPUs, with a beginning value of $1,799.

Nevertheless, the one model new 14th gen system in inventory in the intervening time is that this top-tier model we’re reviewing. Meaning you get an Intel Core i9-14900KF (which is mainly an identical to the Core i9 14900K, simply with out built-in graphics) and an Nvidia RTX 4090. That’s properly over $2,000 value of parts proper there, so it’s no shock the entire system value tops out at over $4,000.

For that money, you additionally get an enormous 64GB of DDR5 RAM allocation, together with a decently capacious and speedy Samsung 980 Professional 2TB M.2 SSD, together with a 2TB Seagate ST2000DM008 arduous drive. The latter is an fascinating possibility, as a capability of simply 2TB might simply have been met with an affordable SSD, which might’ve ensured a sooner drive. It might solely be a drive meant for secondary storage however we’d slightly have it’s quick than not.

For those who’re going to incorporate a tough drive in a system of this value, we’d anticipate one which’s a minimum of 4TB and extra like 8TB. It’s a minor grumble, although, and a comparatively simple improve so as to add one other drive your self.

The motherboard right here is MSI’s personal MEG Z790 Trident X2 14, which seems to be a pared down (stylistically, a minimum of) model of its numerous MEG Z790 boards, most of which have much more in the way in which of fancy IO shrouds, growth slot covers and the like. It is a easy black board, however with loads of sensible options.

It supplies completely a great deal of connections, with an enormous depend of seven USB-A 3.1 ports, together with two extra USB 2 sockets and a USB-C port too. You additionally get two Ethernet connectors – one 2.5Gb and one 1Gb – and also you even get a PS/2 port for connecting actually previous keyboards and mice.

There’s additionally an HDMI port on the motherboard, however MSI has sensibly blocked this off because the CPU right here doesn’t embrace built-in graphics, so the port doesn’t work anyway. As an alternative, you get two DisplayPort and two HDMI sockets on the graphics card. The cardboard is an MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Ventus 3X with an enormous triple-slot cooler and three followers.

You get 4 RAM slots, with solely two occupied by our 64GB configuration, so there’s a straightforward improve to 128GB if desired, although 64GB is greater than sufficient for most individuals in our expertise. Prime-tier onboard audio can also be current, with six analog outputs and two digital outputs. In the meantime, the motherboard BIOS is a reasonably customary variant of MSI’s different motherboard BIOSes, providing loads of overclocking and different tweaking choices.

MSI MEG Trident X2 design

This PC’s design is an fascinating mixture of outlandish and really smart. Like many non-custom-made gaming PCs, equivalent to these from Alienware, MSI has prevented hazardous constructing supplies equivalent to tempered glass. As such, you don’t get the RGB-filled glimpse into the inside of your PC that lots of the finest PC instances present.

As an alternative, you’ve gotten sturdy steel and plastic facet panels with numerous air flow grilles dotted round them, with RGB lighting as an alternative confined to a few slashes on the entrance of the case.

Additionally on the entrance of the case is a small LCD panel that, by default, simply reveals numerous MSI logos and associated animations in black and gold/white. Nevertheless, faucet the display and it brings up entry to a number of capabilities, from quantity controls and RGB lighting adjustment, to system monitoring and system profile switching.

It’s a neat little additional, although we suspect many consumers would slightly save $100 or so and never have it – there didn’t appear to be a killer perform that basically made it really feel prefer it was a function we’d use each day. It additionally has nowhere close to the picture high quality or versatility as the display on the Hyte Y70 Contact, as an illustration, as that may act as a full second display.

As for the remainder of the case, it’s hanging in its sharp-angled kind. It’s definitely a little bit totally different to the typical plain cuboid with a glass facet panel. It isn’t fairly to my style, although your mileage might differ, after all.

The left facet of the bottom has a separate foot with a spot as much as the remainder of the case. Bizarrely, although, MSI hasn’t used this house so as to add additional air flow areas – it’s simply an aesthetic addition. It’s the same state of affairs on the highest of the case, the place the broken-up, angled prime floor doesn’t actually serve a goal, though right here MSI has added a air flow grille on prime of the fitting floor.

Talking of air flow, this PC has an fascinating cooling configuration, and actually the entire system is ready up a bit otherwise to most PC techniques. The entire case has been flipped spherical compared to a standard one. As an alternative of the motherboard sitting on the fitting, it sits on the left. This in flip flips the graphics card from being on the underside to being on the highest.

Utilizing this association to its benefit, MSI has the cooling system arrange in order that cool air is drawn in from the highest air flow grille and pulled straight to the graphics card through a plastic duct inside. Oddly, regardless of utilizing this intelligent ducting for the consumption, no lodging is made for the recent air coming off the graphics card – it’s all simply left to fill the case.

As an alternative, expelling a lot of the scorching air out of the case are two followers that sit on the radiator for the AIO cooler. The radiator in flip mounts to a bracket that sits throughout the center of the case and pushes scorching air out the fitting facet panel. The general setup leads to chilly air being pulled in from the highest of the case and vented straight out the facet, however with the air being pulled by means of the radiator already having been warmed by the graphics card. Only one different fan is included within the system, which is a 92mm exhaust fan behind the case.

Accessing the within of the case is pretty simple, for when it’s worthwhile to give the insides a dusting or make some upgrades. The suitable facet panel slides off with the removing of three screws, then 4 extra screws maintain the AIO cooler radiator in place. With these screws undone you progress the radiator out the way in which to entry the motherboard with its M.2 SSD and RAM. Eradicating the graphics card is way more tough, although, because it’s mounted on a {custom} help bracket and has the duct in the way in which, although it’s nonetheless completely doable.

It’s additionally clear MSI doesn’t notably need you taking part in round an excessive amount of, because the screws right here aren’t easy-to-access thumb screws, however as an alternative very low profile ones that by no means appeared to fairly match any of my screwdrivers. Nonetheless, not one of the insides are clearly proprietary and fully locked down, so upgrades are an possibility.

MSI MEG Trident X2 setup & software program

Preliminary setup of the Trident X2 is painless. It shipped with a fairly up-to-date set up of Home windows 11, and whereas it did soar straight into some system updates, they weren’t too obtrusive.

I used to be really stunned by the relative lack of additional bloatware on the system and had to search around for MSI’s Management Heart software program. This brings MSI’s numerous items of software program collectively into one interface for {hardware} monitoring, system updates, and extra. From right here you may set up MSI’s AI Engine, as an illustration, which can study out of your utilization patterns and regulate system settings on the fly for you. There’s additionally the MSI Companion sport bar overlay, the LAN Supervisor, AI Noise Cancellation Professional for microphones, and way more. It’s truthfully all a bit an excessive amount of, with it being slightly complicated as to what’s a vital function for, say, driver downloads and firmware updates, and what’s AI fluff.

Essentially the most essential and (fortunately) outstanding function, although, is the Consumer State of affairs part that allows you to swap between Silent, Balanced, and Excessive system profiles on the contact of a button. The previous prioritizes preserving followers spinning as little as potential, whereas Excessive overclocks the GPU and retains the CPU pinned at prime velocity whereas letting the followers spin as quick as they like. As you may need guessed, Balanced sits someplace within the center.

Elsewhere, you get Norton 360 for Avid gamers antivirus put in however that’s about it – it’s fairly a clear system that’s simply prepared so that you can obtain your favourite apps and video games and get gaming.

MSI MEG Trident X2 efficiency

As you’d anticipate from a system this filled with high-end {hardware}, the Trident X2 14th gen positively bullies our benchmarks. Firing up PCMark 10, this technique cranked out large numbers in each check, displaying that each facet of its setup is massively quick.

That interprets throughout all utilization, from productiveness and content material creation to gaming, being nearly as quick as a PC can presumably be. The SSD isn’t absolutely the quickest out there as of late, but it surely’s nonetheless a really speedy drive that received’t maintain you again in real looking on a regular basis duties.

As for extra gaming-specific benchmarks, in 3DMark’s CPU Profile check, this machine scored an enormous 16,167 factors within the 16-thread check, greater than doubling the efficiency of the Core i5-13400F within the Maingear MG-1 Silver, as an illustration. In PCMark 10 this technique as an entire additionally scores an enormous 10,076 factors, with very excessive scores in all elements of efficiency. Intel’s 14th gen CPUs would possibly generally be crushed for gaming efficiency by AMD’s 7000 collection X3D chips, however for all-round functionality – particularly for multithreaded workloads, the 14900KF used here’s a monster.

It’s the same story in graphics checks, with the RTX 4090 on this machine delivering figures equivalent to 9,864 factors in 3DMark Pace Method and 17,629 factors in 3DMark Time Spy Excessive.

As for extra real-world gaming checks, in our Cyberpunk 2077 benchmark, this machine will get you 127fps on common at 1440p with all of the settings maxed out (apart from ray tracing, which is on Extremely slightly than Path Tracing, however nonetheless seems to be superb). The minimal body fee doesn’t dip beneath 105fps both, so that you’ll have a persistently clean time of it.

In Whole Warfare: Warhammer you’ll additionally get a median of 178fps with the sport once more set to its highest graphics settings at 1440p. In the meantime, in F1 2023, you’ll hit a 157fps common with minimal body charges of 142fps, once more guaranteeing your view is at all times clean, even when the trip isn’t.

When it comes to cooling and noise, this PC could be very spectacular too. Out of the field the system was set to the Excessive mode, which resulted within the system being actually noisy below any type of load. The fan noise is a gradual, comparatively low-pitched whoosh slightly than being high-pitched, but it surely was clearly noticeable even with gaming headphones on.

Nevertheless, switching to the Silent mode made the system whisper quiet below all circumstances. Selecting the Balanced mode made the followers spin as much as be loud generally, but it surely’s nonetheless a extra measured possibility than the intense noise made by the Excessive mode.

Crucially, the principle perpetrator seemed to be the 2 followers on the AIO cooler greater than the GPU’s followers. As such, any time CPU load settled down, Balanced mode maintained a low noise degree. Conversely, it’s the truth that Excessive mode retains the CPU set at prime velocity on a regular basis which means it mainly by no means shuts up.

Utilizing a decibel meter, I measured the noise output in Silent mode at 36dB from a distance of 30cm/1ft from the PC. This was through the center of a sport benchmark run the place CPU load is modest. Throughout sport loading, the place there’s extra CPU load, this jumped to 40dB. In the meantime, in Balanced mode this jumped to round 46dB throughout sport loading and 43dB throughout gaming.

The slight draw back to selecting the Silent mode is that it does influence efficiency. In our Cyberpunk check, we noticed common body charges drop from 126fps to 85fps. The drop was far decrease in F1 2023 (142fps to 114fps) and Whole Warfare (178fps to 155fps) however was nonetheless sizeable. Likewise, in PCMark there was an enormous drop from a complete rating of 10,076 to only 5,721.

Conversely, switching on Excessive mode did increase body charges and different benchmark scores a little bit in comparison with Balanced mode, however just one or two fps, though the soar from 9,824 factors to 10,014 factors in 3DMark Pace Method was a little bit bigger. General, although, it’s clear that Balanced is the best choice.

One ultimate consideration is energy consumption. In Balanced mode the PC consumed a colossal 815W of energy throughout our Cyberpunk benchmarks, and this rose even additional to 915W in Excessive Mode.

MSI MEG Trident X2 value

The spec of this PC that we’re reviewing could be very costly just because it has two of the most costly PC parts you should purchase jammed into it. Nevertheless, for the spec on provide, it really gives first rate worth. An analogous-spec model of the Maingear MG-1 Final, as an illustration, prices across the similar value. The primary cause to contemplate different choices can be the better customization on provide – these MSI techniques aren’t configurable. You get a reasonably fundamental one-year guarantee through MSI however with a lifetime’s tech help through Excalibur PC.

MSI MEG Trident X2 assessment conclusion

The MSI MEG Trident X2 is a good gaming PC for these searching for dependable efficiency over outlandish RGB-filled seems to be. MSI has given it an fascinating angular design, and added a small touchscreen on the entrance, however the total really feel remains to be primarily one in every of a PC that you’re in all probability not going to be displaying off to your pals.

Its efficiency will rely upon the specs of the model you purchase – as with every pre-built PC – however the stability of this top-tier configuration is first rate. MSI has partnered prime finish Intel CPU and Nvidia GPUs with loads of RAM and a high quality motherboard. The storage configuration is the one slight let down, with a 2TB SSD and 2TB arduous drive feeling a bit weak for this caliber and value of this machine.

MSI MEG Trident X2 alternate options

Maingear MG-1 Silver

For those who’re trying formore of a bespoke gaming PC with a glass-paneled RGB-filled look, there are a lot of PC builders from which to decide on. Nevertheless, the Maingear MG-1 Silver is a superb place to begin. The model we examined lacks the high-end {hardware} of this MSI system, however you may specify beefier parts. Plus, you may even add your individual {custom} paintings to the case.