MSI Aegis 3 (2018) review

The MSI Aegis three is a gaming PC that proves you don’t must hog a complete desk to be a powerful – in each seems to be and – machine. Whereas different gaming desktops that embody leading edge elements prefer to tower menacingly above us when positioned on a desk (together with the Aegis three’s greater brother, the MSI Aegis Ti3), the Aegis three is a extra smart affair.

That’s to not say it’s missing within the seems to be and elements division, nonetheless. It contains a related aggressive design to the Ti3 (which reminded us of a decapitated robotic), however in a smaller kind issue which can make it extra handy for many individuals, particularly in case you’re in search of a gaming PC which you could lug round with you to occasions and LAN events.

With a smaller footprint comes a smaller price ticket as properly. Does the MSI Aegis three do sufficient to warrant a spot in your desk? Let’s discover out.

Worth and availability

The MSI Aegis three is available in a wide range of configurations and costs to match.

Within the UK, the Aegis three with an eighth technology Intel Core i7 8700 processor, 8GB RAM, 16GB Intel Optane, 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD and GTX 1070 graphics card prices £1,799.99.

The identical setup (however with a 2TB laborious drive) will set you again $1,568 within the US, in the meantime. We don’t presently have a worth for Australia, however because the UK and US costs are very near last year’s model, we’d hazard a guess that will probably be round AU$2,599.

Whereas these are actually not low costs, they evaluate favorably to final 12 months’s mannequin, with improved elements for not a lot of a worth premium. It’s actually a extra compelling worth proposition than the Aegis Ti3, which prices virtually 4 occasions the value of the Aegis three, although it comes with much more highly effective elements.

Design

As we talked about earlier, the Aegis three is available in a novel (to the Aegis vary) chassis that appears impressively alien, and even within the smaller design of the Aegis three, its nonetheless eye-catching sufficient to garner just a few feedback as folks noticed it on our desk.

LED lights (that may be configured by MSI’s bundled software program) glow from inside, giving it an impressively intimidating look, and small arms on both aspect of the chassis not solely assist make the Aegis three look much more alien, however they can be utilized to hold your gaming headphones from.

As with the earlier mannequin, the footprint is impressively small, and at 14.eight inches deep, the desktop’s footprint is on-par with the Alienware Aurora and the Corsair One.

The smaller measurement of the chassis does make it more durable to improve the elements afterward, with lowered area to get in and fiddle round with the , and in contrast to the Alienware Aurora you want instruments (properly, a screwdriver) to open up the case. This received’t be an enormous downside for individuals who commonly open up their PCs to tweak, nevertheless it’s not fairly the user-friendly improve expertise that the Alienware presents.

As with earlier fashions, the Aegis three has a sturdy deal with on the again, enabling it to be carried round. The chassis is tad heavy although, coming in between 17.75 and 25 kilos, relying on its configuration.

Loads o’ ports

Across the again you’ve bought a wide array of ports, together with a variety of USB ports, Ethernet and audio. Relying on the GPU you get, you’ll even have a good quantity of video ports as properly. 

Nonetheless, the devoted digital actuality HDMI ports of final years mannequin aren’t any extra. That is doubtless a mirrored image of the shortage of curiosity in VR, and in case you do have a VR headset, there’s nonetheless loads of ports to plug it in, they’re simply not fairly as handy.

The MSI Aegis three mannequin we have been despatched additionally has an optical DVD drive, which is one thing of a rarity in machines lately, even desktop PCs. Whereas working video games or putting in applications from a disc appears slightly archaic, it’s good to have the choice, particularly in case you reside someplace with poor web connectivity.

Efficiency

The mannequin we have been despatched of the MSI Aegis three is a little bit of an odd one, and isn’t simply out there in some markets. It consists of an Intel Core i7-8700 working at three.20GHz, a really succesful trendy processor. It additionally comes with an Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti graphics card with 8GB of reminiscence, which is an honest improve over the GTX 1070 you get in some configurations. Whereas it’s not the highest-end GPU by any means, particularly with Nvidia’s RTX 20-series playing cards now out there, it’s greater than succesful sufficient to play trendy video games at 1080p, and even 1440p resolutions.

In day-to-day use the MSI Aegis three felt quick and responsive in Windows 10, with the strong state drive serving to it boot and cargo apps and video games rapidly.

After all, you received’t be shopping for the MSI Aegis three simply to whip up some spreadsheets in Excel, and in our time taking part in video games on the machine, we have been very impressed, particularly when taking part in at 1080p. We paired the MSI Aegis three with the MSI Optix MPG27C gaming monitor, which is a 1080p display screen with help for top refresh charges of 144Hz.

This combo of 1080p decision and excessive refresh fee is the best stability for a machine just like the MSI Aegis three, because the 1080p decision doesn’t tax the 1070 Ti, so you’ll be able to simply play trendy video games at excessive or extremely graphical settings. In the meantime, the ability isn’t going to waste, as you’re getting body charges properly above 60 frames per second, one thing video games consoles just like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can solely dream of.

Take the outcomes we’ve seen with Center Earth: Shadow of Struggle. This can be a graphically-demanding recreation, however the MSI Aegis three managed a really first rate 90 frames per second on extremely settings. In the event you’re trying to make use of the Aegis three with greater resolutions, comparable to 1440p (2,560 x 1,440), you then’ll nonetheless see excellent efficiency at excessive settings, although the framerates received’t be as excessive. 

For individuals who see 60fps because the gold commonplace of gaming, then they are going to be very pleased with the Aegis three, although it would battle with 4K decision in some video games at their highest settings.

A look on the benchmark outcomes present a powerful enchancment over final 12 months’s Aegis three, which scored 5,740 on the demanding Time Spy 3DMark benchmark, in comparison with this 12 months’s 6,777. 

Outcomes throughout the board are enhancements over final 12 months’s mannequin. Though that is to be anticipated, the truth that MSI is pitching this 12 months’s mannequin at across the identical worth as final years, is a really welcome transfer, which suggests you get a powerful efficiency bump in your money.

Verdict

This 12 months’s MSI Aegis three is a wonderful replace that brings some wonderful revisions, whereas conserving the eye-catching smaller kind issue. The design is exclusive, with some good touches for PC avid gamers, and there’s loads of ports and improve potential, regardless of its (comparatively) small measurement.

Gaming at 1080p is superb, with even the latest video games working fantastically at extremely graphical settings. It’s not probably the most highly effective gaming PC in the marketplace, nonetheless, and in case you’re in search of a killer gaming PC that may deal with 4K resolutions, you’ll wish to look elsewhere.

Contemplating the efficiency and design, we predict MSI has pitched the value of the MSI Aegis three good, particularly as it may be had for across the identical worth as final 12 months’s mannequin. Nonetheless, there are a selection of configurations, and never all can be found in each market, which makes getting maintain of a selected construct a bit extra tough. It’s not solely clear the place you should buy the precise specs MSI despatched us, for instance.

General, the MSI Aegis three is an excellent replace to an already spectacular gaming PC. Don’t be deceived by its smaller stature, it is a gaming PC that may problem the massive boys.