MSI Trident X review | TechSwitch

The MSI Trident X is a small machine that packs in a stunning quantity of latest expertise. Gaming grunt comes from considered one of Nvidia’s new Turing graphics playing cards, and processing energy is delivered by considered one of Intel’s brand-new Espresso Lake-S processors.These are formidable core parts, however the Trident X isn’t low cost – it’ll set you again $three,700 (£2,900, AU$5,200).Spec SheetHere is the MSI Trident X configuration despatched to TechSwitch for evaluate:CPU: three.6GHz Intel Core i7-9700Ok (eight-core, 12MB cache)Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 8GBRAM: 32GB DDR4Storage: 512GB Samsung PM981 SSD, 2TB arduous diskOptical drive: NoPorts: 5 x USB three.1, 2 x USB three.1 Sort-C, 5 x audio jack, 1 x PS/2, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DisplayPortConnectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, Weight: 14.three kilos (6.5kg) Measurement: 15.6 x 5.1 x 15 inches, 396 x 129 x 382mm (H x W x D)Worth and availabilityThe $three,700 (£2,900, AU$5,200) MSI Trident X is barely out there within the configuration that we’ve reviewed right here, which is a bit irritating – we’d have most popular a pricier mannequin with the RTX 2080 Ti, and a extra reasonably priced machine with the RTX 2070 wouldn’t have gone amiss both. MSI might additionally embrace lesser CPUs for many who aren’t fussed about having a high-end, eight-core chip.It’s additionally price remembering that purchasing from an area builder will save money. Should you go for a smaller machine from an organization like Chillblast or CyberPower then it can save you a number of hundred kilos or . Should you’re keen to have a full-size tower, you’ll in all probability save a bit extra – and web your self an even bigger motherboard with extra options and extra improve room throughout the entire PC.DesignThe Trident X is a slender, eye-catching system, with glowing RGB LEDs and angled panels. The entrance has full-size USB ports and a useful Sort-C connection, and the Trident’s 14.three pound (6.5kg) weight means it’s comparatively simple to hold to gaming occasions.It’s bigger than the older MSI Trident three, however it’s smaller and lighter than two different key rivals – the MSI Aegis three and the Alienware Aurora R5 had been heavier and chunkier. It’s additionally so much smaller than a full-size gaming PC.One facet of the machine is dominated by the graphics card. It stretches throughout the entire width of the system, with meshed areas within the facet panel to help airflow. Under that you just’ll discover the rear of the motherboard, and the Samsung M.2 SSD.Behind the alternative facet panel are extra parts. Right here you’ll discover the storage, motherboard and energy provide, together with the vast majority of the cables. The cabling and huge, low-profile 120mm CPU cooler implies that it’s troublesome to succeed in the motherboard, and the one growth possibility is a 2.5in drive bay – and it’s difficult to make use of as a result of MSI hasn’t put in a SATA cable.It is a not a machine to purchase if you wish to tweak and alter your specification, however that’s the identical with each mini-ITX PC – together with rivals. It is an inevitable compromise.The opposite problem is construct high quality. The plastic slats on the highest are flimsy, and the facet panels are made from comparatively skinny metallic. The tempered glass panel that MSI consists of within the field is stronger, however we’d nonetheless watch out when taking the Trident to gaming occasions.Intel insideThe Core i7-9700Ok is considered one of Intel’s new Espresso Lake-S chips. These components retain the identical structure as final 12 months’s Espresso Lake chips, however with notable adjustments to core counts and clock speeds.The i7-9700Ok has eight cores, however no Hyper-Threading – so it’s configured in a different way than the i7-8700Ok it’s changing, which had six cores with Hyper-Threading. It is smart, as a result of native cores will all the time operate higher than the factitious Hyper-Threading system – and hardly any shopper functions want greater than eight cores or threads anyway.The i7-9700Ok runs at three.6GHz, which is 100MHz slower than the i7-8700Ok. Nonetheless, the i7-9700Ok’s eight cores hit four.6GHz on Turbo, with one core topping out at four.9GHz. The older chip might solely handle four.3GHz throughout all cores and four.7GHz on one core.The MSI Trident three and Aegis machines use Core i7 chips from the Kaby Lake and Espresso Lake ranges – so that you get fewer cores, however with Hyper-Threading. The Alienware Aurora additionally makes use of Espresso Lake.BenchmarksHere’s how the MSI Trident X carried out in our suite of benchmark checks:3DMark: Sky Diver: 50,378; Fireplace Strike: 22,945; Time Spy: 9,950Cinebench CPU: 1,470 factors; Graphics: 145 fpsGeekBench: 5,868 (single-core); 27,594 (multi-core)PCMark eight (Dwelling Take a look at): 5,566 pointsTotal Conflict: Warhammer II: 177.8fps; (1080p, Low); 82.1fps (1080p, Extremely)Center Earth: Shadow of Conflict: 206fps; (1080p, Low): 130fps (1080p, Extremely)PerformanceThe Espresso Lake-S chip inside the brand new MSI is great. Its Cinebench rating of 1,470cb is nearly double the tempo of the MSI Trident three and Alienware machines, and it’s greater than 300 factors past the MSI Aegis three and its Core i7-8700.The hole was maintained in Geekbench three. The Trident X’s single- and multi-threaded outcomes of 5,868 and 27,594 are stellar. The MSI Aegis three is the closest challenger, and that was 5 hundred factors behind within the single-threaded take a look at and 4 thousand factors again within the multi-core benchmark.Having eight cores with out Hyper-Threading however with higher Turbo speeds clearly offers Espresso Lake-S the sting when in comparison with six-core chips which might be Hyper-Threaded. That’s as a result of eight native cores will carry out higher in functions than six cores which might be dealing with twelve threads. That’ll make an actual distinction in day-to-day use, the place few functions – and even teams of functions –  want twelve threads to operate nicely.The Espresso Lake-S received’t bottleneck video games, and it’ll deal with day-to-day computing with ease. It’ll additionally run the overwhelming majority of productiveness functions, from video enhancing to streaming and content material creation. The one software program that received’t run nicely are instruments that want correct workstation CPUs.The factory-fresh CPU is joined by an Nvidia Turing graphics card. Regardless of its title, the RTX 2080 is designed to exchange the GTX 1080 Ti. It has the brand new structure’s enhancements to integer, floating level and shader efficiency, and it features a mighty 2,944 stream processors, 8GB of GDDR6 reminiscence and a clock that begins at 1,515MHz and boosts to 1,710MHz.It’s a fantastic specification, however a query mark nonetheless hangs over Turing due to its headline options. Ray-tracing received’t work till Microsoft’s DX12 replace arrives, and super-sampling must be applied on a game-by-game foundation.Nonetheless, the GPU is not any slouch. It zipped via our standard 1080p checks with averages past 100fps in Deus Ex and Center Earth: Shadow of Conflict. The RTX 2080 has the facility to deal with 4K gaming, too: it ran via these two video games with 4K averages of 40fps and 57fps.It’ll play at present’s prime video games at 4K, on widescreen panels and on VR headsets. The RTX 2080 might battle with 4K gaming sooner or later or with graphics settings turned up in a handful of video games, however you’re not often going to hit points.The RTX 2080 destroys the GTX 1070 and GTX 1070 Ti playing cards which might be utilized in most small form-factor gaming PCs. The Turing card scored 9,950 factors within the 3D Mark Time Spy take a look at. That’s practically four,000 factors higher than the GTX 1070 and about three,000 factors faster than the GTX 1070 Ti.Regardless of the facility on supply from the CPU and GPU, the Trident X by no means carried out badly in thermal checks. Its peak CPU and GPU temperatures of 81°C and 67°C are completely positive, and the MSI by no means proved loud – it produced a modest rumble that’s simple to masks with audio system or a headset.The remainder of the specification is okay. The Samsung PM981 SSD is reliably quick, with learn and write speeds of three,361MB/s and 1,906MB/s – fast sufficient to ship fast boot and cargo instances. The 32GB of DDR4 is sufficient for work and overkill for video games, however its 2,666MHz pace is mediocre. The parts connect to a modified model of an MSI Z370i Gaming Professional Carbon motherboard that has been stripped of its RGB LEDs and snazzy heatsinks – not a difficulty in a PC that’s so locked-down.VerdictThe new parts ship formidable efficiency. The Turing GPU pelted via video games benchmarks with sufficient grunt for 4K and VR gaming, and for taking part in titles at extraordinarily excessive refresh charges. It’s solely going to get higher as driver updates seem and the brand new options arrive.The Espresso Lake-S CPU outpaces its predecessors whereas delivering sufficient energy for nearly each job, and the remainder of the specification is okay.The chassis is small and good, with good thermal efficiency, loads of ports and RGB LEDs. That makes it a perfect system for taking to LAN events.Nonetheless, whereas the Turing GPU is quick, its headline options don’t but work – and these playing cards stays a danger. There’s no approach of figuring out whether or not ray-tracing and super-sampling will remodel video games – or not be correctly utilised.Elsewhere, the MSI Trident X doesn’t have the perfect construct high quality. There’s little room to improve on the within, which is cramped and full of cables.The worth is excessive, too. Should you don’t want fairly this a lot CPU or GPU energy, it’s very simple to save cash by choosing a machine with lesser parts – they usually’ll nonetheless deal with video games within the majority of resolutions and conditions.General, the MSI Trident X’s new parts ship distinctive pace in all conditions – definitely extra tempo than we’ve seen from mini-ITX machines up to now. The remainder of the specification is okay, and there isn’t a lot that this machine can’t do. The chassis seems to be good, and it’s cool and quiet.Construct high quality is suspect, although, and there’s no room to develop right here. It’s costly, too. Nonetheless, should you’re feeling flush then there’s no higher solution to get your palms on a small PC with a shedload of computing potential.