MSI Infinite RS 13. Review

MSI’s Infinite RS 13th (starting at $4,199; $4,499 as tested) is a gaming desktop that literally throws the doors wide open for PC tinkerers, featuring hinged side panels that allow quick and easy access to the top. components inside. With a powerful Core i9-13900KF processor and an MSI version of the GeForce RTX 4090 uber-GPU, it’s hard to imagine a stronger system in such a flashy case. Although the benchmark results of this computer were a little lower than we expected (equivalent to half a car length behind, among Formula 1 racers), the Infinite RS 13th is still a hell of a gaming rig. If the roomy, glittery case isn’t enough to sway you, however, check out the Corsair Vengeance i7400, which retains its Editors’ Choice award for its lower price, competitive performance, and space-saving chassis.

A chassis that welcomes you with open arms

Known for its flair in its high-end gaming rigs, MSI lives up to that reputation with the Infinite RS 13th and its hinged side panels. Since it’s a pre-built system, there’s no need to tinker with the internals out of the box, but easy access is always a plus for anyone considering future upgrades.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

A simple tug on either side panel reveals the components inside. Our test system featured an Intel Core i9-13900KF (eight 3.0GHz performance cores, 16 efficient cores, 32 threads), 32GB (2×16) DDR5 memory, and the aforementioned GeForce RTX 4090. With hardware like this, you’ll be hard-pressed for to find something to upgrade soon so you may end up opening the side panels just to install more RGB lighting inside but that will no doubt be overkill as well.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The case measures 18.7 x 8.5 x 16.5 inches (HWD), providing more than enough room to fit any component you choose. In our test configuration, there was room to fit two solid-state drives behind the motherboard. MSI includes an additional panel that can be removed to attach more fans to the side panel.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The seven fans (three on the top, three in the front and one rear exhaust), the water block on the CPU and the graphics card all have RGB lighting that illuminates the interior vividly. You can control the RGB effects via the included MSI Center software or a physical button on the top panel.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The top panel is also where you’ll find the front-mounted ports: two USB Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, and two headphone and microphone audio jacks. There is also a power button and a reset button here.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

The back of the system has one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports and two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, plus two retro USB 2.0 ports. A 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port provides high-speed Internet access. The MSI Pro Z790-A Wi-Fi motherboard also has a BIOS flash button.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

Our test unit also came with an MSI-branded USB keyboard and mouse kit. The MSI Clutch GM08 is a fairly standard gaming mouse with a four-button layout and a space to add weights below the MSI shield logo for the right weight for the games you play. A rubberized scroll wheel makes it easy to grip, and a DPI button lets you switch between five resolution profiles.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

As for the keyboard, the MSI Vigor GK30 is a full-size model with RGB backlighting and membrane piston switches that aim to mimic the feel of a mechanical keyboard. In practice, I found the typing felt less satisfying than for real mechanical switches. Anyone with the budget to buy this PC would probably spend a bit more on a premium gaming keyboard and mouse if they didn’t already have such equipment, but it’s nice to have a decent desktop in the box, so all you need to get started is a screen and speakers.

Testing the MSI Infinite RS 13th: A Power Hitter in a Sea of ​​Sluggers

The GeForce RTX 4090 is a super colossal graphics card, and Intel’s Core i9-13900KF is a spectacular CPU (see our review of the Core i9-13900K, which is the same chip, only with integrated graphics), but the combination is unprecedented among high-end gaming desktops. In this price range, it’s important to make sure a PC has the performance to back up the glitz and glamour.

For our benchmark charts, we pitted the Infinite RS 13th against a fearsome Murderer’s Row of top gaming rigs. The Falcon Northwest Talon and Falcon Northwest FragBox both come from one of the country’s premier boutique PC builders, with their sky-high prices backed by fantastic customer service and build quality. The aforementioned Corsair Vengeance i7400 is actually the most affordable system on our list and combines similar premium components with extra RAM. The Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition comes from another well-known boutique builder, but is the only desktop here with an older GeForce RTX 30-series GPU. (The seller has since added cards in the RTX 40 series to the selection.)

Productivity tests

First, we run several programs to simulate daily productivity tasks. UL’s PCMark 10 measures a system’s ease of use for everyday office tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets and video conferencing, and also includes a storage test to assess the speed of a PC’s boot drive.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

Three other benchmarks focus on CPU performance. Maxon’s Cinebench R23 uses the company’s Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Geekbench Pro simulates popular tasks such as PDF rendering and speech recognition; and open source HandBrake 1.4 converts a 12-minute video clip from 4K to 1080p resolution (lower times are better). Finally, we run Puget Systems’ PugetBench for Photoshop, an automated Adobe Photoshop extension that performs a variety of image-editing tasks within the program to assess a PC’s ability to create content jobs.

Considering the cost and great design, we were ever so slightly underwhelmed by MSI’s test results. The Infinite RS 13th obviously ranks far, far beyond what we’d consider a satisfactory desktop PC, but it settled for the bronze medal in most benchmarks, behind the Corsair and FragBox (albeit, in some cases, with margin of error amounts). It seems that Infinite RS prioritizes other aspects of the gaming desktop experience rather than absolute peak, record-setting raw performance.

Graphics and game tests

To test a PC’s graphics hardware, we run four synthetic tests or game simulations. Two are DirectX 12 exercises from UL’s 3DMark test suite: Night Raid, and the more demanding Time Spy. The other two are offscreen-rendered OpenGL tests from the cross-platform GFXBench: 1440p Aztec Ruins and 1080p Car Chase.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

After that, it’s time to fire up the games! For real-world results, we run the built-in benchmarks of three popular titles – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, F1 2021 and Rainbow Six Siege – with two resolution and quality presets.

Again, the MSI Infinite RS 13th delivered excellent but not class-leading performance, finishing by a narrow margin of third in most of our tests (albeit fourth in the 1080p Valhalla). We really only wanted to care about the 4K results here; that’s what you buy an RTX 4090 PC for.

Of course, gaming on the MSI is a blast – blasting through a horde shooter like Back 4 Blood at nearly 200 frames per second is nothing to sneeze at – but our tests show just how much more incremental performance you can get at this price point. To be sure, this rig will play anything you throw at it today and for some time to come, but it won’t give you absolute benchmark geek bragging rights.

Verdict: Flash and Dash

No casual PC gamer would complain about the numbers these elite desktops provide; only the most hardcore fragger and benchmark-watcher could ask for more. The MSI Infinite RS 13th will make an incredible centerpiece if you’re looking to make a statement with your desktop, especially if you’re a hobbyist who plans to have a field day with future upgrades.

(Credit: Kyle Cobian)

If MSI’s sleek chassis doesn’t seal the deal for you, however, we recommend the Editors’ Choice award-winning Corsair Vengeance i7400 for its simpler price (even after adding the cost of an additional hard drive) compared to the others in our test group.