by At CES 2023, MSI unveiled more than just its latest and updated laptops. A major focus of MSI’s 2023 presentation was the introduction of new market segments. The computer manufacturing giant showcased an award-winning range of gaming desktops, monitors, hardware, peripherals and, for the first time, routers. Many of these new releases contributed to MSI winning 15 awards at CES 2023.
The author’s trip to CES 2023 was sponsored by MSI. MSI did not pay for this article to appear on MUO.
MSI launches its new gaming desktops
While MSI is best known for its gaming and business laptops, including the Stealth series, which won our CES 2023 Best Portable Gaming Laptop award, it has been quietly releasing pre-built desktops like the refreshed MSI Aegis RS. MSI sells several configurations that offer excellent performance value and at times are actually much cheaper compared to building your own with the same hardware. The new desktop PCs can be configured up to an Intel 13th-Gen i9 processor and NVIDIA RTX 4090 graphics card.
The MEG Trident X2 has one of the more unique case designs and received the Excellence in Product Design award from CES 2023. In addition to the upgraded cooling design and support for M.2 PCIe, one of the standout features is the introduction of HDMI 2.0. Using a touchscreen on the left side of the case, users will access system monitor statistics and make performance adjustments. They can even control a compatible MSI monitor’s OSD menu and change RGB Mystic Lighting effects for your entire setup.
While this may be more for show, it seems like an interesting way to introduce more functionality and features into a PC case that we haven’t really seen in mainstream builds before.
MSI Launches Liquid-Cooled NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPUs (and Other Gaming Hardware)
In addition to laptops and prebuilds, MSI also sells gaming components, including graphics cards with the MSI GeForce RTX 40 series. One of the top cards, the GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM LIQUID X 24G, has advanced cooling that consists of a closed-loop liquid cooling system, a 240mm radiator and one TORX 5.0 fan. This should help keep temperatures cool, even with overclocked systems.
The MSI SPATIUM M570 PCIe 5.0 SSD is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB, with claimed speeds of up to 10GB/s. There will also be a Pro version with sequential transfer speeds of up to 12GB/s read and up to 10GB/s write. Keeping everything cool, these SSDs use a direct-contact vapor chamber plate and heatsink, which MSI claims will optimize airflow without interfering with the other components’ cooling systems.
Meanwhile, MSI also showcased a few other components released back in November 2022. The MSI MEG Z790 Good motherboard has features that make it effective for overclocking with its heat dissipation module for cooler temperatures and the upgraded power solution improves stability.
In the past, MSI has bundled mice and keyboards with some of the pre-builds and even some of the gaming laptops, but as you might expect, they were mediocre at best.
The CLUTCH GM51 is a new lightweight wireless mouse with a 26,000 DPI sensor that weighs only 85g. It’s about 11g heavier than the GM41, but it’s better designed for first-person shooters. Just like the rest of the GM wireless range, the GM51 uses a dock to charge and features Mystic Lighting RGB customizations.
For fans of clicking keyboards, MSI VIGOR GK71 SONIC uses MSI Sonic Red, the lightest linear mechanical key switch. This gives you 1.9mm of pre-travel, 4mm of total travel and 35g of operating force. In addition, the GK71 keyboard uses clear caps for enhanced RGB lighting effects and features a smart dual-touch volume wheel and dedicated media keys in the top right corner. For customization, the keyboard supports three built-in profiles that can save RGB effects and macro keys.
MSI reveals 4 new gaming monitors for 2023
MSI had four new displays on the display, and introduced new features such as built-in webcams hidden in the bottom bezel and improved response time.
The MEG 342C QD-OLED is very similar to the MPG Artymis 34CQR. It has an aggressive front stance, a fresh coat of bronze trim and a front RGB light bar. The QD series uses an OLED panel with a 0.1ms response time and appears to deliver deeper blacks and better color reproduction.
This will also be available in a 491C QD-OLED model for those looking for the ultimate ultra-wide experience.
On the smaller side, the MSI MAG 275CQRX is a 1000R 27-inch QHD monitor with a 250Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time. Compared to the QD series, the light bar is located on the rear panel, creating more subdued lighting effects.
Finally, for creative professionals, the 27-inch 4K MSI Modern MD271UL introduces the MSI Display Kit and Eye-Q Check to help with productivity and reduce eye strain. It also offers 65W USB-C power supply for connecting to your devices.
MSI’s 2023 routers are a company first
Tired of poor Wi-Fi connection? In 2023, MSI will release brand new routers that come with a hint of the gaming formula, which will help them stand out in the saturated gaming router market.
With an expected release in Q3 or Q4 2023, the RadiX AXE6600 uses Wi-Fi 6E, a tri-band setup and a 1.8GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor. With all its extra bandwidth and range, this router is expected to get very hot, which is why it has its own built-in heatsink and cooling to keep temperatures down.
Similar to selecting power modes on your computer, the RadiX AXE6600 has a mode button that lets you switch between gaming or streaming content. Of course, this wouldn’t be a true MSI product unless it also had Mystic Light RGB support, which lets you customize the lighting effects on the router’s body and antennas.
How about a router with antennas that follow certain devices as they move around for optimized wireless coverage? MSI claims that its new RadiX BE22000 with Wi-Fi 7 and MSI’s AI QoS technology will deliver 4x faster throughput compared to a typical Wi-Fi 6 router. But with Wi-Fi 7 standards still being finalized, the RadiX BE22000 isn’t expected to be released until 2024. Until then, we’re stuck with our more stationary routers.
MSI: More Than Gaming laptops
MSI wants to be known for more than its gaming laptops. The shift in focus began a few years ago with the introduction of business laptops and ultrabooks. Based on this, MSI expands its range of PCs and monitors, releasing high-quality peripherals and now also gaming routers.
