MSI INFINITE X
To infinity, and... actually, no, just to infinity
REMEMBER WHEN buying a PC used to mean going to an actual store, walking around a long display of fascinating beige boxes adorned with functional jewelry, such as printers and desktop microphones, speaking to an overbearing man in a shortsleeved shirt, then waiting several days for a different man, this one less overbearing, to arrive, and put it together in your home? Modern system builders like MSI can’t hope to replace the hand-drenching thrill of that 1990s experience, but they do bring a few bonuses of modernity to the table.
This Infinite X build is to those Packard Bells that came bundled with printers, scanners, and 14 Encarta discs what modern sports stars are to their pot-bellied forefathers. There’s not an ounce of bloat on its spec sheet, and competition is so fierce among system builders that it’s actually a conundrum to see where MSI is making its markup here. The fundamentals are checked off with muscular aplomb: a GTX 1080 Ti, Core i7-8700K, and 16GB of RAM. That’s the sweet spot for high-end gaming right now, before the laws of diminishing returns really kick in and render any further performance gains pointless in the wake of escalating cost. And together, they rip through our 1080p benchmarks with predictable vigor, although for 4K gaming at a consistent 60fps, you’ll need yet more firepower. MSI’s own Z370M Gaming Pro AC motherboard provides the beating heart of the whole operation, while storage options ranging from SSD plus HDD to two M.2 SSDs are available in the configurator. So far, so good.
This being a high-end system, there’s a fair amount of showboating going on with the case and componentry. The 1080 Ti is mounted vertically in line with side panel cutaways on the case, so you can see the 0dB fan technology in action and, like us, briefly panic that something’s come loose inside and is frying your silicon. The option of a tempered glass side panel is there for those who want it, revealing a little more RGB flair. We’d hardly say our test sample was restrained, however: There’s still an enormous backlit design on the front panel, and more sharp edges on the case as a whole than an Nvidia Founder’s Edition blower. Shout out to the front panel full of handy ports: an HDMI for VR headsets, a USB-C for newer devices, two USB 2.0s, and one 3.0. Perhaps they could have been implemented more elegantly, but beauty is, famously, in the eye of the beholder.
We won’t judge the Infinite X for dividing office opinion with its look, but there are a few case issues that go more than skin deep. The enormous power button is positioned in a hazardously easy-toaccidentally-nudge position, while the rear handle and DVD drive cover (yep, it actually has a physical media drive in 2018, go figure) feel worryingly flimsy.
Looking inside, it’s clear that minor problems have reached there, too. MSI’s system builders have obviously done the very best job possible to create a neat and tidy, airflow-friendly rig, but there are a few cables dragged across the motherboard and remaining in plain sight. It’s a result of the case’s RGB LED fanciness going on at the front, and a slightly cramped interior.
But let’s be clear: All our gripes so far extend only as far as the case, and when you’re talking about a GTX 1080 Ti system, that’s small fry. The important thing is that performance is where we’d expect it to be, and the price is bang on the mark. With the 1180/2080 looming large on the horizon, the whole bang-for-buck paradigm is about to shift dramatically, so this isn’t the ideal time to invest in a new system. However, if you’re really into the Infinite X’s striking look, and want to blitz games at 1080p, this is an attractive prospect.
MSI Infinite X
X FACTOR Blistering 1080p performance; great value.
BUZZKILL LIGHTYEAR Case has issues; soon to be outdated.
$1,799, www.msi.com