MSI Modern AM241P

Keeps it together

ALL-IN-ONE PC ❘ £999 from www.snipca.com/39322

If space is scarce and you just don’t have room for a huge desktop PC, an all-in-one could fit the bill. These devices squeeze an entire PC into the casing of a monitor.

MSI’S AM241 is a good example. It comes in two versions: an Intel Core i7-based PC with 16GB of RAM at £999, and a Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM at a lower £799. We tested the i7-equipped version, which is differentiated by a ‘P’ at the end of its model name.

The PC looks like a 24in monitor, with narrow 6mm top and side bezels, and a reasonably slender 23mm space below the screen. There’s no way to access the internal components, but a hatch tucked away at the back of the unit conceals a 2.5in drive bay for adding extra storage. This may not be necessary, though, because the PC comes with a reasonably generous 512GB Western Digital SSD.

The Core-i7 1165G7 processor in the AM241P is more often found in laptops than desktop PCS, but it performed well in our Windows benchmark tests. Even better, the PC was almost silent during our tests. We could hardly hear it even with the fans running at full speed.

There are plenty of ports, with one USB-C, two USB 3.0 and three USB 2.0, plus HDMI- in and an HDMI-OUT. The

A tidy all-in-one PC with good performance and a great screen

HDMI-IN lets you use its screen with another HDMI device, such as a laptop or Tv-streaming stick. There’s also a Gigabit Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone and mic jack. Wireless support includes Wi-fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

You can adjust the height of the display by 135mm, and tilt it five degrees forward and 15 degrees back. Image quality is great, too, recreating 94 per cent of SRGB colours and with a peak brightness of 348cd/ m2 in our tests.

There aren’t many all-in-one PCS with 16GB of RAM available for £999 or less. Most 16GB models have better processors, graphics and storage, making them more expensive. The HP Pavilion 24-k0019na gives you 16GB of RAM for £900, but its older Core-i5 processor means it won’t be as quick at demanding Windows tasks.

For the best value, it might be worth seeking an alternative with less RAM. Dell, for example, makes an all-in-one with almost the same specification but just 8GB of RAM for £749 (see below right). It may be slightly slower if you keep a lot of windows or browser tabs open, but a saving of £250 should make the compromise worthwhile.

SPECIFICATIONS

Four-core Intel Core-i7 1165G7 processor • 16GB memory • Intel Iris Xe graphics • 512GB SSD • Wi-fi 6 • 1x HDMI-OUT port • 1x HDMI-IN port • 2x USB-C ports • 2x USB 3.0 ports • 3x USB 2.0 ports • Gigabit Ethernet • Windows 10 Home • 535x541x195mm (HXWXD) • 6.16kg • One-year warranty www.snipca.com/39322