MSI Trident X Plus 9SE-062US High-End Small Form Factor PC Intel Core i9 review
MSI Trident X Plus 9SE-062US High-End Small Form Factor PC Intel Core i9 review
FORPrice
Swappable side panel
Slim, light chassis
High-end gaming performance in a slim, compact chassis.
Loads of storage.
Uses standard, upgrade-ready parts.
Close-to-60fps rates at 4K in recent AAA games
Loads of storage.
Uses standard, upgrade-ready parts.
Close-to-60fps rates at 4K in recent AAA games
AGAINST
Air-cooled processor
Insides aren't much to look at
Niche target audience.
Overkill for most gaming scenarios.
Case includes a lot of plastic.
Media Processing and Creation Tests
Next is Maxon's CPU-crunching Cinebench R15 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads.
The Trident X almost swept these three multimedia tests (bettered only by the Raptor Z55 on Handbrake and Photoshop), showing how capable it can be for a content-creation machine. The tests also generally demonstrate the speed and multi-thread capability of the Core i9 processor. The Trident X's focus may be esports and playing games, but those users' needs can certainly overlap with video editors and streamers who can benefit from the speed. The others are in the same ballpark, though, so that alone shouldn't make or break your decision.
We also run a custom Adobe Photoshop image-editing benchmark. Using an early 2018 release of the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, we apply a series of 10 complex filters and effects to a standard JPEG test image. We time each operation and, at the end, add up the total execution time. As with Handbrake, lower times are better here. The Photoshop test stresses CPU, storage subsystem, and RAM, but it can also take advantage of most GPUs to speed up the process of applying filters, so systems with powerful graphics chips or cards may see a boost.
Cinebench is often a good predictor of our Handbrake video-editing trial, another tough, threaded workout that's highly CPU-dependent and scales well with cores and threads. In it, we put a stopwatch on test systems as they transcode a standard 12-minute clip of 4K video (the open source Blender demo movie Tears of Steel) to a 1080p MP4 file. It's a timed test, and lower results are better.but it comes in two other configurations as well, with only minor variations to either the CPU, GPU, PSU, or storage. The two lower models each come with an Intel Core i7-9700K, for instance, but the price only drops about for the middle model, whereas it drops for the low model. The low model comes with a RTX 2070, a 450W bronze rated PSU, and only a 512GB M.2 SSD (no HDD for extra storage), which all account for the large price drop. However, the price of the top-tier Trident X looks like a sweet deal for the specs if you compare it to other similar prebuilts on the market, like the Corsair One i160.
The Trident X it’s not the prettiest small form factor PC out there, and some might balk at the air cooling solution and the minimal RGB lighting, but for those looking for something that will handle nearly any game flawlessly up to 1440p on ultra, the Trident X has many excellent features. It’s quiet, compact, and the price tag feels almost criminal considering what components inhabit its chassis. Another solid contender in the world of prebuilt, small form factor PCs.
Synthetic Graphics Tests
The 3DMark test suite from UL (formerly Futuremark) measures relative graphics muscle by rendering sequences of highly detailed, gaming-style 3D graphics that emphasize particles and lighting. We run two different 3DMark subtests, Sky Diver and Fire Strike, which are suited to different types of systems. Both are DirectX 11 benchmarks, but Sky Diver is more suited to midrange PCs, while Fire Strike is more demanding and made for high-end PCs to strut their stuff. The results are proprietary scores.
Next up is another synthetic graphics test, this time from Unigine Corp. Like 3DMark, the Superposition test renders and pans through a detailed 3D scene and measures how the system copes. In this case, it's rendered in the company's eponymous Unigine engine, offering a different 3D workload scenario than 3DMark, for a second opinion on the machine's graphical prowess. We present two Superposition results, run at the 720p Low and 1080p High presets.
Superposition's scores are reported in frames per second (fps), which translates to how smooth the scene looks in motion. For lower-end systems, maintaining at least 30fps is the realistic target, while more powerful computers should ideally attain at least 60fps at the test resolution.
In terms of design, I noted some positives and negatives. Overall, the shape is pretty sleek-looking, and it has some eye-catching, though generally tame, accent lighting. The case stuns on first glance, but you'll see a good bit of not-so-premium plastic when you look closer, especially on the front panel. The left panel is metal, with only a grated cutout for the graphics card and some lighting toward the top of the case. The metal door is a bit dull, but MSI does provide an alternative glass panel for this side of the case that you can install. It is a much better solution for enjoying the high-end parts.
The right side panel is tinted glass, with a cutout window for a case fan that features eye-catching circular RGB lighting. It's hinged at the rear and held shut magnetically, so opening it up is as easy as tugging on the corner. This is easier than the left panel, for which you need to remove two rear screws for interior access. The easy-open door at least makes it simple to tinker with cable routing, but it's pretty plain on this side on the interior. On the whole, I find the aesthetic design is much better than that of the ROG Strix, and the skinny design is appealing, but the Corsair Vengeance has the slickest look of the three.
Because of the skinny shape and vertical orientation, the component accessibility is much better than you might expect in a compact PC. The left and right panels co-host most of the parts, with the graphics card and an M.2 SSD on the left, and the hard drive, CPU (behind the fan), and power supply on the right. Even fitting the power supply inside such a compact case deserves a nod, as a PC this slim will often use an external power supply brick. This, instead, is an industry-standard SFX-form-factor power supply, so you can even swap it out down the road should you need more wattage.
As for what you'll find inside, well, MSI spared little expense. This unit (model 9SE-002US) is outfitted with an Intel Core i9-9900K processor, the MSI Ventus OC version of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, 16GB of memory, a 512GB M.2 SSD, a 2TB hard drive, and a 650-watt power supply. There are two other SKUs available: One with a Core i7-7700K, an RTX 2080, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 2TB HDD, and another with a Core i7-7700K, an RTX 2070, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD .
Though it may stand slimmer than the rest, the Trident X is otherwise the same as your standard desktop. You'll find several ports on the front panel for easier access, including USB 3.1 (Type-A), USB 2.0 (Type-A), USB 3.1 (Type-C), and a headset jack...
Together, it's not an excess of ports, but there's enough to plug in all of your gaming peripherals, plus several high-speed data-transfer options.
Pro-Level Performance: Benching the X
Given that this is an esports-centric machine, you can already guess the Trident X is all about performance. In fact, the components are probably overkill for the types of PC games with the biggest esports followings, at least if you're the average player.
If you're a professional competitor, though, you can't afford to drop frames in the middle of a match, and only overkill can really guarantee that won't happen. Fortunately, the Core i9-9900K CPU and Nvidia RTX 2080 are up to the task. I compared the MSI Trident X to the Acer Predator Orion 5000 , the Corsair Vengeance 5180, and the Velocity Micro Raptor Z55. (Unfortunately, the Asus ROG Strix I mentioned was tested with a different, older suite of benchmark tests, so its numbers are not comparable.) Their core components are listed below.
The Trident X was very proficient on the 3DMark tests, again topping this lot. That nearly held true on the Superposition tests, as well, but the Vengeance and Raptor Z55 just edged it on the Low and High settings tests, respectively. While you can quibble over a point or two here and there, the takeaway is the high level of performance, which stacks up well against other expensive gaming machines.
...and Some Real-World Gaming Tests
The synthetic tests above are helpful for measuring general 3D aptitude, but it's hard to beat full retail video games for judging gaming performance. Far Cry 5 and Rise of the Tomb Raider are both modern, high-fidelity titles with built-in benchmarks that illustrate how a system handles real-world video games at various settings. These are run on the maximum graphics-quality presets (Ultra for Far Cry 5, Very High for Rise of the Tomb Raider) at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions to determine the sweet spot of visuals and smooth performance for a given system. Far Cry 5 is DirectX 11-based, while Rise of the Tomb Raider can be flipped to DX12, which we do for the benchmark.
We don't yet have enough data from our new benchmarks to compare results on these games, but the Trident X and its RTX 2080 did very well. On Far Cry 5 at Ultra, it averaged 127fps at 1080p, 109fps at 1440p, and 54fps at 4K. On Rise of the Tomb Raider at Very High, it averaged 117fps at 1080p, 105fps at 1440p, and 53fps at 4K. Clearly, anything less than 4K is a breeze for this system. 4K resolution is very demanding, but even then, this system comes pretty close to 60fps. Dial down a few visual settings, and you're there.
This Trident's the Tip of the Spear
The MSI Trident X does exactly what it sets out to do: It's a slim, relatively portable gaming desktop ideal for enthusiast-gaming and esports scenarios. It's expensive, as a result, but the price scales appropriately for the components compared to the competition.
The case didn't blow us away, but the interior is accessible and packed with power. It can take almost anything you throw at it (guaranteed 60fps 4K gaming at max settings being just out of reach), and for esports gaming that focuses on high frame rates at lower resolutions, the Trident X is borderline overkill.
The Corsair Vengeance remains our Editors' Choice for its slightly spiffier design and price, falling into virtually the same capability tier for a bit less money. But this is a very able alternative, and we're extra-impressed by the upgrade potential of a system this size. Usually, machines like these are packed with some proprietary parts. Here, you've got industry-standard stuff top of bottom. We'd even give it the edge if maximum space savings and future upgrades are equally important to you.
Overkill for most gaming scenarios.
Case includes a lot of plastic.
OPERATING SYSTEM
CPU
CHIPSET
STORAGE
SYSTEM MEMORY
GRAPHICS
SOUND
I/O (FRONT)
I/O (REAR)
WIRELESS LAN
BLUETOOTH
LAN
AC ADAPTER / PSU
COOLING SYSTEM
VOLUME
DIMENSION (WXDXH)
WEIGHT (N.W./ G.W.)
ACCESSORIES
SOFTWARE
Windows 10 Home
Up to Intel® Core™ i9-9900 K Processor
Intel® Z390
2x M.2 SSD (1x auto switch and 1x PCIe (or Intel Optane))
Up to 2x 2.5” SSD / HDD
2 x DDR4 2666MHz Long-DIMMs, up to 64GB
Up to MSI GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti 11GB GDDR6
7.1 Channel HD Audio with Nahimic audio enhancer
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type C
1x USB 2.0 Type A
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A
1x Mic-in
1x Headphone-out
2x USB 2.0
1x DP out (1.2)
1x HDMI out (1.4)
2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A
2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A
1x RJ45
5x Audio jacks
1x Optical S/PDIF out
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9462
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9462 and Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (MB 2.0 and later version support)
5
Realtek® 8111H
Modular 450W 80 Plus Bronze Certified PSU
Modular 650W 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Air Cooler
10.36 L / 21.89pt
129.74 x 382.73 x 396.39 mm/ 5.1” x 15.06” x 15.6”
6.55 Kg / 9.5 Kg ; 14.44 lbs / 20.94 lbs
1x Manual (optional)
1x Quick guide
1x Warranty card
1x Power cord
Drivers & MSI Utilities
MSI Gaming center
Anti-Virus (60 days trial)
There’s a growing trend for prebuilt, small form factor gaming desktop PCs with a hefty spec list. Small form factor cases have been around for a while, but the chassis of some of these new prebuilt PCs are nothing short of stunning, both on the outside and on the inside. Airflow becomes a higher priority with tightly spaced components, but the airflow on MSI’s Trident X isn’t the only good thing about it. Oh no.
SPECS
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8GB, overclocked
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K, 3.6GHz base clock, up to 5.0GHz boost clock
Motherboard: Z370I Gaming Pro Carbon AC
RAM: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz (1x16GB)
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVME m.2 SSD, 2TB 5400rpm HDD
PSU: 650W 80 Plus Gold
CPU Cooling: Air cooled
Dimensions: 5.1” x 15.06” x 15.6”
Weight: 14.44 lbs.
At five inches wide, the Trident X looks deceptively compact from the front, but just like a good pub sandwiched between old brick buildings, it extends three times as long, leaving enough room for a dual-fan RTX 2080 and everything else needed for a high-end gaming PC. The right side panel is swappable for either an opaque, matte black metal panel, or a dark frosted tempered glass panel. The RGB heatsink fan is visible through the mesh vent on the side regardless, but that’s the only pretty thing on that side of the case.
CPU
CHIPSET
STORAGE
SYSTEM MEMORY
GRAPHICS
SOUND
I/O (FRONT)
I/O (REAR)
WIRELESS LAN
BLUETOOTH
LAN
AC ADAPTER / PSU
COOLING SYSTEM
VOLUME
DIMENSION (WXDXH)
WEIGHT (N.W./ G.W.)
ACCESSORIES
SOFTWARE
Windows 10 Home
Up to Intel® Core™ i9-9900 K Processor
Intel® Z390
2x M.2 SSD (1x auto switch and 1x PCIe (or Intel Optane))
Up to 2x 2.5” SSD / HDD
2 x DDR4 2666MHz Long-DIMMs, up to 64GB
Up to MSI GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti 11GB GDDR6
7.1 Channel HD Audio with Nahimic audio enhancer
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type C
1x USB 2.0 Type A
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A
1x Mic-in
1x Headphone-out
2x USB 2.0
1x DP out (1.2)
1x HDMI out (1.4)
2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type A
2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A
1x RJ45
5x Audio jacks
1x Optical S/PDIF out
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9462
Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9462 and Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (MB 2.0 and later version support)
5
Realtek® 8111H
Modular 450W 80 Plus Bronze Certified PSU
Modular 650W 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Air Cooler
10.36 L / 21.89pt
129.74 x 382.73 x 396.39 mm/ 5.1” x 15.06” x 15.6”
6.55 Kg / 9.5 Kg ; 14.44 lbs / 20.94 lbs
1x Manual (optional)
1x Quick guide
1x Warranty card
1x Power cord
Drivers & MSI Utilities
MSI Gaming center
Anti-Virus (60 days trial)
There’s a growing trend for prebuilt, small form factor gaming desktop PCs with a hefty spec list. Small form factor cases have been around for a while, but the chassis of some of these new prebuilt PCs are nothing short of stunning, both on the outside and on the inside. Airflow becomes a higher priority with tightly spaced components, but the airflow on MSI’s Trident X isn’t the only good thing about it. Oh no.
SPECS
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ventus 8GB, overclocked
CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K, 3.6GHz base clock, up to 5.0GHz boost clock
Motherboard: Z370I Gaming Pro Carbon AC
RAM: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz (1x16GB)
Storage: 512GB PCIe NVME m.2 SSD, 2TB 5400rpm HDD
PSU: 650W 80 Plus Gold
CPU Cooling: Air cooled
Dimensions: 5.1” x 15.06” x 15.6”
Weight: 14.44 lbs.
At five inches wide, the Trident X looks deceptively compact from the front, but just like a good pub sandwiched between old brick buildings, it extends three times as long, leaving enough room for a dual-fan RTX 2080 and everything else needed for a high-end gaming PC. The right side panel is swappable for either an opaque, matte black metal panel, or a dark frosted tempered glass panel. The RGB heatsink fan is visible through the mesh vent on the side regardless, but that’s the only pretty thing on that side of the case.
Just like the recently reviewed Asus ROG Strix GL12CX, the MSI Trident X is a gaming desktop for the esports enthusiast or professional. Any gamer would enjoy its power, but its slim vertical design and easy-access, standard components are aimed at the esports world and those who move their towers often. The professional or aspiring esports player is a tiny niche, but the tournaments watched by huge audiences around the world do need to be played on PCs that guarantee smooth, high-settings gameplay. The Trident X is a much better value than the Strix given their similarities, but if you're looking for something a bit less specialized for similar performance and slightly less money, the Corsair Vengeance Gaming PC 5180 is, by a narrow margin, our Editors' Choice.
The rest of the visible internals are cables, the PSU, and two vertically mounted SSD bays. Not exactly exciting. Which is why some might prefer to leave the opaque panel on, but it’s easier to access the SSD bays with a swinging, magnetic tempered glass panel. (Maybe wanting both pretty and practical is asking too much, but I don’t particularly like looking at the “backside” of a gaming PC.) The other panel doesn’t switch out, but there is also a mesh vent to show off the graphics card inside the case, which sits under the glow of RGB lighting, as well as a vent for the PSU fan.
Let’s go back to the cooling solution for a second. The Trident X model we received comes with an air-cooled Intel Core i9-9900K. Normally, if we were to recommend building a high-end or extreme gaming PC, we’d say use a liquid cooled option. But, since this prebuilt comes stock with an air cooler, it’s important to make sure the CPU temps don’t get to high. So, how did the air cooling solution fair?
Productivity and Storage Tests
PCMark 10 and 8 are holistic performance suites developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). The PCMark 10 test we run simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheeting, Web browsing, and videoconferencing. The test generates a proprietary numeric score; higher numbers are better.
PCMark 8, meanwhile, has a Storage subtest that we use to assess the speed of the system's storage subsystem. This score is also a proprietary numeric score; again, higher numbers are better.
The Trident X topped the competition on PCMark 10, proving its general productivity chops (not that you wouldn't expect a high-end gaming machine to also be speedy with everyday tasks). The drive speeds on PCMark 8, meanwhile, are all bunched close, as this batch of speedy SSDs are all quite quick for load and boot times.
The CPU on our model reaches clockspeeds of 4.8 GHz, but be wary about trying to push that number any further. Running multiple Cinebench tests back to back pushed temps as high as 76 C during the multicore tests. There’s a risk of throttling if the temperature gets over 85 C, but having spent an extensive amount of time with the Trident X, the worst I encountered was a warm chassis after a long play session with a GPU-heavy game.
Performance-wise, there isn’t much left to the imagination given the juicy list of high-end components. The processor consistently spat out numbers between 2016 cb and 2024 cb in Cinebench, and the 3D Mark benchmarks showed crazy-good performance at 1080p and 1440p (23,709 and 12,459, respectively). 4K was a bit sluggish with a score of 6,494. Actual gaming in 1080p on ultra confirmed those 3D Mark scores: Shadow of the Tomb Raider performed at an average of 122 fps; Total War: Warhammer II at an average of 103 fps between battle, campaign and skaven modes; and Ghost Recon: Wildlands turned out an average of 74 fps.
I also had the opportunity to see how Metro Exodus performed on the Trident X with ray tracing turned on. Our earlier analysis showed the fps hovering around 60 at 1080p on ultra with a RTX 2060, so it wasn’t surprising that the RTX 2080 in this configuration surpassed that number.
The rest of the visible internals are cables, the PSU, and two vertically mounted SSD bays. Not exactly exciting. Which is why some might prefer to leave the opaque panel on, but it’s easier to access the SSD bays with a swinging, magnetic tempered glass panel. (Maybe wanting both pretty and practical is asking too much, but I don’t particularly like looking at the “backside” of a gaming PC.) The other panel doesn’t switch out, but there is also a mesh vent to show off the graphics card inside the case, which sits under the glow of RGB lighting, as well as a vent for the PSU fan.
Let’s go back to the cooling solution for a second. The Trident X model we received comes with an air-cooled Intel Core i9-9900K. Normally, if we were to recommend building a high-end or extreme gaming PC, we’d say use a liquid cooled option. But, since this prebuilt comes stock with an air cooler, it’s important to make sure the CPU temps don’t get to high. So, how did the air cooling solution fair?
Productivity and Storage Tests
PCMark 10 and 8 are holistic performance suites developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL (formerly Futuremark). The PCMark 10 test we run simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheeting, Web browsing, and videoconferencing. The test generates a proprietary numeric score; higher numbers are better.
PCMark 8, meanwhile, has a Storage subtest that we use to assess the speed of the system's storage subsystem. This score is also a proprietary numeric score; again, higher numbers are better.
The Trident X topped the competition on PCMark 10, proving its general productivity chops (not that you wouldn't expect a high-end gaming machine to also be speedy with everyday tasks). The drive speeds on PCMark 8, meanwhile, are all bunched close, as this batch of speedy SSDs are all quite quick for load and boot times.
The CPU on our model reaches clockspeeds of 4.8 GHz, but be wary about trying to push that number any further. Running multiple Cinebench tests back to back pushed temps as high as 76 C during the multicore tests. There’s a risk of throttling if the temperature gets over 85 C, but having spent an extensive amount of time with the Trident X, the worst I encountered was a warm chassis after a long play session with a GPU-heavy game.
Performance-wise, there isn’t much left to the imagination given the juicy list of high-end components. The processor consistently spat out numbers between 2016 cb and 2024 cb in Cinebench, and the 3D Mark benchmarks showed crazy-good performance at 1080p and 1440p (23,709 and 12,459, respectively). 4K was a bit sluggish with a score of 6,494. Actual gaming in 1080p on ultra confirmed those 3D Mark scores: Shadow of the Tomb Raider performed at an average of 122 fps; Total War: Warhammer II at an average of 103 fps between battle, campaign and skaven modes; and Ghost Recon: Wildlands turned out an average of 74 fps.
I also had the opportunity to see how Metro Exodus performed on the Trident X with ray tracing turned on. Our earlier analysis showed the fps hovering around 60 at 1080p on ultra with a RTX 2060, so it wasn’t surprising that the RTX 2080 in this configuration surpassed that number.
Media Processing and Creation Tests
Next is Maxon's CPU-crunching Cinebench R15 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads.
The Trident X almost swept these three multimedia tests (bettered only by the Raptor Z55 on Handbrake and Photoshop), showing how capable it can be for a content-creation machine. The tests also generally demonstrate the speed and multi-thread capability of the Core i9 processor. The Trident X's focus may be esports and playing games, but those users' needs can certainly overlap with video editors and streamers who can benefit from the speed. The others are in the same ballpark, though, so that alone shouldn't make or break your decision.
We also run a custom Adobe Photoshop image-editing benchmark. Using an early 2018 release of the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop, we apply a series of 10 complex filters and effects to a standard JPEG test image. We time each operation and, at the end, add up the total execution time. As with Handbrake, lower times are better here. The Photoshop test stresses CPU, storage subsystem, and RAM, but it can also take advantage of most GPUs to speed up the process of applying filters, so systems with powerful graphics chips or cards may see a boost.
Cinebench is often a good predictor of our Handbrake video-editing trial, another tough, threaded workout that's highly CPU-dependent and scales well with cores and threads. In it, we put a stopwatch on test systems as they transcode a standard 12-minute clip of 4K video (the open source Blender demo movie Tears of Steel) to a 1080p MP4 file. It's a timed test, and lower results are better.but it comes in two other configurations as well, with only minor variations to either the CPU, GPU, PSU, or storage. The two lower models each come with an Intel Core i7-9700K, for instance, but the price only drops about for the middle model, whereas it drops for the low model. The low model comes with a RTX 2070, a 450W bronze rated PSU, and only a 512GB M.2 SSD (no HDD for extra storage), which all account for the large price drop. However, the price of the top-tier Trident X looks like a sweet deal for the specs if you compare it to other similar prebuilts on the market, like the Corsair One i160.
The Trident X it’s not the prettiest small form factor PC out there, and some might balk at the air cooling solution and the minimal RGB lighting, but for those looking for something that will handle nearly any game flawlessly up to 1440p on ultra, the Trident X has many excellent features. It’s quiet, compact, and the price tag feels almost criminal considering what components inhabit its chassis. Another solid contender in the world of prebuilt, small form factor PCs.
Synthetic Graphics Tests
The 3DMark test suite from UL (formerly Futuremark) measures relative graphics muscle by rendering sequences of highly detailed, gaming-style 3D graphics that emphasize particles and lighting. We run two different 3DMark subtests, Sky Diver and Fire Strike, which are suited to different types of systems. Both are DirectX 11 benchmarks, but Sky Diver is more suited to midrange PCs, while Fire Strike is more demanding and made for high-end PCs to strut their stuff. The results are proprietary scores.
Next up is another synthetic graphics test, this time from Unigine Corp. Like 3DMark, the Superposition test renders and pans through a detailed 3D scene and measures how the system copes. In this case, it's rendered in the company's eponymous Unigine engine, offering a different 3D workload scenario than 3DMark, for a second opinion on the machine's graphical prowess. We present two Superposition results, run at the 720p Low and 1080p High presets.
Superposition's scores are reported in frames per second (fps), which translates to how smooth the scene looks in motion. For lower-end systems, maintaining at least 30fps is the realistic target, while more powerful computers should ideally attain at least 60fps at the test resolution.
An Esports-Focused Design
For a powerful gaming system, the Trident X is quite slim. The last esports-focused desktop we tested, the Asus ROG Strix , takes on a much more traditional desktop-tower shape, while the Trident X is tall and skinny. It measures just 5.1 inches across, while standing 15.6 inches tall and 15.1 inches deep. That's a much smaller footprint than the cube-like Vengeance (13.8 by 10.9 by 15.7 inches, HWD), even if it's a couple of inches taller.
For a powerful gaming system, the Trident X is quite slim. The last esports-focused desktop we tested, the Asus ROG Strix , takes on a much more traditional desktop-tower shape, while the Trident X is tall and skinny. It measures just 5.1 inches across, while standing 15.6 inches tall and 15.1 inches deep. That's a much smaller footprint than the cube-like Vengeance (13.8 by 10.9 by 15.7 inches, HWD), even if it's a couple of inches taller.
The right side panel is tinted glass, with a cutout window for a case fan that features eye-catching circular RGB lighting. It's hinged at the rear and held shut magnetically, so opening it up is as easy as tugging on the corner. This is easier than the left panel, for which you need to remove two rear screws for interior access. The easy-open door at least makes it simple to tinker with cable routing, but it's pretty plain on this side on the interior. On the whole, I find the aesthetic design is much better than that of the ROG Strix, and the skinny design is appealing, but the Corsair Vengeance has the slickest look of the three.
Because of the skinny shape and vertical orientation, the component accessibility is much better than you might expect in a compact PC. The left and right panels co-host most of the parts, with the graphics card and an M.2 SSD on the left, and the hard drive, CPU (behind the fan), and power supply on the right. Even fitting the power supply inside such a compact case deserves a nod, as a PC this slim will often use an external power supply brick. This, instead, is an industry-standard SFX-form-factor power supply, so you can even swap it out down the road should you need more wattage.
As for what you'll find inside, well, MSI spared little expense. This unit (model 9SE-002US) is outfitted with an Intel Core i9-9900K processor, the MSI Ventus OC version of Nvidia's GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, 16GB of memory, a 512GB M.2 SSD, a 2TB hard drive, and a 650-watt power supply. There are two other SKUs available: One with a Core i7-7700K, an RTX 2080, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 2TB HDD, and another with a Core i7-7700K, an RTX 2070, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD .
Though it may stand slimmer than the rest, the Trident X is otherwise the same as your standard desktop. You'll find several ports on the front panel for easier access, including USB 3.1 (Type-A), USB 2.0 (Type-A), USB 3.1 (Type-C), and a headset jack...
Together, it's not an excess of ports, but there's enough to plug in all of your gaming peripherals, plus several high-speed data-transfer options.
Pro-Level Performance: Benching the X
Given that this is an esports-centric machine, you can already guess the Trident X is all about performance. In fact, the components are probably overkill for the types of PC games with the biggest esports followings, at least if you're the average player.
If you're a professional competitor, though, you can't afford to drop frames in the middle of a match, and only overkill can really guarantee that won't happen. Fortunately, the Core i9-9900K CPU and Nvidia RTX 2080 are up to the task. I compared the MSI Trident X to the Acer Predator Orion 5000 , the Corsair Vengeance 5180, and the Velocity Micro Raptor Z55. (Unfortunately, the Asus ROG Strix I mentioned was tested with a different, older suite of benchmark tests, so its numbers are not comparable.) Their core components are listed below.
The Trident X was very proficient on the 3DMark tests, again topping this lot. That nearly held true on the Superposition tests, as well, but the Vengeance and Raptor Z55 just edged it on the Low and High settings tests, respectively. While you can quibble over a point or two here and there, the takeaway is the high level of performance, which stacks up well against other expensive gaming machines.
...and Some Real-World Gaming Tests
The synthetic tests above are helpful for measuring general 3D aptitude, but it's hard to beat full retail video games for judging gaming performance. Far Cry 5 and Rise of the Tomb Raider are both modern, high-fidelity titles with built-in benchmarks that illustrate how a system handles real-world video games at various settings. These are run on the maximum graphics-quality presets (Ultra for Far Cry 5, Very High for Rise of the Tomb Raider) at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions to determine the sweet spot of visuals and smooth performance for a given system. Far Cry 5 is DirectX 11-based, while Rise of the Tomb Raider can be flipped to DX12, which we do for the benchmark.
We don't yet have enough data from our new benchmarks to compare results on these games, but the Trident X and its RTX 2080 did very well. On Far Cry 5 at Ultra, it averaged 127fps at 1080p, 109fps at 1440p, and 54fps at 4K. On Rise of the Tomb Raider at Very High, it averaged 117fps at 1080p, 105fps at 1440p, and 53fps at 4K. Clearly, anything less than 4K is a breeze for this system. 4K resolution is very demanding, but even then, this system comes pretty close to 60fps. Dial down a few visual settings, and you're there.
This Trident's the Tip of the Spear
The MSI Trident X does exactly what it sets out to do: It's a slim, relatively portable gaming desktop ideal for enthusiast-gaming and esports scenarios. It's expensive, as a result, but the price scales appropriately for the components compared to the competition.
The case didn't blow us away, but the interior is accessible and packed with power. It can take almost anything you throw at it (guaranteed 60fps 4K gaming at max settings being just out of reach), and for esports gaming that focuses on high frame rates at lower resolutions, the Trident X is borderline overkill.
The Corsair Vengeance remains our Editors' Choice for its slightly spiffier design and price, falling into virtually the same capability tier for a bit less money. But this is a very able alternative, and we're extra-impressed by the upgrade potential of a system this size. Usually, machines like these are packed with some proprietary parts. Here, you've got industry-standard stuff top of bottom. We'd even give it the edge if maximum space savings and future upgrades are equally important to you.
GROUNDBREAKING GRAPHICS CARD
MSI gaming desktop is built with MSI fan cooling Graphics Cards - the GeForce RTX™ 20 series graphics cards. Besides performance being up to 40% better than GeForce GTX 10 series, MSI GeForce RTX™ 20 series cards also have enhanced cooling efficiency, featuring a dual fan design and the Double Ball Bearings to ensure long-lasting performance.
MSI gaming desktop is built with MSI fan cooling Graphics Cards - the GeForce RTX™ 20 series graphics cards. Besides performance being up to 40% better than GeForce GTX 10 series, MSI GeForce RTX™ 20 series cards also have enhanced cooling efficiency, featuring a dual fan design and the Double Ball Bearings to ensure long-lasting performance.
MSI Trident X Plus 9SE-062US High-End Small Form Factor PC Intel Core i9 review
NVIDIA Turing™ Architecture
This revolutionary architecture, combined with our all-new GeForce RTX™ platform, fuses together real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading. You’ve never created and enjoyed games like this before.
Real-Time Ray Tracing In Games
Ray tracing is the definitive solution for lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows, offering a level of realism far beyond what’s possible using traditional rendering techniques. NVIDIA Turing™ is the first GPU capable of real-time ray tracing.
PERFORMANCE
GeForce RTX™ gaming GPUs come loaded with next-generation GDDR6 memory, support for DirectX 12 features, and more. This is graphics reinvented.
TINY YET POWERFUL
Trident X Plus is the world's smallest gaming desktop to incorporate Intel® 9th gen Core i9 CPU. Take a huge leap in performance with the 1st-ever Eight-Core i9-9900 K processor! Experience boosted gameplay and faster rendering by up to 50% performance.
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EASY TO UPGRADE
Trident X Plus collocates the major components on the two sides - Remove the stand on the bottom and two side panels then you can upgrade the components in an ease.
COMPACT GAMING DESKTOP
Trident X Plus is the first compact desktop PC to incorporate an SFX power supply and the breathtaking latest MSI GeForce RTX™ graphics card, into a case only 10 liters in volume. Trident X Plus series targeted gamers who demand the highest game performance from PC. With the Intel® 9th Gen Core™ i9/i7 K series processors and MSI GeForce RTX™ graphics card, Trident X Plus can provide impressive performance for any task including gaming and video editing.
BEST PROTECTION FOR TRANSPORTATION
To protect your most important component of your gaming PC and MSI Graphics Card, we designed it in a vertical position. This will prevent bending of the card or damage to the PCI-E slot during transport.
REAL COMPACT PC WITHOUT EXTERNAL ADAPTER
PCs in the size of Trident X Plus often come with a giant, heavy external adaptor. With advanced engineering ability, MSI has managed to put the power supply into the case of Trident X Plus, making it a real compact PC with great portability.
EASY TO UPGRADE
Trident X Plus collocates the major components on the two sides - Remove the stand on the bottom and two side panels then you can upgrade the components in an ease.
COMPACT GAMING DESKTOP
Trident X Plus is the first compact desktop PC to incorporate an SFX power supply and the breathtaking latest MSI GeForce RTX™ graphics card, into a case only 10 liters in volume. Trident X Plus series targeted gamers who demand the highest game performance from PC. With the Intel® 9th Gen Core™ i9/i7 K series processors and MSI GeForce RTX™ graphics card, Trident X Plus can provide impressive performance for any task including gaming and video editing.
BEST PROTECTION FOR TRANSPORTATION
To protect your most important component of your gaming PC and MSI Graphics Card, we designed it in a vertical position. This will prevent bending of the card or damage to the PCI-E slot during transport.
REAL COMPACT PC WITHOUT EXTERNAL ADAPTER
PCs in the size of Trident X Plus often come with a giant, heavy external adaptor. With advanced engineering ability, MSI has managed to put the power supply into the case of Trident X Plus, making it a real compact PC with great portability.
EASY TO UPGRADE
Trident X Plus collocates the major components on the two sides - Remove the stand on the bottom and two side panels then you can upgrade the components in an ease.Next
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UNIQUE IN BOTH LOOK AND FUNCTIONALITY
Trident X Plus carries the legacy with its door-like tempered glass side panel. Once customers changed the native metal side panel with the tempered glass one, they can easily pull the glass panel open like a door, which allows them to upgrade the CPU, memories or hard drive without hustle.
Metal panel Tempered Glass panel
INTERCHANGEABLE STYLE THAT FITS ALL
Classic or edgy? We're letting you decide! Both the classic black side panel and the sturdy transparent glass side panel with a thickness of 4 mm are at your disposal with this gaming monster.
UNIQUE IN BOTH LOOK AND FUNCTIONALITY
Trident X Plus carries the legacy with its door-like tempered glass side panel. Once customers changed the native metal side panel with the tempered glass one, they can easily pull the glass panel open like a door, which allows them to upgrade the CPU, memories or hard drive without hustle.
Metal panel Tempered Glass panel
INTERCHANGEABLE STYLE THAT FITS ALL
Classic or edgy? We're letting you decide! Both the classic black side panel and the sturdy transparent glass side panel with a thickness of 4 mm are at your disposal with this gaming monster.
UNIQUE IN BOTH LOOK AND FUNCTIONALITY
Trident X Plus carries the legacy with its door-like tempered glass side panel. Once customers changed the native metal side panel with the tempered glass one, they can easily pull the glass panel open like a door, which allows them to upgrade the CPU, memories or hard drive without hustle.Next
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STAY COOL WHILE GAMING
Cooling is essential for Gaming systems. MSI Trident X Plus features MSI’s special and exclusive cooling technology called Silent Storm Cooling 3. Separating the CPU, VGA and PSU in different chambers with optimized airflow, the systems cooling is completely fine-tuned and ready for many hours of gaming without breaking a sweat.
THE LATEST WIFI 6 TECHNOLOGY
MSI Gaming product features the latest Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax standard, and speed up to 2.4Gbps, which is 3x times faster than the ethernet LAN. The latency is also 75% lower than the previous generation. With Wi-Fi 6 technology, MSI is destined to break the speed myth of wireless connection.
3X Faster
75% Lower latency
Up to2.4Gbps
* Optional. May vary by SKU and country. Only supported with AX200 series configuration, and may require driver update.
IMMERSIVE AND DELUXE GAMING EXPERIENCE
The perfect combo of the breathtaking MSI Graphics card and triple Curved Gaming Monitors provides the most immersive and deluxe gaming experience.
PERSONALIZE YOUR GAMING RIG
Customize your Trident X Plus with Mystic Light. You can select any of the colors from the palette to match your systems’ and other devices’ design, and more LED effects to choose.
IMMERSIVE 7.1 VIRTUAL SURROUND SOUND
Get ready to be amazed by the all new Nahimic 3 and live the gaming immersion
like never before! With simple and intuitive new UI,
Nahimic 3 further enhances in game 3D surround sound,
and even more finite control over your music, movies, and conference calls.
Audio
Enhanced customization
for games, music, and more
Keyboard and Mouse
Customers will get peripherals in the box. The keyboard is an MSI Interceptor DS4200 with membrane switches and backlighting. The mouse is the MSI Clutch GM10 with just two buttons and a switch for DPI adjustment.
Microphone
Crystal clear conversion with noise suppression
Sound Tracker
Locate your target
with sound
THE BOTTOM LINE
While the Trident X may cast a small net, MSI's compact gaming PC does its job well, with top-notch performance at maximum settings and above-average upgrade potential.
Customers will get peripherals in the box. The keyboard is an MSI Interceptor DS4200 with membrane switches and backlighting. The mouse is the MSI Clutch GM10 with just two buttons and a switch for DPI adjustment.
Microphone
Crystal clear conversion with noise suppression
Sound Tracker
Locate your target
with sound
THE BOTTOM LINE
While the Trident X may cast a small net, MSI's compact gaming PC does its job well, with top-notch performance at maximum settings and above-average upgrade potential.
MSI Trident X Plus 9SE-062US High-End Small Form Factor PC Intel Core i9 review
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