MSI Takes on MacBook Pro’s Cylindrical Design With New Vortex Gaming PC


EXPLODED view  MSI Vortex

There’s a triangular core containing a CPU and two GPUs, and just one fan to keep the entire PC running cool

Remember when the Apple Mac Pro Desktop came out, everyone thought it looked like a trash can. Being cylindrical in shape, it did. Well gaming PC-maker, MSI, took a couple cues from that trash can appeal while building its new 6.5 liter Vortex gaming PC, which looks a lot cooler, and of course runs Windows. We heard about this flashy PC during CES a few months ago, but MSI is now ready to sell this bad boy, dubbed as the “world’s smallest gaming cylinder”.

msi-vortexDespite the obvious external similarities, some of the internal architecture of the Vortex actually mimics Apple’s device as well. According to The Verge, there’s a triangular core containing a CPU and two GPUs, and just one fan to keep the entire PC running cool. It also packs high-end processing power and two professional-level GPUs. These are all the same concepts Apple wanted to manifest into a small form-factor workstation. As far as competition, others have tried to tackle this tiny powerhouse design, yet MSI is the first PC maker to get it right, and with only one fan. The Vortex measures a mere 7.61 x 7.01 x 10.55 inches, and weighs under 9 pounds.

An and Tech gives a spec list on the Vortex gaming PC, and boy is it impressive. The triangular arrangement of the hardware includes an Intel Core i7-6700k processor, plus the Z170 chipset, a combination that will provide a couple configurations as far as graphics- either two (yes, two!) GeForce GTX 980 GPUs (the SLI-001s), or two (yep, I said it) GeForce GTX 960 GPUs (SLI-011s). With 16GB of system memory (up to 32GB), plus four hard drives in RAID configuration (one 256GB PCIe SSD, two 128GB SSDs, and a 1TB 7200 RPM conventional drive) for onboard storage, it’d be difficult to starve this thing.

MSI vortex gtx980There’s an internal power supply of 450W, so no need to worry about extra plugs. Inside and out, expect an easy time with connectivity. The Vortex is rich in options, including four USB 3.0s, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two DisplayPort 1.2s, two HDMI 1.4s; plus two Rivet Networks Killer Gigabit Ethernet controllers, and one Killer Wireless-AC Wi-Fi controller (An and Tech). If you feel like reaching past the base model to double the graphics and system memory (for nearly twice the price at $3,999), you can definitely do that. The base model is priced at $2,199, with enough graphics to support up to six video outputs at the same time, so you will probably be fine. There’s no way to be unimpressed with MSI’s Vortex.

Topics: Technology News CES - Consumer Electronics Show Inventions & Innovations Mini / Nano PCs

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