MSI Gaming 27T Review

Our Verdict

The MSI Gaming 27T offers proficient graphics performance and strong audio, merely yous can't upgrade it.

For

Strong gaming and CPU functioning
Crisp display
Loud speakers
Compact, sleek blueprint

Confronting

Pricey
Limited to 1080p
No desktop GPU option

Tom'southward Guide Verdict

The MSI Gaming 27T offers good graphics performance and stiff audio, but y'all can't upgrade it.

Pros

+
Strong gaming and CPU performance
+
Crisp display
+
Loud speakers
+
Compact, sleek design

Cons

-
Pricey
-
Limited to 1080p
-
No desktop GPU choice

The MSI Gaming 27T packs a whole lot of gaming power into a compact all-in-one chassis. This PC'south 6th-gen Intel Cadre i7 processor and Nvidia GTX 980M graphics are gear up to have on the latest games, while its 27-inch 1080p touch screen is ideal for taking in all types of entertainment. Factor in a healthy suite of useful software and the ability to double every bit an HDMI monitor, and the 27T seems similar a potent package. Whether that package is worth a hefty $2,699, still, volition depend on your needs.

Design

MSI's years of experience crafting gaming all-in-ones are evident throughout every corner of the 27T, which looks similar a fat, fancy gaming monitor doused in the company's signature blackness and red. I was immediately fatigued to the translucent plastic of the PC's bottom edge, which gives an air of elegance to the 27T'south otherwise aggressive blueprint.

The all-in-one's similarly meet-through rear kickstand has two points of adjustment, which let yous prop the display either straight up or at about a 70-degree angle. MSI's PC is as well VESA-mountable, in instance you desire to screw information technology to your wall instead of plopping it on your desk.

Despite its sleek looks, the 26.5 10 nineteen x 2.half dozen-inch, 37-pound 27T volition control a off-white amount of desk-bound space. To put that size into perspective, Apple tree's 27-inch iMac is much slimmer and lighter, at 25.6 x 20.3 x 0.19 inches and 21 pounds.

Ports

The 27T'due south key ports and controls are conveniently located on its left edge, where yous'll find a 3-in-1 carte reader as well as ii USB 3.ane ports — one standard, and one speedy Type-C version. The PC's left border likewise sports a ability button, book controls and a switch for flipping between PC and HDMI modes. On the right, there'south a DVD Super Multi drive; it's kind of a bummer that in that location'south no Blu-ray at this price.

A small enclave around the dorsum houses the rest of the PC'southward connections, including two boosted USB 3.1 ports, ii USB 3.0 ports, headphone and mic jacks, and an Ethernet port. There are likewise ii HDMI-out ports for connecting to external displays, as well every bit an HDMI-in connection for using the 27T as a stand-alone monitor.

Brandish and Audio

Despite beingness fairly susceptible to glare, the 27T'southward 27-inch, 1080p brandish proved bright and colorful enough to handle some of my favorite games and movies. The all-in-one had no problem pulling me into the trailer for Star Wars: The Forcefulness Awakens, as everything from the specs of sand on Finn's confront to the green lasers and orange explosions aboard a Star Destroyer looked well-baked and accurate.

That same quality translated well to gaming, as I enjoyed taking in the glowing-neon skylines of Batman: Arkham Knight as I soared around the city. I take to admit, however, having simply played the game on a 3440 x 1440 display, 1080p looked kind of wearisome.

While you probably won't be using many touch controls on mainstream games, the 27T's multitouch display responded well to my gestures, whether I was sliding windows beyond the screen or pinching to zoom.

The 27T registered 220 nits on our effulgence test, coming up brusk of Asus' Zen AiO Pro (255 nits) also as our 260-nit average for all-in-ones.

The PC fared meliorate in terms of color, though, netting a Delta-Eastward color accuracy rating of one.26 (closer to 0 is better) while reproducing 116.vii percentage of the sRGB color gamut. The 27T topped the Zen in terms of gamut (99 percent), but it wasn't quite as authentic as the Zen'due south 0.21 Delta-Due east rating.

The 27T'due south dual 5-watt speakers performed well, giving some nice oomph to the rattle of set on rifles and shotguns in Rainbow Six Siege. When jamming to Fall Out Boy'southward "Irresistible," I enjoyed crisp and loud bass that managed not to overpower the smooth vocals.

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Those looking to fine-tune the 27T's audio output tin play with the included Nahimic app, which features defended sound presets for music, gaming and movies. If you want to go deeper than that, you can adapt private parameters, such as reverb, voice clarity and bass boost.

Gaming Operation

Gameplay on the 27T was generally a joy, thanks to the PC'due south powerful GTX 980M GPU and 8GB of video memory. The stealth-shooting action of Metal Gear Solid V ran at a smooth threescore frames per second at 1080p with graphics cranked up, making information technology like shooting fish in a barrel for me to focus on popping off guards as I slipped through an enemy compound.

MSI's all-in-one had no issues with Rainbow 6 Siege at 1080p, tearing through the game's benchmark at 159 fps on low settings and 109 fps on high.

The more than graphically intense Metro: Last Light proved to be a flake more of a challenge at 1080p, but the 27T handled the task at an beauteous 117 fps on depression settings and a nevertheless-playable 37 fps on loftier. Past comparison, the 960M-powered Zen turned in lower frame rates of 78 fps and 17 fps, respectively.

Overall Performance

Packing a 6th-gen Intel Core i7-6700 processor with 16GB RAM, the 27T has beefy internals that are adept for much more than gaming. The PC didn't stutter for a second during my typical multitasking barrage, which consists of watching five simultaneous Twitch streams, downloading a game on Steam and running a full system browse.

The 27T scored 15,742 on the Geekbench 3 overall performance test, topping the Cadre i7-6700T-powered Zen AiO (12,986) and crushing our 6,050 all-in-ane average.

The PC'southward 256GB SSD was the real star of the show, withal, as information technology copied 4.97GB worth of multimedia in a blazing 382.3 MBps. That'south non quite as fast as the Zen'due south 512GB SSD (508 MBps), merely it's more than than twice as quick as our 148-MBps average.

Keyboard, Mouse, and Webcam

Like all MSI all-in-ones, the 27T ships with MSI'south own gaming peripherals: the DS4100 keyboard and DS100 mouse. Also, as with all MSI all-in-ones, the latter is much more than impressive than the former.

The keyboard has a few neat touches, including a cozy soft-affect wrist residuum and customizable backlights that can glow red, light-green, blue, xanthous, low-cal blue, royal or white with the push of a button. However, the keys are merely as well mushy. I may have blazed through the Key Hero typing examination at a zippy 104 words per infinitesimal with perfect accuracy, but my hands didn't experience and then skilful doing so.

I had a much better time with the red-and-blackness DS100 mouse, which has a pleasantly ergonomic design and two thumb buttons on the left side. The peripheral'south tirelike roll wheel made navigating Web pages a cakewalk, just as the ii DPI buttons below it made information technology easy to adjust sensitivity on the fly.

The PC'due south two-megapixel webcam isn't terribly impressive. The colors of my vesture and skin tone looked accurate, but my face was pixelated, and the light coming from the window behind me blew out the entire groundwork. Information technology'll get the chore done for quick selfies or Skype calls, but aspiring Twitch stars should probably splurge for an external camera.

Software

All of the 27T's key software features are funneled into the MSI Gaming Middle app, which gives you lot a healthy number of customization options. The app lets you program defended profiles for working and gaming, each of which can get its ain brandish, sound and even Windows theme settings.

Yous tin can switch between modes by simply clicking an icon on the top correct of the screen, making it easy to, for example, switch from your supercolorful, superloud gaming settings to your more modest work contour. The Gaming Eye also lets yous adapt microphone and headphone levels, too as monitor your system's performance.

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The PC likewise comes with a one-year license to XSplit Gamecaster (unremarkably $60), an incredibly noob-friendly version of one of the most pop streaming apps for Twitch and YouTube stars. XSplit is a cinch to ready up and utilize — there's even an optional in-game overlay that lets you instantly outset recording or broadcasting your gameplay with a few quick clicks. For those looking to get their feet wet with live streaming, MSI's complimentary year of XSplit is a good manner to start.

Configurations

The 27T comes in a lone $two,699 configuration, which packs an Intel Core i7-6700 processor; a 27-inch, 1080p bear upon screen; GTX 980M graphics; a 2TB hard bulldoze; and a 256GB SSD. It also comes with a keyboard and mouse. You'll also get a one-year warranty, in addition to a complimentary twelvemonth of XSplit premium.

Bottom Line

On one hand, the MSI Gaming 27T is like 2 products in 1, as it serves as both a compact gaming PC and a stand-alone monitor in a single package. When that package costs a hefty $2,699, nevertheless, you'll need to consider whether it'south really for yous.

The 27T delivers where it counts, with a 980M GPU and a 6th-gen Cadre i7 processor that can handle most modernistic games while taking upwardly far less infinite than a standard tower-and-monitor setup. Its 1080p display is crisp, and it comes with a free year of XSplit for aspiring Twitch stars.

Withal, upcoming gaming all-in-ones — such as the Origin Omni, the Maingear Blastoff and MSI'southward ain 27XT — will all support full desktop GPUs, then those who care about optimal graphics performance might want to hold off. And if mobile graphics are fine for you, consider Asus' Zen AiO Pro, which offers stiff performance, a stunning 4K display and an Intel RealSense camera, all for a significantly cheaper $1,499.

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored and was formerly Managing Editor at Tom'southward Guide. When non at work, yous tin can usually grab him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Hawkeye is the best Avenger.