MSI’s Vortex G25 doesn’t compromise power for its small size

Small form-factor PCs often end up in compromise, from a lack of sufficient cooling to lower-end hardware due to size limitations. MSI’s new Vortex G25 breaks through these boundaries, making sure that consumers are no longer conflicted with the choice between power and size.

Sitting at just 2.5L volume and 2.5KG heavy, the Vortex G25 still manages to pack Intel’s latest Coffee Lake processor, with the Core i7 8700 clocking in at a standard 3.2 GHz with the ability to boost up to 4.3 GHz.

MSI has managed to boost performance up by 30 percent from its previous generation of small form factor PCs through its revised Cooler Boost Titan. This cooling system utilises dual Whirlwind Blade fans alongside 8 heatpipes to more efficiently dissipate heat from the computer as a whole. The graphics card and processor are individually fitted with airflows of their own to ensure the best performance for each component.

The Vortex G25 might be small, but MSI ensures that it is easily repaired and upgraded by implementing pull ring slotted screws, allowing the top cover to be removed almost instantaneously. This gives access to the dual NVMe M.2 SSD by PCIe Gen3/SATA-SSD Combo slots, its 2.5-inch HDD and the dual DDR4-2400 slots (maximum of 64GB).

The Vortex G25 8RE is the highest-end of the three models on the market, housing an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, whereas the two Vortex G25 8RD models come with a choice of the 3GB or 6GB GeForce GTX 1060. While this would likely be a bit more of a pain to upgrade in comparison to the memory or storage, all three models include a USB Type-C (3.1 Gen2), which is Thunderbolt 3 compatible, meaning that most external GPUs on the market are an option.

All three models are VR ready, with MSI placing the HDMI port as well as two of its four USB 3.0 ports on the front panel for “ultra-convenience.” This is paired with mic and audio jacks as well as a USB 3.1 port, catering to a variety of peripherals at the same time.

Lastly, all Vortex G25 devices are Hi-Red Audio certified, sporting an ESS SABRE HiFi audio DAC, making them some of the very few gaming systems on the market to tout 24bit/192KHz sampling rates. Of course, only high-end audio devices will truly make use of this, but it grants a variety of options to its user.

MSI’s Vortex G25 models will be available on November 10th, with Amazon currently taking pre-orders for the £1,999 8RE model.

KitGuru Says: MSI’s Cooler Boost systems have proven well with the company’s laptops so far and seems to only be getting better. Considering how much of an inconvenience my full tower can be at times, this does make me all the more interested in small form-factor PCs. Does the Vortex G25 interest you?

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