MSI Trident X

You’ll forget how it looks once you see it running

THERE’S A GROWING TREND for prebuilt small-form-factor gaming desktop PCs that come with a hefty specifications 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 decent flow of air in MSI’s Trident X isn’t the only good thing about it.

At just 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 matt black metal panel or a dark frosted tempered glass alternative. 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.