MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 Review: Dial ‘D’ for Desktop
Tom’s Hardware Verdict
The MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 blazes a trail for what gaming desktops could look like, but does that at the expense of upgradeability. Still, it offers strong performance and a solid selection of ports, but at this price it should be made of more premium materials.
Pros
- +
Powerful gaming performance at 1080p and 4K
- +
Solid port selection, including Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C
- +
Pack-in mouse and keyboard are decent to start
Cons
- —
Dial isn’t that useful
- —
Very difficult to repair or upgrade
- —
Cheap materials used (other than a sturdy base)
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Outside of the modding community, most gaming PCs have a rectangular visage. Perhaps one side has a glass panel. There are a variety of cases, and they can be easy or hard to build in or cool, but the basic idea is the same.
But with the MSI MEG Aegis Ti5, nothing is basic. The $3,399.99 ($2,799.99 to start) desktop aims to be one of the best gaming PCs by a different tactic: a redesigned, futuristic chassis with a new means of interaction.
This system has abandoned the rectangular look for a robotic vision of the future, including a dial to control the computer separately from the mouse and keyboard for dedicated functions. With an Intel Core i9-10900K and Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080, it’s a powerhouse for both 1080p and 4K gaming. But the new design, while certainly creative, has a few drawbacks.
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- MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 (2TB 32GB RAM) at Newegg for $2,859.
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I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a PC that’s design was so aimed at gamers. I’ve seen desktops with hardline cooling, more RGB and spaceship-style looks, but this takes the cake. It’s Robocop meets Jaws. It looks a bit like Legion from Mass Effect, but also like the Batman villain King Shark. If a security camera went to a rave, this is what it would look like. It could be the third member of Daft Punk. (Too soon, I know.) I kind of dig it from an aesthetic perspective, but my wife, who has the misfortune of sharing a workspace with me as the pandemic continues, used the phrase «gamery» at least five times while I was testing.
The entire design is centered around two unexpected components. There’s a dial on the front of the case (which has a screen on it). And the curved top looks a bit like a shark fin, which is roughly one third of a sort of triangular design and culminates in a carrying handle. The system stands on a sturdy metal base with what looks like a speaker but is just a design element.
But the sides are made with significantly cheaper materials: plastic with metal mesh for airflow. Much of the case is covered in reflective plastic that attracts fingerprints and dust. While this is already a heavy PC, for over $3,000, you should be getting the sturdiest materials around. There is RGB on both sides, the front, and the top (if you look through, it comes from the GPU). The MSI logo is also in RGB on the front, right below the dial. There are gaps for air intake along the front and top of the machine, which is important because there are no front case fans—there is one fan in the rear for exhuast.
The dial, while interesting, is of mixed utility. To start, it really assumes that the owner is keeping the Aegis on their desk (though with a design like this, you probably would want to show it off).You open and select menus by pushing it in, and you make selections by turning it. Perhaps the best use for it is as a very small monitor, which switches fairly rapidly between different statistics, including CPU and GPU temperature, GPU use, memory frequency, pump and fans speeds and the weather—one of these is not like the others.
In the time it takes to rotate around, though, you could check MSI Dragon Center or another utility for most of that information.
There are also options to use the knob as a volume adjustment for your monitor or speakers, which is easy to use without looking, though that’s also built into the keyboard that MSI ships with the PC. You can also use it to switch between performance profiles, change music tracks (this, too, is on the keyboard), or make some quick-change adjustments to the RGB lighting. For some of them, when you’re not actively using them, MSI’s dragon mascot, Lucky, does a little dance on the screen, which is both adorable and incredibly distracting. If you go into MSI Dragon Center, you can change some of the options (you can have five assigned to the dial at a time) including dumping memory, changing Nahimic Audio and shortcuts to launch games or software.
A neat extra is that there are two headphone stands built into the chassis, which fold out from either side when you need them.
This is nice because no matter which side of you the desktop is placed, one stand is in reach.
While the design is a modern, fresh take on a desktop chassis, it is also extremely bulky, at 21.69 x 20.12 x 9.41 inches (it’s a 67 Liter chassis). The more rectangular HP Omen 30L is 17.7 x 16.8 x 6.6 inches. The Alienware Aurora R11 is 18.9 x 17 x 8.8 inches (33.8 L), and the iBuypower Gaming RDY IWBG207 is 18.9 x 19.2 x 8.5 inches.
MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 Specifications
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| Processor | Intel Core i9-10900K |
| Motherboard | MSI MS-B9311 (Z490) |
| Memory | 32GB Samsung DDR4-3200 |
| Graphics | MSI RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC (10GB) |
| Storage | 1TB Western Digital SN730 NVMe SSD, 2TB, 7,200-RPM Seagate Barracuda HDD |
| Networking | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5. 1, 2x RJ45 Ethernet jacks |
| Front Ports | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Mic in, 3.5 mm headphone jack |
| Rear Ports (Motherboard) | 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, PS/2, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, Thunderbolt 3, 2x RJ45 (2.5G and Gigabit), 5x audio, S/PDIF |
| Video Output (GPU) | 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI |
| Power Supply | 750W 80 Plus Gold |
| Cooling | 240mm MSI AIO liquid cooler |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Dimensions | 21.69 x 20.12 x 9.41 inches / 551 x 511 x 239 x 511 mm |
| Price as Configured | $3,399.99 |
Ports and Upgradeability on the MSI MEG Aegis Ti5
One of the Aegis’ bigger strengths is its port selection.
On the top of the case are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and separate headphone and microphone jacks.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
MSI is using a custom motherboard designed for this chassis, and included a bunch of I/O for it, including Thunderbolt 3, which is still quite nice to see on pre-builts. Beyond Thunderbolt, there are pair of USB 2.0 Type-A ports, PS/2, HDMI 1.4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two RJ45 ports (one 2.5G and one Gigabit), as well as five audio jacks and S/PDIF.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I hope you get all of the expandability you need out of the I/O, because upgrading the Aegis Ti5 is going to be far more difficult than your typical mid-tower.
Both side panels come off. You’ll need a Phillips head screwdriver to remove two screws for each side (one of the four has a tamper evident seal, though ours was already broken).With the screws off, pull the panel towards the back to remove it, but be careful, because each is connected by cables that control the RGB lighting on the sides.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The right side is where most of the action is. Almost the entirety of the motherboard, which is installed upside-down, is blocked by the 240mm CPU liquid cooler’s radiator, making access to the RAM, PCIe m.2 SSD, rear case fan and the processor itself challenging. The GPU is also upside-down, but far easier to access.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
On the left side, there’s less going on. There’s a fan mounted to the back of the motherboard that serves as an intake into the case. You’ll also find a pair of brackets for 2.5-inch drives, but since the SATA and power cables haven’t been pre-routed back here, you’ll still have to go to the other side and remove the radiator, so adding this storage is complex.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The easiest way to upgrade storage is in a third bay, on the bottom of the back of the desktop, for a 3.5-inch HDD. A single Phillips head screw holds this panel on, and it just pulls off of the system once that’s removed.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The PSU is another point of complexity. It appears to be built at least partially into the base, but we didn’t get that far into the system and MSI hasn’t yet publicly published a manual for upgrades or repairs.
Gaming and Graphics on the MSI MEG Aegis Ti5
MSI included its own RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC GPU in our review configuration which, when paired with an Intel Core i9-10900K, makes for a powerful gaming rig. MSI sent the desktop preconfigured in the extreme performance scenario, and the CPU arrived pre-overclocked, as it rarely dropped below 4.9 GHz, even when just sitting on the desktop (the dial outed it there).
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When I played Control at 4K with ray tracing on medium (DLSS off), the game ran around 40 frames per second in combat over a Control point.
When I turned ray tracing off, there was a modest bump, with the game running between 49 and 52 frames per second. The game ran at 4K with ray tracing on high at about 30 fps, but I preferred the smoother frame rate, even if Control looks better with RTX on.
Let it be known: The Aegis Ti5 gets really loud while gaming (and, frankly, is audible when idle). I could sometimes hear it over my headphones.
On Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the Aegis ran the game at 156 fps at 1080p and 56 fps at 4K. That’s on par with both the Omen and the iBuyPower, each of which also had Core i9-10900 and RTX 3080 variants, and slightly below the Alienware Aurora, which boasted an RTX 3090 and 64GB of RAM.
Borderlands 3, on its highest settings, ran at 139 fps at 1080p and 58 fps at 4K. Again, that’s almost the same as the HP, though the iBuyopwer ran a bit faster and the Alienware came out on top with the more powerful GPU.
With Grand Theft Auto V (very high settings), things got back to par across the RTX 3080 systems.
The Aegis Ti5 ran the game at 158 fps at 1080p, a few frames ahead, while all three competitors ran the game at 54 fps at 4K. The 3090-equipped Aurora had a 10-frame advantage in 4K.
On Far Cry New Dawn (ultra settings), the Aegis hit 119 fps at 1080p and 94 fps at 4K, and the RTX 3090 machine delivered very few frames difference.
The Aegis beat its fellow RTX 3080-wielding prebuilts in Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium settings) at 114 fps at 1080p (103 fps for the Omen, 107 fps for the iBuypower) and 50 fps at 4K, which was on par with the Aurora.
We also ran our Metro Exodus stress test, looping through the benchmark 15 times on the RTX preset to simulate half an hour of gameplay. The Aegis Ti5 hit an average of 105 frames per second on the test, suggesting that 4K RTX gaming may be in reach, as long as you’re willing to turn down some settings. The GPU ran at an average clock speed of 1.564.9 MHz and a temperature of 73.74 degrees Celsius (164.
73 degrees Fahrenheit). The CPU ran at an average of 5.0 GHz and an average temperature of 61 degrees Celsius (141.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance on the MSI MEG Aegis Ti5
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The RTX 3080 GPU in the Ti5 is paired with an Intel Core i9-10900K, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB Western Digital SN730 NVMe SSD and a 2TB, 7,200-RPM Seagate Barracuda HDD. That can offer you plenty of productivity performance, far beyond simple tasks like web browsing and word processing.
On Geekbench 5, an overall performance benchmark, the MSI system notched a single-core score of 1,427 and a multi-core score of 11,009. Each of its competitors had the same CPU (or a graphics-free variant, the Core i9-10900KF). Its score was slightly behind the iBuypower Gaming RDY in multi-core but ahead in single-core (1,371/11,307). The Omen was a tad lower in both settings (1,349/10,802) while the Alienware Aurora, with a beefier GPU and twice the RAM, scored higher than the rest.
The Aegis copied 25GB of files at a rate of 1,073.34 MBps, beating the Omen and iBuypower, but falling behind the Aurora (1,201.87 MBps).
On our Handbrake video transcoding test, the Aegis converted a 4K video to 1080p in 5 minutes and 24 seconds, falling 10 seconds the Aurora and the Omen 30L, but six seconds faster than the iBuypower.
MSI Vigor GK30 Keyboard and Clutch GM11 Mouse
MSI includes its Vigor GK30 keyboard and Clutch GM11 mouse with the Aegis Ti5, which is enough to get you going out of the box. I used these for most of my review.
The keyboard is OK. MSI refers to the switches as «mechanical-like,» though they’re just a bit too stiff and not clicky enough (though they do make a solid clack when you type). If you have nothing else, you could get by with this, though it doesn’t have some premium features like a volume wheel. There’s plenty of RGB lighting on here as well, but you can’t control it in MSI Dragon Center. You have to use buttons on the keyboard, so options are limited.
The GM11 Mouse is a barebones option. Its colors can be synced, however, in Dragon Center, making it feel like a fuller part of the package. It has two extra buttons on the side, and will do the job until you get something better.
Software and Warranty on the MSI MEG Aegis Ti5
Like most of its machines, MSI includes too much software on the Aegis Ti5.
The most useful is Dragon Center, a catch-all for different performance profiles, monitoring CPU and GPU speeds and temperatures, adjusting your display’s color temperature, adjusting wireless networking priority and customizing RGB lighting on the desktop itself as well as supported peripherals.
The other potential value add is Nahimic audio, though if you have a pair of good speakers or headphones, you probably won’t use it too much. This is a bigger deal on laptops.
But MSI also packs in four pieces of software from the CyberLink suite, including PowerDirector, ColorDirector, PhotoDirector and AudioDirector.
The vendor also added in MusicMaker Jam and LinkedIn. That’s all bloatware.
There’s also all of the bloat that comes with Windows 10, including Spotify, Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.
MSI sells the MEG Aegis Ti5 with a 1-year warranty.
MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 Configurations
We tested the Aegis Ti5’s top end model. It’s $3,399.99 with an Intel Core i9-10900K, 32GB of RAM, an RTTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC GPU, a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD and a 2TB Seagate HDD. As of this writing, it’s going in and out of stock at stores like Newegg.
MSI lists another $2,799.99 option that drops down to a Core i7-10700K and a GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, but bumps the boot drive up to 2TB. As of this writing, it’s not in stock anywhere.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I applaud MSI for trying something new with a desktop. The MEG Aegis Ti5’s looks are a bold statement about the gaming desktops of the future and how we interact with it.
I’d like to see more desktops that break the mold while still using standardized parts.
But this design in particular is difficult to upgrade or repair, which for many people is one of the core tenants of owning a gaming PC in the first place. It may not be impossible to grow with, but it’s far more difficult than it needs to be. Additionally, while the dial is a cool idea, it’s ultimately faster for me to do almost anything it can do with my mouse or keyboard and not taking my hands away from my actual work or games.
The Aegis Ti5 does deliver on power, but you’ll pay a premium for it. And on the one hand, this thing is already 33 pounds, but its outer shell is made largely of plastic. If you want something with a more premium build or easier upgradeability, consider something like the HP Omen 30L or iBuypower Gaming RDY IWBG207. Those options may be cheaper, too. As of this writing, an Omen 30L with similar specs is selling on Amazon for almost $300 less. Of course, gaming desktops are hard to come by right now, as are some components.
If you want a desktop that will stand out and play games with power and aggressive looks, the Aegis Ti5 is for you. The fact that it has Thunderbolt 3 and two LAN ports may be a boon for some power users. I admire MSI trying to change things up here, but I wish it were still as user serviceable as some of its other designs.
Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom’s Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. A lover of all things gaming and tech, his previous work has shown up in Tom’s Guide, Laptop Mag, Kotaku, PCMag and Complex, among others. Follow him on Twitter: @FreedmanAE
MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 Review
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Claptrap, start the boot up sequence.
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TechRadar Verdict
The MSI Aegis Ti5 is one of the most bizarre-looking PCs available on the market, and the spec options are equally jaw-dropping.
However, the high price tag means this unique gaming rig isn’t an option for everyone.
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Pros
- +
Unique chassis
- +
Unbeatable performance
- +
Crazy specification options
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Two-minute review
SPEC SHEET
Here is the MSI Aegis Ti5 configuration sent to TechRadar for review:
CPU: Intel Core i9-10900K (3.7GHz base, 5.3GHz boost, 16MB cache)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
RAM: 4 x 32GB DDR4
Power Supply: 750W 80 Gold certified
Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD + 3TB 7200RPM HDD
Ports (front): 1 x USB-C; 2 x USB-A; 1 x 3.5mm Audio 1 x Mic-in
Ports (rear): 2 x USB 2.0 Type A, 1 x PS/2 Combo Port, 2 x HDMI out, 3 x Display Port 1 x USB 3.
2 Gen 2 Type C, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, 1 x Thunderbolt 3, 2 x RJ45 LAN (2.5G + Gigabit LAN), 5 x Audio jacks, 1 x S/PDIF
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6; Bluetooth 5.1
The MEG Aegis Ti5 is the latest addition to MSI’s range of gaming desktops, joining the roster for the uniquely designed Aegis product line. The announcement and subsequent launch of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 series of graphics cards meant that we’d been expecting some of the bigger PC hardware manufacturers to release refreshed editions of their desktop collections to take advantage of the newest and most powerful hardware on the market. But MSI has done that with a greater flourish than most, producing the best gaming PC the company’s produced in years.
The MSI Aegis Ti5 is arguably going to be the most uniquely designed prebuild on the market, sporting a look that won’t be for everyone. It’s certainly for us though, and while we initially laughed at the robotic-looking features the aesthetic has really grown on us.
You’re still getting the signature RGB lighting that features in many gaming PCs, but the Aegis stands out against other current desktop builds that mostly seem to follow one of two trends: a stealthy, minimalist case, or a glass-windowed chassis that puts the powerful hardware within front and center.
(Image credit: Future)
The RGB lighting is soft, and curves around the PC’s mechanically inspired form. As the lighting is contained behind frosted plastic, you won’t be getting the blinding effects that other gaming builds inflict, and it’s actually a lot kinder on the eyes if you keep your computers on your desk.
- MSI MEG Aegis Ti5 (2TB 32GB RAM) at Newegg for $2,859.99
The entire computer almost feels like an art piece, a love letter to sci-fi, and a blueprint for what gaming PCs could look like in our homes. Of course, this isn’t all about appearance, and the Aegis Ti5 is packed full of some scarily powerful tech. The configuration we reviewed has a list of £4,299 (around $5,900, AU$7,650) and comes equipped with an Intel Core i9-10900K CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU; other configurations available with an Intel i7-10700K or a more modest RTX 3070 graphics card.
As the Ampere-powered cards are a recent release, there aren’t many pre-built gaming PCs on the market yet to rival the MSI Aegis Ti5. The top-spec Alienware Aurora R11 comes with an Intel Core i9-10900K, 64GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD with 2TB HDD, but is packing the most powerful graphics card currently on the market, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090. This is arguably a better system, and cheaper than the MSI Aegis Ti5 for the (still princely) sum of $4,419 / £3,949 / AU$9,049, but you won’t be getting an integrated gaming dial, or the Aegis Ti5’s unique style.
If you want a gaming machine that will get heads turning and will happily play any title you throw at it for the next few years then the MSI Aegis Ti5 is going to be hard to beat. You’ll have to part with a lot of cash to get your hands on one, but you’re getting a whole lot of PC in return.
(Image credit: Future)
Price and availability
The MSI Aegis Ti5 standard prices are listed below for three different configurations.
- Aegis Ti5 10TE-005EU | RTX 3080 | Intel Core i9-10900K |128GB RAM | 3TB HDD | 2TB SSD | £4,299 (around $5900, AU$7650)
- Aegis Ti5 10TE-006EU | RTX 3080 | Intel Core i7-10700K |128GB RAM | 3TB HDD | 2TB SSD | £3,799 (around $5200, AU$6,750)
- Aegis Ti5 10TE-007EU | RTX 3070 | Intel Core i7-10700K |64GB RAM | 2TB HDD | 2TB SSD | £3,299 (around $4500, AU$5,900)
The shortage of RTX 3000-series cards means they’re subject to inflated prices. In fact, we struggled to actually find the Aegis for sale, and the ‘where to buy’ section of the MSI website displayed no options during our review process.
At the time of writing Alza is showing a variant for £4,359, while EXCaliberPC in the US has a machine listed for $3,399, though both of these are listed with different storage or RAM specifications to the build we reviewed or listed above.
Both of these listings were for the top-tier configuration with a Core i9-10900K CPU and RTX 3080 GPU, but we have no previous experience of using these sites and can’t speak for how reliable they are.
Whatever the confirmed regional prices will be, the MSI Aegis Ti5 is incredibly expensive. You’re paying for not only some of the most powerful hardware available right now, but also an aesthetic that can’t be replicated without some serious case modifications, so while the price is certainly high, it arguably isn’t unreasonable considering the build you’re receiving.
Benchmarks
Here’s how the MSI Aegis Ti5 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Cinebench R20: 6405
3DMark Time Spy: 16,240 | Fire Strike: 29,445 | Night Raid: 66,820
Geekbench 5 Single Core: 1,439
Multi Core: 10,898
PCMark 10 Home: 7,506
Total War: Three Kingdoms: 217 fps (1080p, low); 135 fps (1080p, ultra)
Metro Last Light: 197 fps (1080p, low) 118 fps (1080p, ultra)
Let’s not sugar-coat it: the overall aesthetic is either going to be what sets you onto the MSI Aegis Ti5, or pushes you back towards minimalist ‘stealth’ builds for your future gaming rigs.
Personally, we think the new Aegis chassis is a unique twist on existing trends for PC builds, with some great functionality tied into how the computer is designed.
The PC case has some similarities to robots in popular culture, and you’d be forgiven for mistaking this PC for Bastion from Overwatch or Claptrap from the Borderlands games. If you stare at it long enough, you may even hear GlaDOS screaming at you to «press the button». The similarity between such beloved characters could be completely coincidental, but there’s something seriously sci-fi about having the Aegis Ti5 chilling out on your desk – you’d be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate pre-built PC to play Cyberpunk 2077 on, that’s for sure.
(Image credit: Future)
The obvious addition to this new Aegis model is the ‘Gamer Dial’, a control console that has been built into the front of the case. This dial allows players to switch between different system performance settings, and can be set to display system status info such as CPU temperatures and frequencies.
You can also macro games to launch at the touch of a button, and choose between various performance modes for better game optimization.
You can also use the dial to control audio volume and RGB lighting by assigning settings in the installed MSI Dragon Center software, and you can personalize the dial to display images or gifs on the front of the dial itself, something that works well for streaming or content creation. We elected to keep the preinstalled gif of MSI’s mascot ‘Lucky’, as there really was something charming about looking over at our PC to find a cheerful red dragon giving us an enthusiastic thumbs up.
(Image credit: Future)
The case is a mix of plastic and metal, which makes it incredibly sturdy. The base of the PC appears to be solid metal which helps with stability, though we’re a little disappointed to see a lack of polished aluminum or glass given the price of the Aegis Ti5. The windowless design is certainly a break with the current trend of being able to see directly into the guts of your gaming rig, so this might be a selling point for anyone who loves a futuristic-looking RGB-infused PC, but doesn’t want to follow the crowd.
Built into the top rear of the PC is a solid metal handle for easier transportation, something we initially scoffed at but which revealed itself to be a blessing when moving the Aegis Ti5. While the metal base gives the build a nice, solid feel, it also means the computer is unsurprisingly hefty, weighing in at around 37lbs or 17kg. The case also has two foldable arms that sit flush to it when not in use, which can be used to hang cables or headsets. The arms are actually practical if you don’t have an existing stand for your gaming headset, but they also make the PC look like some adorable robotic bunny, so this is a win-win in the looks and design department.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance
Unsurprisingly, given the hardware specifications, you can fire up just about any game conceivable and max out all of the optional graphics settings. The MSI Aegis Ti5 runs like a complete dream on all the recent AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and you can expect to consistently hit over 60fps with all settings set to their highest available option.
We also ran less demanding games like World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, which has recently added ray tracing. Even with ray tracing enabled, and multiple monitors displaying tabs from Chrome, we were still able to keep a steady 130fps in crowded communal lobbies and raids. This is, of course, also assisted by the frankly ridiculous amount of RAM that comes with the Aegis Ti5 model we were reviewing.
(Image credit: Future)
With 128GB to play with you could install a game like Red Dead Redemption II onto the DDR4 RAM itself. This will be a completely unnecessary amount of RAM for most gamers, for whom a more modest 16-32GB would be more than sufficient to run demanding games with a few other applications open – 128GB is firmly in server-running territory.
When it came to Cyberpunk 2077, playing the game on the MSI Aegis Ti5 actually made it live up to our expectations – with both ray tracing and DLSS enabled, everything is buttery smooth and jaw-droppingly beautiful to look at.
The Aegis barely broke a sweat running the game either, with a blissfully silent MSI AIO liquid CPU cooler making sure the system remained at satisfactory temperature levels.
(Image credit: Future)
A surprising thing to note is that the MSI Aegis Ti5’s unusual chassis is actually a micro-ATX case, and contains an MSI mATX Z490 motherboard. Opening the side panels was fairly straightforward given the case’s complex design, so you’ll be able to swap out and upgrade all of the internal components should you need to. Two of the available four expansion slots are taken up by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, which gives you a three Display Ports and an additional HDMI to play with, so we had no issue connecting the Aegis to a three-monitor setup.
We’re a little disappointed by the number of USB ports on the build – it’s not impossible to live with the seven that are provided, but we found that we needed to connect a powered USB hub in order to connect all our gaming peripherals and charging devices.
Two USB-C ports are provided on the Aegis Ti5 though, which is a nice bonus for anyone who uses more modern peripherals or needs somewhere to plug in charging cables.
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if…
You’re bored of the regular ‘gaming’ aesthetic
It’s a unique look, and not one that will be for everyone. If you do want to have a cool looking PC without the hassle of case modding however, you won’t get much crazier than this.
You want a super high-spec gaming rig
The MSI Aegis Ti5 we got in for review is packed with some of the most powerful hardware available on the market. If that’s the kind of thing you’re after, and you don’t want to build it yourself, this is it.
Money isn’t an issue
This is one of the most expensive pre-built gaming PC’s on the market right now, but if you’re wanting something that will take any game you throw at it for the next few years then this is a great choice.
Don’t buy it if.
..
You don’t want to spend a lot of money
This is a pricey PC, so if you’re not looking to drop a lot of cash on a new gaming computer then you’ll need to look elsewhere. That said, with the MSI Aegis Ti5 you’re getting exactly what you pay for.
You want a conventional PC
It literally looks a robot head. If you want something a little more subtle that won’t rapidly turn some heads then you should buy something else.
MSI MEG Aegis Ti5: Price Comparison
$2,859.99
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Jess is a former TechRadar Computing writer, where she covered all aspects of Mac and PC hardware, including PC gaming and peripherals.