MSI's Gaming 27T AIO May Not Need All 8 GB Of VRAM
MSI announced that its new top-end AIO PC, the Gaming 27T, is now available online from various online retailers.
MSI's Gaming 27T is targeted at gamers who want high-end performance in a compact system. The AIO uses a desktop CPU, the Intel 6th Gen (Skylake) Core i7-6700 operating at 3.4 GHz with a turbo clock speed of 4 GHz, in conjunction with an Intel H170 motherboard chipset.
The system also contains a mobile Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M with 8 GB of GDDR5. This is somewhat surprising, as the system's display is capable of only 1080p resolution. Although the GTX 980M would have a harder time playing games smoothly at 2K and significantly struggle considerably at 4K, there really isn't any point of having 8 GB of GDDR5 for a 1080p display. As it is a common misconception that more RAM or vRAM always leads to higher performance, this is mostly just a marketing tactic, which has the side effect of raising overall system cost.
The AIO is capable of supporting two additional displays over HDMI, and stereoscopic gaming would justify the 8 GB of vRAM, but if you have the space for a double or triple monitor setup, then you likely have space to fit a less expensive higher-performance desktop PC instead.
"Gamers demand performance and our new Gaming 27T will leave them breathless with unbelievable graphics, blazing fast speeds, and a mind-blowing sensory experience," said Andy Tung, president of MSI Pan America. "Our Gaming 27T takes AIOs to a new level by focusing on user experience above all."
MSI also put a focus on the user experience of the system. The 1080p display measures 27 inches and is LED-backlit. It also supports 10-point multi-touch input. The system incorporates a Killer Wireless adapter and a Killer DoubleShot Pro LAN NIC for low-latency Internet connectivity. MSI also implemented several audio technologies, including a Sabre Hi-Fi DAC, Nahimic's Audio Enhancer software, and MSI's Audio Boost in order to give gamers a relatively high-end audio experience from an AIO PC.
The system contains a considerable amount of storage space. A 256 GB SSD is used for the C: Drive, while two HDDs, a 4 TB and a 2 TB, are also included in a "Super RAID" configuration.
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The system also contains a single USB 3.1 Type-C connection, as well as a USB 3.0 super charger port for quickly charging your portable devices. The AIO also includes a 104-key gaming keyboard and a 3500 DPI gaming mouse.
MSI Gaming 27T | |
---|---|
Processor | Intel Core i7-6700 (3.4 - 4 GHz) |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
Chipset | Intel H170 |
Display | 27" Full HD LED-backlit |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 (16:9 widescreen) |
Touchscreen | Projected Capacitive (10-point Touch) |
Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M (8 GB GDDR5) |
Hard Disk Drive | 256 GB SSD Super RAID 4 + 2 TB HDD |
Memory | 16 GB DDR4 |
LAN/Bluetooth | Killer Wireless |
Optical | BD Burner |
Card Reader | 3-in-1 (SDXC/MS/MMC) |
USB Ports | 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C1 x USB 3.0 with Super Charger2 x USB 3.02 x USB 2.0 |
Webcam | 2.0 MP (1600x1200) |
Speaker | 2 x 5W with Nahimic Audio Enhancer |
Keyboard | USB 104-Key Gaming Keyboard |
Mouse | USB 3500 DPI Gaming Mouse |
Dimensions (W x D x H) | 26.47" x 19.01" x 2.60" |
Weight | 35.63 lbs. |
MSRP | $2699.99 |
The MSI Gaming 27T is available now from various online retailers, and is priced at $2,699.99.
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Michael Justin Allen Sexton (or MJ) is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware. As a tech enthusiast, MJ enjoys studying and writing about all areas of tech, but specializes in the study of chipsets and microprocessors. In his personal life, MJ spends most of his time gaming, practicing martial arts, studying history, and tinkering with electronics.
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jimmysmitty What is "Super RAID 4"? I have been doing RAIDs for along time and almost never seen RAID 4. I did do some digging and the only RAID 4 I found was a mix between 3 (another rare RAID level) and 5 (very common) and requires at least 3 drives to be done.Reply
Must be some marketing jumbo. That and the 8GB of VRAM is overkill. -
poochiepiano at the same time, if they chose to take off some of the vRAM, people would be crying over the gimping of hardware for AIOs and trying to nickel and dime customers with mediocre equipment at a premium price.Reply -
FUNANDJAM No gsync? Unless I completely overlooked it, I didn't see it mentioned anywhere. I'd be glad if someone pointed out where it says it has it. Now that laptops have gsync in them, you'd think that at the starting price of about $2700 that this device would have it too.Reply -
turkey3_scratch "As it is a common misconception that more RAM or vRAM always leads to higher performance, this is mostly just a marketing tactic."Reply
So is the fact that they put I7s instead of I5s in gaming-oriented computers. -
jimmysmitty 16938014 said:"As it is a common misconception that more RAM or vRAM always leads to higher performance, this is mostly just a marketing tactic."
So is the fact that they put I7s instead of I5s in gaming-oriented computers.
Actually a i7 does have some benefits for come games and on higher end GPUs (normally dual GPUs more) while 8GB of VRAM for the majority of games is pointless at 1080P even maxed out. -
jase240 What is "Super RAID 4"? I have been doing RAIDs for along time and almost never seen RAID 4. I did do some digging and the only RAID 4 I found was a mix between 3 (another rare RAID level) and 5 (very common) and requires at least 3 drives to be done.
Must be some marketing jumbo. That and the 8GB of VRAM is overkill.
It says that is is a 4TB and a 2TB hard drive in "Super RAID", probably JBOD and not really RAID at all.
JBOD( Just a Bunch Of Disks ) only adds capacities together of drives and does not improve speed nor add redundancy at all. -
cknobman MSI All-in-One PC AG270 2QC 3K-001US over at NewEgg is a similar model but with a 2K screen, 970m 6GB, 12GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD.Reply
Only $1500.
Its a slick deal.
Newegg Link -
turkey3_scratch 16938033 said:16938014 said:"As it is a common misconception that more RAM or vRAM always leads to higher performance, this is mostly just a marketing tactic."
So is the fact that they put I7s instead of I5s in gaming-oriented computers.
Actually a i7 does have some benefits for come games and on higher end GPUs (normally dual GPUs more) while 8GB of VRAM for the majority of games is pointless at 1080P even maxed out.
True but currently it won't be worth the extra $100 over the I5. I see lots of gaming PCs prebuilt with an I7 and a GTX 960 for instance. -
jimmysmitty 16938068 said:What is "Super RAID 4"? I have been doing RAIDs for along time and almost never seen RAID 4. I did do some digging and the only RAID 4 I found was a mix between 3 (another rare RAID level) and 5 (very common) and requires at least 3 drives to be done.
Must be some marketing jumbo. That and the 8GB of VRAM is overkill.
It says that is is a 4TB and a 2TB hard drive in "Super RAID", probably JBOD and not really RAID at all.
JBOD( Just a Bunch Of Disks ) only adds capacities together of drives and does not improve speed nor add redundancy at all.
So pretty much just marketing.