Hello, dear reader! Now, at the very end of the year, when devices based on Intel Skylake processors are already delighting their users, I finally got something new and very interesting to review. Today we will talk about a special class of devices - monoblocks. The review model is MSI GAMING 27 in one of the top configurations.

Well, the box is just huge. It is quite difficult to carry it in one hand due to its bulkiness and weight. With all this, the monoblock is laid out as compactly as possible with a decent layer of foam.
I liked the fact that the device was immediately ready for use: in addition to the 330-watt power supply, the kit included a branded mouse and keyboard!

The keyboard (INTERCEPTOR DS4100) is very similar to a laptop with its short key travel. Fans of such solutions will appreciate this. An additional pleasant feature is the lighting with a large selection of colors.

The mouse is quite good (model INTERCEPTOR DS100). Quite light, has 6 backlight modes. The covering is similar to the keyboard - matte plastic. I would like to note the very pleasant movement of the scroll wheel. Sensor resolution 3500dpi.

What's really missing to complete the picture is a branded rug. All we have left are various booklets (instructions, warranty, etc.).

After the first glance at the monoblock, it is immediately clear where such a decent weight comes from: the entire front part of the device is completely made of glass, which is covered by the matrix and the upper periphery. The only exception is the soundbar.

I really really liked the sound. Built-in acoustics from Yamaha (speakers and amplifiers) combined with a high-quality ESS Saber Hi-Fi digital-to-analog converter make the sound truly gorgeous. One of the pleasant moments is the ability to connect headphones with an impedance of up to 600 Ohms.
Additional sound processing is carried out by special software from Nahimic. There are a number of profiles and settings, as well as signal processing from the microphone.

MSI GAMING 27 has a fairly large set of different ports, some of which are located on the left side. Here you can find two ports: USB 3.0 type-A (already familiar to everyone for a long time) and USB 3.1 type-C (the newest standard with a reversible plug, support for significantly higher speeds and power output).
The main control keys for the candy bar are also located here. More specifically, this is a power button, a setting for selecting an image source (there is an HDMI input) and a group for navigating the monitor settings menu. On the same side there is some indication of system activity. There is also a connector for connecting a power supply.

The main group of ports is located on the rear panel of the device. Everything here is made of fairly loud plastic. There are a pair of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. I always note the presence of the old version as a plus, since some peripherals refuse to work normally with a standard higher than USB 2.0. Of the audio connectors, there are two 3.5mm jacks: a microphone input and an output for external speakers.
There are also three HDMI ports: two for output (MSI Matrix Display is supported here - you can connect two external monitors simultaneously with the built-in display) and one for input to use the all-in-one screen as a monitor.

I didn't really like the rear stand. Thanks to this design, the position of the device can only be slightly tilted back. An important note: the monoblock retains stability very well. By the way, on the back cover you can see the symbol of the MSI gaming series - the dragon.

There is nothing interesting at all on the right side. The only thing that immediately catches your eye is the red drive tray.

Of course, there is a built-in camera and microphone for communication. The camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels shows a quite passable picture, but only with good resolution. There are complaints about the microphone: when the CO is actively working, interlocutors note the appearance of noise.

I want to say a few words about the screen. Unfortunately, it was not possible to determine the model of the matrix without opening it, so I’ll just say about my own feelings. It is worth noting that for 27 inches, the resolution of 1920x1080 pixels seemed completely insufficient to me. The brightness is quite sufficient for comfortable work. MSI claims support for Anti-Flicker and Less Blue Light technologies. The first aims to reduce flicker, while the second will mix the white balance into warmer tones. Together, these technologies should significantly reduce eye strain. Plus, it has a matte finish.

Iron

Specifications:

Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-6700 3.4GHz - 4GHz (Desktop)
Chipset: Intel® H170
Memory: 16 GB DDR4-2133 SO-DIMM, 4 slots, max 64GB
LCD: 27" Full HD (1920x1080) LED
Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 980M 8GB GDDR5 VRAM
Storage system: 2x128GB m.2 RAID0 + 2TB HDD 7200rpm
Audio: ESS SABER HiFi DAC, Yamaha Speakers, Nahimic Audio Enhancer
Network Card: Killer E2400 Game Networking
Wireless network card: Killer Wireless-AC 1535
Power: 330W
Dimensions: 672.23 * 66 * 482.9 mm
Weight(kg) 16.16kg

Processor and RAM

So, the updated version of the candy bar features an Intel Core i7-6700 desktop processor (in this version the multiplier is locked) based on the Skylake architecture (14 nm). The frequency range starts from 3.4GHz and up to 4GHz in Boost mode. There are a total of 4 physical cores, which are divided into 8 threads using Hyper-Threading technology. The L3 cache is 8 MB. With such characteristics, the TDP of the processor is 65 watts, which is clearly more than its laptop predecessors.

For RAM we have a very recent DDR4 standard, but the frequency is not at all interesting. This is not surprising, since this processor officially supports a maximum of 2133 MHz. The real increase in the speed of the system and applications (including FPS in games) is quite insignificant. A processor with a new architecture makes a much greater contribution.

There is also a built-in graphics core. To be honest, I don’t see any point in using it, since it introduces unnecessary problems with NVIDIA Optimus. It's much easier to set high-performance graphics by default.

Additionally, I will show the test results in CineBench R15 multi. The processor is similar in performance to the mobile i7-6820HK. At the same time, the cost of the desktop version is several times lower, which is very good for a potential buyer.

Discrete graphics

As a high-performance graphics, one of the top solutions from NVIDIA flaunts here, namely the GTX 980M. The card is built on the Maxwell architecture using a 28 nm process technology.

The heart of the card is the GM204-A1 chip. It consists of four GPCs, each of which has 4 SMM blocks. The adapter has 1536 ALUs and 96 TMUs at its disposal. A heat dissipation of 100 watts requires a fairly good cooling system. Operating frequencies: 1038 - 1127 MHz (in Boost mode), 8GB of memory with a 256-bit bus and a frequency of 5 GHz. This particular card has an ASICQ of 80.1% (not a bad figure for the GTX 980M).

The video card is one of the most productive solutions in the gaming line, allowing you to play any games at maximum or very close to those settings.

Among the useful technologies is ShadowPlay, it allows you to record video from games without a significant load on the CPU (only disk load).

Cooling system

Such a productive hardware (desktop processor - 65 watts, video card - 100 watts) requires very good cooling. For this purpose, a fairly massive radiator was installed. In general, the system does its job well, but the noise level is not the most comfortable.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/62602205/MSI/AG270/TEMP_MAX.JPG

This graph is the result of a complex stress load using prime95 and FurMark for half an hour. It was not possible to force the processor to demonstrate the full 65 watts. There is no throttling - this is the main thing. Heating within 90-92 degrees is quite acceptable, there is no need to worry here.

Storage System

Here GAMING 27 definitely surprises. It includes a storage system with two TOSHIBA THNSN5128GPU7 SSD drives combined in RAID0, plus a full-fledged desktop 3.5-inch Seagate ST2000DM001-1ER164 hard drive for undemanding tasks.

Communications

Killer Ethernet e2400 is used as a wired network adapter. Compared to the previous generation, the manufacturer promises a noticeable reduction in ping and jitter. The latter is a characteristic of the amount of ping spread during streaming. For online games, this is a fairly important parameter, reducing the influence of which should significantly reduce lags.
The new adapter retains the main functionality of the old version, namely the ability to set priority to various applications, which allows you to play online when the connection is heavily loaded.
There was no wireless adapter in my monoblock (an engineering sample), however, the manufacturer claims the presence of Killer Wireless AC 1535, which is a very good solution with support for the AC standard and MIMO 2x2.

Performance

First, let's look at a comparison table of benchmarks that I managed to take from the AG270 model.

I have to admit, I expected a little better results from pairing a desktop processor with a mobile video card. As you can see, the all-in-one PC is on par with a laptop (GT72 2QE), whose memory and processor are two generations lower, and is also mobile. Let's hope there will be a difference in CPU-dependent games.

So, I can definitely say that I was able to notice a serious influence of the processor only in WOT. There is nothing surprising here; it has always been known that this game is very critical to the performance of a single CPU core.

conclusions

In the end, we have a fairly nice gaming all-in-one with a catchy and bright design that will clearly find its fans. The decent performance of the latest desktop processor and top-end mobile graphics allows you to play your favorite games without any problems. The presence of all versions of USB ports deserves special attention, which will definitely eliminate any problems with the compatibility of older devices. Not without its shortcomings. This includes the considerable noise of the cooling system, as well as its effect on the operation of the microphone. It seemed to me that for such a large screen (27 inches) the FHD resolution was a little too small. By the way, there are modifications of the candy bar with a 3K screen. However, there is a nice addition - the ability to install two external monitors (I think this is very important with a monoblock).

Pros:
-Cool sound
-Matte screen finish
-Flashy and aggressive design
-Fast storage system
-Good mouse and keyboard included
-Modern desktop processor
-MatrixDisplay support
-Three USB versions for all occasions (2.0, 3.0, 3.1)

Minuses:
-Noisy cooling system
-Low matrix resolution for 27 inches
-Built-in microphone collects noise from CO when playing

Russia is still just getting used to monoblock form factor computers. Often such computers are used in offices and enterprises. For the home, such solutions are chosen extremely rarely, with the possible exception of the iMac. However, manufacturers have recently been attacking the world market with new products and monoblocks are becoming more and more popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. Today we want to look at one of the gaming monoblocks presented on the Russian market - MSI Wind Top AG2712.

The release of a new version of the operating system from Microsoft, in theory, was supposed to increase the level of sales of touch computers, but no significant progress is visible in this direction. It's easy to understand buyers. For the money that a candy bar costs, you can easily buy a regular desktop computer with better characteristics. There is no point in overpaying for a compact, but not portable, computer. The computer is also deprived of the ability to upgrade. And not everyone will decide to pay an order of magnitude more just to poke their finger at Windows 8 tiles.

Let's see if the MSI Wind Top AG2712 can change our perception of all-in-one PCs and confirm the title of a “gaming” computer.

We won't see anything outstanding in the appearance of the computer. The strict and elegant design gives the impression of a serious office device, but not a gaming station. A monolithic screen on a round stand – that’s basically it.

Upon initial inspection of the MSI Wind Top AG2712, we immediately find one drawback - the screen is slightly tilted away from the user. It’s convenient to work with this setup, but watching your favorite TV series while leaning back on the sofa will be at least not comfortable.
The screen stand looks beautiful - the transparent disk gives the impression that the monitor is floating on the table. This solution dilutes the interior with a futuristic touch. A monoblock cannot be called compact: the weight of the device is 16 kg.

Above the stand there are two 5 W speakers. You shouldn't expect anything extraordinary from the speakers, although their power will be enough for the average user. Around the display there is a glossy panel made in a wooden style. A questionable decision, because fingerprints will have to be erased from it often. The display itself is protected by an anti-reflective coating. It is worth noting that the display is of good quality, but it needs to be customized. To get bright and rich colors, calibrate it before starting work.

The touch panel performs well. Couldn't find any bugs. As for usability, this is a question for the developers of Windows 8. Interestingly, the manufacturer positions its creation as a gaming candy bar, but the question arises: “Why would a gamer point his finger at the screen?” Well, perhaps for the purpose of flipping through the pages in the browser in search of the next toy.

At the top of the screen, a medium-quality 2 MHz webcam and a microphone for feedback are neatly located. The all-in-one computer comes with a wireless set - mouse and keyboard. By the way, it’s hard to call gaming control devices. After all, both a mouse and a keyboard are a convenient office option, and not a gaming weapon.

On the right side of the MSI Wind Top AG2712, you will find an omnivorous drive that can even work with Blu-Ray discs. By the way, this is another questionable decision. Most modern gamers have not used discs for a long time. Nowadays it’s easier to buy a game through an online store without leaving your home. You won’t feel any shortage of ports: there are two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, and even two HDMI ports. Manufacturers have not forgotten about the multifunctional card reader.

Specifications

The display size is 27 inches and the resolution is 1920*1080 pixels, which corresponds to HD format. The quad-core Intel Core i7-3630QM processor with an operating frequency of up to 3.4 MHz provides the computer with a powerful base platform. I would like to note that such processors are installed on powerful laptops.

The user's choice of graphics can be provided by the Intel HD Graphics 4000 adapter built into the processor or by a powerful discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX (3 GB GDDR5).

The monoblock is equipped with a 1 TB hard drive; unfortunately, none of the configurations will include SSD storage media. The RAM in the computer is fine - 12 DDR3.

Results

In our opinion, despite the manufacturer’s shortcomings, the monoblock lives up to the proud title of “gaming.” Yes, this is not the most powerful gaming station and some components are outdated, but still, the MSI Wind Top AG2712 copes with all the top games with a bang! In some particularly resource-intensive games, Fps sags at high resolutions, but at medium graphics settings, there was no game that made the computer slow down. And now about the worst part - the price of a candy bar starts from 70 thousand, depending on the configuration. The “luxury” assembly will cost the buyer 90 thousand rubles.

Stereo vision or 3D, which is more familiar to us, is mistakenly considered by many to be a new type of entertainment that has appeared quite recently. However, this is not at all true. The early developments of stereo vision, or more precisely, stereo cinematography, began in the late 1890s. However, the first stereo film was publicly shown only 30 years later - in 1922. Since then, stereo vision has come a long way, with both ups and downs in the film industry. Since stereo films were shown exclusively in cinemas and quite bulky equipment was required that could not be placed at home.

The perception of a three-dimensional image by the viewer is carried out using special glasses, in which various filters are installed instead of lenses. These glasses include anaglyph glasses, which use a light filter, and polarizing glasses, based on light polarization methods. In addition to them, shutter-type glasses are also used, in which the right and left eyes are darkened alternately with high frequency.

Now, thanks to the rapid development of technology, 3D viewing has become possible at home, both using special TVs and using computers or laptops. For televisions that have the necessary technical properties, the main source of 3D content is Blu-Ray 3D discs and some TV channels that broadcast surround images, although the latest models of such televisions have the ability to instantly convert 2D images to 3D, from any source of information. When playing 3D content on desktop PCs, things are a little more complicated, because... a computer, unlike a TV, is often assembled independently, and accordingly there is a need to carefully select a video card that supports 3D image output and a monitor that can correctly display the information received from the video card. However, to save time, you can pay attention to already assembled and tested models, and in particular to laptops or All-in-One PCs, which are not only more mobile than traditional PCs, but also have a more attractive appearance , capable of decorating any interior.

For example, one of the first models with 3D support in the class of all-in-one computers is a multimedia 3D station MSI Wind TOP AE2420 3D, housed in a stylish and fairly compact case. To play 3D content, this model uses a 23.6-inch Full HD display with a matrix refresh rate of 120 Hz, shutter glasses and an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 video card with iZ3D driver. By the way, MSI filmed a very beautiful promotional video to present this model.

Specifications

To begin with, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the full technical characteristics of the tested monoblock, which we received thanks to the PC Wizard program report. Data on the series were collected from the manufacturer's website.

Manufacturer
	Wind Top AE2420 3D	Wind Top AE2420 3D Series
CPU	Intel Core i5-650 (3200 MHz (24 x 133), DMI 2.5 GT/s, 4 MB L3 cache)
	Intel H55 Express
RAM	Kreton TSD7102495004 2 GB DDR3-1333 DDR3 SDRAM	Dual-channel DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM, expandable up to 4 GB
	MSIAE12 AE2420_3D (23.6", Full HD (1920x1080), 120 Hz, LED backlight, glossy finish, Multi-touch backing)	Glossy 23.6" LCD display with Full HD resolution (1920x1080), 120 Hz refresh rate, 16:9 aspect ratio, LED backlight and Multi-touch pad
Graphics accelerator	ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 discrete video card with 1024 MB of native GDDR3 video memory
HDD	WD Caviar Green WD10EARS-22Y5B1 (1 TB, 64 MB buffer, 7200 rpm, SATA-II)	SATA-II 3.5" hard drive with a capacity of 1 TB and a spindle speed of 7200 rpm
Optical drive	Hitachi-LG HL-DT-ST BDDVDRW CT21N
Card reader	Built-in 6-in-1 memory card reader for working with memory cards: Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SD HC), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
Networking capabilities	Network card (Realtek RTL8168D/8111D PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Adapter) - wireless adapter (Ralink RT3090 802.11n 1T/1R PCI-E Wireless Network Adapter) - Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)	Connection via leased line at speeds of 10/100/1000 Mbit/s - Built-in 802.11b/g/n wireless network adapter - Built-in Bluetooth 2.1+EDR module
Interface connectors	2 x USB 3.0 4 x USB 2.0 1 x HDMI 1 x VGA 1 x eSATA 1 x RJ-45 network port 1 x line out 1 x S/PDIF 1 x microphone input 1 x TV antenna connector 1 x DC-in socket for power adapter
Expansion cards	Mini PCI-E x2 (optional)
	Realtek ALC888 @ Intel Ibex Peak PCH - High Definition Audio Controller	Built-in sound card supporting HD audio, S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) and MS-Sound compatible
Multimedia	Built-in stereo speakers (total power 10 W) Built-in subwoofer (subwoofer) (power 10 W) Built-in microphone Built-in 1.3 megapixel webcam
AC/DC power supply	Universal Power Adapter: - Output parameters: 19 V DC. e.g. 9.5 A, 180 W. - Input parameters: 100~240VAC eg at 50/60 Hz.
Dimensions (WxHxD), mm	617.2 x 641.7 x 71.95
Safety	BIOS and HDD boot password Secure and secure Kensington lock
Pre-installed software	Adobe Reader 9 MSI BurnRecovery MSI Wind Touch Gadget MSI WindMail MSI WindNotes MSI Game Corner MSI Wind Match MSI EasyViewer Cyberlink YouCam Cyberlink YouMemo Cyberlink YouPaint Microsoft Touch Pack THX TruStudio PRO Roxio CinePlayer BD with 3D iZ3D Driver
operating system	Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Products webpage

The “heart” of the multimedia monoblock is a dual-core desktop processor Intel Core i5-650, developed based on the successful Nehalem architecture, which involves the presence of an integrated Intel HD Graphics core and an integrated memory controller in a single package.

The processor was manufactured using a 32-nanometer technological process. The operating clock frequency is 3200 MHz, and when using Intel Turbo Boost technology, the frequency increases to 3460 MHz. The DMI system bus operates at 2.5 GT/s, which corresponds to a throughput of 10 GB/s. The third level cache (Intel Smart Cache) is 4 MB. The maximum processor power consumption level is 73 W.

A wide range of proprietary technologies optimizes performance and energy consumption. Intel Hyper-Threading Technology allows the processor to operate with 4 threads of information simultaneously with only 2 computing cores. Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x) improves manageability, security, and flexibility in virtual environments, and its enhanced version, Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d), provides support for new I/O devices. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology enables multiple points to dynamically switch clock speed and voltage depending on the load. Intel Trusted Execution Technology provides hardware support for mechanisms that can help protect the computer from software attacks, and also protects confidentiality and data integrity. Intel Smart Cache allows you to optimize work with frequently accessed data, due to which it improves performance and energy saving.The Intel Core i5-650 processor also implements technologies such as AES New Instructions, Intel 64, Idle States and Execute Disable Bit.

The memory controller integrated into the processor body provides support for DDR3-1333 memory modules in dual-channel mode. In the retail version of the monoblock, 4 GB of memory are installed in two sticks, but in this model, intended for review, only one 2 GB stick is installed, and it operates in single-channel mode. The maximum supported amount of RAM is 8 GB.

The role of the chipset is performed by a “set” of chips Intel H55 Express, whose responsibilities mainly include managing the input/output of information. For this purpose, up to 6 PCI Express 2.0 lines, 12 USB 2.0 ports, 6 SATA ports are provided, one of which in this case is implemented as eSATA. To protect information, it is possible to manually disable and enable USB and SATA ports. In addition, the chipset implements several proprietary technologies. The Intel Flexible Display interface allows integrated graphics data to be transferred to the chipset via two independently controlled channels. Intel High Definition Audio technology enhances playback capabilities and delivers the highest sound quality. Intel Quiet System technology provides intelligent cooling system cooler control algorithms that more efficiently utilize specified operating temperature ranges to reduce noise levels by minimizing fan speed variations. The maximum power consumption level of the chipset is 5.2 W.

Discrete video adapter ATI Radeon HD 5730 (Madison XT) provides an excellent picture and a fairly high level of performance in games. The main feature of the ATI Radeon HD 5700/HD 5600 series graphics adapters is support for stereo 3D, but this requires the use of a third-party iZ3D driver, since there is no proprietary development yet. The graphics core has support for APIs such as Microsoft DirectX 11 (Shader Model 5.0, DirectCompute 11), OpenGL 3.2. Expanding the capabilities of the video adapter provides support for a wide range of proprietary technologies. ATI Eyefinity Technology provides the ability to connect multiple displays simultaneously, in both independent and grouped modes. ATI Stream Acceleration Technology provides Open CL support and accelerates video encoding, transcoding and scaling. ATI Avivo HD Video & Display Technology provides a wide range of video playback capabilities, in particular, the Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD2), which provides hardware support (DXVA 1.0 and 2.0) for MPEG-2/DVD, WMV9 (VC) decoding -1) and H.264 (AVC) and allows you to simultaneously process HD video in two streams. There is also an integrated HD Audio controller, which provides the ability to connect 7.1-channel speaker systems via the HDMI port. ATI PowerPlay Technology enables a low-power mode during idle or minimal use.

The ATI Radeon HD 5730 graphics core is manufactured using a 40-nanometer process technology and has 400 stream processors and 20 texture units. The core frequency is 650 MHz. Video memory frequency – 800 MHz (effective 1600 MHz). The volume of built-in memory is 1024 MB. The maximum power consumption level is 26 W.

Supply

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D multimedia monoblock is delivered in a huge cardboard box. The weight of the set is more than 17 kilograms, so it’s nice that to facilitate transportation, the box contains not only a special handle located at the top, but also two side cutouts. The box design is very colorful. Thus, on the front sides, against the backdrop of coral reefs, there is a candy bar from which sea fish swim, thereby demonstrating support for stereo 3D. Also here you can see several fairly large pictogram logos that display the main functions of the candy bar.

Equipment

The candy bar's equipment is very extensive and fully emphasizes its multimedia focus. Inside the box, in addition to the candy bar itself, we found:

global guarantee booklet;

insert with a story about 3D functions;

an insert describing how to get started with the mouse and keyboard;

insert with description of shutter glasses;

wireless set of mouse and keyboard;

USB receiver;

shutter 3D glasses;

suede bag for glasses;

cloth for cleaning glasses;

• cloth for wiping the display;

  remote control;

  4 AAA and 2 AA batteries;

  power unit;

  cable for connecting the power supply to a 220 V network.

The stylus is made of black plastic and has a smooth glossy surface. It is comparable in size to a regular pen, and thanks to the small holder, the stylus can be easily attached to a notebook or jacket pocket. But there is no great need for it, especially if you are not going to turn the screen into a notebook, since the display is much more convenient and pleasant to work with your fingers, especially considering Multi-touch support.

The remote control is a very useful accessory that allows you to turn the candy bar into a full-fledged multimedia center, especially if it has a TV tuner installed. However, due to its absence in this configuration, it was not possible to fully evaluate the capabilities of the remote control. Functionally, the remote control is designed for the Windows Media Center shell, however, some of the keys also work in other players.

Wireless mouse MSI StarMouse SW130 It is small in size, making it more like a laptop. It is asymmetrical in shape and designed to be used with the right hand. The top of the mouse has a stylish but impractical glossy finish that is highly susceptible to fingerprints. The mouse is quite comfortable to use. It's a pleasure to work with her. The mouse is connected using a USB receiver via a 2.4 GHz radio channel, which provides high quality communication at a distance of up to 3 meters. If the connection is lost, the mouse has a special button that allows you to resume the connection. Two AAA batteries are used as batteries.

Keyboard MSI StarType ES500W Made according to a laptop design with separate keys. It is full-size and has both letter and numeric keypads. However, the latter is also combined with system keys, which is why it is not always convenient to work with them. The top of the keyboard, like the mouse, has a glossy surface that quickly collects fingerprints. The key sizes are standard; they have a medium travel with a well-felt response when pressed. Only the function keys and the arrow block keys have been reduced. On the back of the keyboard you can see two legs that allow you to slightly raise the keyboard, a resume key and a compartment for two AA batteries.

To connect the monoblock to the network, a DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC power supply is used. ADP-180HB B (180 W, 19 V, 9.5 A), which has impressive dimensions and weight. During operation, its temperature varies depending on the load on the system, and its body heated up to 47 degrees Celsius.

Appearance, arrangement of elements, ergonomics

The appearance of the MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D multimedia all-in-one PC is striking in its size and weight of more than 14 kilograms, but the thin body and stylish transparent frame around the display give the impression of the device’s lightness. In addition, this frame also serves as a support for the monoblock. The candy bar body is entirely made of black plastic, for which a glossy coating is used throughout, which adds incredible elegance to the device, but also makes it very impractical, especially on the back side. Fingerprints and dust are too visible, so you have to constantly monitor the appearance of the candy bar. To prevent the MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D from seeming monotonous, it contains several metal inserts located at the bottom of the case.

To support and adjust the tilt of the monoblock, a fairly wide leg is used, which, like the frame, is made of durable transparent plastic. The leg itself has an interesting wave-like shape that plays beautifully with reflections when light hits it. The maximum tilt of the monoblock will be at an angle slightly larger than 35 degrees. There is also the possibility of mounting the monoblock on the wall using the optional VESA Wall Mount.

If you lift the leg of the monoblock, you can see a compartment hidden under it, allowing you to get to two Mini PCI-E x2 connectors. In this model, one connector is occupied by a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth card, and a TV tuner can optionally be connected to the second.

The monoblock provides a rich set of communication interfaces, mostly located on the panel on the rear side of the case. These include: VGA and HDMI 1.3a image output ports, four USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port for external drives, a pair of mini-jack connectors (line-out and microphone input), an optical S/PDIF connector, an RJ45 network connector and a connector for TV antennas. The monoblock also has two USB 3.0 connectors and a multi-format card reader, which are located on the left side. In general, the layout of the interfaces is quite good, they are easy to use, but for greater convenience I would like to see a pair of USB connectors on the right side.

The front side of the candy bar is almost entirely devoted to a huge 24-inch 3D display, which has a fairly wide black border. At the bottom there is a wide metal mesh insert that hides the built-in speaker system. On the right side, between the mesh and the display, there is a block of control keys, on the same line with which there are two IR ports designed for synchronizing 3D glasses.

All keys are touch sensitive and have high sensitivity. Working with them is not always convenient; erroneous clicks may occur from time to time, even if you just move your finger over them in the air, so we recommend keeping an eye on this, especially the all-in-one power button. Also present here: a display on/off key, an ECO energy saving mode on/off key, a Video/Auto key, which allows you to switch the signal between PC and HDMI modes (in menu mode, turns on automatic image quality adjustment), a TV/Output key, which allows you to activate programs for the TV function (in menu mode, goes to the previous level), a key to enter the menu, as well as volume up/down keys.

On the back of the monoblock you can see a transparent leg, a block of communication connectors, and ventilation grilles. Slightly above the leg there is a fairly large grille with the manufacturer’s logo embossed.

The block of communication connectors contains the following ports and connectors: VGA, HDMI, eSATA, four USB 2.0, two mini-jacks, S/PDIF, RJ45, as well as connectors for a TV antenna and power adapter. A little lower is the Kensington lock.

On the right there is only an additional ventilation grill.

On the left you can see two USB 3.0 connectors, a multi-format card reader, and a Blu-ray drive. By the way, installing disks into the drive is slightly hindered by the transparent frame located in front of it.

Display, webcam, input devices

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D All-in-One PC uses a huge 23.6-inch widescreen display MSIAE12AE24203D, capable of operating at a maximum matrix refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is so necessary for comfortable perception of 3D content. The maximum display resolution is 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) and the aspect ratio is 16:9. It’s worth noting right away that the ability to update the matrix with a frequency of 120 Hz is only available at Full HD resolution, however, 3D playback is also available at a lower resolution and frequency, but at the same time, “rattling” of the picture appears, which negatively affects vision. But, in any case, ophthalmologists do not recommend spending more than 2 hours a day in front of a screen while watching 3D content.

The quality of the image reproduced on the display is at a high level: there is a fairly wide range of brightness adjustments, a high level of contrast and excellent color rendition. The resulting picture in many cases seems alive. A fairly uniform illumination of the matrix is ​​provided by an array of white LEDs located along the contour. It is worth noting good viewing angles, allowing you to comfortably watch movies with a small group.

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the display is equipped with a Multi-touch touch pad that provides quick access to zoom and rotation functions. Moreover, the all-in-one PC comes pre-installed with many different applications designed for touch control. However, it is worth considering that the display is not capable of processing more than two touches simultaneously. The substrate itself is made using capacitive technology, thanks to which you can enter information either with your fingers or with a stylus.

On the top edge above the display is the usual window for a fixed 1.3-megapixel webcam. There is a microphone next to her.

Acoustics

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D all-in-one has an amazingly high-quality sound subsystem that can reproduce truly loud and rich sound, which is in many ways comparable to good external audio systems. It consists of two stereo speakers with a power of 5 W each and one 10 W low-frequency speaker (subwoofer). High sound quality is ensured by THX TruStudio PRO technology, which uses special software methods that should bring it as close as possible to the level of live performances.

The audio codec used is the 8-channel High Definition Audio Codec Realtek ALC888, the signal-to-noise ratio of which, according to the manufacturer, is 97 dB for the DAC and 90 dB for the ADC. More detailed information about the characteristics of the audio codec can be found on the official website.

To test the audio subsystem, we used the latest version of the RightMark Audio Analyzer package, which allows you to evaluate sound quality based on various parameters. To get a more accurate result, we updated the audio driver to the latest version, and also disabled all special effects in the settings, including THX TruStudio PRO.

The general results are as follows:

Software

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D all-in-one PC comes with a wide range of pre-installed software for both office and entertainment purposes. Most of the programs are developed directly by MSI.

These, first of all, include the multifunctional software shell MSI WindTouch, which is an alternative version of the standard taskbar. At the top there is a panel with program icons, presented in the form of a rotating menu that divides applications into office and entertainment. This panel is fully customizable; you can add any application to it. At the bottom there is a drop-down panel with five active applications.

The MSI WindNotes utility is a kind of book for notes or reminders. In addition to text information, you can insert various images into notes.

MSI Wind Mail is a fairly convenient email client that can only work with Google Mail accounts.

The small game MSI Wind Match will be most interesting for children. It is a puzzle game in which the user is given a small set of images and told a certain word, after which the user must match that word with the required image.

Especially for children, a unique service is provided, KIDO’Z, which allows the child to surf the Internet, watch videos, play various games and even study. An important feature of the service is parental control.

There is also the MSI Game Corner program, which provides access to a wide range of casual and indie games with which you can have fun and “kill time”. Unfortunately, all games are paid, and the pre-installed ones are presented exclusively in demo mode.

To view images, the MSI EasyViewer program is provided, which also allows for simple photo editing.

Entertainment programs also include a pre-installed Microsoft Touch Pack, which includes six games and programs designed for touch control:

Microsoft Blackboard is a physics puzzle game that requires the user to create a fantasy machine on a black board.

Microsoft Garden Pond is a relaxing game set in a tranquil Japanese garden with a pond.

Microsoft Rebound is a game where you use your fingers to move Tesla balls with an electrical charge between them to ensure that the metal game ball hits your opponent's hole.

Microsoft Surface Globe is a program that can be used to explore the globe in the form of a flat 2D map or a visual 3D globe.

Microsoft Surface Collage is a program that allows you to view, manage, and organize your photos as desktop backgrounds.

Microsoft Surface Lagoon is an interactive screensaver that simulates the seabed, combined with meditative music and schools of playful fish.

In addition, there are several programs from CyberLink, which are visually presented as MSI products. They are: the program for working with the webcam YouCam, the program for creating notes YouMemo and the alternative graphic editor YouPaint.

Testing

The test package built into the Windows 7 operating system rated the all-in-one PC's technical characteristics at 5.5 points, with the weakest point being the RAM, of which only 2 GB is installed in this model. It’s worth noting right away that the retail version comes with 4 GB of RAM, and accordingly the overall rating will be higher.

To carry out more in-depth comparative testing of the performance of the MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D, we selected several popular packages that allow us to fully evaluate the capabilities of the all-in-one PC. As competitors, we chose the three most productive laptops that we had previously tested:

HP Pavilion dv7 3010er (Intel PM55, Intel Core i7-720QM @ 1733 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M 1024 MB, 2+2 GB DDR3-1333, 2 x Hitachi HTS723232L9A360 (320 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA-II)) ;

DELL Studio XPS 1647 (Intel HM55, Core i3-350M @ 2260 MHz, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 1024 MB, 2+2 GB DDR3-1066, WDC WD3200BJKT-75F4T0 (320 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA-II);

Packard Bell EasyNote TM85 (Intel HM55, Intel Core i3 330M @ 2133 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GT 320M 1024 MB, 2+2 GB DDR3-1333 DDR3, WDC WD3200BEVT-22A23T0 (320 GB, 5400 rpm, SATA-II)) ;

Technical characteristics of the all-in-one MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D, which is based on a desktop platform combining a dual-core Intel Core i5-650 processor and a laptop video adapter ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 with 1024 MB of native GDDR3 video memory provides a fairly high level of performance, which, in most cases, will be more than enough. The monoblock copes excellently with various office applications, with listening to high-quality audio, as well as watching Full HD video. Performance in games is also at a high level, relatively old games on DirectX 9 and DirectX 10 show high frame rates even at maximum quality settings. In new games that actively use the capabilities of DirectX 10.1 or DirectX 11, the frame rate drops significantly, however, you can “run” quite comfortably in them at maximum settings.

Working with 3D content

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D monoblock, as has been said more than once, provides the ability to play videos and games in 3D mode, which significantly changes their perception. An interesting feature of the all-in-one is the use of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics adapter, which, like all products ATI (AMD) does not have its own software support for obtaining 3D images, and currently uses paid third-party developments. In this case, the highest quality and most functional solution is used - the iZ3D driver (there is the possibility of a free update), which provides 3D image output using various methods. It is worth considering that in the free version of the driver only the anaglyph method is available.

For high-quality perception of 3D images, it is best to use shutter-type 3D glasses, which are included in the kit. These glasses do an excellent job, however, they are not very comfortable. Their main disadvantage is their bulkiness and relatively heavy weight. In addition, very hard pads are used for the bridge of the nose, which causes some discomfort. However, this is also a kind of advantage, reminding that it is not recommended to view 3D images for a long time. The glasses emit a quiet buzzing sound from the left temple during operation. Synchronization of 3D glasses with the monoblock is carried out using an infrared port located at the very edge of the left side. This should not be forgotten, since the glasses can lose synchronization if the head deviates noticeably to the side from the display. By the way, a very nice thing about the glasses is their long operating time from the batteries built into the arms. For example, our glasses did not run out of charge after a week of use, with a frequency of 1-1.5 hours a day. If the batteries run out of power, they can be charged by connecting to any USB port.

To play 3D video or instantly convert 2D images to 3D, you can use the pre-installed Roxio CinePlayer BD with 3D player. This player has a nice, intuitive interface, as well as support for hardware accelerated video decoding, but it is capable of working with video files in DVD-ROM, BD-ROM, DVD, AVCHD, VCD and SVCD format. The result of 3D video playback is quite high, the 3D depth is good, especially in scenes with an abundance of computer graphics. When converting a video file, the quality deteriorates slightly, a slight desynchronization of the picture appears on the sides, but, fortunately, this effect does not cause much discomfort. By the way, you can also use players such as ArsSoft TotalMedia Theater 5 or Cyberlink PowerDVD 10 to play 3D video.

The iZ3D driver provides significantly greater image depth in computer games, and this effect can be seen not only in first- or third-person games with large open locations, but also in many strategies where the camera is viewed from above. It's nice that iZ3D has a fairly large list of supported games, which is constantly expanding. A more detailed list can be found on the driver’s official website. And on the MSI website you can find another list of games that the manufacturer recommends playing first. To test the all-in-one PC's performance in 3D mode, we chose the following several tests.

Drives

The all-in-one disk subsystem is based on a WD Caviar Green WD10EARS-22Y5B1 hard drive with a capacity of 1 TB, a spindle speed of 7200 rpm and a 64 MB data buffer. The hard drive is connected using the SATA-II interface. To obtain more detailed information about the drive, we used the HD-Tune Pro program.

To work with optical media, the Hitachi-LG HL-DT-ST BDDVDRW CT21N drive is used, which provides work not only with almost all existing types of CD and DVD discs, but also with Blu-Ray discs, as evidenced by the Nero InfoTool 5 utility:

Using the Nero DiscSpeed ​​4 utility, we determined how well a given optical drive copes with error correction using several non-new disks, namely:

Old CD with a heavily scratched surface

Quite badly scratched DVD disc

Double-layer DVD with a defective second layer

Heat and noise

Cooling system installed in monoblock MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D provides a good level of cooling of the internal components of the system. However, it has one significant drawback - it is too noisy, especially under high load.

To determine the efficiency of the cooling system and the temperature regime of the monoblock during operation, we first measured the ambient temperature, which was +22°C, and then “looped” the 3DMark 06 test package for 30 minutes. Next, using Scythe Kama Thermo Wireless, figuratively We divided the front and back sides of the monoblock into nine sections and measured the temperature of each of them. As a result, it turned out that the monoblock has a good level of cooling and its temperature remains low. Thus, the highest temperature value on the front side was 33.1°C, and on the back side – 34.7°C.

Results

The MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D monoblock, the main feature of which is full support for the ability to play 3D content, turned out to be extremely successful, in almost all respects. The monoblock attracts attention with a very stylish and memorable design, which is filled with various details. For example, it has an original protruding frame and a raised leg, which, thanks to the transparent material, create the impression of lightness of the device. The all-in-one candy bar's packaging is also pleasant, including not only a wireless mouse and keyboard, but also a remote control, as well as shutter-type 3D glasses. And high performance combined with a large 23.6-inch Multi-touch 3D display turns the MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D into an excellent entertainment center that provides high-quality work not only with all kinds of office applications, but also with various video files and computer games, including in 3D mode.

We express our gratitude to the Ukrainian representative company Micro-Star Int"l Co., Ltd. for providing the MSI Wind Top AE2420 3D monoblock for testing.

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Sooner or later, all parents are faced with the question of buying a teenager, high school student or student a good computer suitable for studying and searching for information on the Internet. You can’t write abstracts, prepare reports and laboratory work, or do computer science on your knees. Since at a young age one is always drawn to computer games, it is desirable that the newly acquired computer should also be powerful enough to display complex graphics. After all, games allow children to integrate into society, discuss their achievements with classmates and not look like a black sheep compared to others.

MUSIC OF SPACE. COMPACT REPLACEMENT FOR THE CLASSIC TO THE COMPUTER USING THE EXAMPLE OF A MONOBLOCK MSI AG270 2QE-091RU

In order to save space and reduce headaches associated with choosing components, it is best to buy your child a good candy bar. We recently wrote about the advantages and disadvantages of computers of this form factor.

In this article we will take a closer look at the technical characteristics MSI AG270 2QE-091RU (9S6-AF1811-091) and compare them with the indicators of a more affordable version - MSI AG270 2QC-216RU (9S6-AF1811-216) .

What do MSI AG270 2QE-091RU and MSI AG270 2QC-216RU have in common?

Both monoblocks are part of the same gaming series, and have many similar features - both in design and in electronic “stuffing”. Let's look at the matching parameters in more detail.

Equipment

Both computers are delivered to the buyer as follows:

• the candy bar itself
• network power supply
• AC power cable
• display cleaning cloth
• disk with drivers and utilities
• user guide
• wireless keyboard
• wireless mouse

The equipment included with the devices is quite rich - the manufacturer did not even spare a glass cleaning cloth. Thanks to the included keyboard and mouse, all-in-one PCs can be used for their intended purpose immediately after unpacking the box. No additional peripheral devices are required for operation.

To turn on the device, you just need to connect the cable to the power supply, insert one end of it into the connector on the left side of the monoblock and plug the power plug into a regular outlet. The keyboard and mouse are activated after installing the corresponding radio transmitter in a free USB port.

Design

In appearance, the monoblocks of the AG270 2QE and AG270 2QC series do not differ one bit from each other. They look expensive and monolithic, thanks to which even a cheaper model is perceived as a higher level. And other people who come to visit will never be able to determine the technical characteristics of the device by its external parameters.

The MSI AG270 case is a large monolithic black rectangle, in the center of which is a large 27-inch screen. Medium-sized frames do not affect the perception of the picture. Above the display you can find a microphone hole, a webcam peephole and an LED indicator of its operation.

Under the bottom frame there is a bright red insert with the manufacturer's name in its center, delimiting the display part and the black mesh of stereo speakers. The picture is completed by a translucent base that serves as a support for the computer when installed on a flat horizontal surface.

The side faces of the monoblocks, all the buttons and the optical drive panel are made in red.

On the left side are all the main controls - the power button, the monitor on/off button (it also switches the video signal from the internal hardware to the external one transmitted via HDMI), the menu key, the volume up and down buttons (they are also navigation menu), system power indicators, monitor operation and hard drive activity indicators.

The reverse side of the device is completely painted black. It is engraved with a stylized dragon - the MSI Gaming Series logo. There are also numerous ventilation holes, a niche with ports and connectors, a security lock, as well as a translucent folding support leg for fixing the monoblock on a horizontal surface. Special mounting holes allow you to hang the monoblock on the wall.

Ports and connectors

The set of connectors in the AG270 is unevenly distributed along the left side edge and rear panel of the device. On the right is only the DVD drive.

On the back there is an HDMI port for input from external sources, HDMI and VGA video outputs, an RJ-45 network connector, a USB 3.0 port, a pair of audio jacks, and three USB 2.0. The latter are ideal for connecting all necessary peripheral devices (keyboard, mouse, headset) that do not require high data transfer rates. All rear connectors are used according to the “connect the required cable and forget it” principle.

For everyday use, on the left side of the candy bar (just below the control buttons) there are two USB 3.0 ports. The power connector and card reader are also located there. This arrangement is convenient for working with various removable storage media - flash drives, external hard drives and memory cards.

Specifications

MSI AG270 2QE and MSI AG270 2QC have the same 27-inch displays with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Both models boast an excellent built-in speaker system from Yamaha that produces sound as good as many inexpensive computer speakers. Most users won't have to spend money on external speakers that take up additional desk space.

Inside the monoblocks there are identical 1000 GB (5400 rpm) hard drives. This volume is enough to store many of your favorite games and movies in high quality, thousands of music tracks and photos. The devices received Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi modules (802.11 a/b/g/n), DVD±RW optical drives.

The remaining electronic components installed inside the AG270 2QE-091RU and AG270 2QC-216RU differ in power. Let's take a closer look at these differences.

Differences between MSI AG270 2QE-091RU and MSI AG270 2QC-216RU monoblocks

AG270 2QE-091RU

The powerful Intel Core i7-4870HQ processor (Haswell architecture, 4 cores / 8 threads, clock frequency 2.5 - 3.7 GHz, Level 3 cache - 6 MB, maximum TDP power consumption - 47 W) will cope with serious multitasking and "heavy" games. It has proven itself well in the market and in terms of performance is still at the level of the Intel Core i7-6700HQ, monoblocks with which already cost under 90,000 rubles and have weaker video cards. And monoblocks with the latest processors of the latest generation Kaby Lake and relatively similar technical characteristics cost well over a hundred (for example, ASUS Zen AiO Pro Z240IEGK-GA032T).

8 GB of DDR3 RAM (1600 MHz) will provide the ability to work in a browser with a dozen open tabs and in other demanding applications. The volume will be enough for all modern computer games, especially since it can be expanded up to 16 GB.

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M discrete video card with 8 GB of video memory will easily give the heat to recently released games. Mass Effect Andromeda, Ghost Recon Wildlands, Resident Evil 7, Dishonored 2, etc. are launched at ultra detail settings with Full HD resolution. From the latest generation, the closest analogue of this video card can be called the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 6 GB on board, but with it even ordinary desktop system units cost more than 80,000 rubles (and you need to buy a monitor and other peripherals for them).

Thus, it is extremely difficult to find a monoblock or system unit of similar performance that has the most modern hardware in this price segment. If only for a very generous promotion. To please a teenager who has entered a university with a brand new gaming computer that takes up little space, it is not at all necessary to spend more than a hundred thousand rubles. It is enough to purchase the much cheaper AG270 2QE-091RU, which in terms of power is still relevant on the market.

AG270 2QC-216RU

The model is a cheaper analogue of the previous one and is also positioned as a gaming machine.

A lower-level, non-energy efficient laptop processor is installed here - Intel Core i5-4210H (Haswell architecture, 2 cores / 4 threads, clock frequency 2.9 - 3.5 MHz, level 3 cache - 3 MB, maximum power consumption TDP - 47 W). The stone has been on the market for a long time and has proven itself well. In synthetic tests it performs better than the latest Intel Core i5-7200U. The closest analogue in terms of performance is the Intel Core i7-6600U, with which you can purchase an expensive all-in-one PC for work like Lenovo ThinkCentre X1 .

The device has 6 GB of DDR3 RAM (1600 MHz) - quite a decent amount for all everyday tasks, study and most modern computer games.

The graphics are handled by a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M video card with 3 GB of video memory. The same AAA projects like Mass Effect Andromeda, For Honor, Resident Evil 7, Dishonored 2 and Battlefield 1 will go for ultra-details with Full HD resolution. True, the power reserve of this video card is lower than that of the 980M, and in some future toys you will have to reduce the settings to high. For a monoblock with a similar performance, more modern NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 video card with 2 GB on board, you will have to pay a couple of tens of thousands of rubles more.

For its price, the AG270 2QC-216RU will cope with all the programs needed in everyday life, multimedia, Internet surfing and even modern computer games. It has an average reserve of power for the future, but will cope with all educational tasks in the next 5 years without any problems. There will be no problems with online gaming projects, so beloved by modern youth.

Let's sum it up

In order to save space in your child's room, as well as simplify the process of selecting components, it is better to think about purchasing an all-in-one computer. Students and high school students will need a good screen and a decent amount of power for educational tasks and computer games. Monoblocks of 2017 with the most modern hardware will cost a six-figure sum, so the logical solution would be to purchase a device of similar power with electronic filling from the previous generation, costing significantly less money.

AG270 2QE-091RU- a machine “for growth” that will cope with the demanding graphic tasks required by design students, photographers, planners, etc. The monoblock will provide the opportunity to play all modern games at maximum detail, including those that are just about to be released.

AG270 2QC-216RU- an inexpensive analogue, not much inferior in power to the AG270 2QE, sufficient for all everyday tasks, working on the Internet and with documents, viewing multimedia content. The device will also handle modern toys at maximum speed, but there will be exceptions. Future game projects will probably have to reduce the detail settings to high. But it has a huge screen, a bunch of ports, excellent sound, and costs at the same level as a small universal laptop.

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MSI AG270 gaming monoblock review: powerful and expensive

Monoblock - there is so much in this word, but how rarely you hear it. True fans of high performance have long been studying forums in search of the most suitable components and assembling workstations and gaming stations from them. Heavy, large, for which you need to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse and speaker system.

Buyers who constantly move from point A to B to C (we could go on) and back and don't want to give up high-performance components are choosing gaming laptops with a diagonal of 15 inches or larger. There are also Apple fans who prefer stationary PCs from the Apple company, often for the sake of design and the OS X operating system with all its pros and cons.

But who is ready to buy all-in-one PCs running Windows? Obviously, these are people aged (according to our assumptions) from 40 and above, with money and who do not want to understand the characteristics, choose separate components and give preference to the OS they have known for many years. And, of course, the principle of “bought, plugged in and work” has not been canceled. And here you don’t even need to break your eyes - the screen is all 27 inches, and not some 15-17 with Full HD resolution. Everything is as it should be!

Reference information and technical specifications

MSI AG270 (2QC 3K-012AP)
CPU	Intel Core i7-4720HQ (Quad-Core), 2.6 GHz
Chipset	Intel HM87 (Lynx Point)
Graphics controller	Intel HD Graphics 4600
	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, 6 GB GDDR5
Display	IPS, 27 inches, 2560 × 1440 pixels (WQHD), matte
RAM	16 GB DDR3-1600 (800 MHz), dual-channel mode, two 8 GB Hynix modules
Storage System	1 × HDD Seagate ST2000DM001-1ER164, 7200 rpm, SATA3, 2 TB
	2 × SSD Transcend TS128GMSA370, 128 GB, in RAID 0, mSATA
Optical drive	TSSTcorp. CD/DVD-W SN-208FB
Flash card connector	SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MS
Interfaces	2 × USB 2.0
	4 × USB 3.0
	3 × HDMI 1.4 (two outputs and one input)
	1 × 3.5 mm jack (audio input)
	1 × 3.5 mm jack (audio output)
WiFi	802.11 a/b/g/n (Realtek RTL8723BE)
Bluetooth	4.0+HS
Network adapter	Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2200
Sound	Realtek HD AL887
Additionally	Webcam (HD) 2.0 MP, microphone, keyboard and mouse included
Nutrition	External power adapter, 235 W (11.8 A, 19.5 V)
Size, mm	672 × 483 × 66 mm
Weight, kg	16.15 kg
operating system	Windows 8.1 SL x86 (64-bit)
Official manufacturer's warranty	12 months
Approximate price, rub.	from 140,000 (in similar configurations)

The MSI AG270 model is available in a large number of different modifications. Unfortunately, we received a version for testing that will not be supplied to Russia, but similar configurations - at a price of 140 thousand rubles - can still be found. However, they will not be equipped with SSD drives, which you can install yourself.

The minimum price for an MSI gaming monoblock starts at 85 thousand rubles for the version with a dual-core Core i5 4210H, a discrete graphics core GeForce GTX 960M with 2 GB of dedicated memory and a screen with Full HD resolution. If you really “strangle the toad”, then after spending about 170-180 thousand rubles, the buyer will receive the most powerful modification of the AG270, equipped with a 512 GB SSD drive, one of the most powerful graphics chips - GeForce GTX 980M, an IPS WQHD screen and 16 GB random access memory. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of the specimen we tested.

The monoblock uses a 4th generation Intel mobile processor with Haswell architecture, manufactured according to 22 nm standards. Core i7-4720HQ, oddly enough (and in general it’s very strange, because mobile Cores with a 6th generation core are already sold and used), the CPU is quite new - it was introduced at the end of January this year. This is a quad-core processor with a nominal frequency of 2.6 GHz and support for such important technologies as HyperThreading and TurboBoost.

The latter in automatic mode (depending on the load and temperature) can raise the CPU frequency to 3.6 GHz with one core engaged, up to 3.5 GHz with a load on two cores and up to 3.4 GHz with 3-4 loaded cores. The third level cache memory is 6 MB.

The processor is almost at the top of the list among all currently available Mobile Quad Core CPUs of the Haswell generation with a standard thermal package of 47 W. That is, there are more productive solutions, including those with twice as powerful graphics. True, in the case of a gaming laptop, where the main GPU is a discrete adapter, there is practically no point in the built-in adapter.

The south bridge is the HM87 Lynx Point system logic set.

Our monoblock was equipped with two Hynix DDR3-1600 (800 MHz) modules, 8 GB each, operating in dual-channel mode. The rated operating voltage is 1.35 V. The set delays (timings) are very high, but in the case of mobile platforms this almost always happens.

The graphics solution is the built-in Intel HD Graphics 4600 GPU, but we will not dwell on it in detail. After all, all the main work is performed by the discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M adapter with the second generation Maxwell architecture - it is made in the form of an MXM board with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory on board. By the way, exactly the same adapter, but with half the memory capacity, is used in versions with a Full HD display. This graphics adapter is currently one of the fastest mobile solutions.

The configuration we received uses a 27-inch IPS display with an unknown matrix model, a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Tempered glass with a matte film on top acts as a protective surface.

You can either connect two additional monitors to the monoblock via the HDMI version 1.4 interface, or connect an additional signal source to display images on the AG270 screen.

The data storage system in our configuration consists of two Transcend TS128GMSA370 SSD drives with a capacity of 128 GB each, operating in a zero-level RAID array, and a 3.5-inch Seagate ST2000DM001-1ER164 HDD with a capacity of 2 TB. In the first case, the connection is made via mSATA, in the second, the standard SATA3 interface is used.

The RAID array of SSDs is insanely fast and quite sufficient in size. Although, if you use the AG270 for a large number of games, then, knowing how much modern games weigh after installation, you will often think that it would be better if drives of at least 256 GB were installed here. And this version, by the way, is present in the MSI product range.

As for the HDD, it is also very fast for its class, but has gained a reputation for not being the most reliable.

The system recovery partition is located on a magnetic drive and occupies almost 16 GB. The remaining space on the hard drive is completely provided to the user.

Wireless connections Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS are provided by Realtek RTL8723BE. Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2200 is used as a gigabit network adapter.

The tablet computer comes in a large, colorfully decorated black cardboard box. For ease of carrying there is a white plastic handle on top.

On one side of the package there are two stickers, from which you can find out basic technical information on the configuration, serial number, weight, delivery set, installed OS and country of manufacture (China).

In addition to the monoblock itself, the following was found in the box:

• external power supply;
• power cable;
• backlit keyboard;
• backlit mouse;
• quick user guide for quick start of use;
• complete user manual;
• certificate of component quality and system stability;
• prospectus with a list of features and advantages of the candy bar;
• CD with drivers, utilities and instructions in different languages;
• prospectus on the possibilities of fast charging of peripheral devices (Super Charging);
• Warranty booklet + warranty card inside.

The delivery set is wonderful, there is no other way to say it. Everything is available to get started with the AG270, and most questions can be answered by various brochures and two user manuals.

Appearance

The design of the candy bar could be called simple and unremarkable if not for three elements: a red stripe at the bottom, a transparent acrylic insert with integrated rubber feet and a transparent stand.

These “designer delights” make you wonder what is installed inside. But after the names of powerful components and the price of the device become known, the questions arise: “Why is it so expensive?”, More precisely, “Why such a case for such money?” To put it another way, one thing doesn’t agree much with the other. At least this is the opinion of the author and his circle of acquaintances, which, as you know, may not coincide not only with the opinion of the editors, but also with the opinion of our readers and end buyers of the device.

The mounting plate to the monoblock body is made of glossy plastic. Another not very practical element that bears a lot of responsibility is to hold a heavy body, which it does very well.

The stand itself has a rigid spring, and therefore tilting the monoblock body is not so easy, which can be considered a plus of the solution. The maximum tilt angle is about 35 degrees, the minimum is at least 5-7. Not everyone will be happy with the last figure, but no one would take responsibility for the stability of the AG270 otherwise.

On the right side of the case there are three blue LED status indicators, four control keys (allow you to adjust the volume level, select the signal source, access the screen menu and navigate through its sections) and the power key.

Just below are two USB 3.0 ports, a power connector and a memory card reader. The main connectors for connection are located at the rear of the monoblock and are oriented towards the rear.

The drive for reading and writing CD/DVD is located on the right side of the device. It’s quite a good place, unless, of course, the candy bar doesn’t stand on this side close to the wall. On the other hand, when was the last time you used disks and how often does this happen?

We didn't learn any new information from a couple of stickers on the device's body.

The build quality is good - nothing creaks or wobbles. Speaking about the quality of processing of the case elements, we can note some kind of “torn” edge not only of the back cover, but also of the red frame of the case. Characteristic gaps are visible. We hope that all this is due solely to the fact that the candy bar has been opened several times both by us and before us.

Internal structure

It's quite easy to see the inside of the MSI AG270. To do this, you need to unscrew about 6 screws and remove the plastic cover. Hidden underneath is a metal frame that protects the system components. The main casing is removed after applying some force and unscrewing a couple of screws.

The user is presented with a small motherboard on which the main components and a cooling system are located, only slightly extending beyond the main area.

Two SSD drives are placed one above the other and installed in mSATA slots. Another (third!) slot is located next to the Wi-Fi module and allows you to add a third drive. We hope that exactly the same motherboard is used in the simplest modifications of the MSI AG270.

In the case of our sample, two memory slots are occupied. In what form the memory is installed in other modifications and whether, accordingly, its simple upgrade is possible (purchase of a second module of equal volume), we do not know.

Input Devices

The included keyboard is full-size, made of soft-touch plastic and looks very impressive. In the lower area for resting the wrists there is an illuminated dragon logo. All letters and symbols on the keyboard are white. The main backlight color is also white.

But the user is offered six additional color options and three light brightness modes to choose from. All this is configured using a keyboard shortcut on the keyboard itself. Along with the button illumination, the logo illumination also changes.

The island-type keyboard itself is made of high quality, but due to the soft-touch plastic it gets dirty very quickly, and removing fingerprints is not so easy. In other words, it loses all its luster within an hour or two after starting use. The keystrokes are very quiet - this is a plus. The depth of travel of the keys is small, the degree of springing and tactile feedback are weak, and this, from the author’s point of view (and no, he is not a fan of high-quality keyboards with full-fledged mechanical large keys), is bad. For less advanced players who love beautiful things, the included keyboard is completely suitable, but those who type a lot may not be satisfied.

But the mouse is not so impressive, but the overall rating is higher than that of the keyboard.

All secondary buttons of the “rodent” have built-in red/blue (depending on the operating mode) backlighting. The familiar logo illumination and additional zones with translucent plastic on both sides of the device, behind which there are LEDs, are used here. Pressing the two main keys is clear and sonorous; we had no complaints about the mouse’s performance.

The MSI AG270 has a 2 megapixel camera, without additional backlight/flash. The picture quality in good, bright lighting is quite tolerable. Nothing more to add.

Testing

This is the second material written using our new methodology. The list of tests and software used, their settings and versions have been revised, scripts for testing battery life have been updated, and much more.

Due to the fact that we very rarely test devices of this kind, below we will present both the results of only one MSI AG270, as well as comparative diagrams with the ones that are closest “in spirit” (and in some cases, completely distant in terms of performance, purely for the sake of example ) devices that still passed the necessary tests.

Performance

We will start our performance testing with web tests, which include performing various fairly simple tasks, as well as testing the speed of JavaScript in the browser (Google Chrome was used in the latest stable version).

In this case, the main load falls on the shoulders of the processor and RAM. Based on the results, we can conclude that the number of cores and the number of RAM are not priorities for performing this kind of task. The powerful gaming candy bar is on par with this year's Apple ultrabooks. And of course, it significantly surpassed the results of the Acer Switch 10E laptop-tablet we recently tested.

In PCMark tests, the review hero in two cases surpassed the results of the most expensive modification of the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 2015 and lagged behind in the Work test suite.

But in Cinebench R15, the MSI AG270 monoblock was able to win in every discipline over both MacBook Pro Retina 15 of the last two generations.

He was able to defeat them in GFXBench, which indicates a very powerful graphical component of our ward.

In the 3DMark test, the AG270 companions found many more representatives similar to it (with a GPU of the same class, but of the previous generation), and it was easily able to outperform each of them. As for the FireStrike test, for comparison there was only an expensive ultrabook tablet from ASUS, but MSI showed twice the result, which is not surprising.

All the games we used in the case of the MSI AG270 were tested exclusively in its native resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels. We believe that buying a powerful and expensive monoblock is not the reason to then reduce the resolution to Full HD on a 27-inch screen and get image interpolation - a noticeable drop in its clarity.

Our modification was able to prove that games from previous years, even with high graphics settings (but without anti-aliasing), are quite easy for her. As for the latest games, in the case of many of them, the graphics settings will still have to be reduced to medium and do without anti-aliasing. Here you need to be aware that the AG270 monoblock has a mobile GPU installed, and not its desktop version, and therefore its performance is noticeably lower.

Cooling system and noise level

The main sources of heat generation are the CPU and GPU, so the entire cooling system is aimed at them. For the first, a small and simple heat sink with one heat pipe is used; for the graphics module, a more advanced heat sink with three flat heat pipes is used. They are connected to a small radiator by the standards of stationary PCs, which is blown by a turbine that is equally small in size.

When not under load and when performing simple tasks in a Windows environment, the MSI All-in-One PC remains almost silent. As the load increases, the turbine speed increases, and the AG270 can no longer be called quiet. At the same time, there is plenty of free space under the rear cover of the monoblock, and it is not entirely clear what prevented you from making the radiator larger, and with it significantly increasing the size of the turbine itself? This would increase airflow and reduce speed and noise levels. It seems like a simple task, but no - the engineers seem to have taken the stuffing from some gaming laptop and did not want to re-design the CO.

When inactive, the temperature of the main system components does not exceed 47 degrees.

Stress testing in the AIDA64 program revealed that the cooling system does not allow the processor to warm up above 80 °C at maximum load, which is unlikely to be achieved during real tasks solved by the monoblock. At the same time, we note that under such a high load Turbo Boost practically did not work; the processor clock frequency did not exceed 2.7-2.8 GHz. In more realistic conditions and with a load on all four cores, it can be up to 3.4-3.6 GHz, which depends on the CPU temperature. But the main thing is that the processor does not throttle, which gaming laptops do not always manage to do.

Built-in audio system

The built-in speaker system consists of four speakers, two on each side of the case. All of them are located in its lower part, behind a metal perforated mesh. Let us remind you that Realtek ALC887 is used as the HDA codec.

The sound of the built-in speaker system did not impress us, but left a pleasant impression. The maximum volume is sufficient for both games and movies, not to mention background music and Skype conversations. At maximum volume there is no wheezing or rattling. The quality of reproduction of high and mid frequencies is not satisfactory. There is also bass, but, as often happens, you always want more. In any case, any stereo pair for 2000+ rubles will play better. But is it necessary if you buy a candy bar that already has everything?

The MSI AG270 modification we received uses an IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Its diagonal is 27 inches, for protection there is tempered glass with a matte film on top of it.

Using the control keys on the candy bar body, you can get to the menu of the display itself.

There is not much interesting in it. Some parameters are locked for change. There is no ability to adjust RGB Gain to adjust the white point at the firmware level of the monitor itself. Brightness adjustment can also be done exclusively through the operating system, as in regular laptops.

The stated viewing angles are 178 degrees in both planes. The picture stability is high, as it should be for a matrix of this class.

In color images, the degree of Glow manifestation is much lower, but with a strong change in the viewing angle, the “air gap” between the panel and the protective surface and the matte anti-reflective film make themselves felt - a kind of blurring of the image occurs, which you will never see with simple monitors.

It happens due to the “air gap” and the ability to see the reflections of elements from the screen. But this depends on many factors (external lighting, backlight brightness, picture on the display, viewing angle).

The overclocking of the matrix used is not set up very well, as a result of which image artifacts appear on moving objects, which is clearly demonstrated by the photo above. It is impossible to get rid of artifacts due to the lack of such a setting in the OSD Menu of the display.

The manufacturer claims to use Flicker-Free W-LED backlight, which was confirmed during our tests. The backlight unit does not use PID modulation (even at the minimum brightness level), so the user can be calm about his eyes.

Now let's check the uniformity of illumination on the white field. Above is a photo with a specially selected exposure to better see all the problem areas.

The monitor had enough of these. In terms of brightness, the average deviation from the central point was 9.2%, and the maximum was 19%. This is the level of most 27-inch WQHD IPS displays. The darkest areas are the two left corners and the entire bottom of the screen.

There are fewer problems with color temperature uniformity. The operating range over the entire screen area is 6,432-6,922 K after calibration. The average deviation is 1.7%, the maximum is 5.5%. The result is average. The maximum deviations were found in the upper area and lower right corner.

Since brightness is adjusted using the slider in the “Power Options” section of the Windows operating system, we measured only the maximum and minimum brightness and contrast ratio values. Let us immediately note that the values ​​vary greatly depending on the selected image mode in the OSD menu of the screen itself. We used standard settings.

The maximum brightness on a white field at the central point of the display was 395 cd/m2, the contrast ratio was almost 971:1. As the brightness decreased to the minimum possible 85 cd/m2, the black field depth also decreased, which ultimately led to a CC of 876:1, which, however, is also not bad. The result is acceptable, but nothing more.

The color gamut of the monitor covers the sRGB standard by 99.4% and AdobeRGB by 73%. And if the second in this case does not interest us at all, then in comparison with the first, the capabilities of the matrix installed in the AG270 are superior to it in the area with red, yellow and green shades. Therefore, if you want to work with color, we strongly recommend using a profile specially created for the monitor and software with CMS support.

The white point is set rather poorly, and the stability of the color temperature is also not very good. Almost all points on the CIE diagram are outside the DeltaE maximum tolerance range<10.

The white point returned to normal, the stability of gray shades became several times higher, which is clearly visible in the two diagrams.

Problems with the blue channel in gamma curves have disappeared. The curves lay as close as possible to the reference line. The maximum brightness after calibration, due to the lack of hardware RGB gain control (as in desktop monitors), decreased to 381 cd/m2.

The results of the Argyll CMS test will please many. Now the program focuses on the color capabilities of the installed matrix (within its color gamut), and not the sRGB standard. The average deviation is 0.27, the maximum is 1.18. Great!

Pre-installed software

The all-in-one from MSI did not have many pre-installed software products, and some of them may actually be useful.

The Killer Network Manager utility to some extent plays the role of a firewall, allowing you to block various connections, monitor network load by applications, and learn about connections and operating modes of network adapters.

The Nahimic program, stylish in terms of design, is responsible for controlling the sound, microphone and recording quality. The interface is simple, but the capabilities are impressive.

The main feature of the MSI Gaming Control Center is the SceneMax section, which allows you to quickly enable various display profiles or configure it manually. Otherwise, some of its functions are the same as other pre-installed software.

For players who want to show off their skills to other people, the manufacturer offers a 6-month subscription to XSplit Gamecaster.

The MSI MediaCloud cloud storage, judging by the request to additionally log in to your Microsoft account, is apparently built on the basis of the One Drive service from MS.

Using the separate MSI Boot Configure utility, you can customize the appearance of the initial screen, set a login password, and perform some other settings that are also available in Windows 8 itself.

We will not be original in our conclusions if we say that the MSI AG270 all-in-one PC (all modifications without exception) is a high-quality, but very niche solution for people who are not too limited in funds and do not need a regular desktop PC. MSI managed to combine high-performance components of the level of expensive gaming laptops in a slightly thicker 27-inch WQHD display case and achieve a relatively low noise level of the cooling system.

The screen of this monoblock also deserves high praise: it is very good thanks to the IPS matrix, high resolution and decent settings. However, one cannot fail to note the strong crystalline effect due to the anti-reflective layer. In addition, the image is somewhat further than usual, because there is a significant “air gap” between the matrix and the protective surface, which is why you can sometimes see re-reflections of graphic elements. The inability to adjust the brightness of the display backlight through the built-in OSD menu also seemed strange. There, depending on the mode, it is fixed at certain values. You have to control brightness through the “Power Options” section of the operating system itself.

Our last complaint relates to the keyboard (the mouse is fine): if the candy bar is aimed at gamers, then you expect to see the main input devices with full-fledged mechanical keys.

From the 3DNews.ru file server you can download the color profile for the MSI AG270 all-in-one PC with a WQHD IPS display, which we obtained during calibration.

Advantages:

• high-performance filling (depending on modification);
• excellent delivery set;
• possibility of hassle-free upgrade of RAM and data storage subsystem (1 × SATA3 and 3 × mSATA);
• relatively quiet cooling system and low heating;
• excellent viewing angles and IPS-type matrix with WQHD resolution;

Flaws:

• highly noticeable crystalline effect and the presence of an “air gap” between the screen and the protective surface;
• rather low quality of gradients (with standard settings and after calibration) and the presence of image artifacts on moving objects;
• high price (in comparison with “assembling it yourself” and buying peripherals separately).