Introduction

With the launch of Intel's latest platform, something else to add to the mix of things that are new is new PCs, naturally. For users that buy prebuilt-PCs, this means a bit of a performance boost right out of the box, thanks to the boosted clocks of Intel's latest CPU iteration. The first of such PCs I've got to play with a while is MSI's Trident 3 GAMING PC.

MSI's Trident 3 GAMING is a slim PC that is very reminiscent of current living room gaming consoles that so many people out there have attached to their PCs. So you know the target type of user here for sure, and I can count myself among them. If you want to bring PC gaming into the living room with a console-like experience, MSI's Trident 3 PC is an option you should definitely consider.

The MSI Trident 3 is built around a mITX motherboard equipped with 16 GB of SO-DIMM memory and an Intel Core i7-7700 65W Kaby Lake CPU. The board then has a customized mITX-length MSI GAMING GTX 1060 smashed in the case next to it, making the Trident 3 PC aptly equipped for 1080p gaming. Add in the 256 GB SATA M.2 SSD and the 1 TB drive for storage that comes pre-equipped with (along with Windows 10 Home), and it's ready to do so in under 230W right out of the box!



* Configuration as tested

Packaging

The box the Trident 3 arrived in was much larger than I had anticipated. In fact, there are a few different boxes, with options available as to what you get included with the PC; either the Trident 3 alone, with a gamepad, or with keyboard and mouse. The label on the side of the box is pretty clear in telling you exactly what parts are inside the box.


There is a seal on the box ensuring you no one has touched your new Trident3 PC since it left the factory. Cutting those open is always a great feeling. :P Once it is actually open, you'll find the individual parts contained within their own boxes, each in its own partition inside the protective foam.


Since I wasn't expecting a keyboard, this was a nice treat for me. The box is pretty fancy at least.


The mouse, on the other hand, comes in a rather cheap blister pack that made me have rather low expectations for it. However, this style of packaging means that you can get a feel for how the mouse fits your hand without having to open the packet. That's nice.


Then we come to the box for the MSI Trident 3 PC itself. You get a picture of the unit itself on the front, and just a few quips on the back about features. This is truly excellent packaging in my eyes, both front and rear.


I loved opening the box for the MSI Trident 3. You have this nice foam all over, and some paper manuals in a bag up top. Removing the plastic bag reveals the external power supply, and its cabling.


You'll also find the MSI Trident 3's vertical stand here. Then you can remove the top foam to find the Trident3 itself below, wrapped in a nice bag and obviously protected by plenty of that thick black foam.


The bag has a nice soft velvety feeling, and I found a fresh embossed MSI GAMING logo on one side. Perfect!

Contents

There are few goodies that are needed to be included with such a package. With Windows 10 pre-installed, and this optional keyboard and mouse at my disposal, it was simply a matter of plugging into a monitor or one of my TVs and I could get to using the MSI Trident 3! A good look at everything I found in all the boxes once I had opened them is shown below:

• User's manual, quick start guide, warranty card, etc.
• 1x MSI Trident 3 GAMING PC
• 1x Power unit and cabling
• 1x HDMI VR Link cable
• 1x Keyboard
• 1x Mouse