MSI AG2712A Gaming All-in-One Review
Gaming PCs, both desktop and laptop, have been undergoing something of a renaissance in the last year or two, as the gaming category grows in sales while most of the PC world plateaus or declines. As a result, there has been a lot of experimentation in size and form factor as manufacturers try to further broaden the appeal of the gaming PC. One unexpected result of this experimentation is the MSI G2712A Gaming All-in-One ($1,899.99, as tested). Presented as an all-in-one PC with the heart of a gaming rig, MSI's unusual desktop is one part gamer, one part multimedia PC. That's not a bad thing.
Design and Features
The MSI AG2712A distinguishes itself from other gaming desktop PCs with its all-in-one design. The chassis is done up in black and metallic red, with clear acrylic supporting the bottom edge of the all-in-one and propping it up from behind with an easel-back kickstand. The color combination evokes a high-performance sports car, and MSI doesn't shy away from that association, with its Porsche-like shield logo prominently displayed on the desktop wallpaper.
The all-in-one design puts all of the components—motherboard and processor, graphics card and storage drives—behind the 27-inch monitor. The display offers 1,920-by-1,080 resolution and 10-finger multitouch, but it doesn't look fantastic—at 27 inches, you really want a screen that can handle higher than 1080p. It also doesn't have the best viewing angles, thanks to an anti-reflective coating that leaves the screen looking blurry and dull from any angle other than head-on. When viewed directly, however, the display offers rich colors and deep blacks, with a good range of brightness.
Just below the screen is a sound bar, which houses two 5-watt stereo speakers. If the built-in audio isn't quite enough for your liking, the system also offers 5.1 channel surround-sound with THX TruStudio Pro, for use with an external speaker system.
The AG2712A comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse, which connect through a wireless USB dongle in the back of the system. Neither one is really suited to gaming—the keyboard is a lightweight plastic thing with tile keys and silicone dome switches, while the basic wireless mouse is small enough to be classified as a travel mouse, and lacks any of the features you'll want when gaming, like adjustable DPI or any sort of customization.
What the all-in-one does offer, however, is a strong port selection. On the left side of the chassis are two USB 3.0 ports, a card reader slot (SD/MMC/MS), and power connector. There are also several buttons for powering the system on and off, accessing display settings and modes, and adjusting volume. On the right, the only feature is a tray-loading BD/DVD burner.
Most of the system's connections are on the back of the chassis, with four USB ports (two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0), jacks for headphone and microphone, Gigabit Ethernet, along with VGA and HDMI output (for a second display) and an HDMI input. That last connection is a real boon for the value-conscious user, since it allows you to connect a game console or a set-top box to the all-in-one and use it as a monitor, thus extending the usable life of the system.
Inside, the AG2712A is equipped with an 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter and Bluetooth 4.0. There's a 2TB 5,400rpm hard drive for mass storage, and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) as a faster boot drive. Our review unit came with Windows 8 installed, but Windows 8.1 is available as a free upgrade. In addition to the OS, the system also came with a few extras, like Evernote Touch, FreshPaint, Skype, generically named apps like Whiteboard and CookBook, and a few apps you might just want to remove upon first use, like WildTangent Games, or Music Maker Jam.
The AG2712A is equipped with a 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-3630QM quad-core processor, paired with 16GB of RAM and an AMD Radeon HD 8970M graphics card (with 2GB of dedicated memory). The processor is a third-generation CPU, last seen in the Vizio 27-inch All-in-One Touch PC (CA27T-B1) reviewed last June. Since then, Intel has moved on to more energy-efficient fourth-generation chips, which leaves this all-in-one feeling a bit slow and out of date. That sort of hardware puts the system on about the same level as the Lenovo Erazer X700 or the Acer Predator AG3-605-UR20, two off-the-shelf gaming PCs designed for the gamer who wants a good basic gaming rig without the additional work of upgrading or maintaining that system down the road. But while both of those systems do offer at least access to the internal components, the MSI AG2712A is clearly not meant to be opened up, requiring a near dismantling of the chassis to access the internals. MSI covers the AG2712A with a one-year warranty.
Performance
The AG2712A has plenty of things going for it, but when it comes to performance, there's only one question that matters--can it game? Rest assured that, yes, MSI's "gaming all-in-one" lives up to its name. With its AMD Radeon HD 8970M graphics card, the all-in-one returned gaming test results similar to both the Lenovo X700 and Acer AG3-605-UR20, running at 44 frames per second (at high resolution and detail settings) in Aliens vs. Predator, and 37 fps in Heaven under similar settings. These sorts of results promise solid—if not earth-shattering—performance in most current AAA title games. Compared with other all-in-one systems, even those with discrete graphics like the Nvidia-equipped Dell XPS 27 Touch All-in-One (2720), these results are miles ahead, and offer a level of gaming performance that competing all-in-one PCs can't match.
In terms of raw processing power, the AG2712A does just fine, even with an older third-generation CPU, scoring 6,335 points in PCMark 7, and producing decent (though not stellar) performance in multimedia tests. The all-in-one completed Photoshop in 3 minutes 35 seconds and Handbrake in 0:38. While many gaming systems will have enough processing and graphics oomph to double as workstation PCs, the AG2712A does offer enough to be a very good multimedia PC, used as much for enjoying movies and media as it is for gaming. And with the addition of an HDMI input, those entertainment options grow further, with the option of console gaming and home theater applications.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the MSI AG2712A is better when considered as more of a multimedia all-in-one with additional gaming capability, than as a pure gaming rig in a new form factor. The AG2712A does offer substantially better gaming chops than even top all-in-one systems, but without any sort of upgrade options, it won't be a big seller to the gaming elite. As a gaming system, it's on par with other off-the-shelf desktops, but as an all-in-one, its gaming capabilities really make it shine. The Dell XPS 27 Touch All-in-One (2720) remains our Editors' Choice for all-in-one desktops due its broad appeal, but the MSI AG2712A is definitely the all-in-one to consider if you want to add gaming to the mix.
PROS
Brings gaming capability to the all-in-one desktop. HDMI input opens up other entertainment uses. Blu-ray drive. Touch screen is great for non-gaming-oriented tasks. Spacious 2TB hard drive. A 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) keeps things speedy.
CONS
No option for expansion or upgrades. Full HD is an underwhelming resolution for a 27-inch display. Antiglare coating limits viewing angles. Bundled keyboard and mouse will be disappointing for gamers.
BOTTOM LINE
The MSI AG2712A wants to be an all-in-one desktop with the soul of a competitive gaming PC, but winds up being a pretty good multimedia PC with added gaming capabilities.
Original Article http://uk.pcmag.com/msi-ag2712a-gaming-all-in-one/3914/review/msi-ag2712a-gaming-all-in-one