MSI Infinite X (8700K & 1080 Ti) System Review

1. Introduction to MSI Infinite X2. Performance and Testing3. Cooling Performance4. Closing Thoughts5. View All Pages

MSI Infinite X is a pre-built gaming PC that you can pick up locally, provided you live somewhere near a John Lewis department store. The hardware is a classic combination of Intel Core i7-8700K and Nvidia graphics and naturally enough both the motherboard and graphics card are manufactured by MSI.

There are three versions of the Infinite X on sale here in the UK that are differentiated by the choice of graphics card, which affects both price and performance. At the bottom end of the scale we have the 8RC at £1499 with GTX 1060 graphics. For an extra £200 you can step up to the 8RD at £1699 with a GTX 1070 GPU, or you can push the boat out the whole way and go for the 8RE at £2100 with GTX 1080 graphics.

So there are three models of Infinite X, however the sample we received came with a GTX 1080 Ti graphics card which means it is unique, and also means it is not representative of the Infinite X you might buy. Put it this way, the Infinite X we have here looks like the best case scenario for this family of PCs.

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Specification
CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K 6 cores/12 threads, 3.7GHz-4.7GHz
CPU cooler: 120mm Silent Storm Cooling 3 Pro
Memory: 16GB DDR4-2400MHz dual channel (Max. 64GB)
Motherboard: MSI Z370M Gaming Pro AC
Graphics: MSI Armor GeForce GTX 1080Ti 11GB GDDR5X
Storage:
2x Intel 600P M.2 SSD in 500GB RAID 0
2TB Seagate BarraCuda SATA HDD

Audio:
7.1 Channel HD Audio with Nahimic audio enhancer
Optical drive Slim Type (9.5mm) Tray-Load Super Multi DVD-RAM

Front I/O:
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type C
1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A
1x USB 2.0

Rear I/O:
4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type A
2 x USB 2.0
(1x DisplayPort 1.4 and 1x HDMI 2.0)
1x RJ45
5x Audio connectors
1x S/PDIF
1x PS/2
Wi-Fi: 802.11ac Intel Wireless-AC 3168
Bluetooth: Intel BT4.2
Ethernet: Intel WGI219V
Power supply: Delta 550W 80 Plus Bronze (ATX)
Chassis volume: 42 litres
Dimensions: 210mm x 45mm x 488mm
Weight: 15kg
Software: MSI Command Centre

The layout of the Infinite X is conventional, however your first glance inside the chassis might suggest otherwise. MSI has divided up the interior with a plastic shroud that separates the GPU from the CPU, which is intended to control air flow through the case. After all, none of us want the hot air to rise from our graphics card and gently toast the CPU.

The power supply is housed in a lower compartment, so from bottom to top there are three separate areas for power supply, GPU and CPU. With the main shroud removed you can clearly see the Infinite X uses regular desktop components although it took us a moment to figure out the MSI Z370M Gaming Pro AC motherboard has much smaller VRM heat sinks than the retail version of the motherboard.

Our initial tour around the Infinite X raised question marks over the use of DDR4-2400MHz memory as that looks like an obvious bottleneck. We also wondered why MSI had chosen an 80+ Bronze rated Delta power supply. Delta is a good brand however the Bronze rating just looks cheap in a world where enthusiasts surely deserve Gold, Platinum or Titanium. When you’re paying top money for a gaming PC you should expect high end components and a Bronze PSU falls short of that mark.

And then there’s the CPU cooler. A 120mm AIO liquid cooler looks rather small for cooling a six-core Core i7-8700K, even at stock clock speeds, and we were genuinely unsure just how the Infinite X would perform in our testing.

Testing and Performance
A few months back we reviewed a Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming motherboard with a Core i7-8700K and GTX 1080 Ti graphics and retested the board for our launch review of Ryzen 7 2700X which made it an ideal point of comparison with the Infinite X. We tested the Gigabyte with the CPU at both stock and overclocked speeds, however in this review we are only looking at stock CPU speeds.

It is worth noting the Gigabyte was used with G.Skill Sniper X memory at 3600MHz while the MSI has 2400MHz so there is a point of difference there. If you check the specification of pretty much any PC with Core i7-8700K and GTX graphics, however, the starting point is DDR4-3000MHz RAM – the MSI is just not up to scratch in that regard.

Testing and Performance Overview
In every test the Infinite X trailed behind our Gigabyte test set-up by a small but significant margin in the region of five percent. If we had paid £2500 this would have been disappointing however if you don’t have a point of reference, such as the Gigabyte, you would probably not be aware of the missing performance. Six cores of Coffee Lake plus a GTX 1080 Ti gives you solid gaming performance. Full stop.

Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance Overview
The 120mm CPU cooler is unimpressive, and so too is the cooler on the GTX 1080 Ti Armor. Taken together the two pieces of hardware acted as though they were overclocked, even while they delivered only modest performance.

We noted in our video that the Core i7-8700K was running at 4.1GHz on all cores where we would expect to see 4.3GHz. Our best theory is that the VRMs on the motherboard are unable to handle the i7-8700K at full load and the tiny heatsinks on the VRMs only make matter worse.

If you happen to be the sort of person who walks through a department store and buys a £2500 gaming PC as a spur of the moment thing, we imagine you will be fairly happy with the Infinite X.

MSI has put an emphasis on cosmetics with a glass panel and RGB lighting, however the open frame where you mount the glass side panel looks shockingly unfinished. Balanced against that the Infinite X performs reasonably well and the man in the street will doubtless enjoy the RGB bling.

The problem, of course, is that enthusiasts will know better – you can get better hardware for less money from any PC builder worthy of the name. Using a better case will improve the cosmetics and will also ensure the air flow is filtered. A 240mm AIO liquid cooler will help the CPU temperature and it is a no-brainer to use faster DDR4. We respect the Delta brand but at this price we want at least an 80+ Gold rated power supply. Nothing less will do.

To put this in context, we were not surprised that when we removed the air flow shroud we also uncovered a bunch of messy cables. This doesn’t affect performance and in the great scheme of things it probably doesn’t matter but it feels like MSI simply doesn’t much care about the quality of the Infinite X.

Let us be absolutely clear the MSI Infinite X does a good job of playing games, however its natural market is the wealthy but ignorant PC gamer. We are confident that KitGuru readers do not fall in that category.

As we mentioned, this specific model with a GTX 1080 Ti is not available to purchase, but the 8RE model (with GTX 1080) is available for £2099.95 HERE.

Pros:

• Good gaming performance.
• Mystic lighting looks interesting.

Cons:

• Liquid cooler is only 120mm.
• DDR4-2400MHz is very slow.
• 550W Delta power supply is rated Bronze.
• Glass side panel is unfiltered.
• Cable management is rudimentary.

KitGuru says: It might appeal on the surface, but PC enthusiasts will know other systems can offer better hardware for less money.

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