MSI Trident 3

Attack of the consoles

- Zak Storey

Love ’em or Loathe ’em, pre-built systems provide an accessible entry point into the PC gaming ecosystem. After all, not everyone has the time or desire to bone up and get to grips with building a rig, so why not cut the fat, and get straight to the meat of it all with something like the Trident 3?

It seems like a solid idea. The spec is good for the price—Core i7-8700, GTX 1070, 16GB of DDR4—and you get a hefty storage solution as well. Coupled with a form factor matching the likes of the Corsair One’s sophistication, it’s a shoo-in, surely?

Not quite—there are a few problems. Despite MSI claiming on its website that the Trident 3 is “easily accessible and ready to be upgraded at any time,” removing the rear panel voids the warranty for the entire unit. Mind you, you’d be hard-pressed to find out how to take it apart, because it requires prying off the bottom fascia, and removing a plethora of screws and plastic to get at the hardware.