MSI has a reputation for making edgy-looking desktops, and the Vortex G25VR (starts at $1,499; $1,999 as tested) is no exception.
This game-console-like device, with its hard-hitting combo of an Intel Core i7-8700 six-core processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB graphics card, packs a lot of power into a small footprint.
The Corsair One Pro, with its sky-high level of power in a compact, classy design, remains our Editors' Choice for small-form-factor gaming desktops, but the G25VR's intriguing looks and muscular performance make it a strong contender.
A Console Alternative
Able to lie on its side or be seated vertically in its included plastic stand, the Vortex G25VR, at 13 by 11 by 1.7 inches (HWD) when upright, is barely larger than Microsoft's Xbox One X.
Design-wise, it reminds us of MSI's Trident gaming PC.
That model is smaller overall, but the Vortex is a lot slimmer.
The full story of the Vortex G25VR's size and weight isn't told by the chassis alone.
This desktop is powered by an external 330-watt power adapter that's about the size of a brick; it weighs almost as much as the 5.5-pound tower all by itself.
The lines of the Vortex G25VR are clean and modern.
The dark color scheme and red accents are not-so-subtle giveaways that this is a gaming machine.
The topside of the tower is cool-feeling metal.
An LED light bar runs through it, while MSI's gaming shield logo is brightly backlit in white.
Ports are plentiful, though the Vortex G25VR lacks a media card reader.
The front edge of the tower has the power button, a 12V DC-out plug, an HDMI 2.0 video output, a pair of USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C port, and separate headphone and microphone jacks.
The remainder of the connectivity is on the rear, and includes a Thunderbolt 3 port, a Kensington-style cable lockdown notch, a final pair of USB-A 3.0 ports, another HDMI port, SPDIF audio out, and the jack for the external power supply.
Capable Components
The Vortex G25VR is sold in two configurations in the United States.
The $1,999 G25-022US we're reviewing is the faster of the two.
At its heart is Intel's Core i7-8700 six-core processor, a chip that's up to handling almost any conceivable task.
The $1,499 G25-023US version comes with a Core i5-8400 quad-core chip, which is still more than fast enough for most gaming.
(Both models are VR-ready.) The Core i7-8700 runs at a base clock of 3.2GHz, but it can reach up to 4.6GHz in its turbo mode.
It can't be overclocked, but we're not looking for that kind of functionality in a slim desktop like this.
On the graphics side, our higher-end model has Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GPU, while the base Vortex model opts for a GTX 1060 6GB.
Both cards are perfectly adequate for AAA-level gaming at 1080p, but for 1440p, we'd recommend the GTX 1070.
It was a surprise to us that the Vortex G25VR has four memory DIMM slots on its motherboard; we were expecting just two.
Our test unit is outfitted with a single 16GB stick of laptop-style DDR4-2400.
There are three drive bays in the Vortex G25VR.
Our unit has two drives installed; one of them is a 256GB M.2 solid-state drive, on which Windows 10 Pro is preinstalled.
The other is a 2.5-inch 1TB hard drive for traditional storage.
MSI lists the M.2 slots as supporting PCI Express-bus storage, but the Samsung-brand drive in our tester uses the older SATA bus.
There's hardly a difference between the two interfaces in day-to-day usage, but we'd have appreciated if a newer PCIe drive was included anyway.
There is one open M.2 slot for future expansion.
Getting inside this desktop for upgrades is a task that eluded us, however.
After removing the four visible screws in the base of the Vortex G25VR, we couldn't seem to pry up the edges of the chassis without feeling like we were going to break the plastic.
Plan to use this system as you bought it.
Wireless connectivity inside the Vortex G25-022US comes from a Killer 802.11ac card.
Bluetooth 4.1 personal wireless is also included.
We didn't have a problem with either in our testing.
The twin cooling fans inside this desktop are well behaved; we had trouble hearing them unless we were gaming.
Even then, the fans had no whine and were tough to casually discern from background noise.
The Vortex G25VR comes with a one-year warranty.
Potent Performance
The six-core prowess of the Core i7-8700 inside our Vortex G25VR wasn't fully put to the test in our PCMark 8 office productivity benchmark, where it was edged out by the Falcon Northwest Tiki (2017) .
That unit was powered by a last-generation but overclocked Core i7-7700K quad-core.
The Corsair One Pro also uses the Core i7-7700K, and together with the Falcon Northwest unit managed to edge out the Vortex G25VR in our Adobe Photoshop CS6 image-editing exercise.
That's splitting hairs, though—any time less than 2:30 in that test is smoking fast.
The Vortex and the Origin PC Chronos (2017) ($1,224.00 at ORIGIN PC) struck back in the CPU-focused Cinebench test and Handbrake video-editing benchmark, where their six rather than four processing cores gave them an unanswered advantage.
In 3DMark FireStrike Extreme, the Vortex G25VR performed on the lower end of what we expected from a GTX 1070 GPU.
The MSI Aegis Ti3 used the same GPU model and scored higher, but the difference is that they are modular desktop cards, whereas the Vortex G25VR uses a proprietary version.
Some of the performance difference may have come from that.
The Origin, with its GTX 1080 Ti card, cruised to the overall win.
The Heaven and Valley tests are largely CPU-limited on powerhouses like these.
The Vortex G25VR had no problem producing playable frame rates at 1080p resolution.
See How We Test Desktop PCs
The GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card is a known quantity at this point.
Originally released in 2016, this GPU is still more than potent enough for 1440p and high-fps 1080p gaming in these titles.
Gaming at 4K resolution is a bit iffy unless you lower the detail settings.
A Solid SFF Contender
The MSI Vortex G25VR packs a ton of performance inside its slim body; our review unit's six-core CPU and GeForce GTX 1070 are more than a match for today's AAA titles.
And, thanks to its front-mounted HDMI port, this system is VR-friendly.
Its biggest drawback is its large external power brick.
Provided you find a way to hide that, the Vortex makes an excellent centerpiece.
But the Corsair One Pro, with its eye-popping performance and cool design, remains our Editors' Choice.
Cons
The Bottom Line
The MSI Vortex G25VR is a console-like, VR-ready desktop with a slim footprint and excellent gaming performance.
