CES 2021: MSI reveals new hardware for gamers and professionals

Besides debuting a new line of high-end laptops, MSI took its time during CES 2021 to show off plenty of fresh hardware. The manufacturer, known for its black and RGB aesthetic revealed multiple new pieces of tech. Don’t expect any of these new offerings to come cheap, though. With this showing, MSI is clearly leaning further into its expanded market, gearing products not only towards high-end PC gamers, but also professionals.

MSI’s announcements include everything from coolers to motherboards, so let’s start with the former. As we shove more powerful hardware into our computer cases, things are going to get hotter. And while AMD might view 95C temps for its Ryzen 5000 CPUs as a non-issue, not everyone agrees. That’s why MSI is seemingly doubling down on powerful cooling hardware that is, of course, laced with RGB.

The MPG Coreliquid K360 should prevent any CPU from thermal throttling. It’s the only CPU liquid cooler revealed by MSI at this show, and at first glance, it just looks like a light-up cooler. It sports the typical three-fan design anyone should expect, although those fans are covered in RGB. Likewise, the cooler’s water blockhead has its own 2.4″ LCD screen that a user can program however they wish. The standout feature here is the cooler’s additional hidden fan. A tiny 60mm fan resides in the water blockhead, providing focused cooling

High performance, low temps

Those worried about their high-end graphics card overheating can look to MSI’s new line of liquid cooled RTX 30 Series cards. MSI’s Sea Hawk graphics cards will utilize both air and liquid cooling, strapping a massive fan on the card itself while a closed liquid cooling circuit runs to a radiator. According to a press release detailing this product, these graphics cards will require “absolutely no maintenance.”

MSI is also providing a home for any powerful cards of theirs you might pick up with the MEG Z590 Godlike. As its name suggests, this motherboard takes everything to the extreme. This board is specially designed to distribute heat away from key components. With a Frozr heatsink, aluminum backplate, and 7W/mK thermal pads, thermals shouldn’t be an issue. Those looking to pick up a Godlike should also invest in some fast, M.2 SSDs. The board sports 4 PCIe gen 4 slots, each with its own M.2 shield. There’s also a large OLED panel on the Godlike for users to customize, because why not?

Compact equipment for designers and professionals

During the latter half of its CES 2021 show, MSI focused on hardware specifically geared towards professionals, not gamers. There’s no RGB here, just sleek, brushed metals. Take it from the MSI Creator P50, an extremely compact content creation-focused desktop. At only five liters in volume, this small form-factor PC comes with Intel Core i9 processors and Thunderbolt 4 support. According to a press release from MSI, the Creator P50 also supports the latest graphics cards, although there’s no mention of what customers can expect.

For professionals who need precise color accuracy, MSI is also rolling out two new monitors. The Modern MD241 Series and Modern MD271 Series include anti-flicker and lower blue-light to reduce eye strain over the course of long workdays. Both monitors can be rotated 90 degrees and VESA mounted as well.

Lastly is MSI’s all-in-one Summit 241S. This desktop features a removable monitor, although no details are given as to what other monitors can be installed. The Summit 241S also features smart sensors that scan a room’s environment to automatically adjust brightness and other screen settings.