Problem solving. MSI updated the Mystic Light system MSI motherboard backlight control

MSI Mystic Light Sync technology allows you to synchronize the lighting of different devices

The MSI X99A GODLIKE GAMING motherboard was one of the first on the market to support RGB lighting. However, MSI does not stop there and continues to actively develop this area. With the support of Corsair, Silverstone, Cooler Master and other renowned players in the market, it introduced MSI Mystic Light Sync technology.

What makes it innovative? It allows you to synchronize the lighting of different devices using the mobile or desktop version of the MSI Gaming App utility. However, for now, MSI Mystic Light Sync technology only works in new motherboards from the MSI GAMING line. That is, now you can easily change the color of the illumination, for example, of the mouse, keyboard and motherboard, as well as change their operating mode. Some motherboards have a 4-pin connector for connecting special LED strips. Their work can also be synchronized using the MSI Gaming App utility.

Currently, MSI Mystic Light Sync technology is compatible with the following devices:

• gaming keyboard Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L
• Corsair Strafe RGB gaming keyboard
• Corsair Scimitar RGB gaming mouse
• gaming mouse G.Skill Ripjaws MX780 RGB
• gaming keyboard G.Skill Ripjaws KM780 RGB
• SilverStone PM01 Chassis
• Geil DDR4 EVO X line of RAM
• BitFenix ​​Alchemy 2.0 LED strip
• LED strip Phanteks PH-LEDKT
• LED strip SilverStone SST-LS02

(It is also available on the Support tab of the relevant product page.) Install it and restart your computer.

Step 2: Scan

• A Launch the Mystic Light utility by clicking on its icon on the start tab of the Dragon Center application.
• B A list of detected compatible devices appears at the top of the control panel.

Step 3: Personalize

• A To set the backlight operating mode of a device, click on its icon.
• B Select the color and brightness, visual effect and speed, and then click the Apply button.
• C To synchronize the lighting of all devices, click on the large icon with the image of a circuit, which is located in the upper right corner of the utility. The color, brightness and visual effect of the backlight can be selected as in the previous step.
• D To change settings for an individual device, click the red chain icon below its icon to change its color to gray. A gray open circuit icon indicates that the backlight for this device is not synchronized.

Detailed instructions for installing the Dragon Center software and Mystic Light utility can be found in IN THIS GUIDE .

QUESTIONS - ANSWERS

What is Mystic Light?

Mystic Light is a lighting system and an application for controlling it. Mystic Light can be downloaded from the MSI website or Dragon Center (see your product's software download page). It can be used to customize the backlight color and visual effects of both MSI devices and products from other brands that are compatible with the Mystic Light system.

What is Mystic Light Sync?

Mystic Light Sync is a feature of the Mystic Light application that allows you to synchronize the lighting of devices combined into the Mystic Light system.
A list of compatible products for MSI can be found at , and a list of compatible products for other brands can be found at .

What is Mystic Light Extension?

Mystic Light Extension is a feature of the Mystic Light system that allows you to connect backlit devices (LED strips, fans, cases, etc.) to it via connectors on the motherboard.

• JRGB (4-pin connector; pin assignment: 12 V, green, red, blue): To the JRGB connector with a current of up to 3 A (12 V), you can connect non-addressable LED strips of the 5050 format, which glow entirely in one color.
• JRAINBOW (3-pin header; pin assignment: 5V, data, -, ground): addressable tapes of the WS2812 format are connected to the JRainbow connector with a current of up to 3 A (5 V), each LED of which can glow in a different color from the others.
• JCORSAIR (3-pin header; pin assignment: 5V, data, ground): The JCorsair connector supports up to 3A (5V) of backlit Corsair devices that are compatible with the Mystic Light system.

What is RGB motherboard or backlit motherboard?

This is a motherboard that has built-in color LEDs and Mystic Light Extension headers through which it can display various visual effects.

How to connect LED strips to a computer?

• Determine the type of tape and find the corresponding connector on the MSI motherboard.
  Note: There are three types of backlit component connectors available on MSI motherboards.
• A JRGB (4-pin): This connector is designed to connect non-addressable 5050 format LED strips that glow entirely in one color.
• B JRAINBOW (3-pin): This connector is designed for addressable full-color tapes of the WS2812 format, each LED of which can glow in a separate color.
• C JCORSAIR (3-pin): This connector is used to connect Corsair devices compatible with the Mystic Light system.
• Connect the LED strip to the corresponding connector on the motherboard. Several years can be connected to each other to increase their total length.
• Customize your lighting using the Mystic Light app.

How to set up LED strips?

Click on the motherboard icon in the Mystic Light application, select the appropriate connector and set the backlight settings.

How are backlit devices detected by the Mystic Light app?

Make sure that all devices you use are compatible with the Mystic Light system and are connected to an MSI backlit motherboard. The corresponding icons should appear in the Mystic Light application window automatically. If this does not happen, try the following:

• Make sure the device is properly connected to the computer system. If necessary, disconnect and reconnect it.
• If the problem persists, restart the Mystic Light application.
• If the problem persists, restart your computer and launch the Mystic Light application again.

How to synchronize the lighting of all Mystic Light system devices?

To synchronize the lighting of all devices, click on the large circuit icon located in the upper right corner of the Mystic Light utility. In this case, a red icon with a circuit image will appear under the icon of each device. You can then choose the color and visual effect you want for the lighting.

How to control the intensity and brightness of light in Mystic Light?

If any component/accessory allows you to change the intensity and speed of the visual effect of its lighting, then when you click on its icon, the corresponding controls will appear.
(Not all components/accessories offer this feature)

How do I turn off the Mystic Light system?

Place all system components/accessories into sync mode and turn off the backlight.

How to update the Mystic Light app?

How to synchronize the lighting of memory modules, CPU cooler and other Corsair components/accessories with an MSI motherboard?

Connect all Corsair devices to the appropriate connectors (memory modules to DIMM slots, fans to JCorsair connector or USB header), and then configure them using the Mystic Light application.
Please note that Mystic Light may conflict with other lighting control utilities.
Make sure that all other utilities of this kind are closed or removed from the computer.

Error Diagnosis Procedure

If you encounter errors with the Mystic Light utility, follow these steps:

• Make sure your motherboard is running the latest BIOS firmware. Otherwise, download the latest BIOS from the appropriate product page and install it using the M-Flash utility.
• Make sure you are using the latest version of the Mystic Light utility. Otherwise, update it: How to update MSI Mystic Light?
• Install the latest drivers and firmware for all devices connected to the Mystic Light system.
• Do not run several programs at once to control the backlight. Close (or remove from your computer) all such background programs to avoid conflicts with Mystic Light.
• If the problem persists, you can report it to MSI by logging into your MSI account.

Which model supports Ambient Link?

Primary Model:

• GAMING Laptop: GT75/GT63 Titan series, GS65/GS75 Stealth series, GE75/GE63 Raider series, GP75 Leopard series, GL73/GL63 series
  With per-key RGB keyboard and 8 th gen Intel processor (or newer).
• GAMING Motherboard: MEG Z390 GODLIKE / MEG Z390 ACE / MEG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON AC / MEG Z390 GAMING EDGE AC
• GAMING Desktop: Trident X Plus

• GAMING Graphics Card: GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti LIGHTNING Z / GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti LIGHTNING / GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti GAMING X TRIO / GeForce RTX™ 2080 Ti GAMING TRIO / GeForce RTX™ 2080 GAMING X TRIO / GeForce RTX™ 2080 GAMING TR IO/GeForce RTX™ 2070 GAMING Z / GeForce RTX™ 2070 GAMING X / GeForce RTX™ 2070 GAMING
• GAMING Monitor: Optix MPG27CQ2 / Optix MPG27CQ / Optix MPG27C
• GAMING Case: MPG GUNGNIR 100
• CPU Cooler: Core Forzr XL RGB
• Peripherals: Clutch GM50 GAMING Mouse

Can I Sync the RGB lightings of Ambient Devices such as Nanoleaf light panels and Philips Hue together with MSI device?

Currently the MSI Mystic Light x Nanoleaf Ambient link only syncs during gameplay, such as: ASSASSIN'S CREED: ODYSSEY DLC 2, so if the game is not in progress, these two devices do not sync. But, MSI is also working with other game developers; hopefully, we can release more games to work with MSI shortly.

Yes, MSI has created 9 exclusive preset lighting effects in the “Ambient Mode” tab of MSI Mystic Light, you can access on the default light effects without other additional set up.
Since those MSI exclusive effects are presetting, if you’d like to do customize set up on the Ambient Device, please check on the Ambient Device APP.

Why does the light on the Ambient Devices look like not sync during some effects of the game play?

Due to some different connection and hardware used, in some effects (just a few of them) during game play, there is limitation on syncing all the different (brands) devices in the same time, but in order to provide great experience to all MSI users , our team is working towards the improvement.

LED backlighting is a persistent trend in the gaming gadgets market, so MSI’s desire to improve its own system Mystic Light not surprising. The updated version has learned to control the glow of compatible devices through a single application. And Mystic Light Sync technology allows you to synchronize effects to create a unique workspace, the colorfulness of which is limited only by your own imagination.

The list of compatible devices includes motherboards, video cards, cases, monitors, various peripherals and even ready-made desktops. If this is not enough, then with the Mystic Light Extension function it is possible to connect full-color LED strips. As a result, the colorfulness of the workspace is limited only by the user's imagination!

For example, a computer Trident X Powered by the latest generation Intel Core processor and MSI GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, it harmonizes perfectly with a curved monitor Optix MPG27CQ. The latter is not only compatible with the Mystic Light backlight system, but also provides an advantage in games due to excellent characteristics: a 144 Hz screen refresh rate and a 1 ms response time.

Another interesting set for flexible customization is the motherboard MPG Z390 GAMING PROCARBON AC with support for customizable backlight and housing MPG GUNGNIR 100, equipped with an RGB hub for eight additional devices. This provides endless possibilities for personalizing the appearance. And the tinted side panel made of 4mm tempered glass will not hide the beauty of the hardware installed in the case.

All MSI software utilities, including Mystic Light, are now integrated into the Dragon Center application, making it easy and simple to install and update those that the user needs.

If powerful gaming PCs are on fire, then someone needs it. So someone wants them to be. The ultimate desktop is a desired working tool for a respected PC boyar, who is not used to lowering the graphics quality bar or being content with 60 fps even in new heavy games. What should the system be like now for a demanding gamer who is not used to wasting his money on trifles? Unbridled power, mesmerizing backlighting, a high-speed monitor, a mechanical keyboard and that’s all... In partnership with MSI and ADATA, we decided to test in practice what a platform that is very close in configuration to a progressive gaming PC from our traditional category will be capable of. " Meet - Mystic Light PC.

CPU

For a powerful gaming system, one of the best processors now is the Core i7-9700K (8/8; 3.6/4.9 GHz). The eight-core model with high clock speeds copes well with the heaviest projects.

In the gaming field, it can only compete with the Core i9-9900K (8/16; 3.6–5.0 GHz) with activated Hyper-Threading technology. However, the flagship of the line is noticeably more expensive. It looks better in multi-threaded specialized tasks, but does not yet offer serious advantages in games. at Computex 2019, the Core i9-9900KS (8/16; 4.0–5.0 GHz) model can also be included in the list of potential candidates for a top gaming platform, but in addition to guaranteed operation at 5 GHz with a load on all computing cores of other fundamental it does not bring any improvements, and the price of the new product has not yet been announced.

Cooler

Several recent generations of Intel processors with unlocked multipliers are supplied without a standard cooling system. The manufacturer believes that buyers of enthusiast models will most likely use original coolers, because basic coolers for such chips are poorly suited even in normal CPU operating modes. Owners of processors with the “K” index will in any case need an original cooler. Still, an 8-core crystal with high operating frequencies and a stated TDP of 95 W requires more efficient heat dissipation. The range of suitable solutions here is very wide.

The MSI Core Frozr L air cooler was used for the system in question. A medium-format tower-type model with four heat pipes and a nickel-plated copper base. The radiator block is blown by one 120 mm fan with a hydrodynamic bearing. If necessary, you can attach another “spinner”. The advantages of this model are a good ratio of size and cooling efficiency.

Motherboard

For a progressive system based on the LGA1151 platform, it is rational to choose a motherboard from models based on Intel Z390. The top chipset offers maximum functionality that will be in demand here. This includes the ability to overclock the processor/memory, a large number of available PCI Express 3.0 lanes for connecting high-speed storage devices, support for USB 3.1 Gen2, and even the ability to use a pair of video cards in SLI/CrossFireX modes.

In our case, we used the MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON model. In addition to all of the above, this ATX-format board also received a powerful power unit with additional cooling, a large standard radiator for one of the M.2 drives, an improved Realtek ALC1220P audio codec with a preamplifier and a new Nahimic 3 software enhancer.

The model also offers metal reinforcement for PCI-E x16 slots and memory modules. The manufacturer thought about standard lighting, as well as connectors for connecting external lighting devices, and in our case they will come in very handy.

An already expected bonus is a pre-installed metal panel in the area of ​​interface connectors. A nice little thing that makes sure you don’t forget it during system assembly. As for the range of available connectors, here is the entire necessary set for connecting peripherals.

Video card

As part of the traditional "PC of the month" for a progressive gaming configuration, we recommend the GeForce RTX 2080 8 GB. However, an even faster video card will definitely not spoil the gaming platform. If it is possible to increase the budget for purchasing an adapter, it is worth doing so. Still, this is the most effective way to increase FPS in games. In addition, this time we plan to go beyond the usual Full HD mode, and there the requirements for discrete graphics are seriously increasing.

This build used the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO - the original model with high factory overclocking and serious hardware improvements. This is a massive three-slot video card with a powerful power unit and an effective TRI-FROZR cooling system.

The cooler is a huge radiator unit with seven heat pipes. A nickel-plated copper heat sink is provided at the point of contact with the GPU. memory chips and all power elements also have additional cooling. The design is blown by three fans with a special blade profile shape (Torx Fan 3.0) and double ball bearings.

The GPU is significantly accelerated from the start. Instead of the recommended 1350/1545 MHz, the formula is 1350/1755 MHz, which means that in dynamic acceleration mode the GPU often runs 200 MHz higher than usual for a typical GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

In rest mode, the video card operates in passive mode without making any noise. This is especially valuable when it comes to a top-end, very productive device.

The length of the video card is 327 mm, while the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO is generously flavored with controllable RGB backlighting, and a pair of 8-pin and one 6-pin are provided for connecting additional power.

RAM

For a powerful gaming platform, 16 GB of RAM is still sufficient. Even the heaviest projects do not yet require more RAM. Moreover, this capacity is enough so that you don’t have to close the browser with two dozen tabs before starting a resource-intensive game.

As we mentioned, motherboards based on Intel Z370/Z390 allow you to use high-speed memory kits, not limited to the recommended modes. Of course, this feature is worth using, because the increased throughput and reduced latency bring additional frames per second in games.

For the system in question, we used an interesting dual-channel ADATA XPG Spectrix D80 DDR4-3200 (16-18-18) set with a total capacity of 16 GB. Good starting timings and effective frequencies, medium-sized radiator units, Samsung B-die series memory chips, as well as controllable RGB lighting on the top edge of the modules. According to the manufacturer, this is the world's first kit with a hybrid cooling system. In addition to the radiator plates, the module is equipped with a translucent reservoir with a non-conductive liquid. Yes, it’s a marketing ploy, but for a smart Mystic Light PC it’s a perfectly suitable option. Buying a dual-channel 16 GB kit will cost approximately $140.

DDR4-3200 kits can be considered starter kits for a progressive gaming system. Intel processors on the LGA1151 platform also work well with faster memory, so you don’t have to be limited to modules of this mode. Fortunately, current prices for RAM now allow you to choose suitable memory without serious damage to your budget.

Drives

For a top-end gaming system, we used a hybrid combination of drives consisting of an SSD and... another SSD. Yes, in the case of gaming systems, it is already quite possible to do without hard drives. If you do not need to store large amounts of media data, then it is better to use capacious external HDDs for backup.

Large, high-speed M.2 PCI-E x4 drives are still quite expensive. The cost of such SSDs is quite justified when you really need the most powerful device with the maximum capacity, but in the case of a gaming system there is no need for such an SSD. It is quite enough to use a high-performance drive for the system partition, on which all related application programs will also be installed. In our case, we used an ADATA XPG SX6000 Pro with a capacity of 256 GB. The model costs only a little over $50. The SSD uses a Realtek RTS5763 controller and 64-layer 3D TLC memory from Micron. Claimed read/write speeds up to 2100/1200 MB/s, number of I/O operations at 190,000/180,000 IOPS. The absence of a DRAM buffer allows us to classify this model as a mid-entry level solution in its class. Interesting options include a thin aluminum plate covering the memory and controller chips. It may slightly improve heat dissipation, but it is not covered with an additional sticker that worsens heat transfer when using an external radiator.

If you want to get more for a small surcharge, the ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro may be more interesting - a popular model due to its price/performance ratio. What is noteworthy is that in both cases the manufacturer offers a 5-year warranty for these SSDs.

Virtually any SSD of suitable size is suitable for installing games. In our case, we used an ADATA Ultimate SU800 with a capacity of 1 TB. The drive is based on a Silicon Motion SM2258 controller and 3D TLC memory chips from Micron.

After a noticeable price reduction, 1 TB models can be purchased for ~$120–$130. Please note that even if you are focusing on available SSDs with a SATA interface, it is not necessary to choose 2.5” devices, especially if the motherboard has 2-3 M.2 connectors. There are already many compact M.2 drives on the market that cost no more than classic 2.5-inch devices.

Among the most affordable SSDs, there are probably models based on flash chips with 3D QLC architecture. There are no serious contraindications for them. When used as a game storage, their disadvantages are not critical. However, the difference in cost with 3D TLC models is often still minimal, and therefore they do not provide any special advantages.

A 1 TB SSD will be enough to install at least a dozen current games. If you still want to have an even larger drive, then 2 TB models, although they no longer look too expensive, even the most affordable versions of such capacity with 3D QLC still cost from $300.

power unit

For systems with a GeForce RTX 2080 Ti video card, NVIDIA recommends using a power supply with a power of 650 W or more. Indeed, this is a reasonable minimum for a configuration similar to the Mystic Light PC. It is better to equip a system of this class with a 750-800 W unit, but we are not looking for easy ways, once again emphasizing that the components used for assembly are nothing more than possible options, and not specific recommendations.

As an experiment, a Corsair CX650 unit with a power of 650 W was used for the assembled PC. The model complies with the 80 Plus Bronze standard. Well, let's add a little intrigue by assessing in practice whether this block can cope with our system. Let us first note that this is a version of the power supply with stationary fastening of power cables. Yes, definitely not the most suitable option for those who are used to maintaining exceptional order within the system unit. However, due to the design features of the case, this is not important in our case.

Frame

We assembled the gaming system in a case with the militant name MSI MPG GUNGNIR 100. This is a new model from a Taiwanese manufacturer.

The medium-format Middle-Tower has a very restrained appearance. Strict lines without clumsy design delights will certainly appeal to connoisseurs of simple stylish solutions. At first glance, the model’s belonging to a series of gaming devices is revealed by the tinted side wall, made of 4 mm thick tempered glass. The era of modest porthole windows is already behind us; with such a panel, the entire interior of the hull is visible at a glance.

The layout of the working area of ​​modern buildings is simple and functional. Maximum space inside, without brackets for archaic 5.25-inch devices and clutter of hard drive cages.

According to the design of MSI MPG GUNGNIR 100, the compartment for the power supply and a pair of HDDs is isolated with a metal casing. To cool the system, three 120 mm fans are initially pre-installed on the front panel of the case. Another one of the same diameter is mounted on the rear wall, and it also has controllable A-RGB backlighting.

Behind the working tray there is space for laying interface and power cables. The case will also help you manage additional lighting; the kit includes an additional hub with 8 outputs for A-RGB strips.

MSI MPG GUNGNIR 100 is not yet available in Ukraine. This model is expected to be available for sale in August. The estimated retail price of the case is $120–130.

Thrust bracket

As a useful additional body kit, we also used an acrylic thrust bracket to support the video card.

Included with the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO is a metal corner that is intended for the same purposes. Still, the video card weighs more than 1.5 kg, so additional fixation will not be superfluous even despite the reinforced PCI Express x16 slots of the motherboard. Rather, this is a safety net during transportation, but in the case of Atlas Mystic ARGB it is also a source of additional illumination. At the edge with the mount there are four ARGB LEDs that support Mystic Light Sync. The logo of the MSI gaming series is laser engraved on the bracket itself, which should be effectively illuminated while the system is running. Unfortunately, Atlas Mystic ARGB is not available for free sale yet. The estimated cost of such a decorative “holder” is $20.

LED strip

To ensure that the internal illumination of the case was sufficient, we decided to play it safe by adding a compact decorative RGB strip - Phanteks RGB LED Strip 400mm.

A strip of the specified length with a set of LEDs and small magnets can be easily attached, for example, to the top panel of the case. To enhance the brightness, of course, you can use any RGB strips, both 12-volt ones with 5050 elements, and addressable versions with a 5V supply voltage. Additional lights do not cost much.

General estimate for the system unit

Periphery

For a powerful gaming system, choosing a monitor with a higher refresh rate seems like a logical decision. When you spend serious money on purchasing a platform, you want to enjoy the game, taking advantage of powerful hardware in practice.

In our case, we used MSI Optix MAG271CQR. 27-inch gaming model with a curved screen, 2560×1440 resolution, fast VA matrix (1 ms), wide color gamut and 144 Hz refresh rate. The monitor supports the FreeSync function, allowing you to dynamically synchronize the image on the screen. Moreover, the model is included in the list of MSI monitors compatible with NVIDIA G-Sync.

With such a diagonal and a radius of curvature of 1800R, only a minimal bend of the panel is barely noticeable, so those who are wary of curved monitors do not have to worry about this. At the same time, the combination of a 27” diagonal and WQHD resolution can be considered almost ideal for a gaming monitor. On the one hand, we have a fairly large panel with an optimal physical pixel size. On the other hand, a resolution of 2560x1440 allows you to get excellent fps on top-end hardware with high graphics quality settings. It’s unlikely that it will come as a revelation to anyone that 4K sometimes remains an impossible mode even for the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti.

Returning to the functionality of the model, we note the rather narrow top and side frames. The stand allows you to adjust the tilt angle and height of the screen (0–130 mm). In the lower position, the panel is raised above the desktop by approximately 80 mm.

For MSI Optix MAG271CQR, the brightness is stated at 300 cD/m². According to measurements, in the central part we record 330 kD/m². The color gamut is truly expanded.

Among the interesting options of the monitor, one can also note a segment with additional RGB backlighting on the rear panel. Of course controlled and synchronized according to the Mystic Light protocol.

To connect signal sources, the monitor has three video inputs - DisplayPort and an HDMI pair. One joystick is used to control parameters.

Mouse

The MSI Clutch GM50 gaming mouse was used for the system. A relatively new asymmetrical model equipped with a PixArt PMW-3330 optical sensor with a maximum resolution of 7200 dpi and Omron switches.

Considering the dimensions (120×67×42 mm), the mouse will seem most comfortable to owners of medium-sized palms. MSI Clutch GM50 has six programmable buttons and controllable RGB backlighting. The dragon's profile is placed in the central part, and the segment at the bottom edge and the scroll wheel are also highlighted.

The sensitivity switch key allows you to select one of five preset modes (400/800/1600/3200/6400 dpi); for more precise settings and correction of parameters, you will need to use the proprietary Gaming Center application. There you can select lighting effects and change the polling frequency.

Keyboard

Another mandatory peripheral attribute is the keyboard. Here we used an already proven solution - MSI Vigor GK80.

This is the top model in the manufacturer's line with Cherry MX RGB Red mechanical switches and abundant backlighting. The WASD key block stands out from the general background with metallized caps; moreover, the kit includes overlays with a rubber corrugated coating.

For convenience, a palm rest is included. We reviewed the capabilities of the MSI Vigor GK80 in detail in a separate article.

Headset

Voice acting in the system is entrusted to MSI Immerse GH70. This is also the senior model in the manufacturer’s family of gaming headsets, which we have already tried before. A pair of 50mm neodymium drivers provide balanced sound. Separately, we note the durable metal headband, replaceable pads with a different type of material, as well as the complete carrying bag.

The MSI Immerse GH70 offers a proprietary Hi-Res DAC with virtual multi-channel (7.1), which can be useful in certain genres of games. In our case, additional lighting on the outside of the bowls, which can be synchronized with the illumination of other elements of the system, would also be very appropriate for the Mystic Light PC.

Rug

Due to some omission, the mouse pad used does not have additional RGB lighting. This model is already in the MSI product range, but the Agility GD60 was announced only a couple of months ago, so it has not yet reached us. For temporary replacement, MSI GAMING SHIELD MOUSE PAD was used.

Inexpensive, cheerful and quite functional. Carpet dimensions – 320×220×5 mm. The textile surface has a special texture for the normal operation of optical and laser sensors. The rubberized base holds the mat well on the smooth surface of the desktop. A large print with the logo of the gaming series will not let you forget about the manufacturer of the system components.

General estimate for peripherals

System assembly

Assembling the system is generally not a difficult undertaking, and rather even exciting, especially when it comes to a new gaming platform. The sequence is probably well known to users who are more or less interested in hardware. We will not dwell on the general sequence, but will note only individual nuances of assembling a specific system.

Traditionally, the process begins with operations performed outside the case, namely, installing the processor into the motherboard and fixing the cooling system.

To mount the MSI Core Frozr L cooler on the LGA1151 platform, you first need to assemble a bracket with guides, which are fixed with plastic washers. The final platform goes under the printed circuit board.

We tighten the metal stands with protective plastic dampers until they stop, preventing damage to the tracks on the printed circuit board. On racks with internal threads, the mounting plate is secured with screws.

Despite the crowding of cooling elements, the free space around the processor socket is quite enough to install this element. After this stage, it’s time to apply thermal paste and, having first removed the protective film from the heat sink, install the radiator unit on the CPU cover.

The structure is fixed using a pressure plate with stamped guides. The radiator is securely attached with a pair of supplied screws.

Now all that remains is to secure the fan with a pair of metal brackets. Despite the average dimensions of the MSI Core Frozr L, the design still slightly blocks access to the outer slot for memory modules. Considering that we are using a dual-channel RAM kit, this nuance is absolutely not a problem.

If you want to increase the amount of RAM by installing four modules, the cooler fan can be moved slightly upward, although in this position the efficiency of radiator airflow will partially decrease.

The board has two connectors for M.2 drives. Both ports allow you to install both SATA and PCI-E drives. Since in our case we use a fairly high-speed SSD with a powerful controller, it is logical to install it in a slot with additional cooling. First, unscrew the three screws and install the SSD on the seat.

We do not remove the standard radiator plate; it should not significantly impair the heat transfer to the main cooler unit. We return the motherboard heatsink to its place; it is in contact with the SSD plate through a heat-conducting gasket.

After installing the CPU, memory modules, M.2 drive and attaching the processor cooler, the entire assembly unit can be installed in the case, having previously prepared racks for fixing the motherboard. Let us remind you that the plug on the interface panel in our case is permanently fixed, so during assembly in a hurry you will definitely not forget it.

The rest of the process is quite familiar. There are no difficulties with installing the video card. Despite the large dimensions of the adapter, there is more than enough free space in the case to install the device and connect additional power. But with the latter, a certain incident arose.

The fact is that for the tuned MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO it is necessary to connect power cables with two 8-pin connectors and one 6-pin, while the Corsair CX650 unit provides only a pair of eight-pin connectors. To get another 6-pin one, it was necessary to use an additional adapter from a Molex connector. Well, this was the first bell and a reason to first make sure that the power supply capabilities are sufficient for the platform.

Note the peculiarity of installing an acrylic bracket to support the video card. To attach it, it is necessary that after installing the adapter in the case, there are at least three more free slots underneath it. The Atlas Mystic ARGB occupies three compartments and is secured with three screws. It is not necessary to pull out the slot plugs in the case. It is enough to first unscrew the standard screws. After installing the holder, the plugs will be fixed in their positions.

The support stand, which is in direct contact with the video card, is also secured with screws. The connection does not look very practical, given that the stand and bracket itself are made of acrylic. But in terms of functionality there are no problems here. Technical holes in the panel allow you to select the most suitable rack location for a specific video card model.

MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON is ready to experiment with overclocking. Indirect confirmation of this is the use of a combination of 8+4 connectors to connect additional power. This became another test for the power supply used. As it turns out, the Corsair CX650 only offers one 8-pin connector for the EPS12V processor channel. The proceeds came from one adapter from 8 contacts to 8+4×2.

Separately, we note the mounting of 2.5-inch drives. The case provides four seats for installing devices of this format. A pair are located on the border casing of the power supply compartment, two more are located on the back side of the pallet. In order not to overload the main work area, we moved the ADATA Ultimate SU800 drive to the rear side of the panel. To fix the devices, additional brackets are provided, which are suspended on three guides and pressed with one thumbscrew. It is very convenient because manipulations do not require additional tools.

Almost all power wiring can be done behind the pallet; there is enough free space, and technological holes in the panel allow for the necessary communications.

When organizing power cables, we appreciated the presence of a special fixing plate in the case. A small detail that makes assembling the system easier. The casing presses the conductors, and, in addition to the aesthetic effect, makes it very easy to close the side wall of the housing.

We do not use hard drives in this configuration. If necessary, you can install a pair of HDDs using a basket with special slide brackets.

An A-RGB hub is standardly attached to the back of the tray, allowing you to connect up to eight addressable backlight sources. The ribbons will light up even if the motherboard does not have a corresponding connector. Basic control modes are available directly on the hub. But in our case, the MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON has a corresponding connector, so you can control the parameters using Mystic Light.

Among the additional options, we note the presence of a dust filter on the bottom panel in the area where the power supply is located.

As for the controls, on the top edge of the case there is a large power key illuminated around the perimeter, a drive activity indicator, a cold restart button, two audio jacks for headphones/microphone/headset and a pair of USB 3.1 Gen1 ports of the classic Type-A format. Note that the distance between the interface connectors is quite large, allowing you to freely connect flash drives with any housing dimensions.

In progress

We traditionally begin evaluating the final PC by measuring the temperature parameters of various components. This is especially important for a powerful gaming platform, because it contains quite a lot of heat-rich components.

The biggest source of heat in a gaming system is, of course, the video card. The declared thermal package for the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is 250 W. Moreover, this is the TDP value for the basic version of the adapter with recommended frequencies. In our case, we use a model with thorough factory overclocking, which increased the declared consumption to 300 W. However, as practical tests have shown, the cooling system of the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO does an excellent job. Obviously, a massive cooler and three fans are absolutely not superfluous here.

In rest mode, the GPU temperature is kept at 40–45C. In this mode, the cooler switches to working in passive mode, stopping the fans. Under gaming load, the GPU temperature rose to 75C, and the peak fan speed was about 1500 rpm. For the boosted GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, these are very good indicators, and subjectively, the video card works very quietly.

As you can see, the GPU Boost mechanism dynamically accelerates the GPU up to 1965 MHz. Very soulful auto acceleration.

As for the processor, at rest the temperature fluctuated between 35–40C. Under load in the AIDA64 stress test, the CPU temperature increased to 70C with a fan speed on the cooler of 1300 rpm.

Let us remind you that to organize cooling, four 120 mm fans are placed inside the case. Three of them are located behind the front panel and work for air supply, while one fan is provided for exhaust on the rear panel. Setting up the latter requires more attention. Considering this configuration and location of the fans, it is worth setting an algorithm that increases the speed to maximum values ​​at which noise comfort is maintained. Peak for the installed model is 1900 rpm. If you play with a closed headset, then there are no questions at all; if without it, then 1500–1600 rpm will be optimal in terms of the efficiency of warm air removal and the level of noise emitted. However, everything is individual here. In any case, you will have to experiment here, also taking into account the temperature indicators inside the room.

We note the good temperature conditions of the ADATA SX6000 Pro M.2 drive. The huge additional radiator definitely came in handy here. In idle mode, the SSD temperature was about 39-40C, and under typical load it did not exceed 50C.

Considering the consumer properties of the system, we note that in rest mode the system unit consumed about 50–60 W of electricity. In the most resource-intensive games that place a high load on the video card and processor, energy consumption ranged from 460–490 W. That is, a formally used 650 W power supply is enough to operate a PC in normal mode. However, in this case there is not much room left for experiments with overclocking. And using a power supply at the maximum declared modes is not the best idea, even regardless of the fact that the units provide maximum efficiency at a load of 50% of the nominal load. In general, we would still recommend using models with a power of 750–800 W for a system of this class.

Additional lighting is a separate setting item. There's a lot of it here, but it's still Mystic Light PC. The illumination used allows us to not only indicate that individual components of the system belong to a cohort of gaming devices. Here you can use lighting to create a mood.

In our case, almost all elements of the platform, both internal components and peripheral devices, have controlled backlighting. RGB LEDs are located on the motherboard (interface panel casing and right edge of the PCB). We placed the 400-mm Phanteks line at the junction of the top and front panels of the case; it helps a lot to flood the interior space with light.

The MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO video card is equipped with intense backlighting. Here the LEDs are located at the end of the adapter and the cooling system casing. The latter are practically invisible with the classic arrangement of the video card in the case, but their shortcoming is perfectly compensated by the laser-engraved plexiglass support bracket, which almost becomes the key element of the system illumination. It is clearly visible through the tinted glass of the side panel of the case, setting the overall tone of the internal lighting.

The backlight of the ADATA XPG Spectrix D80 RAM also turned out to be bright. LED lights persistently make their way through miniature reservoirs of liquid. Such water blocks are a controversial aid in cooling modules, but they work quite well as light diffusers.

In the context of internal lighting, we also note two segments on the front wall of the case. Interestingly, the triangular plastic pieces are removable. If desired, they can be replaced with original parts printed on a 3D printer. The necessary blank models are available on the manufacturer’s website.

Finishing with the interior, it is worth noting the illuminated fan on the rear panel of the case. The turntable's illumination control channel is connected to a common hub, so the backlight is synchronized with that of the video card support bracket and both segments on the front wall of the case.

All peripherals are also flavored with controllable backlighting. And a keyboard, and a mouse, and a headset, and even a monitor. Due to circumstances beyond our control, only the rug was left without RGB, but this can also be fixed.

Surprisingly, all you need to control all this variety of lighting is just one Dragon Center application. All connected devices with illumination are displayed in the Mystic Light tab. Individual settings for each product are available here. It is also possible to combine the lighting of all connected elements. The number of available modes in this case will be reduced, but this is a price for the possibility of general synchronization.

Performance

It's always nice to talk about the capabilities of a top-end configuration. The 8-core Core i7-9700K processor is very good for common consumer tasks. The processor has a declared frequency formula of 3.6/4.9 GHz, but in fact, even with maximum load on all computing cores, the CPU operates at 4600 MHz, accelerating to 4900 MHz in single-threaded tasks.

The Core i7-9700K may not be the best option for serious multi-threaded computing, where capabilities are often determined by the number of available cores/threads, but for typical home tasks, eight fast cores are enough. This is confirmed by good performance in the comprehensive PCMark test.

For a platform of this class, DDR4-3200 RAM is very appropriate. Let us remind you that this mode is not standard even for top Intel processors, however, on boards with Intel Z370/Z390 chipsets, such modules work without any problems.

Dual-channel mode allows you to get a throughput of 45 GB/s. And in the case of the timing formula 16-18-18-36, we have a fairly low latency of working with RAM. In general, this is a very strong point of Intel processors. The AMD platform with chips based on the Zen/Zen+ architecture failed to achieve similar latency indicators. It will be very interesting to see how the situation changes in the case of the Ryzen 3000. Considering the layout of the new AMD chips, the latency of the RAM is unlikely to be impressive; nevertheless, the controller is located outside the crystals with computing cores. To smooth out this feature, the new chips provide increased cache memory, so the intrigue remains. In any case, we look forward to the new AMD processors. With an increase in performance per clock and an increase in clock frequencies, perhaps they will be able to provide maximum fps in games. So far, Intel chips are often more efficient in these tasks.

Returning to our platform, let's note the speed performance of the DATA SX6000 Pro drive. It does not claim to be a leader in its class, but it is noticeably faster than SATA drives. This applies to both linear transfers and the speed of working with 4K blocks. It is not surprising that M.2 PCI-E is becoming more and more popular and has recently been noticeably crowding out drives with the SATA interface. However, despite the noticeable decline in prices for SSDs over the past year, PCI-E models of significant capacity are still quite expensive. It is for this reason that we used an additional ADATA Ultimate SU800 1 TB SATA drive to install games.

Even the results of a simple express test show that the capabilities of this model are noticeably more modest than those of the system drive. But even so, SSDs like these are great for installing and storing games. When launching games or loading the next location/level, the difference in performance is often leveled out. The processor needs time to process the incoming data stream, and therefore the drive is no longer a limiter. Of course, if the budget is not limited, you can use a high-speed SSD for games, but you will have to catch the difference in loading speed, armed with a stopwatch. Here it is rather important to get rid of the hard drive and trust the SSD, and the type of interface of the latter in the context of a gaming system is of secondary importance.

The capabilities of a gaming PC largely depend on the video card. And here there is definitely nothing to complain about in our setup. If you do not take into account the ephemeral TITAN RTX, then the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB is the most powerful gaming video card without any discounts or exceptions. The only thing faster than the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is a tuned version of the adapter. This is exactly what the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X TRIO is. Due to the very serious factory overclocking, it can even be ranked among the most productive modifications in its class.

Let us remind you that the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti is based on a 12-nanometer TU102 chip with NVIDIA Turing architecture. The GPU with a bulky 754 mm² die contains 18.6 billion transistors. In the case of the RTX 2080 Ti, 4352 compute engines, 272 texture units and 88 rasterizers are activated on the chip. In addition, the processor contains 68 RT cores for hardware rendering of ray tracing and 544 tensor cores for matrix calculations, which in the context of graphics are often used to support DLSS (Deep Learning Super-Sampling).

The GeForce RTX 2080 Ti copes equally well with games without DXR support, and with the few projects that have received hybrid rendering with ray tracing and DLSS.

The system scores over 13,000 points in the popular 3DMark Time Spy test. These numbers don't mean much until you compare them with the results of your PC.

The system successfully passes the resource-intensive specialized stage with Port Royale ray tracing, providing more than 40 fps here. And if you use DLSS, performance increases significantly - by more than 40%. For GeForce RTX series video cards, this is an effective tool for increasing fps, although it is important for developers to skillfully use it in their projects. In practice, the first iterations were not always successful. Of course, in test tasks it is easier to ensure a high increase, but even +10–20% in real games can also be considered a good bonus.