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Remember when Apple decided to redesign its Mac Pro into the cylindrical shape of a trash can? Remember how our very own Stephen Fung tried to PC DIY his own Mac Pro? Now you don’t have to go through that trouble, because you can get your own gaming barrel PC by way of the MSI Vortex. They’re calling it the world’s smallest gaming cylinder.

Being shown off at GDC this week in San Francisco, the MSI Vortex has all the makings of a high-end gaming PC but in a much more unique shape. Under the hood is an Intel Core i7 6700K processor, the Z170 chipset, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and a Super RAID 4 256GB PCIe SSD, plus a 1TB HDD (7200rpm SATA). The MSI Vortex G65 SLCI-011 gets dual GTX 860 SLI graphics and 16GB of DDR4-2133 RAM, while the higher end Vortex G65 SLI-002 bumps that up to dual GTX 980 SLI graphics and 32GB of RAM.

Needless to say, this gaming rig is totally VR-ready. MSI has also worked diligently with its 360-degree Silent Storm Cooling technology to keep your rig from burning up and the 450W 80 plus Gold PSU helps to minimize space too. Of course, it’s the look that’ll catch your eye and you can use the Dragon Center Dashboard and App to customize your lighting preferences. Pricing starts at $2,199 and the MSI Vortex is shipping now.

The image gallery and full press release follow below.

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MSI Ships Vortex, the World’s Smallest Gaming Tower with Astronomical Performance

MSI’s Vortex and selection of gaming solutions on Display at GDC from March 16th to 18th at Booth #2036

San Francisco, March 16, 2016 – MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, announces the availability of the Vortex, a VR-ready, high-performance miniature tower that redefines compact gaming desktops.

The world smallest gaming cylinder, the Vortex measures only 10.5 inches tall but can blast away bigger systems with an unlocked Intel Core i7 6700K processor, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, SSDs in Super RAID 4, and dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 980 GPUs in SLI. MSI’s newest tower is also engineered for superior upgradability, expandability, and compatibility with a variety of connectors, including Thunderbolt 3 that supports up to 40GBs of data transfer rate.

Minimal in footprint but maximum in performance, the Vortex features MSI’s 360° Silent Storm Cooling technology to ensure extreme coolness under the most intense gaming sessions. MSI’s cooling system creates a vortex-shaped wind path by capturing heat from the bottom of the unit and circulating it upwards, resulting in superior thermals and acoustics. The 450W 80 plus Gold power supply is also built into the Vortex to minimize space to completely power the system and any peripherals you want to connect.

“The revolutionary Vortex gaming tower shatters the misconception that bigger systems deliver more power and performance,” says Andy Tung, president of MSI Pan America. “The groundbreaking system maximizes space and heat dissipation to unlock the power of its components for truly astronomical performance in a Subwoofer size.”

MSI’s Vortex can simultaneously support up to six video outputs for intense multi-tasking and multi-screen experiences, is 4K ready, delivers lag-free gaming with Killer DoubleShot X3 connectivity, and an immersive multimedia experience with Nahimic Military X Gaming, the first audio technology adopted by the French Army to vividly reproduce audio in their aircraft training simulators.

Perfect as a gaming desktop in the bedroom or as an entertainment station in the living room, MSI’s Vortex can be customized and controlled using the Dragon Center Dashboard and App. Through the software, users can customize lightning preferences, monitor system performance, launch utilities and apps, fine-tune the system with personalized profiles, and more.

MSI’s Vortex gaming tower will be demoed during GDC from March 16th to 18th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, booth #2036. Other products showcased at the booth will include the GT72S G Tobii with eye-tracking technology running Tom Clancy’s The Division, GT80 Titan and GE62; and the WS60, WS72 4K and WT72 workstations.

The Vortex is now available starting at $2,199.99. For more information about the Vortex or MSI’s complete selection of gaming solutions, visit us.msi.com.

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