MSI Codex R 13NUC5-068US Black 2023

Quiet and packed with RAM and storage, but the Codex R has slipped from value king to 'buy on sale only.' Newer rivals from Lenovo and HP offer more for the money.

The RTX 4060 is a capable 1080p card, but what surprised us is how cool and quiet this system runs under load. Even during extended gaming sessions, the fans barely spin up. That's a big deal if you're sharing a room. CPU performance is middle-of-the-pack—don't expect to crush heavy rendering, but for gaming and everyday multitasking, the 13400F keeps up just fine. The 32GB of DDR5 sits in the 95th percentile for this category, which is overkill now but means you won't touch it for years. Storage speeds are near the top too, so load times are snappy. The only real performance hiccup comes from MSI Center software, which some users report bogs things down until you uninstall it.

The Lenovo Legion 34IAS10 is now the direct rival to beat, offering better build quality and a cleaner internal layout at a similar price. The HP Omen GT22 can be had with a faster GPU for roughly $100 more, and it runs quieter than previous Omen models. MSI's own EdgeXpert EdgeXpert-11SUS undercuts the Codex R on price while matching most specs, though its case feels cheaper. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 rounds out the top five with strong warranty support and a more polished out-of-box experience. For pure value, the Codex R no longer walks away with it—the Legion and Omen have closed the gap and then some.

At $1,450 this config used to be a no-brainer. It isn't anymore. The Lenovo Legion 34IAS10 lands around the same price with a cleaner internal layout and better cooling, while the HP Omen GT22 often packs a faster GPU for only $100 more. You'd still struggle to build something equivalent for less once you factor in a Windows license, but the pre-built market has shifted. The 2TB of storage is a real differentiator since many competitors still skimp with 512GB, but that alone doesn't save the value proposition when the rest of the field has leapfrogged it.

Here's the thing: the MSI Codex R gets some basics right, but the competition has caught up fast. It's quiet and ships with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB NVMe drive, which still sounds generous on paper. But newer rivals like the Lenovo Legion 34IAS10 and HP Omen GT22 now offer better build quality and faster GPUs for similar money, making the Codex R feel like yesterday's value pick. If you're new to PC gaming and find it on a steep discount, it's fine. Otherwise, there are sharper options now.

If you need lots of bulk storage or plan to tinker heavily inside the case, look elsewhere. The Lenovo Legion 34IAS10 gives you drive bays and cleaner cable management for similar cash. The HP Omen GT22 delivers a faster GPU for a small premium. And if you're comfortable building your own PC, you can match these specs for a similar price and avoid the software headaches entirely.

Buy this only if you find it on a real sale and silence is your top priority. It's still a quiet, well-specced pre-built for 1080p gaming and light creative work, but the missing 3.5" bays, iffy software, and stronger competition make it a tougher sell at full price. For most people, the Lenovo Legion 34IAS10 or HP Omen GT22 are better ways to spend your money right now. Just factor in an hour to clean up the software and maybe grab a $15 NVMe heatsink if you do commit.