MSI PRO DP180 14A-1025US 2024, Core i5-14400, 32GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The MSI PRO DP180 is a solid business desktop with standout RAM and storage, but the integrated graphics hold it back. It's built for office work and multitasking, not gaming or creative tasks. At $1,499 to $1,623, it's a reasonable deal if you don't need a dedicated GPU.

The i5-14400 sits at the 59th percentile for CPUs in our database, which is solid middle-of-the-pack territory. The 32GB of DDR5 RAM is the real standout here, landing at the 88th percentile and giving you plenty of headroom for heavy multitasking. Storage is also strong at the 75th percentile with that 1TB NVMe drive. But the integrated UHD 770 graphics drag things down, sitting at just the 46th percentile. Fine for office work, video calls, and light photo editing. Don't expect to play anything beyond solitaire or very old titles.

Stacked against the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10, the DP180 gets absolutely smoked in graphics performance. Those are gaming towers with dedicated GPUs, and they'll run circles around the UHD 770. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is in a completely different league for creative work, though it costs significantly more. The Dell Tower ECT1250 is probably the closest comparison, another business-focused desktop, and the DP180 holds its own there with better RAM and storage specs. The CLX SET is a custom gaming build, so again, different audience entirely.

Pricing runs $1,499 to $1,623 in the US, which feels steep for a machine without a dedicated GPU. You're paying for the 32GB of RAM, the 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro, but the integrated graphics mean you're not getting a ton of raw performance for the money. If your work is browser-based, document-heavy, or light office tasks, this will serve you well. But if you need any graphical horsepower, that budget goes further elsewhere.

The MSI PRO DP180 is a business desktop that knows exactly what it is. Intel's Core i5-14400 with 10 cores and 32GB of DDR5 RAM means this thing chews through spreadsheets, browser tabs, and office apps without breaking a sweat. It's not trying to be a gaming rig, and that's fine.

You get a 1TB NVMe SSD, Windows 11 Pro, Wi-Fi 6E, and a solid port selection including USB-C and even a COM port for legacy POS gear. The integrated Intel UHD 770 graphics are the obvious weak link, but for a work machine, this is a well-rounded package.

Gamers and creative professionals should look elsewhere. The integrated graphics score just 15.7 out of 100 for gaming, which is one of the worst results we've seen for that use case. If you edit video, render 3D, or want to play anything modern, put your $1,500 toward a machine with a dedicated GPU. You'll get far more performance per dollar.

This is a machine for offices, reception desks, and home workers who live in browsers and productivity apps. The 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD make it feel snappy for years of daily use. If you're a developer, the 65/100 score in our database reflects that it'll handle coding and virtual machines fine, but you might want more CPU headroom. Buy this if you need a reliable workhorse that won't blink at 50 Chrome tabs. Skip it if you want to game or edit video.