MSI PRO DP21 MS-B0A4 2024, Core i3-13100, 16GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The MSI PRO DP21 is a compact, quiet mini desktop that nails the basics for office and home productivity. The 1TB NVMe SSD and Core i3-13100 deliver snappy everyday performance, and Windows 11 Pro is a nice touch. Port selection is excellent with dual 4K monitor support, but the integrated graphics mean gaming is a hard no. At around £594 in the UK, it's a solid value if you buy from a reputable seller.

Let's talk about what the Core i3-13100 actually does in the real world. This is a 4-core, 8-thread processor with a 3.4GHz base clock and a 4.5GHz turbo. In our database, it lands at the 47th percentile for CPU performance among mini desktops. That's about average, which sounds underwhelming until you remember what this machine is for. Opening a dozen browser tabs, running Office apps, hopping on video calls, streaming music in the background, that's all well within its comfort zone. The 8 threads help with multitasking, so you won't feel the machine choke when you've got Slack, Outlook, and a few Chrome windows open simultaneously.

The 16GB of DDR4 RAM sits at the 33rd percentile, which is a bit of a weak spot. It's enough for most office workflows, but if you're the type who keeps 40 tabs open while editing photos and running a VM, you'll feel the ceiling. The good news is the description mentions support for up to 32GB, so there's headroom to upgrade if you need it. The 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD is the real star here. It's at the 52nd percentile for storage, which is solid, and in practice it means fast boot times and snappy app launches. You won't be waiting around for Windows to wake up or files to copy over. For a machine at this size, that's a genuinely pleasant experience.

One thing worth noting: the user sentiment summary shows owners consistently praising the speed and quiet operation. Multiple reviews mention the fast SSD and processor, and the noise level gets positive marks too. That matches what we'd expect from a low-power i3 with integrated graphics. There's no discrete GPU fan spinning up, no massive cooler to keep in check. It just sits there and does its thing. The reliability score is at the 36th percentile, which is mediocre, but that seems to be dragged down by a specific seller issue rather than the hardware itself. More on that in a bit.

When you stack the DP21 against its competitors, the picture gets clearer. The Apple Mac mini M4 Pro is the obvious heavyweight in this category. It absolutely demolishes the MSI in CPU and GPU performance, and if you're doing any kind of creative work, video editing, or even light gaming, the Mac mini is the better buy. But it also costs significantly more, and you're locked into macOS. The DP21 is for Windows users who don't need that kind of horsepower. The Lenovo Legion 90YA003GUS is another competitor, but that's a gaming-focused machine with a discrete GPU. If you want to play games, the Legion is the obvious choice. The DP21's gaming score of 11.3 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know there.

The HP OmniDesk M03-0064 and Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 are more traditional desktop towers. They'll give you more expandability and potentially better performance per dollar, but they're also bigger and louder. The DP21's whole appeal is that it disappears into your setup. If you're working in a small apartment, a rolling cart, or a cramped office, the size advantage is real. The trade-off is that you're giving up upgrade paths and raw power. For most office tasks, that's a trade worth making. For anything more demanding, it's not.

Pricing on the DP21 is a bit of a puzzle. We're seeing it listed at £594 in the UK and 18,150 MXN in Mexico. Those are different currencies and not directly comparable, but the UK price puts it in a competitive spot for a mini desktop with Windows 11 Pro and a 1TB SSD. You're getting a lot of storage and a legitimate Pro license for that money, which isn't always the case at this size. The value score from our data isn't stellar, but the user sentiment summary shows owners calling it good value for money, and that's the kind of real-world signal we trust.

The catch is that you need to pay attention to who you're buying from. One verified buyer reported getting incompatible RAM installed by a third-party seller called PCOnline, which caused random reboots and a frustrating support experience. That's not an MSI problem per se, but it's a reminder that marketplace listings can vary. If you can find this from a reputable seller at a fair price, the hardware itself delivers. Just don't expect it to compete with something like an Apple Mac mini M4 Pro on raw performance. That machine is in a completely different league, and it costs accordingly.

The MSI PRO DP21 is one of those machines that quietly does its job without demanding attention. It's a mini desktop that packs a 13th Gen Intel Core i3-13100, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD into a box that's roughly the size of a hardcover book. At 1.27kg, you can tuck it behind a monitor, slide it onto a rolling cart, or just let it disappear into whatever corner of your desk needs a computer. This is not a machine for people who want to tweak RGB lighting or chase frame rates. It's for people who need a dependable Windows 11 Pro workstation that doesn't eat up space or make a racket.

MSI is better known for gaming gear, but the PRO line is aimed squarely at offices, home setups, and anyone who needs a no-nonsense PC. The DP21 leans into that with a port selection that's honestly a bit overkill for its size. You get eight USB-A ports, a USB-C, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, Ethernet, and even Wi-Fi 5. That's more connectivity than some full-size towers we've seen. The dual monitor support via DP and HDMI means you can run a pair of 4K displays, which is a nice touch for productivity folks who live in spreadsheets or need reference material up while they work.

What makes this interesting is the balance. The Core i3-13100 is a 4-core, 8-thread chip that boosts up to 4.5GHz. That's not going to win any rendering contests, but for everyday office work, web browsing, and light multitasking, it's plenty. The 1TB SSD is a generous inclusion at this size and price point. And the fact that it ships with Windows 11 Pro rather than Home means you get BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, and domain join support out of the box. For small businesses or security-conscious home users, that's a real differentiator.

We should mention the elephant in the room right away: this thing is not for gaming. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics lands in the 38th percentile of our database, and the gaming score is a brutal 11.3 out of 100. If you want to play anything beyond Solitaire or maybe some very light indie titles, look elsewhere. But if you need a quiet, compact, capable office machine, the DP21 makes a strong case for itself.

If you're a gamer, just move along. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics and a gaming score of 11.3 out of 100 make this one of the worst options we've seen for anything beyond casual browser games. You'd be far better off with the Lenovo Legion 90YA003GUS or any budget tower with a discrete GPU. Same goes for creative professionals who edit video, render 3D, or work with large photo libraries. The Core i3-13100 and 16GB of RAM will choke on those workloads, and the Apple Mac mini M4 Pro is the obvious upgrade path if you can stomach the price and macOS.

Also skip this if you need serious expandability. There's no room for a discrete GPU, no optical drive, and limited internal upgrade options beyond RAM and storage. If you're the type who likes to tinker, add cards, or swap components over time, a traditional tower like the HP OmniDesk M03-0064 or Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 will serve you better. And if you're buying from a marketplace, be careful about third-party sellers. The one major reliability complaint we saw involved a seller installing incompatible RAM, so stick with reputable vendors or buy direct from MSI.

If you need a quiet, compact Windows machine for office work, web browsing, and general productivity, the MSI PRO DP21 is a genuinely good pick. The 1TB SSD is generous, the port selection is excellent, and Windows 11 Pro is a nice bonus for business users. Owners consistently praise the size, speed, and silence, and that matches what the specs suggest. The Core i3-13100 is more than capable for everyday tasks, and the dual 4K monitor support is a real productivity boost. Just make sure you're buying from a seller with a solid reputation, because the one major complaint we saw involved third-party RAM installation.

For anyone who wants to game, edit video, run virtual machines, or do anything that touches a discrete GPU, this is not your machine. The integrated graphics are a hard ceiling, and the gaming score of 11.3 out of 100 is one of the lowest we've seen in this category. You'd be much better served by the Lenovo Legion or even a budget tower with a dedicated GPU. But for the person who just needs a dependable little workhorse that won't take over their desk, the DP21 earns its keep.