MSI Modern 824142357330 Black 2025

The MSI Modern AM242TP is a clean, touchscreen all-in-one with a standout 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Its Intel Core 7 150U CPU is mediocre for heavy work, and gaming is basically a no-go. Pricing swings from $899 to $1,179, so it's a decent value at the low end for a no-fuss home office machine. Skip it if you need any real processing power or plan to play games.

The Intel Core 7 150U is a 10-core chip from Intel's efficiency-focused lineup, and it shows. In our database, its raw CPU grunt sits in the 37th percentile, which is frankly underwhelming for a desktop. This isn't a chip built for rendering or heavy multitasking. It's designed to sip power and stay cool, and in a slim all-in-one chassis, that's a smart trade-off. For everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and video streaming, it feels perfectly snappy, especially paired with that 32GB of RAM. You can have a frankly irresponsible number of Chrome tabs open without breaking a sweat.

The integrated Intel Graphics are the definition of middle-of-the-pack, landing right at the 50th percentile. That means you can forget about modern AAA gaming. Our gaming score for this machine is a brutal 13.8 out of 100, which is one of the worst we've seen. You can play older titles or indie games at low settings, but this is not a machine for even casual gaming. The 23.8-inch FHD IPS display is sharp and clear for productivity, and the touch responsiveness is smooth, making it feel more like a giant tablet when you want to quickly scroll or pinch-to-zoom.

The all-in-one market is a weird place right now, and the MSI Modern's competitors are often not other AIOs but traditional desktops and even laptops. A machine like the Dell Tower ECT1250 will absolutely smoke this MSI in raw CPU and GPU performance for a similar price, but you'll need to bring your own monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You lose the clean, single-cable aesthetic but gain a ton of upgradeability and power. The HP OMEN GT16-0364 is in a completely different universe for gaming, but it's also a bulky tower that screams "gamer" and costs more.

On the other end of the spectrum, something like an Apple Mac Studio M4 Max is a professional powerhouse that makes the MSI look like a toy in performance benchmarks, but it's also in a totally different price bracket and lacks a built-in display. The MSI's real competition is the idea of a laptop docked to a monitor. For the same money, you could get a decent 15-inch laptop with similar specs that gives you portability and a second screen when docked. The MSI only wins if your top priority is a permanently clean, cable-free desk with a touchscreen and you never plan to push the machine hard.

Pricing on this MSI Modern is a bit of a rollercoaster, with a spread from $899 to $1,179 across different vendors. At the lower end of that range, you're getting a pretty compelling package. The 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage alone would cost a decent chunk if you were building a comparable system, and then you've got the touchscreen display, Windows 11 Pro, and that whole bonus docking station kit thrown in. The keyboard, mouse, and extra 1TB dock set are not junk drawer filler, they're genuinely useful additions that sweeten the deal.

At $1,179, the value proposition gets a lot shakier. You're creeping into territory where you could snag a more powerful mini PC with a better processor and a separate monitor, or even a competent laptop with a dedicated GPU. If you can find this MSI at the $899 mark, it's a solid buy for a no-fuss home office setup. If it's pushing past $1,000, you should really ask yourself if that touchscreen and the all-in-one convenience are worth the premium over more powerful, modular options.

The MSI Modern AM242TP is an all-in-one desktop that's trying to be the sensible shoes of your home office. It's not flashy, it won't run the latest games, and it definitely won't win any benchmark drag races. But for someone who just wants a clean, capable Windows machine that handles spreadsheets, video calls, and the occasional Netflix binge without taking over their entire desk, this thing makes a lot of sense. The 23.8-inch touchscreen is the centerpiece here, and MSI throws in a wireless keyboard and mouse plus a whole bonus docking station kit with extra storage, which is a genuinely nice touch.

Under the hood, you're getting an Intel Core 7 150U processor and a generous 32GB of DDR5 RAM. That's a lot of memory for a machine in this class, and it's the spec that really stands out. The storage situation is a bit of a hybrid affair with a 1TB SSD for speed and a 1TB HDD for bulk storage, giving you 2TB total. That's a solid amount of space, landing in the 82nd percentile in our database. The integrated Intel Graphics are exactly what you'd expect, fine for everything except serious gaming or 3D work.

Who's this for? Honestly, it's a perfect fit for a family computer in the kitchen or a dedicated workstation for someone who lives in browser tabs and Office 365. The touchscreen makes it feel a little more modern and intuitive, especially if you're coming from a laptop. Just don't expect it to flex any creative or gaming muscles. It knows what it is, and it sticks to its lane.

Anyone with even a passing interest in gaming should run, not walk, away from this machine. The integrated graphics are a serious weak spot, and you'll be disappointed the first time you try to install anything from the last decade. Creative professionals who dabble in photo or video editing should also look elsewhere. The CPU is simply not up to the task for rendering or encoding, and you'll be staring at progress bars more than your work.

If you need a powerful but compact desktop, consider a mini PC with a recent AMD Ryzen chip and a dedicated GPU, paired with a separate touchscreen monitor. You'll get far better performance and the ability to upgrade later. Alternatively, a mid-range gaming laptop docked to a monitor gives you similar desk cleanliness with the bonus of portability and much better graphics performance for around the same price.

If you're setting up a dedicated workstation for a reception desk, a family kitchen, or a parent who just needs email, web browsing, and video calls, the MSI Modern AM242TP is a genuinely good pick, especially if you can snag it at the lower end of its price range. The touchscreen makes it friendly for all ages, the 32GB of RAM is future-proof, and the included accessories mean you're up and running in minutes. It's a complete package that just works without any fuss.

But if you have even a hint of creative ambition, like photo editing or light video work, or if anyone in the house wants to play games, you need to look elsewhere. The CPU is a bottleneck for anything beyond basic tasks, and the integrated graphics are a dead end for gaming. For the same money, a small form factor PC with a discrete GPU and a separate monitor will be infinitely more capable and upgradeable. This MSI is a specialist in simplicity, and if that's not your top priority, you'll quickly outgrow it.