MSI Modern AM242TP 1M 2025, Core 7 150U, 32GB, 1TB SSD, White

The MSI Modern AM242TP 1M scores 51.9 out of 100 overall, with a standout 32GB of DDR5 RAM at the 78th percentile. But the CPU only hits the 34th percentile and gaming performance is a dismal 12.3 out of 100. It's a home office machine with great memory and a below-average processor, so buy it for multitasking, not for speed.

Let's talk about that RAM first, because it's the one spec that actually stands out. 32GB of DDR5 puts this AIO at the 78th percentile in our database. That's well above average, and it means you can keep a ridiculous number of browser tabs open while running Office apps and a video call without the system choking. The 1TB SSD is solid too, landing right at the 52nd percentile. Nothing flashy, but it's enough storage for years of documents, photos, and the occasional downloaded movie.

But then we get to the CPU. The Intel Core 7 150U is a 10-core chip at 1.8GHz, and it only manages the 34th percentile in our rankings. That's mediocre, and it's the bottleneck here. The integrated Iris Xe Graphics sit at the 52nd percentile, which is about average for integrated graphics but nowhere near what you'd want for any real gaming or creative work. The 120W power supply tells you everything about the performance ceiling. This is a machine built for efficiency, not speed. The port selection is also underwhelming at the 39th percentile, with DisplayPort, four USB-A ports, two HDMI ports, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6E. The Wi-Fi 6E is nice, but the rest is pretty standard fare.

Stack this up against the competition and the picture gets clearer. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5a Gen 10 and HP OMEN GT16-0364 are both gaming-focused desktops that will absolutely demolish the MSI in any performance metric. The CLX SET TGMSETRTU5204BM is another gaming rig that makes the AM242TP look like a calculator. But those machines aren't all-in-ones, and they're not trying to be quiet, compact home office devices. The Dell Tower Plus EBT2250 is a more direct comparison as a productivity desktop, and it likely offers better CPU performance for a similar price. The Apple Mac mini M4 Pro is the wildcard here. It's not an AIO, but it's in the same price ballpark and Apple's M4 chip will run circles around the Core 7 150U in both performance and efficiency. If you don't need the built-in screen, the Mac mini is the smarter buy. If you do want an all-in-one, the MSI is a compromise you'll have to accept.

Pricing on this thing is all over the map. In the US, you're looking at a spread from USD 971 to USD 1,340 across three listings. That's a USD 369 difference for the same machine, which is wild. If you're shopping in the US, you'll want to hunt down the listing at USD 971, because paying USD 1,340 for this level of performance is a tough sell. In Europe, the spread is even bigger. EUR 2,220 to EUR 2,765 across Spain, France, and Italy. That's a EUR 545 gap, and again, the lower end is where you want to be. The single Canadian listing at CAD 2,009 and the Brazilian listing at BRL 13,981 round out the picture. For what you're getting, a mid-tier home office AIO with a below-average CPU, the lower end of these price ranges is the only place this makes sense.

The MSI Modern AM242TP 1M is an all-in-one that knows exactly what it is, and what it isn't. It's a home office machine with a 23.8-inch FHD touchscreen, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Those are respectable numbers for productivity work. But our database puts the overall score at 51.9 out of 100, which tells you this thing is a middle-of-the-pack performer at best. The home office score of 52.2 is the strongest category, while gaming lands at a brutal 12.3 out of 100. So if you're buying this to play anything beyond solitaire, you're going to have a bad time.

The Intel Core 7 150U is a 10-core chip running at 1.8GHz, paired with integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. That's a fine combo for spreadsheets, video calls, and web browsing. The 32GB of RAM sits at the 78th percentile in our database, which is genuinely good for multitasking. But the CPU only hits the 34th percentile, and the GPU is right at the 52nd. So you've got a machine with plenty of memory but a processor that's below average for its class. It's like putting premium tires on a commuter sedan. Nice to have, but the engine is still the engine.

If you're looking for any kind of gaming performance, walk away now. The 12.3 out of 100 gaming score is one of the worst we've seen in this category, and the integrated Iris Xe Graphics at the 52nd percentile won't save you. Creative professionals who need real CPU horsepower should also look elsewhere, since the Core 7 150U at the 34th percentile will bottleneck video editing, 3D rendering, or heavy photo work. And if you're the type who wants a machine with a proven track record, the 36th percentile reliability score and the complete lack of customer reviews should give you pause. This is a machine for a specific kind of user, someone who needs lots of RAM for multitasking and doesn't push their hardware hard. Everyone else should keep shopping.

The MSI Modern AM242TP 1M is a machine with one clear strength and several notable weaknesses. The 32GB of RAM is genuinely good, and the 1TB SSD is fine. But the CPU at the 34th percentile and the gaming score of 12.3 out of 100 tell the real story. This is a home office computer for people who need a lot of memory for multitasking and don't care about raw processing power. The touchscreen is a nice bonus, and the privacy shutter on the webcam is a thoughtful touch. But with reliability at the 36th percentile and almost no social proof to lean on, you're taking a bit of a gamble. If you can find it at the low end of the price range, it's a reasonable buy for the right user. At the high end, you're overpaying.