We’ve had cases with a display in our tests before, but MSI has taken its usability to a new level. The touchpad can still be used for control, but it also serves as an indicator for various useful things. Sure, the case sits pretty high at three hundred euros, but it’s not just about the extra cost of the display. The MEG Prospect 700R also justifies the price in other aspects. For example, the really precise build quality.
Interior
The inside of the case is spacious with the ability to accommodate perhaps any hardware of your choice. From the factory, the case is ready for Mini-ITX, mATX and ATX motherboards. However, it is possible to extend the support up to E-ATX (310 × 304.8 mm) motherboards, using one of the three accessory panels. For graphics cards, the manufacturer specifies a maximum length of 400 mm but there’s 440 mm of space from the PCI Express expansion slot covers to the fan frame. For a tower CPU cooler, up to 185 mm is available.
All openings for cables are fitted with rubber grommets for a uniform appearance. The holes are not the largest, but 21 mm is enough to thread the cables through without difficulty. Alternatively, you can use the side vertical hole to thread the cables through if you would like.
On the top of the tunnel you also have three identical grommets as on the motherboard tray. There are three holes in the middle to secure the vertical graphics card bracket. However, you must remove all the PCI Express expansion card slot covers when mounting it. The front of the tunnel is made of plastic and is different in color from the rest of it.
The case can also be disassembled with the tunnel and side panel next to the tray. It is this space that is reserved for the three panels from the accessories. The first extends motherboard support up to E-ATX format. The second serves as a bracket for three 120mm fans or a 120/240/360mm liquid cooler radiator. The third serves only as a cabling cover from the rear.
There are two positions on the floor of the disassembled tunnel for the storage drawer bracket. Depending on the accessory panel used, this can be removed or repositioned more towards the centre of the case. However, placing the bracket in the middle of the case doesn’t leave much room for the power supply with cables. The Corsair RM750x test power supply is 160 mm long and there is only 50 mm available for the cables in the case of a center bracket placement. But if it is in the front, I still have 170 mm of space available.
The first photo shows the original panel serving as an extra opening for the threading cables. The second photo is with a panel extending motherboard support. You will have to remove the storage drawers when using it though, as it interferes with them. On the third is a panel as a mount for three 120mm fans or a 120/240/360mm liquid cooler radiator. If you want to fit the bracket all the way, you’ll have to remove the plastic front of the tunnel with the storage drawers.
EKWB, in cooperation with MSI, has created a liquid reservoir with pump exactly for the MEG Prospect 700R and 700RL cases. This is designed exactly into the hole where the accessory panels are also installed.
The front plastic part of the tunnel is held to the body by two screws and two pins. When removed, you have up to 135 mm of space between the front frame and the rest of the tunnel. This can be used for the reservoir, for example.
On the other side of the tray you will find a large number of cables but also two troughs directly for them. The centre trough is designed for most cables. Three Velcro straps are available to secure them. I immediately don’t like its rectangular ending at the bottom, though. You’ll have to bend the cables directly from the power supply to get them in there at all. The trough at the end of the case is rather narrower, as only the cable for the CPU power supply is routed there. There are up to four Velcro strips ready for that.
From the trough to the side panel, you have a solid 33 mm of space for cable management. The panel with a hole for threading cables gives you an additional 33 mm.
Among all the many cables you will find one special one. This one is terminated with a sensor to measure the temperature that the display will show you when you click on the “Temp.” box. Its length is sufficient to place it anywhere in the case.
The hub and also the microchip that controls the entire case is located on the top of the tray. It is powered through a SATA cable directly from the power supply. You can plug in six fans with a 4-pin connector and six peripherals with a 3-pin connector for ARGB. You only have the ability to control four ports on the display though, as the first three connectors on the hub fall under “Port A”.
There are relatively few storage positions for such a large case. Behind the motherboard on the tray is a bracket for two 2.5″ storage drives. This hooks onto the tray from the bottom and secures with a single screw on top. The other two positions are in the tunnel. You can fit both 2.5″ and 3.5″ storage in the two hybrid drawers. The disadvantage with 3.5″ platter drives is that they only fit on the side posts of the drawer. There are no anti-vibration pads available.
The manufacturer specifies a sheet thickness of 0.8 mm, while we measured around 0.9 mm at various positions. The bottom line is that the tray and overall the case is solid and does not bend. That is, except for the right side panel. The latter has the same thickness but because of its length and the two-point mounting on the hinges, it wobbles when opened.
Installation of components was quick and easy thanks to the large space inside the case. Also the space under the ceiling is ample, 72 mm. With the variant of the panel with a cable hole, cable management was easy and also visually up to par. This was also helped by the additional panel, which is only designed to cover the cables at the front of the case. However, I can’t imagine using a different panel and having to bend cables from the power supply directly into the trough in order to thread them through the grommets. Here it would be enough to simply leave the trough straight at the bottom.
