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.
Conclusion
The Prospect 700R didn’t shine when it came to CPU cooling, but it didn’t let itself be embarrassed either. It certainly wouldn’t have hurt the case to have another 140 mm fan right on the ceiling for the price of 300 EUR. It could even be without backlight. It came in second place in graphics card cooling at 39 dBA, just behind the Torrent case from Fractal Design. The Prospect 700R now takes the top spot in cooling efficiency when it comes to under-ceiling temperature. The other measured values are also in a better section compared to the competition.
The build quality of all parts of the case is of a high standard. All plates and even the large side panels fit exactly into place. You can see that the designers have taken great care with the details. Every perforation where the case can suck in dust has its own fine nylon filter. This is a great advantage especially in dusty environments. The only thing I don’t like is the method of removing the bottom one – by pulling it backwards. If you have a wall behind the case, you’ll exercise your biceps when you push it out.
The customizability of the case is also great thanks to the interchangeable panels. You can choose whether to fit an additional radiator next to the motherboard or extend the motherboard format up to E-ATX, or leave an extra “hidden” hole for the cabling. EKWB even created a bespoke liquid reservoir with a water pump for the case.
The touch panel display is a nice innovation among cases. Thanks to it, you can control the fan speed and backlight without the need for an app. You can also view information about the status of the CPU and graphics card, the weather or even the current time. The smoothness of the display and the speed of the touch response is great.
The installation of the components into the case went without difficulty. Even the largest variants of the current hardware can be fitted into the case, so I still had plenty of room to manipulate with the test setup I used. Cable management is convenient with the original removable panel that creates an additional hole for the cables. But if you were to use a different panel, the bending of the main cable management trough already ruins the enjoyment of a simple installation.
The MSI MEG Prospect 700R case, priced at 300 EUR, features effective cooling, various customizations and great build quality. To top it all off, you get a touchscreen display panel on the front panel, through which you can control the case and display various information. All this in one case deserves the “Top-notch” award.
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
| MSI MEG Prospect 700R |
| + Component cooling at an excellent level |
| + Four efficient 140 mm fans pre-installed... |
| + ... space for ten fans in total |
| + High build quality |
| + Touch panel display... |
| + ... case control without software |
| + Four fine nylon filters |
| + USB Type-C connector with speeds up to 20 Gbps |
| + High customizability of the case |
| - An unfortunate bend in the cable routing trough |
