Physical Teardown

While how the outside looks is important, what goes on inside is maybe even more important.


Getting inside the MSI Trident 3 GAMING Desktop is actually far easier than you'd expect. It starts with prying open one end, which can be done with your bare hands, no tools required. It just pops right off, and goes back with equal ease. Designing a piece that can be removed so easily, yet returns to its place so securely is a bit of an engineering marvel; MSI could have simply used screws here and taken the easy route, but they didn't.


Inside the holes that that removed piece came from you'll find four screws that do need to be removed; two are to open the top, and two for the bottom. Remove all four, and then you can slide off the top.


Getting the bottom part off requires you remove three more screws; one is hidden in a hole in the board. There are two more that secure the front panel to the rest of the main chassis; one at either end. With those three removed, you can then slide the bottom off.


You'll also need to disconnect one cable; the cable for the front LED. The rest of the front panel is not a problem. A total of seven screws removed, and you have complete access to everything inside. With the panel off, the PC is still fully functional, just the front panel and top seem removed. There is elegance in this design and how it provides you access to the parts contained here within the MSI Trident 3.