MSI Business Desktop PRO DP21 Black Review

The MSI Pro DP21 is an overpriced office PC hamstrung by its measly 8GB of RAM. It's fine if you need a tiny, silent box with lots of ports, but most people should look elsewhere.

The MSI Pro DP21 is a tiny, quiet, and surprisingly well-connected desktop for basic office work, but calling it a 'huge leap in performance' is a stretch. The one thing you need to know is this: it's a simple box for running spreadsheets, emails, and web apps. If that's all you need, it's fine. But the 8GB of RAM is already tight for modern multitasking, and the integrated graphics mean you're not editing videos or playing anything beyond Solitaire.

Don't let the 'Intel Core i3' fool you into thinking this is a speed demon. Our database puts its CPU performance in the 27th percentile, which means it's slower than most desktops out there. It's fine for opening documents and browsing, but you'll feel the pinch if you have too many Chrome tabs open. The 1TB NVMe SSD is a bright spot, making it feel snappy for everyday tasks, but that 8GB RAM is the real bottleneck. It's the kind of performance that gets the job done without any flair.

At $798, this is a tough sell. You're paying a premium for the small size and Windows 11 Pro license. For the same money, you could build or buy a more powerful mini-PC with 16GB of RAM. It's not a good value unless you absolutely need its specific combination of tiny size and those eight USB ports right now.

Forget the gaming desktops MSI lists as competitors; that's nonsense. The real competition is other mini office PCs. Compared to something like a Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny or an HP ProDesk, the MSI often costs more for similar specs. If you need more power, Intel's own NUC lineup offers better performance in a similar size. And if size isn't a constraint, a standard desktop tower at this price will give you a much better CPU and room to upgrade. The MSI wins on port selection but loses on almost everything else.

If you're looking for a capable all-around home office PC or anything that can handle light creative work, this isn't it. Go get a mini PC with 16GB of RAM instead, or spend a bit more for a system with a real graphics card.

We can't recommend the MSI Pro DP21 for most people. The 8GB RAM cripples its future-proofing, and the price is too high for what you get. It's a niche product for someone who needs a silent, ultra-compact PC with a ridiculous number of USB ports for a kiosk or reception desk. For everyone else, especially home office users, there are better, more powerful options for the same money or less.