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MSI’s Codex line of gaming PCs is popular among gamers looking for capable machines that can run modern titles at high frame rates without breaking the bank. With the MSI Codex Z2 (A8NVP-436US), the company is offering a midrange rig sporting a mid-tower chassis with a glass side panel, some RGBs, and solid hardware for a reasonable price.
The model we’re reviewing packs an AMD R7-8700F processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB NVMe SSD storage. With this configuration, it won’t break any frames-per-second (fps) records against heavy-hitters like the Mantis V2 (Intel Core i9-14900KF /GeForce RTX 5090), but it’s a strong 1080p/1440p gaming machine that can be had at a reasonable price. With both AMD and Nvidia, you get the best of both worlds: performance and price, in the Codex Z2.
About the MSI Codex Z2
The MSI Codex Z2 (A8NVP-436US) is primarily a gaming desktop that covers a wide performance range. Here is the configuration in our review:
- Desktop Class: Gaming
- Processor: AMD Ryzen R7-8700F
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- Boot Drive Capacity: 2TB
- Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Design & Features
MSI never holds back when it comes to making sturdy, handsome machines, from its line of gaming laptops to desktop PCs. The Codex Z2 is well crafted into a black mid-tower case with an open mesh face through which you can see three 120 mm RGB intake fans (a fourth exhaust 120mm fan is in the back). The right side is identical to the chassis, but the left side is a glass panel through which you can see all the internal components. Both side panels are user removable with thumb screws.
The aluminum chassis measures 16 x 8.38 x 19 inches, which is the standard size for a mid-tower. Instead of a transparent glass side panel we’ve seen on most gaming PCs, MSI opted for a smoked tint to hide some ugly bits on the inside of every PC, but you can still see inside, especially when all the RGB lighting is on. With up to four 120 mm RGB fans, you’ll find that the case has plenty of airflow and ample room for expansion.
There are front I/0 atop the case, giving easy access to those ports. The Codex Z2 A8NVP-436US has power and reset buttons on the top, along with power and HDD activity LEDs. Next to the power button, you get two 3.5mm jacks for audio, a single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, and a speedy USB 3.2 Type-C port.
At the back of the case, you get lots of room for expansion with seven slots, and a host of other motherboard I/O ports, including a 10Gbps USB Type-C and six Type-A ports. It also has a legacy PS/2 port for older keyboard/mouse, a 2.5GbE port, Wi-Fi 7 antenna connections, five analog plugs, and an SPDIF audio stack. On the RTX 5070 Ti, you have a single HDMI-out 2.1 and three DisplayPort 1.4a ports, should you need to do a multiple monitor setup. The Codex R2 comes with an MSI-branded wired keyboard and mouse, as expected.
Gaming Performance
The obvious competition for the Codex Z2 is the Skytech King 95 and CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme. Our Codex Z2 comes configured with an AMD Ryzen R7-8700F and 32GB of DDR5 memory. The Skytech King 95, on the other hand, arrives with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and 32GB RAM, a 5600Mhz with a heat spreader. The CyberPowerPC is powered by an Intel Core i9-14900KF and 32GB of DDR5 memory. The playing field is fairly level on the graphics front, as all machines come with the same RTX 5070, save for the 5070 Ti on the Gamer Xtreme. And as you’ll see from gaming benchmarks, there’s just very little variation between these three machines.
Of interest here is the RTX 5070 GPU, since the AMD Ryzen R7-8700F processor has been around for a while now, but the GPUs are appearing in more and more gaming PCs, especially those released earlier in the year. Over its predecessor, the RTX 5070 brings some modest improvements, but it’s not a major refresh that we all expected it to be.
While it does offer better performance in some areas, especially ray tracing and content creation when combined with the AMD CPU, it’s still limited to the 12GB of VRAM, making it a less attractive upgrade, especially for anyone already running an RTX 4070 or RTX 4070 Super configuration.
MSI’s COdex z2 is a great, powerful, and value-filled PC for 1080p gaming that’s also easy to upgrade
Playing Cyberpunk 2077 at 3840 x 2160 at the Ray Tracing preset with DLSS frame generation, the MSI A8NVP-436US averages 77-86 fps indoors and low-90 fps outdoors. The game is highly playable, and it’s free of any noticeable lagging or performance spikes.
Cyberpunk 2077 presents the biggest challenge to gaming PCs due to its extensive use of high-res textures, long draw distances, and extreme ray tracing effects in the Ultra RT mode. Still, the MSI Codex Z2 can exceed 60 fps at 1080p for both its average and minimum frame rates, even without utilizing DLSS. Bumping to 1440p at the same settings, the system remains steady, which is not possible with most midrange gaming PC on the market.
The Codex Z2 can take advantage of its CPU overclocking and upscaling technology to improve frame rates, and it supports DLSS 4.0, too. With the latter enabled, the A8NVP-436US can exceed an average of 100fps at 1080p Ultra and 72fps at 1440p, which are both fantastic results.
With excellent performance in Cyberpunk 2077, there’s no doubt that the MSI Codex Z2 holds up well in other games as well. Whether you’re gaming at 1080p or 1440p, the system performs well in Total War: Warhammer 3, maintaining 60fps and above at 1440p.
Finally, with an AMD Ryzen R7-8700F processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD, this is a balanced system for almost any kind of usage, including content creation, 3D modeling, and pretty everything else, though the storage drive may fill up quickly with too many games or raw videos. We’ve seen up to 4TB storage on top-tier gaming PCs, but you have some wiggle room to expand your storage and RAM (maximum 96GB) if needed.
MSI Codex Z2 Review: Verdict
The mainstream gaming desktop market has never been as hotly contested as it is right now. But the MSI Codex Z2 is well-configured, with gaming performance that puts it toe-to-toe with the Skytech King 95 and CyberPowerPC systems – just a few frames per second separate these three machines across all benchmarks. Also, the Codex Z2 takes top honors in Geekbench, it stacks up well in file transfer tests, and remains with the pack in Handbrake.
In addition to stellar gaming and productivity performance, you get a great-looking chassis with four RGB fans that decorate the room, paired with hardware capable of gaming at 1080p and 1440p. Also, it’s very upgradeable, with lots of space inside the chassis and extra ports on the motherboard. Simply put, the MSI Codex Z2 has the performance you run games at decent frame rates right now or do other PC work, and has massive potential to grow.
The MSI Codex Z2 builds on an already powerful predecessor – the MSI Codex R2, and is in line with the upgraded RTX 5070 GPU, an excellent option for a starter midrange gaming PC for under $2,000, especially if you can find it on sale. Not only does it look the part when gaming with all the RGBs, but it should satisfy your 1080p and 1440p gaming appetite. It’s an easy choice to recommend over most midrange gaming PCs.
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