MSI isn't new to the back mount design (BMD) game, having released a few motherboards since showcasing Project Zero in 2023. For CES 2025, the company is teasing Project X, a gorgeous panoramic PC case designed with reverse connector motherboards in mind. BMD motherboards have some headers and ports moved to the rear of the PCB to aid with cable management, something that continues to prove challenging when building a PC.

With Project Zero X, MSI aims to completely eliminate all cables from the primary compartment, creating an ultra-clean look. The best part is this lessens the responsibility of doing so on the end user since everything is already positioned whereby little effort is required to create a clean-looking system. The panoramic view with four glass panels is the icing on this very sweet-looking cake. Although a few Project Zero PCs were showcased, Project Zero X most definitely caught my eye.

Now, it wasn't completely cable-free since the GPU still had to use a PCI extension to connect it to the motherboard's rear. The AIO water block also had two tubes to the radiator, but I'm being pedantic if putting these across to MSI as room for improvement. To create this clean look, MSI switched up a few things inside the Project Xero X case. The GPU itself is positioned at the rear of the case, where the motherboard would typically be. But what about the motherboard rear I/O?

That's where MSI got clever by migrating the I/O array from the left side of the PCB to the rear, which has the side effect of making it considerably more accessible, depending on where your PC is usually located. MSI didn't open up the case for me to peek inside to see how this was achieved, nor did the company share details, but I imagine it would be a dedicated PCB with respective motherboard ports.

The company would need to work on compatibility since one of the advantages of sticking to standards such as ATX is providing the end user with an abundance of options for PC parts. This could be achieved through hot-swap ports for the motherboard I/O array, and is something I reckon MSI would look to solve if they do end up making these. Although it's clearly a showpiece, having minimal cabling aids airflow, and I simply wish to see this come to market.