When you think about getting yourselves a gaming rig, a few manufacturers will make your shortlist. One of those names is definitely MSI. MSI has been exclusively making gaming focused rigs since their inception, and they are rather good at it. They will not hold out as one of the top gaming brands in the world unless they are good at what they do.
Gaming PCs and laptops have evolved over the years though. Users want power from their rigs. They want even more portability and flexibility when it comes to their gaming laptops. They also want versatility, and an understated aesthetics that could fit even in a corporate meeting room. Out goes the over-the-top, sharp-edged design and in comes the sleek, understated, clean cut designs. That is 2021.
Of course, with 2021 things are also a little different. The old GPUs are outdated, the older CPU is also outdated. You need more power, you need Intel’s latest and greatest, you need NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series GPU.
MSI GE76 Raider & GE66 Raider
The GE76 (17.3-inch) Raider and GE66 (15.6-inch) Raider gaming notebooks are technically MSI’s ultimate gaming laptops to date. It packs Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i9 for raw processing power. The Intel ultimate is also paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (up to) for unmatched gaming performance.
The GPUs power up to 4K (up to) in resolution on both rigs. Both displays images at 100% sRGB too for bright, saturated, and accurate colours in games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider. You feel like you are in the game itself. The CPU ensures that games are delivered to you at up to 360fps (360Hz) too (120Hz on GE76 UHD variant).
If you want, you can spec your Raider gaming laptop with up to 64GB of RAM and two NVMe M.w SSDs (1x PCIe Gen4, 1x PCIe Gen3) for up to 4TB of storage. On top of all the internals is a full RGD keyboard designed by SteelSeries, a world renown gaming peripherals manufacturer. While the GE76 weighs just under 3kg, the smaller GE66 Raider is only 2.38kg for a more agile gaming experience.
MSI GS76 Stealth & GS66 Stealth
In 2021, the name of the game is also stealth. For that, you need something ultra-thin, and ultra-light. That is the MSI GS76 Stealth and GS66 Stealth. It is everything the GE Raider series is, but in a tighter and smaller package.
In the slim body you still get the ultimate 11th Generation Intel Core i9 that is also paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080 (up to). The GS76 Stealth’s 17.3-inch display can also be specced up to a 4k 120Hz panel just like the GE76 Raider. The 15.6-inch on the GS66 Stealth can also get a UHD 4K IPS display like the GE66 Raider.
Everything else under the SteelSeries RGB keyboard from its RAM slot layout and storage layout can be completely similar to the GE Raider series on the GS Stealth series. All except the speakers though. The GE76 Raider gets two woofers for an extra immersion while the GS76 Stealth only gets dual stereo speakers designed by Dynaudio. Understandably though, the thinner body of the GS76 Stealth will not accommodate chunky woofers.
True to its name, the MSI GS76 Stealth is only 20.25m thick and weighs just a little just under 2.5kg. The GS66 Stealth packs in tight as well at up to 19.8mm in thickness weighing just over 2kg.
MSI Pulse GL76 & Pulse GL66
Further down the line you have the MSI Pulse GS/Crosshair series. As you can already tell in the naming scheme, there are 17.3-inch and 15.6-inch variants.
You do not get Intel’s ultimate gaming processor in the Core i9 with these ones. The 11th Generation Intel Core i7 should still prove to be a capable gaming processor though. Paired with an NVIDIA GeForce 3060 (up to), your games should still run nice and smooth at QHD resolution. You can opt to get your Pulse GL series with up to 64GB of RAM if you need to. With up to two NVMe PCIe Gen3 M.2 SSDs, you would not be wanting more in terms of storage space and speed.
The displays also refresh at 165Hz to give you a competitive edge in eSports titles. If you are using the notebook for work, you would be happy to know that both display sizes offer 100% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage so you know you are getting good colours from the notebook.
All of that, and its 3-cell battery are packed in underneath an RGB backlit gaming keyboard by MSI. The total package is kept under 25mm in thickness for extra portability. At 2.3kg (up to) as well, it is light enough for you to lug around to work with and to game with anywhere or at a LAN party if need be.
MSI Katana GF76/Sword 17 & Katana GF66/Sword 15
You might think QHD is a little bit of an overkill on a gaming notebook, especially since 17.3-inch is too small for you to appreciate all those pixels. Full HD gaming is all you need, and 144Hz is good enough. There is the MSI Katana GF/Sword series. The naming scheme refers to the colour options you get with the MSI GF series gaming laptops.
You also still get the power of Intel’s 11th Generation Core i7 processor in the Katana/Sword series. You can pair that CPU to a budget friendly NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or a powerhouse of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. With two RAM slots, the MSI Katana/Sword series can pack up to 64GB in RAM. Although, to be reasonable, 16GB or up to 32GB is more than enough in this case. There are also two NVMe PCIe Gen3 M.2 SSD slots for you to spec up to 4TB of high-speed SSD space on the MSI GF series.
There are no fancy RGB here too, no fuss. The Katana variant gets red backlit keyboard while the sword gets a blue backlighting. Everything is packaged in a body about 25mm thick. Still, at 2.3kg for the 17-inch variant, the GF series notebooks are still portable enough for a good LAN party. Before that though, you are going to bring it into your boardroom.
