Best MSI Gaming Laptop

Sure, having a full gaming PC rig is great, but it’s not always practical. Not everyone has the space to house a setup like that, and it’s no secret that decent gaming rigs are generally ridiculously expensive.

Thankfully, gaming laptops have come to the rescue, and with the recent innovations in gaming laptop technologies, you can experience excellent gaming without having to spend a fortune on a PC setup. MSI is a behemoth in the gaming laptop industry, and we’re going to take a look at some of the brand’s best products. Read on for the full reviews.

5 Best MSI Gaming Laptops

1. MSI GS75 Stealth 17″ Gaming Laptop

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Starting us off is the GS75 Stealth gaming laptop. This beefy machine features a spiffy thin design, an impressive battery life, and plenty of performance to support gaming in 1080p. Not only does it have a larger 17″ screen, but it also has Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX Turing graphics chips, providing a solid boost to performance.

Review

The GS75 Stealth reminds us of its sibling, which featured a smaller screen, but don’t be fooled – this is certainly not a simple scaled-up remake. Both Stealth machines feature many of the same design elements, with a sleek black build that is adorned with gold accents. The lid is also outlined in gold, and the instantly-recognizable MSI logo features on the front.

The build quality on this laptop is wonderfully sturdy, with a solid-feeling aluminum chassis that does not flex at the speaker grille. The hinges, which are also coated in gold, are slightly thicker and more durable to support the larger panel. You’ll feel a good level of flex on the actual panel, but when you’re using it normally, it won’t be noticeable.

The 17″ screen comes with an array of advanced features that are meant to impress its gaming audience, though we do feel that the lack of Nvidia’s G-Sync screen smoothing is quite the drawback. What’s more, while the resolution could certainly be higher considering the asking price, it does pair well with the impressive 144Hz refresh rate that the screen provides.

With this resolution, the hardware is far more likely to push high frame rates to take full advantage of the refresh rate. The screen is an IPS panel that provides more accurate colors and improved viewing angles while also boasting a 3ms response time. This might be a little lower than you might get with a twisted-nematic panel, but it is still quite speedy.

As for its components, you’ll find a partitioned SSD with 2 virtual drives of 286GB and 168GB capacities, a 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, and a staggering 32GB of DDR4 memory.

PROS

• Thin and light – easy to move
• Beautiful design looks great
• Excellent gaming performance
• Good battery life
• 144Hz screen

CONS

• No G-Sync support

2. MSI GF65 Thin 10UE-047 15.6″ Gaming Laptop

The next laptop on our list happens to be one of the most affordable gaming laptops on the market that features a GeForce RTX graphics card. The MSI GF65 Thin gaming laptop is a fantastic option for anyone working on a budget that still wants high-end performance.

Review

The surfaces on the GF65 feel thin and they warp more easily when compared to other high-end models that MSI has released. As a result, it does not feel as luxurious, but this is something to be expected from an entry-level gaming laptop that is so affordable. The port options on this laptop are identical to previous iterations, save for one significant change. The HDMI 1.4 port has been updated to an HDMI 2.0 to provide full 4K 60FPS external monitor support.

Sadly, the USB-C ports are still incompatible with external monitors, but most laptop gamers aren’t using external monitors anyway, so this shouldn’t be a huge problem. As for the display, the GF65 makes use of a different AU Optronics panel to the older models, with the primary difference being the refresh rate, which is now 144Hz. Other than that, the panel is nearly identical to previous models, and this includes the average black-white response times and the below-average gamut.

The display is still silky smooth when it comes to both general use and when you’re gaming, though we should warn you that you are going to encounter some ghosting. The colors also don’t pop as well as we’d like them to, but this isn’t a major drawback. MSI updated the display and RAM from the older model, and both the CPU and GPU have seen an update to the Comet Lake-H and Ampere, respectively.

In terms of storage, the standard MSI GF65 comes with a 1TB SSD, which is generally more than enough for the average gamer. One of the more significant downsides to this laptop is that it does not come with a Thunderbolt port, which struck us as quite odd since there are already two USB-C ports. There’s also no SD card slot, but this is definitely more of a niche issue.

PROS

• Thin surfaces
• Very affordable for most people
• HDMI 2.0 port
• Silky smooth display
• Updated components

CONS

• Colors do not pop

3. MSI GL65 15.6″ Gaming Laptop

The GL65 from MSI introduces a new level to the entry-level gaming laptop scene with its spacious SSD, bright screen, and GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. It offers great 1080p performance, and for the super-affordable asking price, it’s a difficult laptop to both top and look past.

Review

While high-end gaming laptops come with plenty of bells and whistles, you don’t really need an RGB keyboard or fancy lighting to play the AAA gaming titles of today. The GL65 from MSI is proof of this fact and is a value-centric gaming laptop that provides true value for money. The rig’s hardware is as good as it comes, with a 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, a whippy Intel Core i5 quad-core processor, and a spacious 512GB SSD.

The whole package is finished off with a bright full HD display, which makes this laptop a fantastic example of an entry-level machine. While the MSI GL65 is undoubtedly not the only gaming laptop to go for less than $1,000 with a 4GB GeForce GTX 1650 and a quad-core CPU, it retails for significantly less than that figure.

This laptop shares some of its basic design features with the more expensive GE65 Raider from MSI, and the two even share the same dimensions. While the laptop might be on the thicker side of life, it is hardly a chunky machine – in fact, its display bezels are just about as thin as they come. Visually, the GL65 is something of a gaming cliche with its black and red color scheme. You’ll find most of the red in the keyboard’s backlighting and only one or two accents on the chassis.

In spite of these colors, the machine has an overall conventional look, although the MSI logo on the lid means you’re not going to mistake it for anything other than a gaming laptop. The ports on this MSI are located on all sides. This would not be a significant point if it weren’t for the fact that most of them are far too close to the front edge, which can make things difficult if you are connecting a device that pokes out and encroaches on your external mouse space.

PROS

• Extremely affordable
• Great gaming performance
• Bright HD display
• Thin bezels
• Good design looks and works well

CONS

• Inconvenient port locations

4. MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop

The latest GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs from Nvidia are empowering a whole new level of performance in gaming laptops of all calibers, with light and slim systems finding an extra boost to power in particular. The MSI Stealth 15M is one such machine, and its GPU enables a wonderfully high frame rate that all gamers will appreciate.

Review

Stealth’s name is reflected in its design, thanks to its low-profile and sleek style. The harshest thing that we could say about this laptop is that the design is a little bit too plain, but we feel that the minimal gray look with slight accents is a great fit overall. If MSI was hoping to portray a machine that is portable and slim, then they’ve succeeded.

In fact, the Stealth 15M is one of the most portable gaming laptops out there. It is super thin and light, especially for a gaming laptop. When it comes to the display, the 15.6″ screen features full HD resolution and a refresh rate of 144Hz, which is a great match for the type of hardware found in this machine. In short, multiplayer titles that depend on high frame rates will be as smooth as silk, and 60fps will be more than achievable on AAA titles.

There are a number of different Stealth 15M models available, with the most affordable version boasting an Intel Core i7-11375H processor, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. The high-end unit features the same CPU and GPU, though with an upgrade to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. The mid-range model is pretty much identical to the low-range one, though it comes with 16GB of memory instead.

Both the touchpad and keyboard on the Stealth 15M appear rather basic, but their functionality definitely outweighs their looks. The keys are a good size and have a nice feel – neither too bouncy nor too soft, making for a lovely typing experience. The RGB backlighting adds just the right level of drama, while the touchpad is super responsive, with smooth panning and a great surface area.

PROS

• Sleek and compact design
• Easy to transport and store
• Great performance
• RGB backlighting

CONS

• Heats up during gaming

5. MSI Flagship GL75 Leopard Gaming Laptop

To end off this list, we have the Flagship GL75 gaming laptop, which has some powerful components at its back that fuel its performance. It features a very sleek and aesthetically pleasing design and is a great option for players looking for something basic yet sophisticated.

Review

The MSI GL75 Leopard is powered by a Core i7-7050H hexa-core processor and a GeForce RTX 2070 GPU. It has a very high native resolution and boasts some fantastic brightness and contrast. What’s more, the 144Hz panel provides some excellent response times, though the display will flicker at a frequency of 208Hz at brightness levels of 30% and below.

Because of this low frequency, if you are sensitive to flashing lights, you might experience headaches and eye strain. This is not a major issue, but we feel that it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. The Leopard brings every modern gaming title onto the screen smoothly and also cuts a fine figure for general use, so you won’t have to worry about performance when it comes to this machine.

Straight out of the box, the screen on the MSI Flagship Leopard shows fantastic color reproduction. The display does not suffer from blue tint like so many other gaming laptops in its class do, which is a major bonus. As for the appearance of the chassis of the machine, it’s fairly basic. You’ll find the MSI logo on the lid in the usual spot, and the general color scheme is red and black.

Like we mentioned in an earlier product review, this color scheme has become something of a cliche in the gaming world, but that doesn’t make it any less attractive. You’ll find some RGB backlighting on the keyboard, making it easier to use when things get darker. The touchpad is nice and sensitive and is also quite large.

PROS

• Great specifications for a great price
• High native resolution
• Excellent repose times
• Good color reproduction
• Sensitive touchpad

CONS

• Screen flickers at low brightness levels

Wrapping Up

If you are on the hunt for a new gaming laptop, be sure to check out the models mentioned in this review. MSI is known for its high-quality gaming equipment, and its gaming laptops are some of the best on the market. By considering one of the products above, you know that you are getting a great laptop that you can rely on. Happy gaming!