Laptop computers have taken hold of both the consumer and business markets like never before. Where power and storage capacity was once the domain of desktop computers and servers, lightweight and portable laptop machines are capable of running complex applications and database functions with ease.
The proliferation of cloud computing and mobile workforces has made laptop computers almost a necessity for road warriors, with these incredible devices enabling individuals to work from anywhere, anytime.
One market that has been almost exclusively dominated by desktop machines is electronic gaming. These sophisticated games typically require powerful processors, lots of RAM, advanced graphics capabilities, and high-resolution displays.
MSI has been building high-performance laptop computers for years, providing gamers with the power needed to enjoy enhanced graphics and peak performance with the convenience of a laptop computer.
Best MSI Laptops
MSI offers a wide variety of laptop computers for gamers, including TechRadar’s #1 pick for “best gaming laptop of 2018”, the MSI GS65 Stealth. The GS65 Stealth is where this list will begin.
GS65 Stealth – a 5-star pick (out of 5 stars)
Tech Radar calls the GS65 Stealth “thin, beautiful, powerful.”
The GS65 is extremely thin at only .69” thick, yet is packed with the processor and graphics power to give you the performance you’re looking for in a gaming laptop. Three-fan cooling keeps the processors humming efficiently, and the display is bright and brilliant with the bonus capability of turning it upside down, bending 180 degrees.
Prices start at $1789 (based on Amazon pricing)
Tech Radar’s findings as the best 2018 gaming laptop make it an obvious candidate for purchasing when gaming is your intent.
What do consumers think of the GS65 Stealth?
“Design! Not going to lie, the gold bezel is pretty snazzy. It’s sleek and looks even spiffier than a MacBook. I also prefer the gold MSI dragon emblem to a backlit one. Specs! This is my first gaming laptop, and it plays all of the titles I want without any issue. I’m not super picky about all the details, but it’s a quality setup. You can play probably just about any of your favorite games on standard or even highest settings no problem! Speed! This is a beast of a laptop.”
“The laptop itself is very nice for gaming and for school-use as well. It works really well and is very fast. The boot-up is very quick, so you won’t have to worry about it loading for a long-time when class starts. For gaming, the graphics are very smooth and fast, so it makes things very comfortable. It has a great screen and you can configure things to your liking.”
GT75 Titan 8RG – another 5-star rating
PC Magazine reviewers call the GT75 Titan “an epic gaming machine with a high-refresh-rate screen, a comfy mechanical RGB keyboard, and chart-topping graphics grunt.”
Technical specs:
Intel Core i9-8950HK – 2.9 GHz
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics
32GB RAM
Display – 17.3” (1920×1080) 120Hz G-Sync
512GB SSD
GT75 Titan price point is $2999 (at Amazon, with i7 processor and 64GB RAM)
Purchasers offer their experiences and thoughts:
“Was able to get one-day delivery which isn’t always easy in the expensive laptop market, works perfectly out of the box. No backlight bleed or sound problems. A++ for me!”
“First of all if your looking for a small laptop this is not for you. Its big its bad and its bulky. But if your looking for a potent gaming rig you can pack up and take to a friend’s house or out and about that delivers stunning graphics well, look no further. Boot up time is about 15 seconds from the moment you hit the power button thanks to the SSD. The colors and graphics produced by the display and GPU are incredible to say the least the depth of color makes games I’ve played before look more stunning than they did in the past.”
GT75VR Titan Pro – 4.5 stars
MSI’s GT75VR rates four stars and an editor’s choice from Laptop Magazine. Laptop mag’s review states that the unit “offers powerful graphics performance and the best keyboard available on a gaming laptop.”
Technical specs:
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 2.8GHz processor
16GB RAM (upgradable to 64GB)
256GB SSD, 1TB HDD
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics
17.3” (1920×1080) display
The GT75VR is a gaming powerhouse, providing impressive overall performance and superb graphics performance. This is an extremely comfortable-to-use laptop with a colorful, full-featured keyboard. Efficient cooling protects the system from high heat levels while gaming.
Power comes at a price, though. Newegg quotes this unit at $2,699.99. The GT75VR is also somewhat heavy, at 10.1 lbs., and battery life leaves a little to be desired, if that’s an important consideration for prospective buyers.
Consumer reviews:
“GT75VR Titan Pro – 202. I did not buy this beast for battery life, I bought because it’s like a portable desk top. I carry it my in car when I go on the road. I have had no problems gaming on it. Works great with an HTC Vive. Been using for 9 months now with no problems. This thing is big, get the largest screen size laptop backpack you can find.”
“This computer, while not light, at 9.2 lbs., is a gaming beast. It will be able to play any triple A game at over 90 fps. The screen: at 17.3 inches, it is quite big but it gives you a sense that your in the game, not looking at it. Its running at 120 fps, which after you see, you never want to go back to the plain old 60hz. Although it is only 1080p, gaming in 4k isn’t really here yet, so it is perfectly fine for anyone who doesn’t care for resolution as much as performance. Lets talk noise, doing something like web browsing or watching a YouTube video, you will barely hear the fans. Note, the speakers are very loud, so if you need to fill a small room, it’ll work just fine.”
PE70 Prestige – 3.5 stars, due to lower gaming power
Laptop Magazine calls MSI’s PE70 Prestige a “speedy workstation and gaming notebook with a great display, but short battery life and a cheap design bring it down.” That being said, if you’re looking for a moderately-priced but full-featured system, the PE70 just may be right for you.
Technical specs:
Intel i7-4720HQ 2.6 GHz processor
12GB RAM
1TB HDD
256GB SSD
Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M graphics
15.6” (1920×1080) display
PE70 Prestige notebook pricing begins at $1,099.99 (Amazon)
What buyers say:
“I needed a laptop that could handle casual gaming, could stay cool enough to keep on for long periods of use, work well to encompass my video editing needs for travel, color support, and rendering, and meet a modest performance versus cost ratio. That’s a lot of needs, but can a laptop fit this criteria for the ~$1000 price range? Fortunately, this laptop nearly hits every mark while sacrificing a few ends to meet these results in a efficient way.”
“Received this today, and after spending time removing the stickers and optimizing the now-familiar Windows 10….this laptop is amazing. My biggest concern buying this laptop as opposed to something in the Gaming Series from MSI (the black notebooks with the red shields on them.) I was worried that the cooling wouldn’t be up to par. There’s no reason to worry about that. This laptop has been regulating its heat output nicely, scaling up the fans as needed. There is also a manual turbo cooling button that allows even more (loud) cooling.”
GV72 8RE – 4.5-star rating
If you’re looking for a light, thin gaming package, this MSI gaming laptop may be for you. With an easily-portable unit and large 17.3’ display, good things come in small packages.
Technical specs:
Intel i7-8750H processor (6 cores) 2.2-4.1 GHz
16GB RAM (upgradable to 32GB)
Nvidia GeForce GTX1060 3G GDDR5 graphics
256GB SSD
1TB HDD
17.3’ full HD eDP non-reflection display
Amazon offers this system at $1,499.99 – a fair price for these features.
“Just bought this computer. I bought this computer mostly for gaming purposes. The computer is light for the 17″ screen size. The graphics look great. It has Good speed and has plenty of memory space. Like the computer so far.”
Which Laptop Is Right for You?
When you’re in the market for a gaming laptop computer, there are several primary factors that should go into your selection process. Asking yourself these questions will guide you toward the laptop that most closely suits your use of the computer, and your budget.
What size screen do you need? If you’re going to do high-definition graphics or engage in 3D, high-resolution gaming action, you will probably want the largest screen you can afford. Starting at 10-12” for small, extremely portable laptops and tablets, you can move all the way up to 17-18” that provide the highest level of visibility and enjoyment for graphics and gaming. (Size of course may increase weight and reduce the ease of portability)
How much do you have to spend? Small tablets that double as laptops, Chromebooks, and simple notebooks can be acquired for as little as $400, for a system that meets the needs of many consumers.
Parting with $600-$1000 will buy you much more power, including more advanced components such as AMD A8 or Intel i5 processors, 500GB hard drives or even solid state drives (SSD), and RAM in the area of 4-8GB.
If your budget permits, reaching over the $1000 mark moves you into high-end laptop territory for a mix of power and portability for mobile workstations and gaming use.
What are you going to do with the laptop? If this is just a standby computer for when you’re on the go, using it for email and web surfing, a low-end laptop will certainly do the trick. The same goes for if you plan on letting the kids use it for homework and low-end computer games.
But if you intend to utilize this as your primary computer for video editing, graphics work, serious financial applications, or gaming, you should up the ante a bit and opt for more power and functionality.
What operating system (OS) do you need? Not all hardware runs the same OS, or even support the same version of the OS you want to use. Make sure the laptop you’re considering supports (and preferably is preloaded with) Chrome OS, Windows, or MacOS.
When in doubt, buy the most power, most memory, and most sensible display you can realistically afford. You don’t want to guess low, and be disappointed with the performance or capabilities offered by your purchase.
Why Buy MSI?
Like TechRadar, PC Magazine also reviewed gaming laptops, and rates an MSI model in its top picks for gaming laptops, as well as naming MSI the “Best Gaming Brand” as voted by readers.
Founded in 1986 by 5 former Sony engineers, Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. (MSI) has been focused for decades on high-powered laptops with a focus on technology, quality, and especially electronic gaming.
MSI has sponsored eGaming competitions since 2010, honoring their creed of “True gaming. Some are PC, we are gaming.” MSI was ranked by Laptop magazine in 2015 as the 4th best laptop brand. In 2016 MSI was the largest supplier of gaming laptops worldwide.
With a commitment to research, quality, and advanced technology, you can be sure your MSI laptop will provide consistent service and performance, and a great return on your investment.
Keywords: 5 best MSI laptops, MSI laptop, gaming laptop