Best MSI Gaming Laptop

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When it comes to high-end performance laptops, MSI is an industry leader. It was only a handful of years ago that if you were to ask any serious gamer about using a laptop to play their games, they would have laughed you out of the place. In the last 5 years or so, laptops have advanced in leaps and bounds. This revolution was led by companies like MSI, who sought to change this image and forever associate laptops with performance computing.

MSI is always the first to incorporate the latest hardware releases into their laptops to ensure the highest levels of performance and power. Several of their latest designs are even powerful enough to run VR, something that currently most desktop PC’s are not. MSI strive to construct the most innovative and versatile laptops, while trying to keep them as thin and compact as possible.

If you are serious about gaming and are looking to buy a new laptop, we have put together a list of our top MSI gaming laptops to point you in the right direction.

What makes a good gaming laptop?

Well, there is a simple answer to this question, and that is performance, performance, performance. If money were no object, then there isn’t a gamer alive who would not simply choose the computer with the best specs. Unfortunately, gaming laptops can get extremely pricey, so alas, most of us have to opt for the best laptop that falls within our budget.

To give you an idea of what kinds of specs you should be looking to buy, here is the expected specifications of the upcoming Call of Duty World War II game.

Minimum Gaming System Requirements

• Operating System: Windows 7 – 10 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5 2nd Generation or higher
• RAM: 6 GB or higher
• Storage: 45 GB
• Graphics: AMD R7 260X – Nvidia GTX 550 Ti 2GB

It is important to stress that these are the minimum requirements, so you definitely should be looking to buy a laptop with a lot more under the hood than just these specifications. They do, however, give an idea of what kind of ballpark you should expect to aim for.

Before we begin

This article is going to focus specifically on the performance features each laptop has that are essential to gaming. Since all MSI’s laptops are well-made, have similar black and red color schemes and come with an industry beating 2 year warrantee in case the worst should happen, we don’t feel the need to repeatedly cover these features. These are the smaller details that you can read more about in the product listings should you be interested in any particular model.

There are a number of factors that are important to people when choosing a laptop that include the price, performance, size and weight, as well as value for money. With this in mind, we have put together a list of the top MSI laptop in each of these categories instead of just concentrating those with the best performance.

MSI GT72S Dominator Pro G-220 17.3″ Laptop

Best Performance for Value Vs. Money Laptop

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PROS

• Excellent performance
• Won’t need upgrading for at least 5 years
• Great design

CONS

• Expensive
• Heavy

Well, if you are serious about your gaming and want one of the best value vs. performance laptops on the market today, then the MSI GT72S Dominator Pro G-220 is definitely for you. It is absolutely crammed with performance power, including the i7 quad core processor (2.7–3.6 GHz), a staggering 32GB of Ram, a 256GB SSD hard disk and an additional 1TD 720rpm Sata drive. To cope with all processing needed to play games, it has the NVIDIA Geforce GTX980 4 GB graphics card, which gives it enough power to handle the latest VR too. Gamers will be happy to know that it comes with a 17.3” anti-glare IPS 1920×1080 display, making it a great all around gaming laptop. If for some reason this is not enough power then for an extra $1,000 you can buy the next MSI laptop on this list.

MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-259 15.6″ Laptop

Our Best Performing Gaming Laptop

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PROS

• Excellent performance
• VR Ready
• High refresh rate
• Solid cooling
• Thin size despite its power

CONS

• Not the largest screen

It would be unwise to underestimate the power that can be shoved into a single laptop. If you’re still searching for that portable computer to knock your socks off with its sheer power, look no further. The specifications of the GS65 are undeniably astounding. Not only does it have a GTX 1070 with 8gb of VRAM, you’ll also be getting an entire terabyte of SSD storage. The CPU is a state of the art i7-8750H with six cores. But it doesn’t stop there – the screen has a maximum refresh rate of 144hz. Whether you want to play games at extremely high settings or get a taste of VR, this laptop has got you covered.

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MSI GT72S Dominator Pro G-037

Great Performance But At A Lower Cost Than the GS65

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PROS

• Cool design
• Packs in plenty of performance
• Part of a well-respected range of gaming laptops

CONS

• Quite expensive

Another great performance laptop, the GT72S Dominator PRO G-037 comes with an Intel Core i7-6820HK quad core processor (2.7-3.6 GHz), 32GB’s or RAM, a 128GB SSD hard disk along with an additional 1TB (SATA) 7200rpm. It has the NVIDIA Geforce GTX970 3G GDDR5, comes with a 17.3″display, and has a really cool Anti-Ghost keyboard. This is a great choice for those people whose budget just won’t stretch to the GT80S model, as many of the performance features are in the same range.

MSI GS73VR Stealth Pro-033

The Thinnest and Lightest Gaming Laptop

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PROS

• Thin and lightweight
• Good performance
• Comes with 1 TB hard drive for extra storage capacity

CONS

• Lightweight always costs a lot more

Available with either a 15.6″ or a 17.3″ FHD (1920*1080) display, the GS73VR Stealth Pro-033 is the perfect blend of performance and design. It is ideal for all those gamers who find themselves carrying their laptop around a lot but still demand top end performance.

It is made with a strong aluminum case that not only resists damage but is also the key to it being so light. Under the hood, it features an Intel i7-7700HQ quad core processor and has 32 GB or RAM. Unbelievably, it comes with both a 512GB SSD and a 1TB (SATA) 5400rpm hard drive, something that most lightweight laptops do not. NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Graphics Card allows you to play most games on their highest graphics settings, while a sizable 17.3″ anti-glare display makes sure you never miss any of the action.

MSI GP62MVR Leopard Pro-408

Best Sub $1500 Gaming Laptop

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PROS

• Great value for money
• Good all round performance
• Lightweight
• Easy to carry

CONS

• Only has smaller SDD drive

This laptop has the advantage of being more compact and a lot less expensive than most others that are featured on this list. People do tend to forget how heavy and cumbersome the top end gaming laptops are. This laptop with its 15.6″ 1920×1080 HD screen is small and light enough to carry in most backpacks, while still offering a good level of performance. It has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ (2.8-3.8 GHz) processor, 16 GB of RAM and comes with a speedy 256GB SSD hard disk. While 256GB tends to fill up quickly when gaming, it fortunately comes with an extra 1TB of HDD space (7200rpm). For quick and smooth gaming, it has NVIDIA’s GTX 1060 3G GDDR5 and also incorporates MSI’s very effective Cooler Boost system.

MSI GP63 Leopard-077

Best Sub $1000 Gaming Laptop

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PROS

• Low Cost
• Excellent for 1080p/60fps
• Lots of RAM
• Reasonably fast thanks to SSD and 6-core CPU

CONS

• Will need replacing within 2 to 3 years due to increasing game performance requirements

Some people still believe in this idea that there’s no such thing as a great gaming laptop that costs $1000 or less. While the reasoning behind their concerns is understandable, the fact remains that there are a few gems out there that are exceptions to the rule, and the MSI GP63 is one of those gems.

This laptop is absolutely packed to the brim with amazing specs despite its price. The GTX 1060 is a great card for modern day gaming, arguably the best for gaming at 60fps in 1080p. Plus the 16gb of DDR4 RAM will be enough for any game on the market.

The perks don’t stop there, though. With an SSD this computer boots up and loads programs incredibly fast. There’s only 256gb of the SSD which is why you’ll also be getting 1TB of HDD storage. And of course how could we not mention the 6-core Intel i7-8750H CPU? The MSI GP63 is undeniably one of the best ways to give yourself a portable HD gaming experience for an affordable price.

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Conclusion

When it comes to performance laptops, it really does pay to spend the extra to get the best one you can. Unlike desktop computers, laptops are not generally that easy to upgrade since most of their components are not changeable. Where you can easily pull out and replace an aging graphics card in a desktop PC, with a laptop, you can’t do this and therefore will have to replace the whole thing.

We strongly emphasize the need to do your research before you buy. MSI alone has a huge range of gaming laptops, all of which have slightly different features that make them better suited for different things. Don’t base your purchase solely on price, but rather compare all the specs individually. This will help make sure that when you get it out of the box, you aren’t left feeling annoyed that it doesn’t have a big enough hard disk, for example. Most of all, remember to have fun with your new laptop and enjoy your gaming!