If you like to play on high-quality machines, you’ve no doubt heard of MSI; Micro-Star International is renowned for owning some of the best laptops on the market.
MSI has adopted many of its gaming laptops to the needs of consumers while using the latest technology.
Whether you’re an artist, publisher, or photographer who needs the latest Adobe programs to do their day-to-day tasks, MSI will have the product for you. MSI is so passionate about video games. It’s no wonder two of its models are featured in our guide to the best gaming laptops.
However, they can be quite pricey, so if you’re looking to save your bank account, you might want to check out some of the best gaming laptops under $ 500.
MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-259
The GS65 performs very well in portability with a size of just 0.7 inches – yes, we were thrilled too, but the name is in the title. Despite its thinness, the GS65 offers considerable power in such a slim design.
Unlike other MSIs, this one doesn’t have the typical granular finish, allowing for a much smoother aesthetic for a premium look. With this MSI, you won’t have to tire of those chunky bezels that consume most of your screen. Frames in this one are almost nonexistent, which maximizes viewing space with an 82% screen-to-body ratio, saving you money on an additional monitor suitable for gaming.
SteelSeries returns with a premium keyboard featuring reliable and durable key switches. Each key is programmable to suit the aesthetic you’re looking for – the SteelSeries app even includes models to choose from, including flags so you can represent your home country. The “Numpad” has disappeared on the GS75 Stealth Thin, adios, and hello to a central keyboard.
Besides its high-quality construction and compact design, the MSI GS65 is very powerful. With its GTX-1070 GPU and six-core i7-8750H processor, it’s ready to let you play the latest and most system-demanding games – yes, we did say six cores. These six cores provide extremely high compute performance, except we don’t suggest heavy CPU load for an extended period of time because there is thermal throttling.
The colors are almost lifelike, making this a perfect laptop for photo editors, while in-game scenes seem like they can pop out of your screen – let’s hope you’re not playing Resident Evil.
Battery life – like on many laptops – isn’t the best. It can last up to 2.5 hours, which is sufficient, but not for long trips. We understand that MSI created a slim design, but this makes the keyboard very flexible. To compare it to the GE73, we picked the 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD version of this laptop to compare the price.
Specification
| Frame: | 32 GB DDR4 |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| Storage: | 1TB SSD |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB) |
| Display: | 1920 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate: | 144Hz |
| PROS | CONS |
| Ultra-thin | Overheating that could cause strangulation |
| Fine build quality |
MSI GS75 Stealth-093
The MSI GS75 Stealth-093 is another slim laptop to include on our list, which means one thing – it’s slightly fragile. The body is brushed with an aluminum finish that lets in fingerprints, so if kids with sticky fingers are running around your GS73VR, hide it immediately!
This MSI offers smooth, lag-free gameplay with high FPS to let you play graphically demanding titles. During these sessions, the GS75 Stealth-093 will not be super hot as the three fans manage the temperature. However, they do get loud – if you get stuck in a game, you really won’t notice it.
Once again, like most MSI gaming laptops, the keyboard is top-notch for a computer. Key feedback is excellent, and it doesn’t feel soft like many keyboards do. The Dragon Center dashboard app that comes with MSI lets you customize and view various things, from changing the colors of the RGB backlight to viewing temperatures and memory on the tab. of the system screen.
Like many gaming laptops, the GS75 Stealth-093 doesn’t come equipped with an optical drive, which shouldn’t be a problem in the digital age where most people aim for digital games – to less than being a collector, of course. The MSI GS75 Stealth-093 comes equipped with an IPS panel, which means the colors are pretty accurate – with 94% accuracy, it’s brilliant for games and other tasks.
Specification
| RAM: | 32 GB |
| Display: | 17.3 ″; |
| CPU: | Intel i7-8750H (6 cores) |
| Storage: | 512 GB SSD |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA RTX 2080 8G Max-Q |
| Display: | 1920 x 1080 |
| PROS | CONS |
| Smooth gameplay at ultra-high settings | Weak battery life |
| Fast charging time | Expensive |
| Lots of storage |
MSI GL62M 7REX
The MSI GL62M 7REX-1896US meets the needs of those looking for a gaming laptop under $ 1,200. If you love virtual worlds and the range of new VR games, you’ll be sad to know that, unlike the GE73, the MSI GV62 is not VR-ready. Still, it delivers a lot of power in a slim design for a great price.
Most MSI gaming laptops look the same, we probably all agree, except the GV62, a very sleek gaming laptop due to its thinness compared to other MSIs.
If you’re a traveler or are on the go often, the MSI GV62 is just 1.2 inches thick and weighs 4.8 pounds, making it the perfect on-the-go laptop that you can take anywhere.
If you like speed, you’ll love this MSI – it boots and launches games quickly while still allowing the toughest games to run at higher FPS thanks to the almighty 1050 Ti.
With these better performing games, there is always the fear that the temperatures will rise, which will cause a choke. However, the GV62’s cooling system does a fantastic job of handling temperatures.
For these games to run smoothly, you’ll need to climb to the top of the leaderboards, which often means you’ll need to have a great keyboard. The MSI GV62 is a real treat for gamers, as it features a full-size keyboard, tactile feedback, and a responsive keyboard to let you win.
If you hate wearing headphones while gaming and like to unplug them, the downside of the MSI GV62 is the audio quality.
Specification
| RAM: | 8 GB |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-7700HQ |
| Storage: | 128 GB SSD + 1TB HDD (5400RPM) |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 (4 GB) |
| Display: | 1920 x 1080 |
| Weight: | 4.8 pounds |
| PROS | CONS |
| Running games well in full HD | The interns heat up quickly |
| MSI’s NTSC display technology | Not ready for VR (1050 Ti) |
| A comfortable and quiet keyboard |
MSI GE73 Raider
Quality usually comes at a price, and the MSI GE73 Raider is one of them – but hear us out. The GE73’s body is solid, 1.2 inches, with little to no flex. If you are not very delicate with your backpack, sometimes even forgetting that your laptop is inside, then there is no need to worry about the easy destruction of this MSI.
The cover has a weight that protects your screen, so you don’t have to shell out an extra few hundred dollars to replace it – we know that after spending over $ 2,000, you won’t want to do it again! Speaking of the screen, the viewing angles of the GE73 are brilliant; you know what is also very beautiful? The gameplay.
The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 achieves a high number of FPS, even at very high settings, and the smoothest gameplay. Unlike most laptop touchpads, the GE73’s is usable and has dedicated left and right buttons for those of you who are brave enough to play without a mouse.
It’s also a VR-ready laptop that makes the most of the latest technology.
Keyboards are one of the most important elements in choosing a gaming laptop. This bad boy’s SteelSeries RGB keyboard makes for the ultimate gaming experience. Each of the keys can be individually customized using the included software, so you don’t have to worry about the typical all-red colors – you can also change the RGB lighting on the back of the GE73 to bring it to life. value.
The camera is high definition, but it is definitely not high quality. If you often find yourself stuck in Skype meetings, we suggest investing in a better webcam so you don’t look like a potato. You can get this laptop for 2000 $ with different configurations, but for 350 $ more you can buy the version we have chosen, which combines performance and quality. If budget is a limitation, check out our guide to gaming laptops.
| RAM: | 32 GB |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| Storage: | 1TB NVMe SSD RAID + 2TB 5400rpm HDD |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 (8 GB) |
| Display: | 1920 x 1080 |
| Weight: | 6.83 pounds |
| PROS | CONS |
| Anti-reflection | Heats up very quickly |
| Easily run demanding games | A powerful fan |
MSI GT63 Titanium-052
The GT63 Titan can run games exceptionally well with the 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and GTX 1080 GPU, but it doesn’t fare as well in terms of portability – unless you have a giant backpack and a good back. Much like the GS65, the GT63 is equipped with a six-core processor, which offers top-notch performance for a reasonable price.
Like some of the other MSIs we’ve reviewed, the GT63 Titan has a button to activate fan start, which dramatically lowers CPU and GPU temperatures. Again, the fans are noisy; you have to make compromises when buying a portable game console. You should, however, clean the laptop fan from time to time, as dust can also contribute to fan noise.
Customizable key colors are a common theme in MSI laptops; they allow you to add a touch of “you” to it. Mechanical keyboards are a go-to for gamers – the SteelSeries keyboards in these MSI laptops are great for people who don’t like soft keys.
The power of the GT63 is excellent for multiple purposes, from gaming to editing, where importing videos typically takes centuries. Overall this is one of the most notable GTX 1080 gaming laptops.
| RAM: | 16 GB |
| Processor: | Intel Core i7-8750H |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD M.2 SATA + 1TB (SATA) 7200RPM |
| Graphics: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 (8 GB) |
| Display: | 1920 x 1080 |
| Weight: | 6.48 pounds |
| PROS | CONS |
| Great color contrast | Heavy – almost 7 pounds |
| Mechanical keyboard | Bulky |
| VR is ready |
Are Laptops Good For Gaming?
Portable and lightweight, laptops are, of course, good for gaming! While gaming laptops generally have smaller screens and pretty bad keyboards, laptops do have their advantages. They’re portable and upgradeable, making them easy to play on the go. If a laptop isn’t transportable and a smartphone isn’t enough, gaming tables are a decent option for gaming on the go.
Gaming Laptops Buying Guide
GPU
When planning to buy a gaming PC, you must look at the graphics card you are using. After all, laptops don’t allow you to upgrade the GPU, so you have to choose one that lasts. You must know what you plan to play or even what you are currently playing for this exact reason.
If you don’t play very demanding games, you might get away with a budget gaming GPU. That said, we highly recommend that you opt for a GTX 1050 or better GPU, depending on what you’re playing.
CPU
The next important thing to look out for in a gaming PC is the processor. As we said in the GPU section above, you should first have an idea of ​​what you intend to play before deciding on a processor. Some games can run perfectly on a Gaming PC equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor. Others, more demanding, will require at least an Intel Core i5 processor for better performance.
RAM
Another essential specification that should not be overlooked is RAM (Random-Access Memory). When you buy a gaming PC, you need to make sure that upgrade the RAM. This way, you will get the most out of your PC Gamer. We recommend that you don’t install less than 8GB of RAM for gaming, even if that means spending a bit more money. For more information on RAM, why not check out our guide to the best RAM for gaming?
Resolution
Unless you’re a photo editor, resolution may not be your priority when purchasing a gaming laptop. However, when playing in 2019, you should aim for a gaming screen of high quality for the best possible gaming experience. I don’t know what it is for you, but good visuals greatly improve my gaming experience.
