Best MSI gaming laptop models

The best MSI gaming laptops currently available across multiple budgets, screen resiolutions & sizes

Table of Contents Table of Contents

The shortlist for best MSI gaming laptop in 2024 has some fierce competition, given the quality of MSI as a laptop brand. We’ll be looking at various candidates for this prestigious title, all of them worthy in their own way, depending on your own budget and priorities in terms of screen size, display resolution, refresh rate, raw FPS power, etc. If you want to know the best devices across all brands, check out our best gaming laptop page or one of our price-focused buyer’s guides that you can find in the menu above.

We continuously strive to update our buying guides by incorporating the latest products available (as long as they’re worthy). Be sure to return periodically to see if any new entries have met our rigorous standards. For those who like to conduct thorough research before making a purchase, we encourage you to delve into the Things to consider when buying an MSI gaming laptop section located further down this page; it contains valuable insights to assist you in making an informed decision. If you want to make a quick purchase though, then we’d recommend the MSI Raider GE78HX or MSI Raider GE67HX if you’re looking for something high-end, or the MSI GP66 if you want something slightly more affordable.

Is an MSI laptop good for gaming?

In short: yes. Micro-Star International is a Taiwanese company that has been manufacturing various computer components since 1988, but today they most are well known for their premium and mid-range gaming laptops. MSI’s high-end models are regular features on our best gaming laptop under $2,500 page, and some of them often make it into our more mid-range price guides too. Of course, not every MSI laptop makes it into our best of lists, and some models are definitely better than others in terms of performance and value.

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Best MSI gaming laptop in 2024: reviews

A unique MSI gaming laptop with OLED display

MSI Raider GE67 HX 15.6″ (240Hz OLED)

CPU

Intel Core i7-12800HX / i9-12900HX

Graphics Card

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti / 3080 Ti

RAM

32GB DDR5 RAM

Storage

1TB SSD

Max Refresh Rate

240Hz

Resolution

2560 x 1440

How We Review

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Pros

• Uniquely powerful OED gaming laptop
• 240Hz refresh rate
• High TGP GPU
• powerful CPU
• good build quality
• good selection of ports

Cons

• Not the cheapest

The MSI Raider GE67 HX is a unique proposition – coming with not only high-end Intel 12th gen CPU options and, high-TGP RTX 30-series graphics cards – but also a 15.6″ 240Hz 1440p OLED display! This is quite simply the most powerful OLED laptop on the market, and perfect for gaming.

You can opt for either an RTX 3070 Ti or RTX 3080 Ti GPU or a Intel Core i7-12800HX or Core i9-12900HX CPU, and though all of these are now previous gen options, they’re still very powerful and will make short work of any AAA games at the native QHD resolution. The high refresh rate means you can indulge in competitive gaming, and the OLED display lends itself to creative use and viewing tv/film media,

You get the standard high build quality that you get with all MSI Raiders, plus the latest DDR5 RAM, a great selection of ports, and 1TB of SSD storage.

The only downside of this fine machine is the asking price for the RTX 3080 Ti versions, but the RTX 3070 Ti variant is actually now quite affordable. Either way, considering what you get for the money, we think it’s definitely worth a buy.

A hugely powerful 17-inch desktop replacement device

17-inch pick

MSI Raider GE78HX 17.3″ (i9-13980HX, RTX 4090)

CPU

Intel Core i9-13980HX

Graphics Card

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

RAM

32GB DDR5 RAM

Storage

2TB SSD

Max Refresh Rate

240Hz

Resolution

2560 x 1600

How We Review

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Pros

• Very powerful GPU & CPU
• Great color replication
• High RAM & SSD upgrade options
• Good port coverage
• Great build quality

Cons

• Expensive
• Poor battery life
• Heavy

The best all-round RTX 4090 gaming laptop we’ve seen so far is the MSI Raider GE78 HX, which comes with the highest TGP variant of the RTX 4090 graphics card, as well as the top-of-the-line Intel Core i9-13980HX processor. This makes it the most powerful MSI gaming laptop you can currently buy, indeed it’s a contender for most powerful laptop across any brand, and it will absolutely demolish anything you throw at it.

The 240Hz 1440p 17.3″ display is great for immersive gaming at a high enough refresh rate to give you the edge in any online competitive shooter, although its larger size and 6.83lbs / 3.1kg of weight does mean it’s not the most portable of devices, and it certainly is not cheap, but it comes with the additional features and design quality that mark it out as a more premium product all round, assuming you don’t mind spending a bit extra. Undoubtedly one of the best mobile gaming platforms money can buy.

Adding to the gaming experience is the display: the 240Hz refresh rate is high enough for even competitive gaming, and the response time comes in at around 3.5ms grey-to-grey, which is up there with the very best on the market, and ensures maximum responsiveness in twitch shooters. The screen has 99.5% sRGB coverage, meaning you could easily use this laptop for color work in this space.

A great value gaming laptop with 15-inch display

15-inch pick

MSI GP66 Vector (1080p/1440p)

CPU

Intel Core i7-12700H / i9-12900H

Graphics

Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti / RTX 3080 / RTX 3080 Ti

RAM

16GB / 32GB

Storage

1TB SSD

Screen Size

15.6”

Max Refresh Rate

360Hz / 165Hz

How We Review

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Pros

• High TGP Nvidia GPU
• Powerful Intel CPU
• superb response time with overdrive
• 360Hz 1080p option
• good value
• detailed BIOS for performance tweaking
• decent color replication
• good brightness & contrast
• good build quality

Cons

• No MUX Switch
• No G-Sync/FreeSync
• speakers could be better
• poor battery life
• runs hot
• not the nicest looking

The MSI GP66 Vector is essentially the updated version of the GP66 Leopard listed below, but with a few minor tweaks.

The primary difference is that it comes with the Intel 12th gen CPU options, as well as later gen Nvidia 30-series GPU options (i.e. the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti). These GPUs both have nice and high TGPs, making them among the more powerful options available. The 1080p version fo the display now comes with a 360Hz maximum refresh rate, which is ridiculously fast, and there is also a 1400p 165Hz option.

The Vector also comes with a USB-C port and a mini-DisplayPort connection (both welcome additions). The laptop still doesn’t come with a MUX Switch or G-Sync, and the former in particular is missed. Battery life still isn’t great, the aesthetics are sub-par, and the speakers could definitely be better, but ultimately this is still a solid, more affordable option for those looking for a high-end model that won’t break their bank account.

A more affordable older gen 15-inch gaming laptop

MSI GP66 Leopard (1080p)

CPU

Intel Core i7-11800H or higher

Graphics

Nvidia RTX 3070 (125-140W)/ RTX 3080

RAM

16GB

Storage

1TB SSD

Screen Size

15.6”

Max Refresh Rate

240Hz

How We Review

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Pros

• High TGP Nvidia GPU
• Powerful Intel CPU
• superb response time with overdrive
• 240Hz display
• good value
• detailed BIOS for performance tweaking
• decent color replication
• good brightness & contrast
• good build quality

Cons

• No MUX Switch
• No G-Sync/FreeSync
• speakers could be better
• poor battery life
• runs hot
• not the nicest looking

This MSI GP66, also known as the MSI GP66 Leopard, is an old warrior with previous gen core components, but with recent price reductions offers great value for money. It was never the most high-specced MSI gaming laptop in terms of additional features, that honour goes to the MSI GE66 Raider, but it provided a way of getting similarly powerful core components at a much cheaper price: forgoing the inclusion of certain ports, having a less developed wi-fi card, and a shorter battery life to reduce costs. It also lacks a MUX Switch and the additional perfomance boost this gives, but nevertheless is still a top-notch upper-mid gaming performe, if you go for the RTX 3080 version. There are different Intel processor options, with the Intel Core i7-11800H CPU being the most common, and solid value for gamers with great FPS performance, even if it seriously underperforms AMD machines in terms of battery life.

Adding to the gaming experience is the display: the 240Hz refresh rate is high enough for even competitive gaming, and the response time comes in at around 3.5ms grey-to-grey, which is up there with the very best on the market, and ensures maximum responsiveness in twitch shooters. The screen has 99.5% sRGB coverage, meaning you could easily use this laptop for color work in this space.

The 720p webcam and in-built mic are pretty mediocre. There are no real complaints about the membrane keyboard or the trackpad, but both are merely adequate. Battery life when doing undemanding non-gaming tasks (a mix of web browsing, Word processing, and watching YouTube) comes in at between 3 and 4 hours, which is a bit disappointing, but fairly typical.

A 14-inch MSI gaming laptop

MSI Cyborg 14 (144Hz 1200p)

CPU

Up to Intel Core i7-13620H

Graphics Card

Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

RAM

16GB/32GB DDR5 RAM

Storage

512GB/1TB SSD

Max Refresh Rate

144Hz

Resolution

1920 x 1200

How We Review

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Pros

• A RTX 4060 laptop GPU at a great price
• Lots of RAM & SSD upgrade options for cheap
• The only 14-inch gaming laptop with ethernet
• Unique translucent design

Cons

• Underpowered RTX 4060 GPU
• Fairly dim screen

The MSI Cyborg was introduced to the company’s gaming laptop range in 2023 as a budget option, however 2024 is the first year it’s become available as a 14-inch device – making it the company’s first foray into the 14″ gaming laptop space. Available with GPU models up to the RTX 4060, it maxes out with the same Intel Core i7-13620H processor that the previous 15-inch generation had.

The screen resolution is 1920 x 1200, meaning it has the additional vertical space that a 16:10 screen provides (particularly welcome on smaller devices). The refresh rate caps out at 144Hz, which is plenty for a gaming laptop of this power, and the company claims 100% sRGB color replication (though we’ll have to see if this rings true in independent testing).

The laptop continues the blue sci-fi styling on the keyboard and translucent finish that characterised earlier models. New features include an MSI AI Engine that analyzes your behaviour and the applications used and automatically adjusts various system settings that are best for your needs.

Relative to the rest of the 14-inch market this is the cheapest available, though you’ll have to make some sacrifices in terms of build quality. Whilst thicker in its dimensions than other machines of a similar size, it does have the unique feature of coming with an ethernet port – which is not something any other 14″ gaming device has.

An all-AMD MSI gaming laptop with 240Hz screen & excellent battery life

AMD pick

MSI Delta (1080p)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 5800H

Graphics

AMD Radeon RX 6700M (95-120W)

RAM

16GB

Storage

1TB SSD

Screen Size

15.6”

Max Refresh Rate

240Hz

How We Review

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Pros

• good gaming performance
• 240Hz refresh rate
• fast response time
• fast RAM
• superb battery life
• good color gamut
• relatively thin & portable

Cons

• poor microphone
• build quality could be better on the trackpad etc.

This MSI Delta 15 is a 15-inch all AMD laptop from MSI, that enjoys the high battery life that AMD processors tend to bring, along with great FPS performance in games and great specs almost entirely across the board. Of the few complaints we’ve got with this laptop, these only extend to the slightly plasticy build quality and the poor onboard microphone. Besides this, it’s an impressive piece of kit.

The MSI Delta 15 is a great mid-range AMD model, and one of the rare few MSI laptops that come with an AMD processor and graphics card. In terms of FPS performance in gaming, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M when combined with the Ryzen 7 5800H CPU performs somewhere between an Nvidia RTX 3060 and a RTX 3070, depending on the game, which at this price you can’t complain about.

The color gamut of the display is respectable, covering around 97% of sRGB, meaning it can be used for light color work in this color space. Brightness is decent, though nothing to write home about, and the same is true for the contrast ratio. The 240Hz refresh rate of the screen however is great, more than enough for competitive gaming on a laptop with core components of this power level. Similarly, the response time of the screen is also very good, at least with overdrive enabled, coming in at around 5ms grey-to-grey, which is as good as you can expect at this price point.

In terms of battery life, the Ryzen CPU really shines, extending the lifespan to around 11 hours in non-strenuous, non-gaming general use (web browsing and word processing and the like). This is far above what Intel models will be able to manage in this price range or any other, and is a contender for the best battery life you’ll find in any gaming laptop. The 720p webcam is adequate for a gaming laptop, though the inbuilt mic is certainly less so, and isn’t great at isolating external noise. The keyboard and trackpad won’t set the world on fire either, with the keys feeling slightly stiff and the trackpad a touch loose, but both do the job. Speakers are about average for a gaming laptop, which is to say not great, but still about average vs the competition.

Besides this, the only other real downside of this device is the rather plasticy build quality, but even this isn’t terrible. All told, this is a great mid-range option and well worth your money with the specs we’ve recommended.

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Things to consider when buying an MSI gaming laptop

If you want to know what to consider when looking for a mobile gaming device in general, regardless of subcategory, have a quick look at this same section on our best gaming laptop guide. The below points will be a quick summary of what you need to be aware of when shopping for a MSI models specifically.

What products do MSI make?

MSI make a range of computer components, desktops and laptops, though they are mostly focused on targeting the PC gaming market, either through their graphics card AIBs, desktop gaming PCs, or their laptop range.

In terms of MSI gaming laptops, the company tends to focus its efforts on the mid-range to high-end price points, with high powered core components, although they do also produce one or two budget laptops, and previous generation models of higher-specced machines can often be found at reduced prices, making them worthy budget options.

MSI gaming laptop model names

As with most laptops, MSI models come with a confusing array of names that can be difficult to distinguish when you’re shopping for a specific product.

Most MSI devices have a codename that starts with 2 letters: the G is almost universal across all the gaming laptop ranges, but the second letter signifies the specific model range/line and there is often an accompanying brand name before or after which matches it. For instance the GP66 Leopard, the GE66 Raider, the GS66 Stealth, and Katana GF66.

MSI laptops also tend to have two numbers, the first of which signifies the size of the laptop, and the second its generation. The GP66 and GE66 for instance are both 15-inch laptops, whereas the GP76 and GE76 are both 17-inch machines. The older versions of these machines, which usually come with Nvidia 20-series GPUs, come with a 5 at the end, e.g. the GE65, whereas the 30-series laptops have a 6 e.g. GE66.

There are however other laptops that fall outside of this convention, such as the MSI Alpha, Bravo, and Delta ranges, which are all AMD-powered machines, that end with either a 15 or a 17 to signify the size of their display.

Which is better ASUS or MSI?

This is a difficult question to answer when it comes to gaming laptops. Both of these brands feature heavily in our best-of lists across a variety of price points. Overall, ASUS are really impressing us this year with their range of upgrades across all laptop types: from mid-range gaming devices, to workstation machines, however, the MSI GE76 Raider remains one of the most powerful high-end models we’ve ever seen, and our top pick for best premium gaming laptop in the 17-inch range.

What is better Alienware or MSI?

Alienware laptops are almost all premium devices, so are of a consistently high quality, whereas MSI laptops cover a wider range of budgets; that being said there are still some fantastic premium MSI laptops at the high-end of the quality and budget scale. Overall we’d say MSI laptops offer better value for money, and the most powerful of them will usually outperform Alienware laptops in terms of gaming FPS or workstation software output. That being said, the best Alienware laptops tend to have unbeatable design quality, and truly excellent displays, plus a unique design aesthetic.

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Final Word

This has been our buyer’s guide to the best MSI gaming laptop in 2024. We hope that you’ve been able to find the right MSI machine for you, if not, either leave us a comment below to suggest an alternative that you’d like us to consider. Please also have a look at our other guides to the best gaming laptops across different brands and price points (including best gaming laptop under $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000), which you can find listed in the site menu at the top of this page.

MSI gaming laptop FAQs

What is the best MSI gaming laptop series?

The most premium, high-end gaming laptop series is either the MSI Raider line or (if you’re looking for a ridiculously powerful desktop replacement laptop with masses of SSD space) the MSI Titan series.

Is MSI a cheap brand?

MSI gaming laptops tend to target the more medium to high-end performance markets, so aren’t known to be a cheap brand that targets consumers on a budget. However, the MSI Katana GF66 aka MSI Sword 15 does offer a fairly cheap upper low-end / lower-mid-range option.