The best MSI gaming laptops right now: Which laptop is suitable for late 2021 shopping season?

MSI is certainly no stranger to gamers who enjoy playing games on laptops. With a plethora of impressive gaming laptops that MSI has introduced recently, some of you may have difficulty choosing the right gaming laptop to meet your needs. To address that, I've compiled a list of the best MSI gaming laptops currently available to help you easily find the laptop that suits you best!

Check out: TOP 5 i7 gaming laptops, gaming is even better with a 15.6-inch display

1. MSI GF65 Thin – A mainstream gaming laptop with a compact design and powerful performance

The first laptop I want to introduce to you is the MSI GF65 Thin, which is a fantastic gaming laptop priced at under 30 million VND (price at Mytour). In addition to its compact design, the MSI GF65 Thin features a powerful configuration with 10th generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q dedicated graphics card. First, let's take a look at the specifications of the MSI GF65 Thin:

• Display: 15.6-inch size, Full HD resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Intel Core i5-10500H.
• RAM: DDR4 16 GB (1 slot 8 GB + 1 slot 8 GB), supports upgrade up to 64 GB.
• Storage: 512 GB NVMe PCIe SSD, supports M.2 PCIe SSD slot.
• Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q 6 GB.

From the above specifications, the MSI GF65 Thin provides good performance when experiencing League of Legends with high graphics settings, FPS (frame rate) on MSI GF65 Thin fluctuates from 190-232 FPS, providing absolute stability and handling well solo processing or total combat. However, when I screen record, the FPS drops to 128-144 FPS. Not only stopping at gaming ability, the performance power of MSI GF65 Thin also brings impressive graphics processing ability. The device can handle graphics well and I confidently use it at the same time Photoshop, Lightroom, and some other software without any difficulty.

The design is a highlight of the MSI GF65 Thin with a weight of only 1.86 kg, an impressive figure compared to other gaming laptops. In addition, the back of the MSI laptop is also designed simply with striped patterns created from the metal surface machining process, featuring the iconic red dragon logo and possessing a bold red and black color scheme.

The MSI GF65 Thin is equipped with a 15.6-inch IPS LCD screen, Full HD resolution, providing wide viewing angles and beautiful image colors for graphic design. Moreover, the MSI GF65 Thin also features a 144 Hz refresh rate for smooth experiences not only for graphic work but also for impressive entertainment through movies, gaming, and more.

As for the keyboard and touchpad on the MSI GF65 Thin, due to its compact size, you won't find a physical number pad and there's no space above the keyboard either. In terms of user experience, I find the key travel on the MSI GF65 Thin to be relatively short and shallow because I have large hands.

However, a plus for the MSI GF65 Thin's keyboard is the integrated vibrant red backlighting, allowing me to use it in low-light environments and create a strong, stylish gaming effect. Speaking of the touchpad, the TouchPad of the MSI GF65 Thin offers a relatively smooth surface, no stickiness, with enough space for me to move around and quick response speed.

Finally, I used BatteryMon software to measure the battery life of the MSI GF65 Thin. During the test, I used Photoshop and played League of Legends on the MSI laptop, and the result was quite impressive as the laptop lasted for 1 hour and 11 minutes with the screen at 100%, sound at 70%, and power saving mode off. This is a fairly good figure considering the MSI GF65 Thin is a gaming laptop.

Check out: MSI GF65 Thin Review: Compact design, powerful performance with RTX 3060

2. MSI GF76 Katana – Powerful performance, new sleek design, and attractive price

Next up is the MSI GF76 Katana, a gaming laptop equipped with great performance, a fresh design compared to its predecessor, and an equally attractive price. Let's take a quick look at the specifications of the MSI GF76 Katana.

• Display: 17.3 inches, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 144Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H, 2.3 GHz.
• RAM: DDR4 8 GB, supports upgrade up to 64 GB.
• Storage: 512 GB NVMe PCIe SSD, does not support additional M.2 PCIe SSD slot.
• Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB.

Firstly, when it comes to gaming laptops, we cannot overlook the power of performance, right? With the specifications listed above, the MSI GF76 Katana promises to bring you a powerful device, excelling in current games as well as meeting graphic design needs.

In terms of design, I highly appreciate the appearance of the MSI GF76 Katana with its powerful and sleek look, which is essential for gaming laptops but still remains compact and not overly bulky, avoiding limitations when using the device in various conditions. The MSI Gaming GF76 Katana is also equipped with quite a few connectivity ports such as: 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 3.2, HDMI, LAN (RJ45), USB 2.0, and USB Type-C, allowing you to easily connect to peripherals.

True to its name, the MSI GF76 features a design inspired by the Katana sword, a famous weapon used by many ancient Japanese warriors. That's why every cut, edge of this laptop is meticulously finished, very similar to the manual process of forging a Katana sword. The A-side of the MSI GF76 Katana has a textured design with the highlight being the dragon logo embossed in a minimalist but unique and elegant way.

When you open the MSI GF76 Katana, you will immediately notice the 17.3-inch IPS screen with Full HD resolution, providing you with a spacious and comfortable entertainment and work space. Moreover, the MSI GF76 Katana's screen has a 144Hz refresh rate, making mouse movements, scrolling, and content such as movies, games, etc., look very smooth and seamless.

Additionally, the MSI GF76 Katana also features an Anti-Glare screen that allows you to use the laptop in various conditions, even outdoors, without worrying about display quality. After admiring the screen, let's take a look at the keyboard system of the MSI GF76 Katana. It is equipped with a mechanical-like keyboard with large keys and a fairly deep key travel, giving you a good typing experience. This keyboard system also has red backlighting, which looks very stylish and helps you work or play games in low light conditions more easily.

As for the TouchPad of the MSI GF76 Katana, it is designed to be slightly offset to the left, creating a wider resting space for your hand. Although using this TouchPad may not be perfectly smooth and may be slightly sticky in some cases, it has a relatively fast and sensitive response speed.

3. MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth – High-end gaming laptop with luxurious design and top-notch configuration

First of all, let's take a look at the specifications of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth:

• Display: 15.6 inches, Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), 360Hz refresh rate.
• CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H, 2.3 GHz.
• RAM: DDR4 32 GB, supports upgrade up to 64 GB.
• Storage: 2 TB SSD NVMe PCIe, supports an additional M.2 PCIe SSD slot (upgradeable up to 2TB).
• Dedicated graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 MAX-Q 8GB.

Just briefly looking at the specifications, the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth will surely have excellent performance. When experiencing Valorant game on the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth with Max Performance mode, the machine achieves a stable FPS of around 200, even when performing shooting activities, it only drops about 5-6 FPS.

Besides gaming, the high-end configuration of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth not being used for graphic design would be a waste, right? Oh, and I'll also reveal that the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth has a very impressive display to help you with graphic design tasks on this product even more easily. In conclusion, through tests and usage, I found that the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth operates very powerfully and stably in the tasks I have performed on the machine.

I highly appreciate the design of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth, not only because the machine looks beautiful and luxurious, but also because this design is highly practical. I can take the machine to work, to meetings, or to outings anywhere without worrying that the machine is too 'flashy', causing unwanted attention.

The front of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth looks very minimalist with mysterious black color and the MSI logo is elegantly and luxuriously engraved. The edges and corners of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth also look square and powerful with a size that is quite suitable for carrying in a backpack when going out. In terms of connectivity, MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth provides you with 3 USB-A 3.2 ports, 2 USB-C ports, LAN port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and HDMI port, more than enough for your connectivity needs.

The screen of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth is 15.6 inches in size, Full HD resolution, providing you with a sufficient display space, not too large but not too small either. Standing out among the screen specifications of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth is the high refresh rate of up to 360 Hz, giving you an extremely smooth screen experience when watching movies, playing games, or working, designing, etc.

MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth features a keyboard system with a fairly reasonable layout, keys of adequate size for a good typing experience. The keyboard of the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth also stands out with a unique RGB LED lighting system with various color modes, making the machine extremely prominent when in use.

Finally, in terms of battery life, the MSI Gaming GS66 Stealth is equipped with a 99.9 Wh battery, providing a battery life of over 4 hours, a very optimistic figure considering the high refresh rate, RGB LED system, etc. Personally, I consider this to be a good figure, and when using a gaming laptop, we often charge and use it at the same time, so I think we don't need to focus too much on this issue.

4. MSI GE66 Raider - A powerful and extremely high-end 'ship' of MSI

It can be said that the MSI GE66 Raider, priced under 60 million VND (price at Mytour), is an extremely good gaming laptop from MSI. The device impressed me with its unique design featuring a beautiful Panoramic Aurora RGB strip, a sturdy metal body, and especially the MSI GE66 Raider has a very powerful configuration.

Before diving into details, let's take a quick look at the specifications of the MSI GE66 Raider.

• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) with 360Hz refresh rate support.
• CPU: Intel Core i7 Tiger Lake - 11800H.
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB.
• RAM: 16 GB, 32 GB.
• Storage: 2 TB SSD NVMe PCIe.
• Operating System: Windows 10 (upgraded to official Windows 11).
• Battery Capacity: 99.9 Wh.

MSI GE66 Raider achieves extremely high scores, and I was particularly impressed with its graphics score (in GeekBench 5), reaching 89,508 points. The single-core/multi-core scores in Cinebench R23 of the MSI GE66 Raider are also high compared to some competitors in the same segment.

In terms of actual gaming performance, I tested FIFA Online 4 with the graphics set to the highest level. The MSI GE66 Raider maintained frame rates above 150 FPS and could reach over 230 FPS during gameplay. Occasionally, sudden scene transitions such as replaying goals or slow-motion moments caused the FPS to drop to around 40 - 50 FPS, but I found the experience to be very stable and smooth.

One of the standout features of the MSI GE66 Raider is its premium CoolerBoost 5 cooling system, which includes 6 heat pipes, 2 large fans, and 4 heat vents (2 vents at the back and 2 vents on the left/right sides). This setup optimizes the CPU and GPU temperatures on the MSI GE66 Raider, resulting in better stability during gaming or heavy multitasking.

The overall exterior design of the MSI GE66 Raider looks unique with its spaceship-like design. The laptop has a reasonable size and weight, making it easy for users to carry around. The GE66 Raider features a titan gray color scheme that looks striking and distinguishes it from other gaming laptops on the market. The metal body and the prominently displayed dragon logo add to the device's aesthetic appeal.

Another distinctive feature of the MSI GE66 Raider is the RGB Panoramic Aurora lighting strip, which creates a beautiful effect. The matte black plastic layer prevents the light from being too glaring when using the laptop in the evening. The ports located mostly at the back include mini DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, LAN port, and a power port that looks quite similar to a USB-A port and a USB-C port. On the left side, there is a USB-A port, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone + mic port. Moving to the right side, we have two more USB-A ports and an SD card reader slot.

One of the standout features of the MSI GE66 Raider's display is its support for a smooth 360Hz refresh rate. This panel is sure to meet the demands of entertainment with movies and especially for a visually stunning gaming experience. The color, detail, contrast, saturation,... of this screen are all at a good level. For those who work in graphics-related fields such as photo editing or video editing, the MSI GE66 Raider fully meets these demands.

Below the screen is the SteelSeries keyboard and the TouchPad of the MSI GE66 Raider. Perhaps I don't need to say too much about the MSI SteelSeries keyboard anymore, the feeling of typing is smooth, the keys are responsive, and the key travel is deep are what I feel about the keyboard of this laptop. Moreover, the keyboard of the MSI GE66 Raider also supports super cool RGB lighting.

The mousepad of the GE66 Raider provides a good experience, but I find this part to be relatively small compared to the available space. However, this touchpad is a ClickPad type, smooth surface and not sticky with sweat, fully supports multi-touch gestures on Windows 10 with Precision TouchPad driver.

To power a powerful machine, the MSI GE66 Raider is equipped with a 99.9 Wh battery, providing about 2 hours and 30 minutes of battery life for normal tasks without turning on the cooling fan. When using normal tasks, playing games (15 minutes), and turning on the cooling fan, the MSI GE66 Raider can last about 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is understandable because the device's battery has to bear quite heavy hardware, so for me, I don't demand much in terms of battery life for this product.

See more: MSI GE66 Raider Review: Colorful Design, Strong Performance with RTX 3070

Conclusion

Here are the most worth-buying MSI gaming laptops at the moment, compiled by me to help you easily update information as well as find the most suitable choice for yourself. However, these are still reviews based on my personal opinion, so for the most accurate view, please come to Mytour to experience these products yourself. And if any of you have experienced the machines in this list, don't forget to leave a comment, review about the products. Thank you very much for reading my entire article.

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