The new batch of laptops equipped with 11th generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 family GPUs continues to grow. This time the company that has unveiled the features of its new equipment is MSI, thus joining the launches that Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, and Lenovo, among other companies, made a few days ago.
Five of the laptops we are about to tell you about have been designed specifically for gaming, although, as you might expect, on paper they should perform wonderfully in a content creation scenario as well. And, of course, in an office environment. MSI’s other laptop, the Creator 17, has been designed specifically for content creation, and has a very striking feature: it incorporates an IPS LCD panel with mini-LED backlighting.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, an important note. In the table below we have listed the versions of all the laptops equipped with a 17.3-inch IPS LCD panel, but they are also available with 15.6-inch screens and Full HD, QHD, and UHD resolution, as well as with slightly more modest specifications, and presumably also at a lower price.
MSI’s new gaming and content creation laptops in figures
| GE76 Raider | GS76 Stealth | GP76 Leopard | Press GL76 | Katana GF76 | Creator 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | IPS LCD up to 17.3″ UHD | IPS LCD up to 17.3″ UHD 120 Hz | IPS LCD up to 17.3″ QHD 165 Hz | IPS LCD up to 17.3″ QHD 165 Hz | 17.3″ FHD 144 Hz IPS LCD | 17.3″ IPS LCD UHD, Mini-LED and HDR 1000 |
| CPU | Up to Intel Core i9 11th Gen | Up to Intel Core i9 11th Gen | Up to Intel Core i7 11th Gen | Intel Core i7 11th Gen | Intel Core i7 11th Gen | Intel Core i9 11th Gen |
| GPU | Up to GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 | Up to GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 | Up to GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 | Up to GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 | Up to GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 | Up to GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 |
| RAM | Up to 64GB DDR4 3200 | 32GB DDR4 3200 | 16GB DDR4 3200 | Up to 32GB DDR4 3200 | 16GB DDR4 3200 | Up to 64GB DDR4 3200 |
| SSD | Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 | 1 TB PCIe 4.0 | 1 TB PCIe 3.0 | Up to 1TB PCIe 3.0 | Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 |
| WIFI | Killer Wi-Fi 6E | Killer Wi-Fi 6E | Killer Wi-Fi 6E | Killer Wi-Fi 6 | Killer Wi-Fi 6 | Killer Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| OS | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Home / Pro | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 Pro |
| Battery | 99.9 Whr | 99.9 Whr | 65 Whr | 53.5 Whr | 53.5 Whr | 99.9 Whr |
| Dimensions | 397 x 284 x 25.9 mm | 396.1 x 259.4 x 20.25 mm | 397 x 284 x 25.9 mm | 398 x 273 x 24.2 mm | 398 x 273 x 25.2 mm | 396.1 x 259.4 x 20.25 mm |
| Weight | 2.9 kg | 2.45 kg | 2.9 kg | 2.3 kg | 2.3 kg | 2.45 kg |
MSI’s new gaming laptops come with the latest from Intel and NVIDIA
GE76 Raider
This gaming laptop is a real beast. In its most ambitious version it can incorporate an Intel Core i9-11980HK processor; a 17.3-inch IPS LCD panel display with Full HD resolution and 360 Hz refresh; up to 64 GB DDR4-3200; an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics processor and no less than 2 TB of SSD storage with PCIe 4.0 interface.
Its keyboard is a SteelSeries with RGB lighting, and cooling is handled by a thermal solution that resorts to two larger fans than in previous revisions of this laptop and two oversized heat pipes that, according to MSI, are responsible for ensuring that both the CPU and GPU give their best under demanding conditions.
GS76 Stealth
If we stick to its specs this laptop is on par with the Raider model we just dug into. However, its purpose is not the same. There is no doubt that it is a very capable gaming machine, but it is thin, light, and unobtrusive enough to be used as a professional laptop by day, and as a state-of-the-art gaming machine by night. That, at least, is what MSI is proposing. And it sounds good.
GP76 Leopard
This laptop is, on paper, a true all-rounder. As you can see in the table, its configuration is only slightly less ambitious than that of the Raider and Stealth models, so there is no doubt that it is a very capable machine. Its chassis is all-metal and incorporates new hinges that, according to MSI, are very rigid and robust, allowing it to be used safely not only in a home-use scenario but also in spaces where it is not possible to treat it gently.
Pulse GL76
In terms of design, this is the laptop of this new MSI batch with the most marked gamer spirit. It has been designed by the Belgian artist Maarten Verhoeven, inspired by a fighter of the future. As you can see in the table, its specifications are very attractive. Its Intel Core i7 CPU and GeForce RTX 3060 GPU should be enough to give users solid 1080p gaming performance. Even at 1440p and with ray tracing enabled. One interesting note: the heat pipes of its cooling system are very similar to those of the more expensive and ambitious Raider model.
Katana GF76
The last gaming laptop we’re going to dig into is the most modest of all the ones we’ve reviewed in this article, but that doesn’t mean it makes any major concessions. Not at all. As you can see from the table, its specs are really good and should be more than enough to allow gamers to play at 1080p while sustaining a high frame rate. In addition, as you can see in the picture, it has a stylish and attractive design, but not too flashy, something that some users appreciate.
Creator 17: this laptop for content creation stands out with its mini-LED screen
As you can see from the table, the specifications of this content creation laptop rival those of the Raider model, so it’s clear that it’s also a very attractive machine for gaming. However, MSI has taken special care with the screen of this computer. And it is that it bets on an IPS LCD panel with 4K UHD resolution and 17’3 inches capable of covering 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and delivering a maximum brightness of 1000 nits.
In addition, according to MSI, it restores color very accurately (Delta-E < 2). And the mini-LED backlighting ensures, in theory, very high contrast and deep blacks. One more note: its sound has been tuned by the hi-fi company Dynaudio. As you can see, it looks great, so we look forward to the opportunity to review it in depth.
Price and availability of the New MSI 2021 Laptops
MSI’s new gaming and content creation laptops will arrive in stores in the next few weeks. Their price will vary significantly depending on their configuration.
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