MSI Raider GE76 review — Top power for top dollar

pcinvasion.com:

PC gaming is a market that only continues to grow, and an area that is expanding faster than ever before is the laptop space. Each year, companies look to best their competition with the top products for consumers. The 2022 version of the MSI Raider GE76 gaming laptop is the Taiwanese computer giant’s attempt at just that, and we received one to test and review.

Of course, when it comes to buying a gaming laptop, there are a lot of things to consider. It’s not like a desktop, where you can simply replace a CPU or motherboard every couple of years and stay current. Gaming laptops are (usually) longer-term investments, so buying one that has the latest and greatest components may be at the top of your list. Doing so can keep you up and running smooth for the next handful of years.

The Raider GE76 features just that. An Intel Core i9-12900HK, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 32 GB of DDR5-4800 MHz RAM, a 1 TB NVMe SSD, and a 4K display make up one of the most powerful laptops on the market. Obviously, with that power comes a hefty price tag. And the MSI Raider GE76 isn’t cheap. The model we received for testing comes in at $4,200 USD. You aren’t going to find many cheaper with this much going for it.

Most laptop reviews simply go through a number of benchmarks and thermals and call it a day. But what about daily use? How does it hold up and work from a practicality standpoint? Are all the bells and whistles worth the large price tag?

First thing’s first, let’s talk about aesthetics. Right out of the box, the look and feel of the MSI Raider GE76 is impressive. It looks like the kind a top-of-the-line machine you expect for what’s inside.

The laptop weighs a mighty 6.39 pounds, and measures 15.63 x 11.18 x 1.02 inches in size.