Raider GE76 Review: The Perfect Blend of Aesthetics and Performance
MSI is no stranger to releasing class-leading gaming laptops. From portability to performance, the company has delivered solid notebooks in all price brackets.
So will the new Raider GE76 continue the company’s tradition and deliver an experience worth spending thousands of dollars on?
Let’s find out in our review of theRaider GE76.
Hardware Specifications
Being a gaming laptop, the Raider GE76 is no slouch when it comes to hardware. Our review unit comes with a12th gen Intel Core i7-12700H,32GB of RAM, and a1TB SSD. For those who don’t know, the Intel Core i7-12700H is a super powerful 14-core mobile chip with 6 Performance cores and 8 Efficiency cores.
On the graphics side, the review unit packs anNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti mobile. While the RTX 3070 Ti is an extremely fast GPU, if you need even more power, you can opt for an RTX 3080 mobile.
While hardware alone doesn’t make a laptop worth having, it can make or break the whole package, especially when it comes to gaming notebooks.
Thankfully, due to the presence of a 14-core 12th gen Intel Alder Lake processor and an NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti, we are quite confident that the Raider GE76 can take whatever you can throw at it. You’ll soon see why when we get to the performance section of the review.
Design and Build Quality
The design of the Raider GE76 is nothing out of the ordinary. That is a good thing in our books, especially when you consider that most gaming laptops have outlandish “gamery” looks that can be quite unappealing.
However, this doesn’t mean that MSI has left the notebook completely bland. To add some style to the GE76’s understated looks, the company has built an LED strip inside the chassis. The strip looks cool, and you’re able to customize it through theSteelSeries GG software.
Moving on to the ports, we are glad to report that MSI hasn’t skipped any. There is a USB Type-A port, an audio jack, and a USB Type-C. The right features two more USB Type-A ports and a full-sized SD card slot.
On the backside, you’ll find a Power Adapter port, a full-sized HDMI, an Ethernet jack, a Thunderbolt 4 port, and a Mini Display Port.
The build quality of the Raider GE76 is excellent. It feels exactly like it looks:solid, sturdy, and able to take some punishment. Thanks to the aluminum construction, there is little to no flex on the screen or the keyboard deck.
Speaking about the keyboard deck, MSI has partnered with SteelSeries to enhance the keyboard on the Raider GE76. The partnership has translated into an excellent keyboard that feels like a cut above the cheap keyboards that we’ve come to expect from gaming laptops.
The keys have a nice resounding thump to them, and they feel pretty good. They also have a full RGB backlight which it’s possible to control through the SteelSeries software.
Sadly, we can’t say the same about the trackpad. It is small and offset to the left for some unknown reason. Being a 17-inch machine, MSI had a lot of space to work with on the Raider GE76. So it is a shame to see the company waste so much and stick with such a small touchpad.
Finally, the fact that theRaider GE76is built like a tank doesn’t bode well for the overall weight. The laptop comes at around6.5lbs. Add to it a bulky power brick that weighs 2lbs, and you can imagine how challenging it will be to take it on the road with you.
Display and Audio
After a powerful CPU and GPU, display quality is perhaps the most important thing for a gaming laptop. Thankfully, MSI has managed to outfit the GE76 with some pretty good displays.
Our review unit came with a17-inch, FHD (1920x1080) screen with an astounding360Hz refresh rate. While we would like more resolution at that speed, the 360Hz refresh rate is great for competitive first-person shooters.
There are also QHD (2560x1440) and UHD (3840x2160) models but with lower refresh rates of 240Hz and 120Hz respectively.
The FHD display that our unit comes with is lacking in a few aspects.
First, the color accuracy is alright but not great, considering the price you are paying. If you want to do any professional content creation, you are better off going with either the QHD or the UHD panel.
Second, the screen doesn’t get too bright.It maxes out at 270nits. We would’ve liked to see the screen a bit brighter. As things stand, you’ll have a hard time gaming under direct sunlight or in a brightly lit environment.
Finally, there is a solid 1080p webcam on top. The image quality looks better than most competing laptops.
There is also a good-sounding microphone on board. So, not only will you look excellent on your Zoom calls, but you’ll also sound well.
The Raider GE76 does a stellar job on the audio front as well. The laptop uses Dynaudio and packs two 1W speakers and two 2W woofers, resulting in a wider sound stage than its competitors.
Overall, the multimedia experience on the Raider GE76 is quite awesome. The screen does its job well and the speakers are powerful enough to deliver clean, crisp sound.
Performance and Cooling
A gaming laptop is nothing without its performance. And we are happy to report that theRaider GE76does a fantastic job in this department.
The combination of an Intel Core i7-12700H and the RTX 3070 Ti manages to produce impressive results.
When put through the Cinebench R23’s multi-core test, the Core i7-12700H managed to score 11749 points. This is a pretty decent score considering the reduced wattage of the mobile chip.
On other hand, the Core i7-12700H surpassed every other chip in our tests and posted a score of 1654 points.
The MSI GE76 Raider’s gaming performance is also excellent. It runs games on ultra-settings at high frame rates without any noticeable drops.
A machine as powerful as the GE76 needs a robust cooling system. Thankfully, MSI has outfitted the GE76 with its new Cooler Boost 5 thermal solution. The system includes two fans along with six copper heat pipes to ensure stable and cool operation.
As with any powerful gaming laptop, you will hear the fans once they are at their maximum. But it takes a while for the fans to kick in, so you won’t hear them constantly.
MSI Centre
The laptop comes with access to exclusive software and additional tweaks thanks to the MSI Centre.
Some of the key features include dark and light modes, user scenarios, a dedicated gaming mode, game highlights, duet display, a smart image finder, noise cancellation, true color, controls for the ambient lighting, optimizations for creative apps, and more.
The configuration of the MSI GE76 Raider that we have for review will set you back $3000. This is quite expensive even for a gaming laptop as powerful as the GE76.
Among other things, you can configure the laptop with a less powerful GPU to substantially decrease the price.
Conversely, if you want even more power in your notebook and don’t care about the budget, you can opt for an RTX 3080 mobile.
The MSI GE76 Raider Is an Awesome Gaming Laptop With a Few Caveats
MSI has gotten a lot right with the GE76 Raider. It has stellar performance, a good gaming display, excellent build quality, and a nice keyboard. The only drawbacks are lackluster battery life and the added bulk that reduces portability.
We highly doubt that these drawbacks will mean much for people who are only looking for a gaming machine. If you are one such customer, the MSI GE76 Raider will likely satisfy your needs.
We highly recommend this incredible gaming laptop. You can buy it now atBestbuy.ca.
And remember, you’re able to visit theMSI Canada official Raider GE product websitefor other MSI models available from other resellers.
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