MSI Raider GE76 Laptop Specifications
specifications
Here are the specifications of the MSI Raider GE76 I was testing:
Model: MSI Raider GE76 (12UHS-607)
Display: 17.3" FHD (1920×1080), 360Hz
Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900HK (24M cache, 5.0GHz Max Turbo)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU with 16GB GDDR6
Memory: 32GB DDR5 4800MHz
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
Storage: 2 x 2TB SSD
Webcam: 1080p
Ports: 1 x Thunderbolt 4 w/DisplayPort, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x Ethernet, 1 x Audio Jack, 1 x HDMI 8K, 1 x SD Express
Connectivity: WiFi 6E 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.2
Dimensions: 15.63×11.18×1.02" (wide× depth × height)
Weight: 6.39 pounds
Price: $3999
MSI Raider GE76 - Design
The design of a gaming laptop seems to fit into two different categories. There is an ultra-thin crowd that blurs the line of performance and portability, and those that are unusually large and bulky. Rider GE76 strongly in the last collection. He is a big boy who weighs 6.39 pounds and measures 15.63 × 11.18 × 1.02 inches. The 300W power supply is also not small, so if you plan to carry both with you, you will need a suitable backpack.
The titanium blue body blends the matte finish with the glossy finish. Inside there is a 17.3-inch (1080p) high-resolution display with a refresh rate of 360Hz. Above the screen is a 1080p webcam that looks good, but not great, for video calls.
The full-size keyboard has individually lit RGB keys that you can adjust using the SteelSeries app, along with a fuzzy light bar on the front edge of the casing. There is a number pad to the right of the keyboard, with a small trackpad playfully below it.
The light bar pulsates and stays lit while the GE76 sits idle, giving your room a bit of the RBG ambiance that most of us crave.
There are a lot of ports divided between the sides and the back of the laptop housing. On the right side are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, with an SD card reader in between. On the back is a mini DisplayPort 1.4, a Thunderbolt 4 port, an RJ45 Ethernet port, an HDMI port capable of 8K/60Hz output, and a charging port. Finally, the left side of the housing has a USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) port, a headphone jack, and a standard USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 port.
I like that MSI split the ports across three different edges, with a more durable type of ports at the back – making it easy to connect a dock-like setup to your desk.
My favorite part of the GE76 design is the RGB keyboard and mysterious light bar. Outside of that, the overall size is something you will find acceptable because you don't need to carry it too often, or it will immediately be unsuccessful.
MSI Raider GE76 - Performance and gaming
Inside the Raider GE76 there is a 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900 HK processor, Nvidia's RTX 3080 Ti with 16GB GDDR6 memory, 32GB DDR6 memory at 4800MHz, and a total SSD storage capacity of 4TB. It's stacked.
Delving a little into the details of the i9, it features a Turbo Boost with a maximum of 5.00 GHz, and has 24 MB of smart cache, with a total of 14 cores (6 performance, 8 efficiency), with a total of 20 threads.
With subtleties set apart, here's how to stack the Raider GE76 vs. Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 and Razer Blade 14 in the standard IGN benchmark test suite. These tests were run with the GE76 set to maximum performance mode.
As you can see from the screenshot, boosting the performance of the MSI Raider GE76 on the S17 is not as radical as I personally expected. It's almost a 10% increase in performance in tests where the GE76 scored higher, a welcome increase, but not what I expected. For the Blade 14 (which had the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX), the performance gains are even more significant.
It may have been a placebo effect, but when using GE76 on a daily basis for the past couple of weeks, I felt like everything was much faster. Launching multiple programs at the same time wasn't a slowdown, and multitasking wasn't something I should think about.
For gaming, the GE76 lives up to my expectations. Well, save for viewing. The IPS screen color was more muted and lacked the bright, vibrant look I'd expect from high-end gaming laptops. After messing with the screen settings a bit, it looked better, but at this price, I was expecting more out of the box.
However, the frame rates and overall gaming experience were smooth and fast. Playing Warzone and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction was quiet and fun. The fans, even in super performance mode, were not overpowering or so loud that I couldn't hear the gameplay. Naturally, you'll want to wear gaming headphones so you can hear all the subtle sound effects and details.
On Rainbow Six, I saw a frame rate of 190 frames per second with each graphical setting exceeding the limit. In Warzone, the average frame rate was 127 frames per second. Again, this with each graphics setting set at the highest possible level to push the system to its limits.
I got these numbers by using the Xbox Game Bar to monitor the average FPS over the last 60 seconds. I would randomly look at the average, write it down, and then calculate the average of these numbers at the end of the test.
Another minor wrench about the GE76 is the spacing between the keys on the keyboard. It took me a few days to get used to the keys being spaced apart than I used to, which meant I was constantly trying to get a key and miss it. It's frustrating while playing a game, but even more frustrating when writing an email or chatting with friends in Slack.
MSI Raider GE76 - Battery Life
I used the PCMark 10 battery standard to test the battery life of the GE76, which simulates everyday office work like editing a Word document, watching videos and the like. GE76 lasted for 3 hours and 37 minutes before shutting down. This isn't a shocking sign, beating the Zephyrus S17 by a few minutes, but it's about two hours lower than the Blade 14.
MSI Raider GE76 - Software
Raider GE76 powers Windows 11 Pro out of the box. If you have never set up a new Windows 11 device, you will be surprised (as you were) to see a prompt to restore your laptop using the last backup of the Windows 11 device associated with your Microsoft account. I chose to set up my laptop as new just to make sure it was properly set up for testing, but this Windows 11 feature is something I didn't know was possible. I can't wait to try it.
For programs and apps that come pre-installed from the MSI factory, well, there are a few of them. You'll of course want to remove Norton Security, but outside of that, the rest of the software suite is already useful.
SteelSeries GG is installed to help you control and customize your keyboard and light bar lighting. You can also go to the MSI Center to view system specifications and statistics and switch between cooling and performance templates such as Extreme Performance and Balanced (Silent and Super Battery are also two options). Alternatively, you can use Smart Auto to adjust system performance based on what you're currently doing.
