MSI GE75 Raider 17.3″ Gaming Laptop
To a large extent, the MSI GE75 Raider is a formidable gaming machine, designed for hardcore gamers on the go. This laptop boasts impressive hardware including a 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK paired with the indomitable NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q design, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and an array of features, all wrapped in a sleek 17” chassis.
This machine represents the high-end segment of MSI gaming laptops, and this review will supply the information you need before you hit the “Buy” button.
Design
The smooth aluminum chassis is sturdily crafted, though there is little flex on the lid. What stands this machine out is the slim profile, measuring only 0.9 inches in height. The lid bears the MSI emblem, with red accents on both sides for decoration.
The keyboard deck is also the same aluminum material. The screen has a thin bezel all around, except on the bottom part of the display. The thin display bezel is quite stylish and is becoming commonplace with laptops nowadays. The left and right sides house many of the ports, and air vents for cooling. The lid has a much wide opening angle, and can also be closed with one hand.
In terms of weight, this laptop doesn’t weigh a ton, coming in at just a little over 5lbs.
Keyboard/Trackpad
The SteelSeries keyboard offers precise tactile feedback while typing. The keys are responsive and quiet. The per-key RGB lighting is phenomenal, though some of the presets are outright crazy. The good thing is that you can customize the lighting however you want. It’s a delight though, to watch the keyboard lights pulsate to beats while playing music.
The touchpad is the regular type with a two-button design. It is responsive and precise and has multi-touch capabilities.
Display
The matte 17” display is crisp and bright enough for everyday gaming and regular stuff. For gaming, the display performs incredibly with the 300Hz refresh rate. The colors also stand out clearly, though there is slight backlight bleeding.
Response times are also somewhat fast for smooth gaming. The IPS screen provides good coverage at various angles, though at extreme angles the visibility suffers. Overall screen brightness is rated at 305 nits. In bright sunlight, the display suffers but works quite better in shade.
Audio
The dual speakers/sub-woofers (situated towards the front side of the unit) offer loud sound with great high and mid frequencies, though the bass could be better. However, during gameplay, the sound of the fans could interfere with the sound. Therefore, it is recommended to attach external speakers or headsets.
Battery Life
Standard battery tests reveal that the GE75 Raider managed to last up to 4 hours. Gaming on batteries is a different story altogether. It managed a paltry 1+ hours. We cannot really criticize this, for the fact that poor battery life is a common denominator with high-end gaming laptops like this.
Power consumption varies also, with idle power consumption between 14 and 27 watts. On full load, this baby can consume up to 238 Watts. Phew.
Temps
The cooling system on this machine does a fairly good job of heat dissipation. During heavy load, the palm rests and trackpad remain relatively cool, with temperatures up to 30oC. The keyboard itself can record higher temperatures, but not unbearably hot.
On the base, the area towards the back records the highest warmth levels, but not too uncomfortable levels though.
Gameplay/Performance
The system is able to play the latest titles at the highest settings. There are no issues whatsoever because this machine is more than able to handle any game you throw at it. Below are some game benchmarks.
| GAME | FPS | SETTINGS |
| The Witcher 3 | 124/66 | High/Ultra |
| Dota 2 Reborn | 125/118 | High/Ultra |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 97/86 | High/Ultra |
| X-Plane 11.11 | 97/86 | High/Ultra |
The system also performs respectably in other benchmark tests, scoring a PCMark 10 score of 8094 Points. File transfer speeds peaked at 2036MB/s and 1834MB/s for sequential read and write respectively.
The MSI Dragon Center is a great tool that allows you to fine-tune your laptop’s hardware components for the best performance. Here you can select a profile that fits your needs, such as Extreme Performance, Balanced, Silent, Super Battery, or your own User Setting. These preset scenarios are designed for different use cases, such as gaming, browsing, running on battery, etc.
You can also overclock your processor and RAM speeds here or on the GPU. Other settings you can customize here include the backlight, the color profiles, and even keyboard hotkeys.
Connectivity
A couple of ports are present on the GE75, including Thunderbolt, HDMI, USB 3, and Ethernet. Others include DisplayPort, card reader, and audio ports. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth and Killer Gigabit Ethernet.
Upgradability
You can easily upgrade the storage, RAM, and WLAN module of the GE75 by unscrewing the 7 screws holding the base in place. However, extra care must be taken not to damage the cover as it is firmly fixed to the chassis.
Specifications
| Display | 17.3 inch 16:9, FHD IPS, glossy: no, 300Hz |
| CPU | Intel Core i9-10980HK 8 cores x 2.4 – 5.3 GHz, Comet Lake-H |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, 8GB, Core: 1560 MHz, Optimus |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4-2666MHz |
| SSD | Samsung SSD PM981, 512 GB, Secondary 1 TB Seagate |
| Mainboard | Intel HM470 |
| Soundcard | Nvidia TU106 – High Definition Audio Controller |
| Networking | Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (up to 5000MBit/s), Intel Wi-Fi 6 (a/b/g/h/n/ac /ax), Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Ports | 2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm earphones, 3.5 mm microphone, Card Reader: SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Additional Features | Speakers: Dynaudio Stereo, Keyboard: SteelSeries Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Velvet screen cloth, MSI Dragon Center, True Color, SteelSeries Engine 3, 12 Months Warranty |
| Audio | 4x 2W speakers, 1x subwoofer, 1x headphone jack, 1x microphone jack, 1x line-in, 1x line out |
| Camera | Webcam: 720p |
| Battery | 65 Whr Lithium-Ion, 6-cell |
| Power Adapter | 280W |
| Operating System | MS Windows 10 Home x64 |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | Height x width x depth (mm): 27.5 x 397 x 269 (1.08 x 15.63 x 10.59 in) |
| Weight | 2.62 kg (5.78 pounds), Power Supply: 900 g (1.98 pounds) |
PROS
- Excellent keyboard with beautiful lighting
- 300Hz display
- Great customization options
- Powerful hardware
- Good speakers, though bass could be better
CONS
- Fans on the loud side
Some considerations
This section deals with considerations to keep in mind when looking for the best gaming laptop under 3000 dollars. Although there are lots of factors that will determine the perfect gaming laptop for you, the most prominent ones are listed below.
Size
The size of the gaming laptop is an important factor when looking for the perfect gaming laptop that meets your needs. Typically, gaming laptops come in three sizes, 14”, 15.6”, and 17.3”. If you want a small and more portable gaming machine, then the 14-inch models should serve you. However, if you want it big, then go for the 17.3-inch models.
The size of the laptop has nothing to do with performance anyways. It’s just a matter of size. Also, a large-sized screen does not mean the laptop will deliver the highest resolutions because a 14-inch laptop can drive a 4K resolution display simply because of the hardware it is equipped with.
So, the size is simply a function of our taste. The 15.6-inch models are more popular and common because it represents the perfect size for most gamers.
Weight
When it comes to weight, most laptops fall under the average range of 4-6lbs. Anything higher than this will be quite hefty and less portable. Most laptop manufacturers use light materials such as metal alloys, or plastic for the chassis. These materials are light and sturdy.
One downside of plastic material is the fact that it could look cheap and flimsy. Nevertheless, the weight of the laptop is something to keep in mind when making a purchase. The most expensive and high-end gaming laptops may actually weigh higher, because of the components crammed into the machine.
Battery Life
When it comes to gaming laptops, getting long battery life has always been a tough nut, especially with manufacturers. This is because gaming laptops are designed as desktop replacements. This means that they can match a desktop component to component. In simple terms, the more powerful components that a gaming machine is fitted with, the less battery life it will have.
For instance, a gaming laptop boasting of a Core i9 processor and an RTX 2080 GPU will generally have a lower battery life, than a gaming laptop with a Core i5/Geforce 1650 GPU. This is a common scenario with gaming laptops. So, if you want to go for the highest-end gaming laptops, just be convinced that you will have to always carry the power brick wherever you go, especially if you plan on gaming out, away from your desk.
Dedicated Graphics vs integrated graphics hardware
As a gamer, you probably know the importance of dedicated graphics hardware in gaming. A dedicated graphics card has its own chipset and could be upgradable, as is the case of the Alienware Area 51M. Most laptops have dedicated graphics cards hardwired into the laptop mainboard.
Most gaming laptops have a dedicated graphics card, such as NVIDIA or AMD, and have a method of switching from dedicated to integrated. NVIDIA offers such a solution, called Optimus. You usually find it in the system settings.
One thing to take note of is the fact that running a game with dedicated graphics consumes more power, especially when running on batteries. The extra power needed takes its toll on battery life.
Also, the higher the dedicated graphics card power requirements, the less battery life you get while gaming. The same goes for heat generation. More powerful graphics cards generate much more heat when compared to lower-powered GPUs. That’s why a laptop equipped with the NVIDIA RTX 2080 Super will generate more heat than one with Geforce GTX 1650.
Screen Refresh rate
A gaming laptop with a higher screen refresh rate will produce much smoother gaming than one with a lower value. Some models have as high as 300Hz, while some offer 144Hz. A gaming laptop with a screen refresh rate of 60Hz will be much cheaper, but will not be able to provide the level of performance a 144Hz model does provide.
Screen Response time
The lower the value, the smoother your gaming, especially in fast action games. For instance, a laptop with a screen response time of 2ms will produce much smoother gameplay than one with 8ms or 10ms.
Sync
Sync helps a lot in producing a smooth and fluid gaming experience. If a laptop has sync, it will cost much more than a model without sync. The most popular sync tech in laptop gaming is NVIDIA G-Sync.
Heat management
The more powerful a gaming laptop is, the more heat it generates. Gaming laptop manufacturers are always coming up with innovative design features to combat the heat. The truth is that you cannot entirely escape the fact that gaming laptops must generate heat.
You must look at the heat dissipation system; how effective it is. Now, most of the heat is concentrated in the areas where the CPU and GPU are located. Long story short, you should not carry a gaming laptop on your lap to avoid getting burned.
Conclusion
Did we miss anything out in this review on the best gaming laptops under 3000 dollars? Please let us know in the comment section. Meanwhile, check out other reviews and PC build guides.
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