MSI's New Laptops Feature RTX 3080 Ti, Alder Lake

Always among the first to embrace new technologies and push mobile performance to its limits, MSI has unveiled a new lineup of gaming and content creation laptops based on Intel’s new 12th-gen Alder Lake H series CPUs and Nvidia’s mobile RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti GPUs. Several of the systems also feature a new “Phase-Change Liquid Metal Pad” cooling technology, which promises to boost performance up to 10 percent. 

The gaming laptops range from the relatively-light GS77 / 66 Stealth to the decked-out Raider GE76 / 66 and the all-new Vector GP76 / 66 series. The company also announced some new custom-themed laptops, including a Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six model. The three new content creation laptops include the Creator Z17, a 17-inch system that supports pen input.

 Staying Cool with MSI’s Phase-Change Liquid Metal Pad

It almost goes without saying that the cooler your computer stays, the faster it can boost its CPU and GPU clocks. That’s why it’s so important, when you build a desktop,  to get one of the best CPU coolers and use some of the best thermal paste. Because the design of laptops is proprietary, OEMs have to come up with some of their own unique cooling solutions. 

Enter MSI’s new Phase-Change Liquid Metal Pad, a technology that sits in between the processor and the cooler, taking the place of traditional thermal paste. When the temperature hits 58 degrees celsius, the pad melts and, according to MSI, provides better heat transfer to the thermal block. MSI claims that this superior cooling ups overall performance by up to 10 percent over other solutions.

MSI has also added a feature to the MSI Center software called “Smart Auto” which can decide when to turn up the fan speed for maximum performance or turn it down for peace and quiet. The system can even tune its fan speed based on ambient noise in the place you’re using it.

 MSI GS77 and GS66 Stealth

Starting at $1,799, the MSI GS77 Stealth is the company’s lightweight, 17-inch gaming laptop, tipping the scales at a reasonable 5.7 pounds while measuring a modest 0.79 inches thick. It features an updated design with a zinc-alloy hinge that adds increased durability. In addition, the laptop has a classy design with a black, sand-blasted metal chassis and per-key RGB lighting. 

Its 17.3-inch display panel is available with up to a 4K, 120 Hz panel that promises to reproduce 100 percent of the Adobe RGB gamut. It’s also available with a QHD, 240 Hz panel that offers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut and an FHD, 360 Hz panel. On the inside, the GS77 stealth has up to a Core i9-12800H, RTX 3080 Ti graphics, a 1TB SSD and 32GB of DDR5 4800 MHz RAM.

The similarly-designed, 15.6-inch GS66 Stealth tips the scales at 4.63 pounds while measuring a slimmer, 0.71 inches thick. It starts at $2,499 and comes with a choice of a 4K, 60 Hz, QHD 240 Hz or FHD 360 Hz panel. In addition, the laptop will have up to a Core i9-12900K, 1TB SSD, RTX 3080 Ti graphics and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. Unlike the GS77, the GS76 can support USB PD charging.

 MSI Raider GE76 and GE66

Designed to compete with the best gaming laptops, MSI’s high-end performance series, the Raider, gets an upgrade to Intel 12th Gen Core and RTX 3080 Ti / 3070 Ti graphics. With plenty of room for components and airflow, the 17.3-inch Raider GE76 is a full 1.02  inches and weighs a desktop-like 8.8 pounds. The 15.6-inch GE66 is svelter 0.92 inches thick while weighing 7.25 pounds.

Both MSI Raiders have panoramic aurora lighting on their front lips and are made out of aluminum. They boast up to 220 watts of combined CPU and GPU power so they can operate at higher boosts and even overclock while staying cool.

Like the GS77 and 67 Stealth, both laptops are available with a choice of 4K, QHD or FHD panels, up to 12th Gen Core i9 CPUs, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1B SSD. While both models will be available with RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3070 Ti graphics, some configs will also have RTX 3070 or RTX 3060 GPUs. The Raider GE66 will start at $2,249, while the GE76 will have a $1,599 base model SKU.

 MSI Vector GP76 and GP66

Sitting between the slim Stealth and the chunky Raider, the MSI Vector series can deliver up to 210 watts of total CPU and GPU power. The 17.3-inch Vector GP76 weighs 7.65 pounds and is 1.02 inches thick, while the 15.6-inch GP66 tips the scales at 5.25 pounds and has a 0.92-inch thickness.

While the Vector laptops have up to a Core i9-12900H CPU, they top out at RTX 3080 graphics with no current 3080 Ti option. The GP76’s highest resolution panel is QHD, while the GP66 can go no higher than 1080p.

 MSI Crosshair 17 and 15 and Rainbow Six Edition

MSI’s mid-range Crosshair line is also getting a refresh. The 17-inch Crosshair 17 weighs a mere 5.73 pounds and measures 1.07 inches thick, while the 15-inch model comes in at 5.07 pounds and 1.06 inches thick. Both models are available with up to a Core i9-12900H CPU, but top out at RTX 3070 Ti graphics. Their panels max out at 1080p resolution with a 144 Hz refresh rate and they have DDR4 RAM instead of DDR5.

There’s also a special Crosshair 15 Rainbow Six Extraction Edition, which has yellow and black coloring and, instead of the MSI dragon, the back of the lid has the “Extraction Crest” from the game. It comes with a Core i7-12700H CPU, RTX 3070 graphics and, unlike other Crosshair 15 laptops, a QHD, 165 Hz panel.

 MSI Pulse and Katana: Affordable Gaming

MSI’s more budget-friendly Pulse GL76 and 66 are also getting upgrades to Intel 12th Gen Core CPUs. However, neither has RTX 3080 Ti or 3070 Ti graphics, with the top model having an RTX 3070 GPU. Panels for both the 17 and 15-inch models are limited to 1080p resolution, though the 17 incher has a 360 Hz display option.

The Pulse GL76 will start at $1,349 for a model with Core i7-12700H CPU and RTX 3050 Ti graphics, while the Pulse GL66 will go for as little as $1,299 with the same CPU but RTX 3050 graphics.

The affordable Katana GF76 and GF66 will start at just $1,249 and $1,099, respectively. Weighing in at 5.73 and 4.96 pounds, these systems will have up to a Core i7-12700H CPU and RTX 3070 Ti GPU. Their panels are both 1080p with 144 Hz refresh rates.

MSI Creator Z17, Creator Z16P and Creator M16: Professional Graphics

MSI continues to target graphics professionals with its creator line. The new Creator Z17 boasts what the company says is the world’s first 17-inch laptop with pen support. The 5.49-pound laptop is a mere 0.75 inches thick but finds room for up to a Core i9-12900H and RTX 3080 Ti graphics. Starting at $3,249, the Z17 sports a 17-inch panel with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 165 Hz refresh rate and the ability to reproduce 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The Creator Z16P is a tad lighter at 5.27 pounds but the same thickness and offers the same CPU and GPU options. Starting at $2,999, its 16-inch panel is also 2560 x 1600 resolution with 165 Hz refresh rate and DCI-P3 at 100 percent. There’s also the nearly-identical Creator Z16 (no P) that starts at $2,499 and has a panel that’s only 120 Hz while going up to only a Core i7-12700H and RTX 3060 graphics.

Finally, the budget-oriented Creator M16 laptop starts at $1,499. For that price, you get a Core i7-12700H CPU, RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 2560 x 1600 display that covers 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut but at 60 Hz. A $1,599 model ups the graphics to RTX 3060, the RAM to 32GB and the storage to 1TB.