MSI Crosshair 15 R6E Laptop Review (Core i7-12700H / RTX 3070)

1. MSI Katana GF66 12UE2. Testing Configurations & Methodology3. Performance Results - Technical4. Performance Results - Cinebench & Blender5. Performance Results - Handbrake, 7-Zip, Memory6. Performance Results - 3DMark & PCMark 107. Performance Results - Gaming 1080p8. Performance Results - Gaming 1440p9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

If we round this one out, it is clear that the MSI Crosshair 15 R6E is a powerful gaming laptop. But that's exactly what we would expect when dropping around two-grand or more on a machine from a reputable vendor.

MSI does well to squeeze the 140W-rated RTX 3070 Laptop GPU and Core i7-12700H CPU into this unit and keep them both running happy. The power allocation in the Balanced operating mode was smart and there was extra performance available from the Extreme mode if you wanted it. Plus, the cooling configuration is solid, especially if you want to ramp those fans up to annoying acoustic levels.

32GB of DDR4 memory, an OK 1TB SSD, and clear upgrade options for both of those components is good. But it’s the 165Hz QHD IPS-level display that performs very well, particularly with its colour accuracy and gaming fluidity.

I don’t think MSI will win any design awards for the Crosshair 15 R6E. The chassis is more plasticky than I’d have liked, and the screen has clear flex to it if pushed. Plus the chosen colour options – while they match the game design – are certainly hit-or-miss, depending on your preference.

Battery life from the 90Whr unit is good, but I’d have liked to see USB-C charging supported.

That brings us nicely to the port selection and capability which is a complete joke from MSI. Slow USB ports, only one display output, and just the single Type-C connection; what is this? 2019?! MSI really has cheaped-out here, and whether or not you’ll utilise advanced connectivity, I feel that this is needless cost-cutting.

Stiff competition for the Crosshair 15 R6E comes from ASUS’ TUF Gaming F15 and A15 in particular. I think ASUS’ AMD Ryzen-based model at £1700 could be a really challenging obstacle for this MSI laptop, particularly as it is so much cheaper and we saw the 16 thread, 45W Ryzen chips offering significantly higher compute performance at sensible power levels.

With that said, the Crosshair 15 R6E definitely has enough going its way to make it a strong option at the £1739 deal price for May. But with the price now back up to £2000 – close to the £2199 MSRP – that completely ruins this model's competitiveness. MSI increasing the MSRP by £500 for 16GB extra DDR4 RAM is an utter joke!

We found the Crosshair 15 R6E available for £1999 at Scan in the UK. Though, if you really want this laptop, you should get the £500 cheaper 16GB RAM version which is currently £1499 (£1699 MSRP) at Currys. Or the Core i9-12900H / RTX 3070 Ti / 16GB DDR4 version which is currently £1899 (£1999 MSRP) at Overclockers UK.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Good quality, high-refresh rate, high-resolution display
• Solid battery life with a large 90Whr capacity
• Strong cooling capability, particularly at high fan speeds
• Good upgradability with DDR4 SODIMM memory and a spare M.2 SSD slot
• Keyboard and trackpad are good, even if the design is… unique

Cons:

• Port connectivity is atrocious and does not belong on a £2K+ laptop!
• Late-May £1739 pricing is OK, but current £2000+ is far too expensive for this model
• Build quality is barely mediocre for a £2000+ laptop
• £500 price increase versus the 16GB RAM SKU makes zero sense!
• Tough to compete with 45W Ryzen processors at this price point

KitGuru says: The performance offered by MSI’s Crosshair 15 R6E is solid, particularly with that 140W RTX 3070. But over £2K for this blend of hardware and design is far too expensive versus the valid competition.

Become a Patron!

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here