MSI gaming laptop | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:22:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png MSI gaming laptop | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 MSI Katana GF66 (i7-12700H / RTX 3060) Gaming Laptop Review https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/luke-hill/msi-katana-gf66-i7-12700h-rtx-3060-gaming-laptop-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/luke-hill/msi-katana-gf66-i7-12700h-rtx-3060-gaming-laptop-review/#respond Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:16:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=562556 RTX 3060 and i7-12700H - for £1399?

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Sporting an RTX 3060 and Intel’s new Core i7-12700H processor, it may come as a surprise to see the MSI Katana GF66 priced at £1399 in the UK. In fact, the GPU and CPU combination – coupled with 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 1TB SSD, and a 240Hz 1080p display – make this laptop seem like an intriguing asking price of just under fourteen-hundred Great British Pounds.

But how do MSI’s overall design and connectivity choices stack up? And does the blend of hardware perform inside this 15.6”-class chassis? Let's take a closer look.

Timestamps

00:00 Start
00:53 Katana technical details
02:37 The screen
03:12 Connectivity
04:08 WiFi / Bluetooth / Webcam / Speakers
04:43 Trackpad / Keyboard
05:18 Battery / power brick
05:40 Pricing – GF66 12UE
06:16 A look at system, software and install
07:53 Power settings
09:43 Noise output
10:10 SSD performance
10:30 Battery Life
10:48 Test results
12:20 Game results
13:16 Luke's Thoughts

Edit – 9th June 2022: Our initial review coverage and video used the MSI Katana GF66 12UE-406UK model with a reference price of £1099 in the UK. Unbeknownst to us, this was a time-limited promotion for the month of May 2022. The typical retail price of the laptop has now increased to £1399.

Starting out with a look at the overall design, I wouldn’t say that we are seeing anything particularly fancy from the MSI Katana GF66 12UE. This laptop takes the form of a generic 15.6” chassis – not particularly thin bezels, not particularly sleek thicknesses, and not particularly low weight.

You get a roughly 2.25kg laptop that is over an inch thick with the screen down – or about 23mm thick with the screen open. That weight may seem OK, but you have to add the best part of half a kilo for the 240W barrel-style power brick.

Sleek and eye-catching, this laptop is not, particularly with its largely plastic construction. You do get a good allocation of cooling ventilation on the side, rear, and bottom though. So, that may well appeal to a budget gaming audience more so than slick bezels and metal construction.

Primary to the under-the-hood hardware is the Intel Core i7-12700H processor. This chip features 6 performance cores and 8 efficient cores for 20 threads total. It can Turbo as high as 4.7GHz with the 35-115W rated power range, but that depends on the manufacturer's deployment, which we will analyse in this review.

You also get the Nvidia RTX 3060 Laptop GPU in its 6GB form. This is rated at 105W maximum power in MSI’s deployment, according to the spec sheet. A 105W RTX 3060 should be a genuinely competent laptop graphics card, though not mind-blowing at this price point.

Memory is 2x8GB of DDR4 3200MHz, which is a cheaper option than DDR5 so is sensible from a budget perspective. And the SSD is a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 model, but there’s a spare M.2 slot for upgrades.

Focusing on the screen, MSI deploys a 15.6” 1920×1080 IPS-level display. That is fine from a budget perspective, but it’s the 240Hz refresh rate that will really appeal to gamers.

No, the screen quality is not the best; peak brightness is mediocre, colour quality is just decent, and the sharpness is undeniably lacking given the 15.6” and 1080p combination. But that refresh rate really does steal the show and it helps translate into an enjoyable gaming experience thanks to the fluid motion.

Looking at the physical connectivity for MSI’s Katana GF66, this is another area where we see an undeniably budget feature set.

You get three USB Type-A ports, one of which is actually old USB 2.0 with the other two being 5Gbps. The single USB Type-C port is also 5Gbps and does not handle power or display output. You get Gigabyte Ethernet and 4K60 HDMI, which are good to see. And finishing off is the combo audio jack and the barrel DC power connector.

So, to summarise, there’s only one USB Type-C port, no 10Gbps USB connectivity, and only a single high-resolution video output. That’s pretty atrocious for anybody who wants to connect up more than just the laptop and a single display or odd few peripherals.

Clearly, Thunderbolt is missing but that’s probably fair on this class of laptop. Thankfully, MSI does deploy 802.11ax WiFi 6 capability from the Intel AX201 adapter, and there’s also Bluetooth 5.2.

In terms of peripherals, there is a 720p30 webcam, but it doesn’t support Windows Hello and there is no fingerprint scanner. So, advanced sign-in options are limited. The speakers are a pair of 2W units which genuinely surprised me for decent punch to the bass, good maximum loudness, and solid ability to maintain decent quality at high volume outputs.

Trackpad sizing is modest for my giant hands, but the responsiveness and flow of the implementation and the solid clicky buttons were good.

The keyboard is good for my personal preference and large hands. I had very few accidental key strikes because of the sensible key pitch segregating neighbours. I also felt that the actuation point was clear and firm, which enhanced comfort. MSI includes a number pad, which I personally find pointless, but it is there.

One point is that the backlit keyboard cannot be changed away from red, but there are three steps of brightness.

For the battery, a 53.5Whr, 3-cell unit is deployed and used in combination with the sizable 240W power brick. There is no USB-C charging, even for trickle top-ups, which is highly disappointing.

Pricing for the MSI Katana GF66 in its 12UE form as we are testing is £1399 at Currys in the UK. This gives it very tough competition on the market, with competitors from the likes of Acer, ASUS, Gigabyte, and Lenovo all offering models with 45W Ryzen chips and RTX 3070-class graphics. Let's see how the Katana GF66 fairs.

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MSI GS40 6QE Phantom Review https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/james-morris/msi-gs40-6qe-phantom-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/james-morris/msi-gs40-6qe-phantom-review/#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:03:43 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=277723 Gaming laptops have the reputation of being monstrous objects requiring specially constructed bags for carrying them between locations with the battery life span of electronic gnats. With the MSI GS40 6QE Phantom, however, at least size isn't an issue. Weighing in at 1.6kg, this is a notebook you could carry around all day. Yet it …

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Gaming laptops have the reputation of being monstrous objects requiring specially constructed bags for carrying them between locations with the battery life span of electronic gnats. With the MSI GS40 6QE Phantom, however, at least size isn't an issue. Weighing in at 1.6kg, this is a notebook you could carry around all day. Yet it packs a serious punch inside.

There's a quad-core Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX970M graphics, up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, room for both a SSD and regular hard disk, and a 14.1in Full HD IPS screen. All of these make for a potentially very powerful gaming laptop, squeezed into a sleek chassis that is just 22.8mm thick at its widest point. Let's find out if this gaming portable lives up to its specification.

MSI-GS40-6QE-Phantom-Gaming-Laptop-Review-for-KitGuru-Full-Frontal

System Configuration:

  • 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ
  • 16GB 2133MHz DDR4 Memory
  • 3GB NVIDIA GTX970M Graphics
  • 14.1in Full HD IPS + True Color TFT
  • 256GB Samsung SM951 NVMe SSD
  • 1TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K1000 7,200rpm HDD
  • Red backlit keyboard
  • ESS SABRE HiFi Hi-Res Audio DAC
  • Killer Double Shot Pro with Killer Shield Networking
  • 345 x 245 x 21.8-22.8mm (WxDxH)
  • 1.6kg
  • Windows 10 64 bit
  • 1st year global collect and return, 2nd year local (UK) collect and return

Price for this system (at the time of writing): £1,399 (inc. VAT)

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MSI GT72 2QE Dominator Pro G (1461UK) G-Sync Gaming Laptop Review https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/luke-hill/msi-gt72-2qe-dominator-pro-g-1461uk-g-sync-gaming-laptop-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/luke-hill/msi-gt72-2qe-dominator-pro-g-1461uk-g-sync-gaming-laptop-review/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2015 07:32:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=258998 Retrofitted with a new CPU based on Intel’s latest-and-greatest Broadwell micro-architecture, MSI’s GT72 2QE Dominator Pro G also ships with an additional gaming-centric gem – the use of a 1920×1080 G-Sync panel that runs at 75Hz. As is expected from MSI’s GT72 series of gaming laptops, a considerable portion of frame rate-pushing hardware is crammed …

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Retrofitted with a new CPU based on Intel’s latest-and-greatest Broadwell micro-architecture, MSI’s GT72 2QE Dominator Pro G also ships with an additional gaming-centric gem – the use of a 1920×1080 G-Sync panel that runs at 75Hz.

main-image-650

As is expected from MSI’s GT72 series of gaming laptops, a considerable portion of frame rate-pushing hardware is crammed inside the system’s thick plastic chassis. On the CPU front a user gets a Core i7-5700HQ CPU built on Intel’s latest Broadwell micro-architecture and 14nm manufacturing process. The chip operates at a nominal clock speed of 2.70GHz but regularly turbos as high as 3.50GHz.

Partnering the Broadwell CPU is an 8GB GTX 980M GPU based on Nvidia’s Maxwell architecture. The Nvidia mobile GPU flagship runs at a core clock of up to 1126MHz (from our testing) with the 8GB of GDDR5 memory operating at 1253MHz. Primary motives for the GTX 980M GPU are to drive the GT72 2QE Dominator Pro G’s 1920×1080 G-Sync panel at its native refresh rate of up to 75fps.

Other noteworthy hardware choices include 16GB of DDR3-1600 memory, a 128GB Toshiba SSD, 1TB of HDD storage, Killer Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ac WiFi, and built-in USB 3.1 connectivity. Gaming-related peripherals include the backlit SteelSeries keyboard, SteelSeries Engine, Dynaudio sound system, and Nahimic audio processing technology.

Does MSI’s GT72 2QE Dominator Pro G offer an alluring balance of hardware and features that tempt gamers to part with their money?

System Configuration:

  • Windows 8.1
  • Latest 5th Gen. Intel® Core™ i7-5700HQ processor
  • 17“ Full HD (1920X1080) , Anti-glare PLS, G-SYNC ready
  • The latest USB 3.1 SuperSpeed+ interface built in
  • Nahimic Sound Technology with immersive 3D sound processing
  • Embedded NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 980M with ultra performance
  • Exclusive SHIFT technology for system’s performance and balance
  • Exclusive Cooler Boost 3 Technology
  • Killer Double Shot Pro (Killer Gb LAN + Killer 802.11 a/c WiFi) with Smart Teaming
  • Audio Boost 2 with 3 independent amp for best sound experience
  • Evolution of Sound by Dynaudio 2.1 sound system
  • SteelSeries Engine to personalize your own style
  • XsplitGamcaster for broadcasting, recording and sharing
  • Keyboard by Steelseries with full color LED back light
  • Matrix display support up to 4 displays
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MSI GT780DXR 17.3″ Laptop review https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/zardon/msi-gt780dxr-17-3-laptop-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/zardon/msi-gt780dxr-17-3-laptop-review/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:50:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=74399 Today we are looking at one of the first prototypes of the 17.3 inch MSI GT780 gaming laptop which features a new chassis design, Quad Core Intel i7 processor, 1.5TB of Raid storage with Nvidia GTX 570M discrete graphics. Is this as good a machine as the excellent Asus G74SX which we reviewed a few …

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Today we are looking at one of the first prototypes of the 17.3 inch MSI GT780 gaming laptop which features a new chassis design, Quad Core Intel i7 processor, 1.5TB of Raid storage with Nvidia GTX 570M discrete graphics. Is this as good a machine as the excellent Asus G74SX which we reviewed a few weeks ago?

Asus are due to update their gaming laptop range soon, so the new MSI GT780DXR has the benefit of a higher specified Nvidia GTX570M (compared to the GTX560M in the ASUS machine). MSI wanted us to point out that the review sample we have today does not reflect the final retail quality. Our machine also has a slightly different hardware configuration, detailed below.

The MSI GT780DXR we are testing today retails for £1,498.99 with the following specifications:

  • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
  • 17.3 Full HD (1920×1080) LED Backlight Screen
  • Intel Core i7-2670QM Processor (6M Cache, 2.00GHZ)
  • 8GB DDR3 memory
  • 1.5TB SATA 7,200 rpm (750 GB x2) Raid 0
  • Blu Ray Optical Drive
  • Nvidia Geforce GTX 570M/1.5GB GDDR5

Our review sample was one of the first made and shipped out with a slightly lower spec (-200mhz) Core i7 2630QM processor, and 2x500TB hard drives, in Raid 0. All the rest of the specifications are the same. Our results today will therefore be slightly lower than you can expect with the retail version of the GT780DXR.

To make matters slightly more complicated, there are three versions of this machine.

The ‘609UK' which is the flagship model with a 128GB SSD/750GB HDD combination. This model also has 16GB of system memory with a 3GB GTX570M. We don't have a confirmed price for this model just yet.

The ‘621UK' is almost the same as the model we are reviewing today, which Scan are currently stocking for £1,498.99.

Overclockers UK have an exclusive version (603UK) with lower specification Core i5 processor and a single hard drive, retailing for £1079.99.

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