The headline information is that this new MSI GS77 Stealth is among the very first gaming laptops with Intel’s newest twelfth Gen processors. For the chip, the outcomes are spectacular, however the general expertise is underwhelming. The improved silicon, mixed with the top-of-the-range Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti cellular GPU, is suitably evolutionary—however not revolutionary. The package deal it is available in, the all-black GS77 Stealth, scythes by means of demanding workloads and is usually gratifying to make use of. But it doesn’t hit all of the excessive requirements you’d need at such a excessive worth, particularly with feisty competitors.
Spectacular Specs
The nitty-gritty of this gadget is uncooked energy—it’s the primary cause to purchase the GS77 Stealth. However, the implications of this focus are additionally the primary causes to not purchase it. On that key promoting level, the efficiency right here is achieved with an RTX 3080 Ti GPU and Intel Core i9-12900H on the very excessive finish. You gained’t discover a processor-and-graphics-card combo extra ready than this in 2022.
The team-up achieves some spectacular outcomes. WIRED has examined the 4K 120-Hz show mannequin and, whereas the gaming-focused might choose to go for the QHD 240-Hz or Full HD 360-Hz choices, this model apparently highlights what fashionable elements can obtain at a 4K decision. For occasion, you’ll be able to play video games like Borderlands 3 at 4K on Ultra settings and get just below 30 frames per second, whereas Ghost Recon: Breakpoint bests the 30-fps mark and may attain simply over 40.
Again, gaming fans will doubtless go for a higher-resolution panel, however such outcomes present a creeping march towards making 4K high-fps gaming extra of a actuality. This was additional demonstrated in shooter Apex Legends, the place over 60 fps was achievable on Ultra settings, and you possibly can even hit this show’s max 120 fps if turned all the way down to 1440p.
Pleasingly, throughout all of our checks, the followers by no means bought intrusively loud, and the gadget itself solely bought barely heat across the keyboard space—nothing to place off the performance-hungry there.
An Imperfect Package
Photograph: MSI
The 17-inch panel itself is acceptably vibrant but nothing particular, and pictures are crisp, however it does lack the punch you get with enhanced know-how corresponding to AMOLED or improved HDR. This makes the 4K 120-Hz panel a tricky suggestion, with creators more likely to be postpone by the shortage of vary.
Those who’re searching for a gaming laptop computer that may get essentially the most out of prime gaming titles gained’t be disillusioned by the efficiency, in the event that they go for this prime spec. It is expensive although, at round $3,549 for the 32-GB RAM and 1-TB storage mannequin I examined, and ventures past $5,500 if you happen to go for 64 GB and a couple of TB.
For the power-hungry, there’s little to dislike, however the place it does fall behind competitors is with its construct—out of your day by day interactions to the seems to be. The keyboard is a key differentiator. Asus, with its gaming-centric ROG vary, has a number of the greatest gaming laptop computer keyboards round, and the MSI simply doesn’t match up right here. There’s a very good quantity of journey, however small keys and a scarcity of suggestions imply typing feels nearer to a productiveness machine like a Dell XPS than a high-end fanatic gaming gadget.
Conversely, the trackpad is suitably giant and clicky, whereas the audio system are primary and inoffensive, although we all know you’ll be pairing this with a mouse and gaming headset on your gaming classes.
There’s a very good vary of ports, and, with this being a brand new Intel-powered machine, you’ll discover it headlined by Thunderbolt 4. On prime, you get one other USB-C, two USB-A, a headphone jack, charging port, HDMI, DisplayPort, SD card reader, and Ethernet—a powerful choice. There’s additionally a handbook webcam swap on the left aspect, for the privateness acutely aware. This vary of ports feels somewhat randomly assigned between the left, proper, and again of the gadget, so which will take some getting used to.
Tough Competition
Photograph: MSI
At over 6 kilos (2.8 kg), this isn’t a tool you’ll really feel snug lugging about every day and, as a substitute, needs to be supposed as a desktop substitute. Despite this, its slim 21-mm body does make carrying this 17-inch laptop computer—in a bag that may accommodate its dimension—a chance, even if you happen to may get some backache.
