I just wrapped up testing on the amazing MSI GE76 Raider gaming laptop. This is a high- performance laptop with a massive 17.3-inch display and an NVIDIA RTX 3070Ti graphics card. It’s big, it’s powerful, it lights up, and it delivers a first class PC gaming experience.
Unboxing reveals an unapologetically huge laptop
If it wasn’t already obvious by the size of the box, unpacking the GE76 Raider reveals a mammoth laptop. Just look at the photo below of the Raider beside a typical 13.3-inch laptop. It absolutely dwarfs it. The reason for the size is the 17.3-inch display and the space needed for high-performance components like the graphics card. MSI did some sculpting to add visual interest and make the laptop seem less bulky, but it’s not particularly aggressive.
Looking around the edges of this laptop shows plenty of ventilation cutouts, screws to access the memory and storage, and all the regular ports you would need. Included in the box is a hefty, 280W power adapter. The power cable terminates in an unusual connector that almost looks like a USB, but is not. The only place to plug in is the back of the laptop so you’ll need to leave at least a little space between the GE76 Raider and a wall.
17.3-inch Full HD display offers wicked fast 300Hz refresh rate
Some gaming laptops are offering 4K, or more commonly, 1440p displays. The GE76 Raider is equipped with a 17.3-inch IPS panel at 1080p (Full HD) resolution. That means it’s not as crisp as some, especially with text. However, you don’t buy a gaming laptop like this to read documents.
While gaming and even when streaming video, I never found myself wishing the resolution were higher. A big part of that is how buttery smooth the action is thanks to its ultra-fast 360Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.
Powerful Intel Core i7 CPU paired with NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti graphics
Inside the MSI GE76 Raider you’ll find all the high-end components that make it such a high-performance gaming machine. The stars of the show are its processor and graphics card.
My review unit has a 12th generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor at 2.7GHz. It also has 32GB of DDR5 RAM to work with. On the graphics side is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti with 8GB of DDR6 RAM.
When my gamer kids figured out the GE76 Raider was in the house and that it was equipped with an RTX 3070 Ti, it was gone. Their gaming laptops are several years old and lack the RTX 30 series ray tracing capabilities. They reported Fortnite was running near 360fps (200 fps on battery power). Cyberpunk 2077 could run at a solid 60fps on Ultra settings, including Ultra ray tracing. Switching to battery, it dropped to 30fps at those settings, but could still do 60fps on Performance setting. In short, it delivered and in a big way—especially when plugged into power.
Importantly, everything is kept as cool as possible with Cooler Boost 5 technology. It looked pretty impressive in action and the fans never really got bad—unlike their laptops which really struggle to stay cool under load.
MSI GE76 Raider specs (as tested)
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So much RGB lighting!
The Raider GE76 is equipped with SteelSeries per-key RGB backlighting. This means that each key can be individually coloured. There is also a Mystic Light band capable of displaying 16.8 million colours that extends along the entire front edge of the laptop. I’m a fan of RGB lighting so all this made a great first impression. I left it on its default settings, but you can fine-tune and customize the lighting effects using MSI Center or SteelSeries apps on the laptop.
While the keyboard was responsive and brilliant with its RGB backlighting, I will say that I’m not a fan of the font MSI used. It may not bother you at all—you may prefer it over a more traditional choice—but I found myself double-checking keys a few times. The trackpad is functional, but it can get quite warm during intense gaming. Warm enough to cause sweating. But, gaming is better with a mouse anyway.
Killer audio
Laptop audio is often underwhelming, even on a gaming laptop. There’s only so much space to put drivers and to give them the space to work. The GE76 Raider is far from underwhelming—it’s impressive. The laptop is equipped with a Dynaudio sound system including stereo 2W drivers plus a duo-wave woofer. Game sound is crisp, with plenty of low-end power to capture the rumble of explosions. And it can get loud. This laptop puts many portable speakers to shame.
Battery life: mobile gaming on a short leash
The appeal of a gaming laptop is mobile gaming. That means a self-contained system you can plunk down anywhere. With the GE76 Raider, MSI accomplishes that goal. However, if you want to take it to the extreme of gaming on-the-go with no access to a power outlet, it will be a short trip. When testing gaming using the battery, the laptop struggled to make it to the one hour mark. You could eke a bit more out by being aggressive with turning down graphics settings and the display brightness, but this laptop is much more at home on a desk or table, plugged into a power outlet.
Take gaming out of the equation and there is a marked improvement in battery life. Streaming 1080p video with the display brightness about halfway, I saw just under four hours on a charge. That’s not good compared to traditional laptops, but this is a gaming laptop, and one with a massive display.
It has a webcam
Most gaming laptops lack a webcam. The MSI GE76 Raider is equipped with a webcam, a 1080p webcam at that.
The image wasn’t great (it seemed to have trouble with sunlight), but it’s there. I suppose you could use this laptop for Zoom calls if you wanted.
Should the MSI GE76 Raider be your new gaming laptop?
The MSI GE76 Raider is a lot of laptop. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop that offers the power of a desktop, with a big display (and plenty of RGB backlighting effects), this one makes a pretty strong case. If battery life and actual portability (i.e., carrying it around) are a concern, you might want to go with something a little less extreme.
However for the ultimate laptop gaming experience—while plugged into a wall outlet—the GE76 Raider is a very compelling option. I had a hard time wrestling the review unit away from my gamer teenagers.
Shop gaming laptops, including more MSI options, online at Best Buy.
Table of Contents
- Unboxing reveals an unapologetically huge laptop
- 17.3-inch Full HD display offers wicked fast 300Hz refresh rate
- Powerful Intel Core i7 CPU paired with NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti graphics
- MSI GE76 Raider specs (as tested)
- Killer audio
- Battery life: mobile gaming on a short leash
- It has a webcam
- Should the MSI GE76 Raider be your new gaming laptop?
I’d play minecraft at my friends house.. can you say MINECRAFT LAN PARTY??
I would play at my desk Halo Infinite.
I would use it in my bedroom, and the game I would play first is DOOM Eternal.
at home NHL 22 ea
Now that I know that for gaming, it is better to keep it plugged, I would use the MSI Raider GE76 on the desk in my office. I would play Super Mario.
I’d play Microsoft Flight in my living room.
I’d play my fave old school game Heroes of Might and Magic III in our home office room!
I would use this at home to play Elden Ring!
I would play in my bedroom and the first game I’d play Halo Infinite
I’d go old school and play Minecraft on the MSI Raider GE76 in the den.
I’d bring it over to a friend’s and play some LAN Apex Legends with the 360Hz IPS display!
I would use MSI Raider GE76 in my bedroom to get the best gaming experience for myself and I would play the Forza Horizon 4 game first.
I would play it in my wife’s office. The game I would play first would be battlefield 2042
This thing is a beast! I’d set it up in my music room for gaming and recording. I’d start with the Witcher series as I’ve never played it!
This thing is a beast! I’d set it up in my music room for gaming and recording!
Playing at the comfort of the desk in my room would be my choice and first game I’d try out would be Apex Legends
With the summer here, I would bring this laptop outdoors to use on the backyard patio. My first game would be the classic Super Mario.
I would use it in our home computer room/office (but only after finishing work). i like old school games like Super Mario and the large screen could help me out
I would use it right on my couch and play the Age of Empires 2 remaster because it makes my current laptop sound like a microwave just to do 12 fps.
would use it in my bedroom and play Super Mario
I would use it in our home computer room/office.
I am a long time fan of Super Mario and the larger screen could enhance my rate of success.
I would play f12021 in my office at home
I would put this in my bedroom for some late night gaming! I would play Super Mario.
I would use MSI Raider GE76 to get the best gaming experience in my office so I can make all the noise I want when playing my game of Gran Turismo 7 first on this laptop.
I would have a real live Network Tournament at McDonalds and play Zelda.
Balcony -I would play Zelda.
I’d use this awesome laptop in my bedroom to play whatever game most of my friends are currently into.
This powerful laptop would take the place of my present medium range one in my computer room. I’d use it for NHL Hockey and whatever new golf game comes out.
Forza Horizon on the patio
Flight Simulator in my reading nook
Super Mario games in my room.
I would play COD in my bedroom
The MSI Raider GE76 would occupy a place of honour and pride in our small “gaming alcove”. A good game to start with would be Super Mario.
I would play it in my gaming room and I would play Mario
I would play Super Mario in my room
I’d play from the desk where I can sit back and view it comfortably. The next game in my Xbox backlog is Recore, which is conveniently also available for PC.
I would this in my office and play Destiny 2: Witch Queen.
I would use it in my bedroom and play Sifu.
I would use this laptop in my bedroom and hopefully it can play Crysis 🙂
Where I would use the MSI Raider GE76 to get the best gaming experience for myself would be my bedroom and the game I would play first would be Elden Ring.
I would play in my office/gaming room. I would play PUBG!
play this in my room no distractions
Super Mario!!
First game I’d play is Forza Horizon 5 in my office
I’d use this at my desk at home, and the first game I would play would be Halo Infinite.
Would use it at home & on the go & would love to play a beautiful game like elden ring
I would play in my tv room – no distractions! First game would be Super Mario!!
I’d like to play upstairs in my loft, the perfect spot to immerse myself in Super Mario!
I would play in the living room near other family members so we can play together. Favourite games include Ark Survival, COD and Overwatch.
I’d use anywhere it’s dark so it would look lit while I was playing Minesweeper.
I’d play it in the living room and the first game I’d try is Cyberpunk 2077!
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