Our top six MSI machines

The MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M is a well-built laptop with fast performance, forward-looking connectivity and plenty of AI features, making it a solid investment for the home and the office. 

The design might not be the most exciting aspect of this laptop, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker as the Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M strikes a balance between the style and portability of a thin-and-light laptop and the functionality of a larger business machine. 

While the keyboard feels a little cramped, the keys themselves offer light but crisp action with plenty of travel and tactile feedback, and the keyboard backlighting is effective. The touchpad is smooth too, responding well to multi-touch gestures. 

The IPS display might not offer the perfect blacks and high contrast of an OLED panel, but it is still very bright and relatively crisp, with a 16:10 aspect ratio that proved comfortable for multi-tasking and Windows’ split-screen views during our testing period. 

The Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M also offers excellent performance in mainstream apps thanks to its 14-core Ultra 5 CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM, resulting in Geekbench 6 and PC Mark 10 results that position the laptop ahead of the Acer Swift X 14, last year’s MSI Prestige 14 Evo and the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED. The CPU includes integrated ARC graphics for entry-level 3D speeds, while 1TB of SSD storage rounds out these specs. 

The laptop comes with relatively little bloatware, though some notable preinstalled apps include the Tobii Experience privacy software and MSI Center, which is where you’ll find all of the system and diagnostic tools. 

Finally, the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M packs a 90Whr battery and energy-efficient specs that make it possible to get through the average workday without pausing to plug in a charger. When it does come time to recharge, a 100W charger will get the battery from 0 to 48% in just 30 minutes. 

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews

Full Review: MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo C1M

If you’re looking for the best MSI gaming laptop, the MSI Vector 17 HX (2024) is a refreshingly straightforward device that focuses on giving you the maximum gaming performance for your budget. 

The Vector 17 HX is on the chunkier side measuring 380 x 298mm with a 3kg chassis, but there are some nice design touches such as a scalloped mid-section and a subtle colour effect on the hinges. The keyboard is large and spacious, with the keys offering ample travel and good, tactile feedback. 

There’s also a good array of connectivity options, including 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C, USB-A, headphone jack and Thunderbolt 4 ports, as well as a full-sized SD card slot. The laptop is also equipped with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. 

The IPS display has a 2560 x 1600 resolution that allows it to appear pin-sharp with fantastic levels of detail. The contrast ratio isn’t quite as impressive as OLED or Mini LED-toting rivals but the blacks still look dark and the contrast levels decent. Colours are also bright and punchy, though we wouldn’t recommend this laptop for colour-critical photo and video work as the colour accuracy falls short of other devices. 

Performance is where this laptop really shines, with the Intel Core i9-14900HX and 32GB of DDR5 RAM delivering speeds that rival the fastest PCs around. The Geekbench 6 and PC Mark 10 results rivalled those we recorded for the Razer Blade 16, Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 and Acer Predator Helios 18, while the Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU can run Returnal at 95fps at Ultra settings and a QHD resolution and Cyberpunk 2077 at 53fps at Ultra settings and QHD.

The battery life is quite short, supporting just a couple of hours of use away from the mains, but the 330W adapter makes it possible to recharge relatively quickly in a pinch. 

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews

Full Review: MSI Vector 17 HX (2024)

Like Gigabyte, MSI often comes into its own for budget to mid-range gaming laptop offerings. The MSI GF63 Thin is our pick for the best budget gaming MSI laptop.

Getting into PC gaming can be an expensive endeavour and especially with the added premium when you look into portability through the laptop world. But, the GF63 aims to combat that, offering up an Intel Core i5-12450H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 (45W) graphics chip, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD for less than £900.

For your cash, you can play AAA games at solid frame rates, with Returnal coming in at 50fps at Full HD on the highest setting. The RTX 40-series also brings DLSS upscaling to help with frame rates, meaning Cyberpunk 2077 can get you 45fps at max settings at Full HD with the technology on. All of that gaming goodness is presented on a 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz display.

Despite its low price, the all-aluminum chassis is both stylish and pleasingly understated. The keyboard is, expectedly, not up there with the best of them at this low price, but its a solid offering for both gaming and daily productivity tasking.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full review: MSI GF63 Thin review

The Raider GE78 HX may be our favourite gaming laptop overall but it doesn’t prioritise the display quite like the MSI Titan GT77 HX. For its hefty price tag, this MSI machine aims to give laptops everyone they could want, being superb gaming performance and a top-tier display.

The star of the show is the 4K Mini LED panel. The luxurious technology is spread across 17.3-inches and offers up an ideal 144Hz refresh rate alongside VESA DisplayHDR 1000 and 1000 dimming zones. The brightness is stunning, with 617 nits offered in SDR mode and a whopping 1145 nits in HDR mode. For a device-focused on gaming, its an impressively accurate display as well, with remarkable contrast and eye-catching colours too.

There’s top of the line specs to back up this glorious screen too, with up to an Intel Core i9-13980HX and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 available. We tested the very best model available and saw scores hit around 100fps and beyond in games with a focus of graphical detail, and that’s at 4K resolution, a remarkable feat. At 1080p, this machine could achieve upwards of 450fps in first-person shooter Rainbow Six Siege, if the display accommodated it.

The keyboard and port selection is up to snuff too. The keys are an absolute joy, with a crisp action and pleasing feedback. Furthermore, the wide selection of ports is headlined by two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1, 2.5Gbps as well as plenty more.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full review: MSI Titan GT77 HX review

Some may be forgiven for thinking MSI is solely a gaming brand but devices like the MSI Modern 15 show it can do traditional wallet-friendly machines too.

The MSI Modern 15 is a laptop that could easily fool you into thinking it costs a few hundred pounds more than it does, truly living up to its ‘Modern’ moniker. Instead, it comes in at under £500 but provides top-notch productivity capabilities. With the 12th Gen Intel processor onboard and 8GB RAM included, it’s a device that’ll get the job done if you’re after something for browsing around in 10-20 tabs along with some light multitasking.

We can’t say enough about the design of this machine, it’s a marvel. It doesn’t scream luxury but it matches up with devices in the £700-plus bracket, not sub-£500 where it should be. It isn’t the thinnest and lightest laptop, but you wouldn’t be embarrassed to take this anywhere.

It’d make itself comfortably at home in a hybrid working set up too, with a solid selection of ports on offer. You’ll find a USB-C, three USB-A, an HDMI and a headphone jack. There’s a 720p webcam as well, which isn’t great on paper but it does a decent job at this price.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full review: MSI Modern 15 review

Laptops that you’d define as 2-in-1, whether they are a hybrid tablet or a laptop with a 360-hinge, feel like they are going out of style, but the MSI Summit E16 Flip Evo makes the case to keep them. There has been a mini resurgence, with a slant towards large 2-in-1 machines, like the 16-inch Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360.

The Summit E16 Flip Evo is another strong all-rounder from MSI, bringing good performance, pleasing looks and a capable battery life together in one package. Displays are key on 2-in-1 devices and this laptop offers a 165Hz FHD+ panel, meaning you’ll get smooth scrolling and a solid level of detail. We would’ve liked brightness to have been boosted beyond the max 324 nits it offers but it’s more than acceptable for use indoors.

The Intel Core i7-1280p processor is a capable one, allowing for bags of productivity work and even some light editing. The Intel Xe graphics also invite you to do some very basic gaming on this device. Even when pushed, the Summit E16 Flip Evo is pleaisngly quiet, meaning you’ll rarely disturb your family at home, colleagues at work or strangers in a coffee shop.

Battery life is impressive, coming in at over 12 hours for light use. The 82Wh capacity means that you should get beyond a full day’s work and have some juice left for the next morning.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full review: MSI Summit E16 Flip Evo review