MSI’s GE65 Raider: A little thick, but a lot fast
MSI’s GE65 Raider is proof positive of how far gaming laptop performance has come. Just two years ago, a top-end gaming laptop would run on a quad-core 7th-gen CPU. The GE65 Raider doubles the core count with its 9th-gen Core i7-9880H chip.
Real-time ray-tracing support? The GE65 Raider has that, too, with its full-power GeForce RTX 2070.
All this, mind you, weighs just over five pounds. This much power at this weight comes with a compromise, though, which we’ll get to later. First up, the full specs:
SPECS
CPU: Intel 9th-gen Core i9-9880H 8-core CPU
RAM: 16GB DDR4/2666
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
Display: 15.6-inch IGZO 240Hz 1080P screen with Optimus
Storage: 1TB Samsung PM981 NVme SSD
Battery: 51Whr
Ports: Mic in, Speaker out analog ports, 1 USB-C 10Gbps, 1 USB-A 10Gbps, 2 USB-A 5Gbps, 1 miniDisplayPort 1.2, 1 HDMI 2.0
Networking: Killer E2600 Gigabit Ehthernet and Killer Wi-Fi 6
SIZE AND WEIGHT
The laptop measures in at 14 inches wide, 9.76 inches deep, and 1 inch thick. It weighs just a shade over five pounds alone. Throw in its massive 280-watt brick, and you add another 2.18 pounds to your backpack.
