MSI GE63 Raider (15.6-Inch, 2018) Series

Striking, functional lighting ; Gorgeous optional 4K screen ; Excellent keyboard

Left-aligned touchpad isn’t ideal

We know less about this gaming laptop than we’d like, but we’re hugely impressed by the lighting offering on this laptop, especially considering its esports and immersion implications. The GE63 Raider RGB could easily become a weapon of choice for pro...

Deceptively quiet ; Ace thermal management ; Per-key customization ; Relatively light weight

Poor performance for price ; What battery?

The MSI GE63VR is a gamer through and through, with all the racing stripes, chromatic keys and pixels you want. But, unlike most gaming laptops, it’s quiet, light and cool.

Fast 6-core/12 thread processor @ 2.2GHZ (max boost 4.1 GHz) ; Excellent performance ; Onboard GeForce RTX 2070 with 8GB GDDR6 ram ; 240GB M.2 SSD boot drive (c:) and 1TB drive for storage (d:) ; 16GB DDR4-2666 ram ; 15.6-inch 144 Hz Full HD IPS panel...

Webcam is only 720p

I have to admit, I never thought twice about gaming laptops due to its high price (usually over USD $1,500 and above). It’s something I wouldn’t normally recommend for anyone to buy, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

120Hz screen great for gaming.

Overall styling slightly underwhelming.

RGB may be the headline selling point of this laptop but in reality it’s the core basics it gets right that make it.

Good build quality with lots of real metal

GTX 1060 is not powerful enough to consistently game at the screen’s native resolution and refresh

Solid build quality and speakers ; Great performance ; Display has outstanding contrast, grayscale, and color accuracy

Expensive for a GTX 1070 laptop ; Slow SSD speeds ; Average thermals ; Poor battery life ; Undersaturated display

The MSI GE63VR Raider is a solid contender with great performance and an incredible display. However, we can’t help but feel that the Raider chassis was intended to be used with a lower end GPU, and the price doesn't make it competitive.

Powerful processor and graphics. Over-the-rainbow RGB lighting. High-refresh display panel. GTX 1070 is not a dialed-back Max-Q chip.

Run-of-the-mill battery life. Fans sometimes get loud under load.

Bottom Line: Esports aficionados with an eye for bling will warm to MSI's GE63 Raider RGB, a gaming laptop that combines powerful components, a 120Hz display, and a heaping helping of pretty lights.

Colorful, customizable design; Comfortable keyboard; Great sound ; Slightly dim display; Poor battery life, especially with RGB lights on ; The MSI GE63 Raider RGB is a light show of a computer with a comfortable keyboard and great sound, but its...

Slightly dim display; Poor battery life, especially with RGB lights on ; The MSI GE63 Raider RGB is a light show of a computer with a comfortable keyboard and great sound, but its display is dim and the lights kill the battery.

The MSI GE63 Raider RGB is a light show of a computer with a comfortable keyboard and great sound, but its display is dim and the lights kill the battery.

120 Hz panel with impressive color-space accuracy ; relatively thin and light ; brushed aluminum finish ; decent speaker quality ; RGB lighting ; practical manufacturer tools ; fast Wi-Fi

much slower card reader than its predecessor; potentially a bug? ; high fan noise when gaming ; poor viewing angles ; relatively small battery ; no Thunderbolt 3 port

The MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF is a successful high-end notebook that is only let down by its loud fans. The device is a good all-round performer thanks to its high-end hardware and comes with an RGB keyboard, a stylish metal case, decent speakers and...