This year we already got acquainted with a powerful MSI laptop from the Raider series with a 360 Hz screen. For a new review, the company provided a laptop from the Vector line – also with a fast display, but in a different price range. Let’s take a closer look at the device.
The MSI Vector GP76 12U model is available in various builds and can be equipped with Intel Core i9-12900H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or Intel Core i7-12700H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. The company also offers options with RTX 3070 and 3060 graphics cards for laptops.
Our review got a lot from the middle category – Vector GP76 12UGS with an RTX 3070 Ti and a 12th Gen Core i7-12700H processor. The maximum power of the video card is 150 watts. The presented laptop uses the DDR4 standard for the memory controller – two modules with a capacity of 8 GB each at 3200 MHz are installed. Micron’s 1TB NVMe SSD is responsible for the disk space. The 17.3-inch screen offers Full HD resolution with a refresh rate of up to 360 Hz.
More about the model
Characteristics
- Display: 17.3 inches, 1920×1080, IPS, 360Hz
- Processor: Intel Core i7 12700H
- Memory: 16GB DDR4-3200
- Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8GB GDDR6 Notebook
- Disk Subsystem: 1 GB M.2 SSD
- Connectivity: Gb LAN (up to 2.5G), Killer AX Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth v5.2
- Connections: 1x Type-C USB3.2 Gen2, 3x Type-A USB3.2 Gen1,1x RJ45, 1x (8K @ 60Hz / 4K @ 120Hz) HDMI, 1x Mini-DisplayPort
- Battery: 4-cell, 65Wh
- Dimensions: 397 (W) x 284 (D) x 25.9 (H) mm
- Weight: 2.9kg
Appearance
The Vector GP76 12UGS has a sleek design in black. Outwardly, the laptop does not glow with all the colors of the rainbow and is not equipped with additional lighting. Even the manufacturer’s logo on the outer cover is black. Belonging to this laptop in the gaming segment can only be recognized by the SteelSeries keyboard. This allows you to adjust the backlighting of both keys simultaneously, and each individually in the MSI Center application.
The laptop screen can be opened up to 140 degrees and the screen itself is held by hinges behind slightly projecting plastic overlays. The device also lacks thin bezels. Traditionally, in the upper part there is a webcam with a resolution of 720p, which is enough for calls in instant messengers.
On the left side of the laptop are the following connectors: Type-A USB3.2 Gen 1, Type-C USB3.2 Gen2 (with DP 1.4) and a classic 3.5mm headset jack. Here you also see a barely noticeable charging indicator.
On the right side, there are only two Type-A USB3.2 Gen1 connectors.
The power supply is connected to the back of the Vector GP76. There are also Mini-DisplayPort, HDMI (8K @ 60Hz / 4K @ 120Hz) and RJ45 ports. Unfortunately, the laptop does not have a Thunderbolt connection.
The back cover can not boast of anything remarkable – the classic arrangement of vents for drawing in cold air. The laptop uses MSI’s standard Cooler Boost 5 cooling system with larger fans and wide heatpipes.
The battery capacity is 65 Wh, so you can work with a laptop for about two hours. The kit comes with a pretty massive 280W Chicony power supply.
Performance. Synthetic Testing
We tested the laptop in synthetic tests Cinebench R23, CPU-Z and CrystalDiskMark. Screenshot results.
We also evaluated the laptop’s power in 3DMark: in Time Spy, Fire Strike Extreme, Port Royale, CPU Profile, and Storage Benchmark tests to check the speed of game loading on SSD.
Performance. Game Tests
All game tests were performed in the game mode set in MSI Center. The temperature of the processor reached 95-100 degrees while the temperature in the room was about 25. The temperature of the video card rarely rose above 80 degrees during sessions.
In games we’ve set the graphics settings to high, the medium settings turned on for ray tracing and the “quality” setting for DLSS, where this technology is supported.
Cyberpunk 2077. This project remains one of the most demanding hardware – ray tracing in the open world makes the best assemblies sweat, and both the video card and processor are maxed out.
The MSI Vector GP76 was able to maintain a stable 60fps in almost all scenes, be it gunfights or racing in heavy traffic.
Dying light 2. With tracing enabled and high settings we managed to get a stable 75-80 frames per second. In rare cases, there were shots up to 60-65 frames.
Elden Ring. Officially, the game from FromSoftware still runs at 60 fps, blocked. For testing, we used a third-party mod that can unlock the frequency. The project also does not support DLSS and ray tracing.
As a result, Elden Ring showed an average of 90 frames per second with rare shots up to 70 frames per second.
Results and prices
The MSI Vector GP76 excels at gaming – the laptop delivers a decent level of performance in modern projects. On this laptop you can play with high settings and ray tracing without fear of drawdowns.
Yes, the model has a small power reserve, in a few years it will have to compete for the same 60 FPS in the most demanding games. But if you need a loyal gaming partner right now, the MSI Vector GP76 is one of the best options. Especially if you plan to play more online session projects. In such games, a fast 360Hz screen comes in handy, which opens with a high frame rate.
View prices
It’s worth noting that despite a decent cooling system with acceptable operating noise, in our summer test the laptop heats up significantly – the hot processor is to blame. But that’s the price you pay for high performance.
Let’s pay special attention to the sound with support for SteelSeries Nahimic technology. And while it can’t be called outstanding, the sound in the MSI Vector GP76 draws attention on first start: explosions, shooting, clatter of metal armor – all these details are audible and clearly distinguishable.
Awesome! The laptop perfectly showed itself in top games and coped with its main task – it provided a stable and high-quality image.
Perfect build. I would like to praise the MSI Vector GP76 not so much for its high-quality assembly, about which there are no complaints, but for its seasoned style. This is a solidly built and almost completely black laptop – a sort of stealth among gaming laptops.
Source: VG Times
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.