Armed with the Intel Core i9-11980HK, RTX 3080 and 64GB DDR4, is the GE76 Raider the fastest gaming laptop for 2021?
Product on Review: GE76 Raider
Manufacturer: MSI
Street Price: GBP £4200 USD $4000 | AUD $8000
So far in our venture into the world of the new Intel 11th Gen. gaming laptops we’ve checked out an assortment of different models which hover in the mid-range division, but today, that’s all about to change because we have in our hands a model which represents the very pinnacle of mobile gaming.
On paper, the laptop under examination today is mind-blowing. From every angle it has the very best when we look at hardware configurations. In the spotlight today we have the MSI GE76 Raider, which features the Intel Core i9-11980HK, 64GB DDR4, the RTX 3080 (16GB), a PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD and a stunning 360Hz IPS-level display.
It goes without question that we expect great things from Raider, but can it deliver?
MSI on their GE76 Raider
GE76 Raider is equipped with the latest 11th Gen. Intel® Core™ i9 processors and powered by NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 series graphics. Just as the spaceship traversing throughout the universe by warp speed with extreme performance, the GE76 landed at the gaming battlefield fully-armed. With the most comprehensive features, GE76 Raider will bring gamers to infinity and beyond.
Technical Specifications
Below are the technical details surrounding the GE76 Raider from MSI:
OS
Windows 10 Pro
Display
15.3″ (1920×1080) 360Hz IPS-
CPU
Intel Core i7-11980HK
Graphics
NVIDIA RTX 3080 (16GB)
Memory
64GB (2×32) DDR4 (3200MHz)
SSD
1x 2TB M.2 SSD Gen4
Webcam
1080p / 30fps
Communication
WiFi – 802.11ax (WiFi 6)
Audio Jack
1x Mic-in 1x Headphone-out
USB 3.2 Gen2
1x
USB 3.2 Gen1
2x
Card Reader
Yes – UHS-II compliant
Video Out
1 x HDMI 2.1
1x DP 1.4
Battery (Type)
Li-Ion 99Wh
AC Adapter
280W adapter
Dimension (WxDxH) mm
397 x 284 x 25.9
Weight (kg w/ Battery)
2.9 KG
Windows 10 Pro
Display
15.3″ (1920×1080) 360Hz IPS-
CPU
Intel Core i7-11980HK
Graphics
NVIDIA RTX 3080 (16GB)
Memory
64GB (2×32) DDR4 (3200MHz)
SSD
1x 2TB M.2 SSD Gen4
Webcam
1080p / 30fps
Communication
WiFi – 802.11ax (WiFi 6)
Audio Jack
1x Mic-in 1x Headphone-out
USB 3.2 Gen2
1x
USB 3.2 Gen1
2x
Card Reader
Yes – UHS-II compliant
Video Out
1 x HDMI 2.1
1x DP 1.4
Battery (Type)
Li-Ion 99Wh
AC Adapter
280W adapter
Dimension (WxDxH) mm
397 x 284 x 25.9
Weight (kg w/ Battery)
2.9 KG
Closer Look Video Review
For this review we’ve produced a video which reveals a close, detailed overview of Raider. Please check out the video below for a comprehensive look at this new product:
Benchmarks: Temperatures
For our first benchmark test we observe the max. CPU/GPU temperatures of the system while allowing Unigine Heaven 4.0 to run on a 30 minute loop. To report back on the temperatures we use CoreTemp and GPU-Z which provide the peak figures.
Benchmarks: Boot Time & Battery Uptime
In this test we observe how fast the boot into Windows 10 is by using a digital stopwatch. Battery uptime is another important observation, for this we charge the notebook up to 100% and then disconnect the charging unit and leave Heaven 4.0 running on a continuous loop until the notebook loses all power.
Benchmarks: Cinebench R20 & 7-Zip
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user. Best of all: It’s free.
Benchmarks: PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is the latest version in our series of industry standard PC benchmarks. Updated for Windows 10 with new and improved workloads, PCMark 10 is also faster and easier to use.
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With express, extended, and custom run options to suit your needs, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
PCMark 10 features a comprehensive set of tests that cover the wide variety of tasks performed in the modern workplace. With express, extended, and custom run options to suit your needs, PCMark 10 is the complete PC benchmark for the modern office.
Benchmarks: 3DMark TimeSpy & Port Royal
Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark test for gaming PCs running Windows 10. With its pure DirectX 12 engine, built from the ground up to support new API features like asynchronous compute, explicit multi-adapter, and multi-threading, Time Spy is the ideal benchmark for testing the DirectX 12 performance of the latest graphics cards.
Benchmarks: Metro Exodus, Apex Legends, AC: Odyssey, Fortnite
Raider uses the RTX 3080 for graphics delivery, in this section we test popular gaming titles to see how effective the 3D capabilities are. We report on the average framerate using FRAPS or in-game benchmark tool.
Conclusion
The GE76 Raider is without question, one of the most powerful gaming laptops we’ve ever tested. Regardless of which angle you look at it – each of the attributes are cutting edge, making it a dream for content creators and gamers.
Under the hood we have the new Intel Core i9-11980HK, 64GB DDR4, the 16GB RTX 3080, A 2TB Samsung PCIe 4.0 SSD and a stunning 360Hz IPS-level display. All of these elements are obviously headline features and contribute to deliver outstanding performance no matter what you throw at it.
If this laptop is being used for gaming (It’d be ridiculous not to) then users can expect some excellent performance in the very latest titles. Being armed with such a strong hardware configuration means that the maximum detail preset is easily within reach, and further to this, buttery smooth playback from the 360Hz display can be enjoyed – which we have to say, completely transforms the gaming experience.
We’ve already tested out a bunch of laptops which have the Intel Core i7-11800H and the temperature readout has been surprisingly good, however the Intel Core i9-11980HK transcends to the lofty figures north of 95C. While this 11980HK does offer the ability to overclock, the high temperatures will severely limit the overclocking potential.
The pricing for such a high-end gaming laptop shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. GE76 Raider can be purchased for: GBP £4200 USD $4000 | AUD $8000. Even though we fully expected a big price-tag, we didn’t expect it to come in at such a figure. This laptop should also arrive with a 2 year warranty in most regions.
GE76 Raider climbs up to the top of the leaderboard for outright performance. This gaming laptop is the crème de la crème, but don’t expect it to be cheap. You can build a desktop machine for much less.
Pros
+ Well made, appealing design
+ Impressive 360Hz IPS-level display
+ Cutting edge hardware config.
+ RGB backlit keyboard
+ Excellent performance all-round
+ Offers Thunderbolt 4/USB 4
+ Features a super-fast PCIe 4 SSD
Cons
– Heavy, bulky
– Expensive
– Lacks secondary storage drive
+ Well made, appealing design
+ Impressive 360Hz IPS-level display
+ Cutting edge hardware config.
+ RGB backlit keyboard
+ Excellent performance all-round
+ Offers Thunderbolt 4/USB 4
+ Features a super-fast PCIe 4 SSD
Cons
– Heavy, bulky
– Expensive
– Lacks secondary storage drive
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