One of them is the Vector GP76, which has the features of a 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, 16GB RAM, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti graphics. The benefits are obvious: With its 360 Hz display and lightning-quick response rates, the Vector GP76 is a true gamer. Additionally, the Core i7-12700H has double the power of its forerunner, and the Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti, with an actual power consumption of 150 watts, is another standout. The device now occupies the highest range in our database. The Vector also has improved battery runtimes, a full sound range, a key-configurable RGB keyboard, a very stable chassis, and good upgrade options. It can also operate fairly quietly. A nice, rich, and clear image is also produced by the display, though it could shine a little brighter and offer higher resolutions as an option.
Design
Many gaming laptops are visually flamboyant. Some of these design cues are present in the MSI Vector GP76, but it makes an effort to tone them down. This is evident in the strong angular cuts on the lid and the plastic that makes up the top of the hinge. However, the Core Black color matches those cuts and gives this laptop a similar appearance to Lenovo’s Legion gaming laptops. Only if you want to carry it around can you use this gaming laptop in a coffee shop or in a classroom without drawing too much attention. You can’t expect this to be a thin and light gadget because it has powerful, virtually desktop-class performing components inside. It weighs around 6.39 pounds and has dimensions of 15.63 x 11.18 x 1.02 inches. It also implies that there is sufficient space for ports. You can probably avoid using a dongle or dock with this laptop if you’re a serious gamer. Like the majority of gaming laptops, this one has ports on the back, left, and right sides. A Type-A USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector, a USB-C Gen 2 port, and an audio combo jack are located on the left side. There are two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the right side. The rear then features an RJ45 connector, a mini DisplayPort, and an HDMI 2.1 port. Despite how much I detest it, MSI also uses a proprietary charging connector. This laptop has so many powerful internal components that there is no way it can be charged via USB-C. It was a nice touch to include USB-C, HDMI, and mini DisplayPort because they make it simple to connect up to three monitors. Take care when handling the lid, though. We discovered that it readily absorbs oil and fingerprints from our hands. We also learned that the aluminum doesn’t transfer throughout the entire laptop while we were fiddling with the lid. Given the astronomical price of this laptop, it was a little disheartening that the Vector GP76’s bottom is constructed of plastic. We had anticipated all aluminum, but given the numerous ventilation holes at the bottom, we can see how this plastic material might aid in cooling. Additionally, it balances the laptop so that you can open the lid with one hand.
Keyboard and touchpad
The SteelSeries keyboard features somewhat smaller but gripping keys with a medium pressure point and medium travel, and it hasn’t altered in generations. Even if the stroke is a little softer than usual, longer texts can be written without any issues. The layout has the following qualities to consider: The arrow keys are 15x15mm in size, like the majority of other keys, but the Enter key is divided, and the right Shift, number block, and F keys are smaller. With modified DE labeling, the keyboard thus matches that of the US market. Some function keys can perform two different tasks. The low noise level is one benefit. Using the “SteelSeries Engine 3” software, individual key backlighting may be customized, and up to 10 keystrokes can be made at once thanks to anti-ghosting. The touchpad is not the largest at 10.5 x 6.5 cm, but it glides very smoothly and operates very precisely. The integrated click buttons do not provide the best feedback and only work under extreme pressure. However, there are clickpads that are much worse available. also you will learn our article on MSI Vector GP76 review.
MSI Vector GP76 review: Display
The MSI Vector GP76 is not a laptop that emphasizes the display of high-definition images and videos. This display won’t cut it if you’re like us and use your gaming laptop for work. In contrast to other gaming laptops like the Legion Legion 5 Pro, it prioritizes speed. On this display, multitasking and stacking items side by side are challenging. Only 1920 x 1080 pixels are displayed, and the aspect ratio is 16:9. Despite being 17 inches, it seemed far too little. We wished we had reviewed the model with a QHD resolution instead. The additional pixels would make it better for both work and pleasure. However, there would be a limitation because it would only reach its maximum at a slower 240Hz refresh rate. The display is fantastic since it can achieve a refresh rate of up to 365 Hz. In games like Fortnite, where every little movement matters, we have incredibly rapid response times. Even Forza Horizon 5, one of our favourites, seemed incredibly alive on this monitor. Being the bad racers we are, we drove into a nearby waterway on the side of the road, and when the car bottomed out in the middle of the water, the display immediately and accurately reflected the sudden, jarring motions in the steering wheel. Unfortunately, this laptop’s multimedia capabilities are also lacking. We noticed that the GP76 was enlarging the image as we were watching NBC’s Quantum Leap. The photo lacked a lot of specifics. This was particularly true during the lab scenes where the Quantum Leap team met to discuss where Ben might be. Despite being an HDR-compatible display, it didn’t feel nearly as sharp as we had hoped. The Spyder 5.5 Elite Colorimeter results we obtained will attest to that. All of these figures are typical of a productivity laptop, which is disappointing given the $2,000+ price tag. 79% Adobe RGB, 68% NTSC, 75% P3, and 98% sRGB make up the image. The brightness peaked at 293 nits, just under 300 nits, and we obtained a contrast ratio of approximately 1,096:1. Again, the Legion 5 Pro posts superior results and has a brighter 500 nit display.
Audio
The top-firing speakers on the Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 are loud and clear enough for most environments, but there is little to no bass, and while this isn’t their fault, they must perform the herculean task of drowning out the fan noise, which is almost constantly present. We watched Billie Eilish and Finneas perform “No Time To Die” live at the 2022 Oscars, and it was a great example of what these speakers are capable of doing. Eilish’s vocals were clear and crisp, but they lacked the depth you get from using a good set of earbuds or headphones. From the viewpoint of a gamer, it’s considerably worse. We can promise that any gaming audio will be accompanied by the constant whine of the fans and rushing air exiting the hot interior of the Vector, even though streaming music and a few active Chrome tabs won’t immediately trigger the fans’ launch mechanism. The crunch of the snow under our feet as we approached a cliff’s edge in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was satisfying enough, but the whipping wind’s convincing sound was marred by the whipping wind coming from the Vector’s vents. The performance of this laptop is otherwise excellent, as we will discuss shortly, so consider purchasing one of the top gaming headsets to drown out the fan noise.
Graphic and gaming
Despite being one of MSI’s more affordable laptops, the Vector GP76 didn’t skimp on the internals for gamers. With 8GB of VRAM, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU is more than capable of handling practically any gaming task you can throw at it, especially on a 1080p display. Gaming also shows off the RTX 3070 Ti’s strong performance thanks to its 150 watt TGP. Every game has a high FPS. 4K resolutions are perfect, even at maximum settings and with an appropriate external monitor. While The Witcher 3 can reach a maximum frame rate of 113 FPS at Full HD, this drops to 105 FPS in Silent mode and to just under 24 FPS in Battery mode, forcing you to drastically scale back the details without an external power source. The “Extreme,” “Silent,” and “Battery” modes are depicted in the chart below. In Silent mode, the TGP reduces to about 125 watts. At 1,780 MHz, the GPU clock is almost entirely utilized in Extreme mode.
MSI Vector GP76 review: Performance
The MSI Vector GP76 is equipped with an Intel Core i9 processor from the 12th generation, 16GB of RAM, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti graphics. Given the specs, there is no question that the laptop is capable of handling daily duties without even breaking a sweat. But consumers don’t typically purchase laptops like this one to watch movies or to edit documents. People purchase this laptop to perform high-performance tasks like gaming, editing images and videos, and other similar activities. So, we made the decision to put it to the test by simultaneously running Premiere Pro and Halo Infinite. We both concur that is not typically done. Nevertheless, it was only a test, and the laptop handled it with ease. In terms of gaming performance, we tested a few triple-A games, including Halo Infinite and Battlefield 2042, and they ran flawlessly. The laptop’s frame rate was quite good at high graphics settings. We also used a few editing programmes, such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., and we never experienced any lag or slowdown. It’s also crucial to note that the laptop features MSI Boost, which enables users to fully utilize the CPU and GPU’s strength. Speaking of speakers, the laptop has two 2W speakers, although the sound quality isn’t great. We experimented with equalisers and every option, but nothing was able to improve the audio quality coming from the laptop. The audio always had a murky quality to it. Another crucial component of a gaming laptop is cooling. It’s MSI, and this manufacturer offers some of the top cooling options for gaming laptops. The Cooler Boost 5 cooling system, which has two fans and six heat pipes, is included with the Vector GP75. In our test, the laptop’s exclusive cooling technologies for the CPU and GPU appeared to perform admirably. There aren’t any heating issues with the laptop. Under a heavy load, the fan might, however, become a little noisy. But given the performance it provides, that’s okay.
Battery life
Average battery life has increased over the previous model by 20%. With the exception of the compact Zephyrus M16, the remainder of the test field does not give much more even with better batteries. In our WLAN test, at 150 cd/m2 brightness, in balanced Windows performance setting, little over 5 hours were feasible. It took about 2.5 hours to fully recharge the 65 Wh battery. This notebook is considerably longer than many others in any class. you can check our article on MSI Vector GP76 review.
MSI Vector GP76 review: Heat
While the temperatures are a little lower than what you would experience near a jet engine, the blast of air and whine of the fans feel very similar to simulating the experience. This is where I bring up my Vector GP76 as a jet metaphor. The Vector GP76 reached 124 degrees Fahrenheit on the underside after 15 minutes of gaming, burning through our 95-degree comfort threshold. Both the touchpad and keyboard’s centers were 117 and 105 degrees, respectively. Don’t play games on this gaming laptop in your lap because the toasty spot near the vents on the bottom of the device reached 145 degrees. In our standard test, which involves watching a video for 15 minutes before taking temperature readings, things are really better when you aren’t gaming. The touchpad reached 76 degrees, the keyboard’s middle reached 89 degrees, and the bottom reached 102 degrees before it exceeded our comfort level. The fan noise, which we also mentioned in the audio section, is what we consider to be the more objectionable effect of the Vector’s subpar thermal performance. The heat feels excessive.
Configuration options
The MSI Vector GP76 is one of MSI’s most affordable high-end gaming laptops. It has an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of VRAM, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 17.3-inch, 1080p, 360Hz display, all for a starting price of $1,799.
Conclusion
The MSI Vector GP76 could be a good option for you if you’re searching for a gaming laptop with an emphasis on performance. It is preferable to choose a model with more powerful hardware if you require something that can boost the frames in order to fully utilize the 360Hz refresh rate. You may need to look for something else, perhaps one that is smaller in size, if you need something that is more mobile and adaptable.
