CES First Look: MSI’s Stealth, Creator Laptops Get Intel 12th Gen, RTX 3080 Ti

MSI is deploying a full squad of gaming and media creation laptops for 2022, all taking advantage of the latest Intel 12th Generation processors and most models also offering Nvidia’s just-unveiled RTX 30-series Ti laptop GPUs. The gaming systems run from the low-profile GS77 Stealth to the overclocked GE Raider and GP Vector models, with a new Special Edition Crosshair GL Pulse that will be sure to grab attention.

For the more content-creation-minded, the MSI Creator Z16P and Creator Z17 laptops will expand the Creator lineup to include the new Intel and Nvidia hardware, but also bring features like pen support and milled aluminum construction for professional-grade video editing and media production.

All of these models have been announced as part of MSI’s CES press conference on Tuesday, but the new laptops won’t be available for a few weeks. Pre-orders start Jan 25, with products shipping and coming to store shelves on Feb 1.

MSI Gaming Laptops for 2022

New gaming systems include the MSI GS77 Stealth, the GE Raider, and the GP Vector. They all boast new Intel processing hardware and Nvidia graphics, with new 12th Generation Intel CPUs and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPUs making their first appearance in gaming laptops. There’s also a new Crosshair GL Pulse, available in both standard and special edition models, with Rainbow Six: Extraction taking the spotlight in this year’s eye-catching special edition design.

MSI GS77 Stealth

At the top of the food chain is the MSI GS77 Stealth, a 17-inch powerhouse of a gaming laptop that builds on the success of thin gaming machines like the MSI GS66 Stealth. The familiar Stealth design gets a revamped look, with a new center-hinge lid and ports on the right, left and back of the chassis, all while retaining the same low-profile design that ditches most of the RGB lighting and garish design elements you might expect on a mobile gaming rig.

But the real changes are happening under the hood, with the move to Intel 12th Generation processors-available with up to a Core i9 CPU-and graphics options up to an RTX 3080 Ti GPU. Memory gets a boost with DDR5, and the processor performance gets a major upgrade with liquid metal cooling.

Using a pad of phase-change metal, the cooling pad transitions to liquid metal for enhanced cooling at higher temperatures, but re-solidifies when cool to eliminate the concerns with leakage and crystallization of all-liquid metal options. This builds on advancements already made by Alienware and Asus, which use gallium or gallium/indium/tin mixture to provide liquid metal cooling. While MSI didn’t specify which exotic materials are being used in this phase-change thermal pad, it likely relies on gallium or a gallium alloy, due to the metal’s unique thermal properties and low electrical conductivity, which makes it better suited for use in a closed system like a laptop.

That beefy gaming muscle is matched with an improved keyboard that offers a full keyboard and 10-key pad, with 8% larger keys, for a more comfortable typing experience. The touch pad is bigger too, with a taller shape that matches the dimensions of the screen, for easier one-swipe navigation from top to bottom. A full HD webcam offers better-than-average image quality, and there’s a hardware switch for disabling the camera when needed.

The display and sound are equally impressive, with a 4K, 144Hz panel option and more basic full HD, 240Hz display available, offering exactly the resolution and refresh rates gamers need. Sound quality should also see big improvements with a total of six built-in speakers-a pair of speakers on the palm rest and four subwoofers (two up and two down) for improved audio.

The MSI GS77 Stealth will sell for as little as $1,799 starting in February, with top configurations–like the Intel Core i9-12900H processor, Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti and full 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD–bring the price up to a steep $4,199. Preorders begin Jan 25.

MSI GE Raider & GP Vector

The new MSI GE Raider ups the ante with a design that may not be as svelte or subdued as the Stealth models, but offers improved performance with overclocking options that let users squeeze more performance out of the Intel 12th Gen processors and RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti GPU options. The similarly-specced MSI GP Vector doesn’t come with a Ti option, but still offers configurations with up to an RTX 3080 GPU, as well as the latest 12th Gen Intel processors.

The MSI Raider GE76 with 12th Gen Intel CPUs will sell for between $1,599 (with an Intel Core i7-12700H and Nvidia RTX 3060), and $4,199 (with an Intel Core i9-12900HK and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti).

Similarly, the new MSI GP Vector offers CPU and GPU overclocking for performance improvements, but does so in a subdued, all-black design that will fit in at a professional meeting just as well as it does the gaming den. The GE Raider embraces a flashier aesthetic, with a bold emblem on the lid and an eye-catching RGB light bar along the edge of the chassis.

With more room for cooling fans, the Raider promises better thermal management than the slim Stealth, and MSI capitalizes on this by also offering potent overclocking options. According to MSI, the GE Raider will allow as much as 25 watts more power than the competition. In a unit outfitted with 150-watt 3080 Ti discrete graphics and an Intel Core i7 that starts at 15 watts, the overclocking tools included in the Raider models will allow power to scale up to a combined 220 watts, shared between CPU and GPU, with room for the user to adjust the power balance for optimal performance. MSI reports similar performance improvements when overclocking the 3070 Ti, which normally runs at 125 watts, but can scale up to 195 watts.

The MSI Vector GP66 and GP76 comes in 16-inch and 17-inch sizes, with 12th Gen Intel Core i7 and i9 CPUs and a range of graphics options. Prices start at $1,899 and scale up to $3,009, based on the configuration.

MSI Crosshair GL Pulse

Those looking out for this year’s MSI Special Edition need look no further than the MSI Crosshair GL Pulse. Decked out in black and yellow, the 2022 limited edition model is all about the upcoming title Rainbow Six: Extraction, complete with a subtle map of L.A. (where the game is set) etched into the lid emblem.

The eye-popping color scheme covers the lid and deck of the laptop with a bright yellow flash of color, which is further accented by the keyboard lighting, which lights up the WASD cluster in bright yellow, with distinctive clear keycaps, and the rest of the keys in a cooler blue.

Even if you don’t get the Rainbow Six: Extraction version of the laptop, you’ll still be able to get the bold yellow-on-black color scheme, since it will be found on all Crosshair GL Pulse models.

The Rainbow Six: Extraction special edition model of the Crosshair Pulse will sell for $1,999 with an Intel Core i7-12700H and Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics. MSI’s new gaming laptops will be available for preorder starting Jan 25, with the first orders shipping out on Feb 1, when retail availability opens up.

MSI Creator Series

MSI has some non-gaming news up its sleeve as well, with the announcement of two new Creator-series laptops. Armed with the latest Intel and Nvidia options, these laptops are built to provide the power for use in graphics and video editing, harnessing the power of a gaming PC for media amateurs and professionals alike.

Trading in RGB lighting and gaudy paint jobs for milled aluminum, the MSI Creator Z16P and 17-inch Creator Z17 package that same powerful performance into a luxe laptop design, with aluminum construction and creator-friendly features like a taller touchpad, touch screens, and newly added pen support. The active pen is sold separately, but offers tilt sensing and many levels of pressure sensitivity, as well as magnetic pen storage that keeps it close at hand. The pen also has USB-C charging, without the need to swap out AAAA batteries.

Hardware-wise, the Creator series laptops are no slouches. Both models will be available with 12th Generation Intel processors, along with up to an RTX 3080 Ti graphics card (workstation graphics options are also available), giving users plenty of horsepower for digital media editing and streaming. All of this is further enhanced with vapor chamber cooling, which MSI touts as boosting the performance of the new Intel CPUs by 26%.

Memory gets an upgrade with DDR5 RAM, and connectivity is enhanced with Thunderbolt 4. The Creator Z16P and Z17 also get features like optional 4K displays, a full HD webcam that supports Windows Hello secure login, and a number pad on the 17-inch model.

The MSI Creator Z16P starts at $2,499 for an Intel 12th Gen Core i7 and Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics, and scales up to $4,399 with a Core i9 and Nvidia 3080 Ti GPU. The larger MSI Creator Z17 spans between $3,249 and $4,599 with similar hardware options.

MSI has revealed quite a bit about its new gaming and creator laptops, but there’s still a lot we don’t know. We’ll be getting these systems in for testing and review as soon as we can, so check back for our full verdict on MSI’s 2022 laptops.

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