The MSI brand is one of the most recognized and respected brands in gaming. Their approach to innovation and their incredible gaming laptops and components are used by today's modern gamers worldwide, and for good reason. Their laptops come with price tags that are hard to beat without compromising on power or performance.
Today, we will be looking at the MSI GV62 8RD, a lightweight gaming laptop designed for the gamer on the move.
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Pros & Cons Of The MSI GV62 8RD
What We Like
What We Don’t Like
Unique Features Of The MSI GV62 8RD
When you buy from MSI, you know you are getting a machine that has been designed from the ground up to deal with high-end gaming. MSI is great at what they do in terms of innovation, and this means their laptop comes with some great unique gaming features onboard, such as:
New Intel Core i7-8750H 2.2 Processor
The first thing that we really like about the GV62 is the Intel i7 6 core processor. While it may not be from the newest generation, during its time, this was one of the fastest processors on the market, and while it may no longer hold the crown, it is still exceptionally fast and capable when it comes to processing the complex and vast number of calculations necessary to keep your laptop and games running smoothly under pressure.
Full HD eDP IPS-Level Display
When you are gaming to a high level, such as e-sports or high-end MMORPGs, you need a screen that is going to refresh fast enough. If not, you could be at a serious disadvantage.
Fortunately, MSI has you covered. The display panel on the GV62 is a fully integrated HD IPS level panel, which means you get blisteringly fast refresh rates that keep up with even the most highly tuned reaction times. If you need a high FPS during your competitive play, you can buy the GV62 in confidence.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti GPU
For high-end gaming, you will always require a dedicated graphics card, and the GV62 comes with one that is more than capable. The TI range of GTX cards is all top-shelf components that have been tuned to the highest possible standard to provide an unparalleled gaming experience.
The 1050TI was, again, one of the most powerful cards on the market a few years ago, and to this day it is still praised as being one of the best cards, especially now the prices have dropped. This gives the 1050TI an incredible score when you look at the price to performance ratio.
Customizable Steelseries Red Backlit Keyboard
One problem that has plagued manufacturers of gaming laptops for many years now is the difficult task of replicating a gaming style keyboard with mechanical switches in the smaller real estate offered by a laptop case.
Luckily, MSI has been extremely forward-thinking here. Instead of installing their own brand of keyboard that has come under criticism in the past, they have reached out to one of the most successful gaming peripheral companies on the planet: Steelseries.
This partnership means that the GV62 comes with a Steelseries designed keyboard, one that has exceptional throw and reactivity and has a fully customizable setup with backlit keys and mechanical switches. This makes the GV62 keyboard one of the best we have ever tested on a gaming laptop.
Cooler Boost Technology
The problem with utilizing things like dedicated graphics cards inside laptops is that laptop cases have less space and a much lower level of airflow.
This means that it is crucial to install a high-end cooling system in a gaming laptop.
The GTX 1050TI is a powerful card, which means it creates a lot of heat when it's in use. To combat this, MSI has developed their Cooler Boost technology.
This technology comes with enhanced AI to detect when the card needs the fans to be running harder and is paired with higher quality heat syncs to keep your gaming laptop cool.
This means that the GTX 1050TI is controlled to some degree, but unfortunately, this means the fans are loud when you are gaming on intense games that require the max potential of your card.
Fast Loading DDR4 Technology
Your RAM is the most significant supporting player in your computer component lineup. Every second, it creates cheat sheets to allow your other parts to process their tasks quicker and more efficiently. Without a strong level of RAM, you are going to have lag and choppy experiences while gaming.
Luckily, the GV62 comes with the latest DDR4 style ballistic RAM onboard. This RAM is the quickest on the market and will ensure that your other parts can run without strain, leading to smoother gameplay without frame rate issues or dropout.
MSI GV62 8RD Lightweight Gaming Laptop Review
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Now we have looked at the unique features that set the MSI GV62 apart from the competition, let us look at how it performs in more traditional aspects.
Design
When you buy an MSI laptop, the design is always going to be more gamer-orientated. That means you get the red dragon brand and stylings that are similar on all MSI products.
The GV62 is no exception; it has a sleek black chassis and a red-backlit keyboard. The red dragon badge takes center stage in the middle of the cover and gives a striking appearance.
This isn’t a very discreet laptop, but MSI knows that. This is a laptop that screams high-power gamer.
Display/Screen
As we touched upon earlier, the screen is a high-end HD IPS panel with Truecolor technology.
That means games look absolutely incredible with the GTX 1050TI powering the graphics.
The panel looks good from all angles and in all light scenarios, which adds to the fact that the whole laptop is designed to be lightweight and portable.
If you want to play games on the move, this is really nice as many of the competition struggle with glare and low brightness.
Performance Features For Gaming
The first thing to look at when you are looking at gaming performance is the GPU or graphics processing unit. The GTX 1050TI onboard this laptop is a high-performance gaming beast, and this means it should be able to power through almost all modern games.
Then you have the CPU, an extremely capable i7 from Intel. The i7 range of processors are some of Intel's finest, and this means you are getting the best in terms of multitasking and complex processing. This means you will not face any bottlenecking on the behalf of the processor when your GPU is running at full steam.
Finally, you have the storage onboard, and this is one of the only places this laptop isn't as strong as we would like. While you do get a huge 1TB HDD, you only get 128GB worth of SSD storage. This is fine if you only play a couple of games and don't mind re-installing, but if you have an extensive games library, load times are going to be higher once you have to start storing them on the HDD.
Keyboard & Touchpad
One of the best features of this laptop is the inclusion of a gaming keyboard designed by Steelseries, a world leader in gaming peripherals. With mechanical keys and red backlit edge keys, this is nearly as good as a stand-alone gaming keyboard.
The keys feel great; whether you are mashing them for your best combo or holding them down to trudge across the battlefield, they are comfortable and responsive thanks to the mechanical switches.
Connectivity
There are plenty of ports to choose from on the GV62, with USB 3.1 allowing for multiple peripherals to be connected an audio port for your gaming headset and an HDMI port for connecting to high-performance monitors.
Battery Life & Energy Consumption
There is always a downside to gaming laptops, and that downside is awful battery life. When you are trying to fit strong components that require a lot of power into something as portable as a laptop, you are going to have to make sacrifices, and the GV62 is no different.
Away from the charger, you will be looking at around 6-8 hours battery life which, while not awful, is not overly impressive either.
Audio
The speakers on gaming laptops are not great. With most gamers utilizing headsets, manufacturers like MSI focus on the onboard software for audio headsets and peripherals instead, and this is one place they really shine.
The Nahmic 3 audio with surround sound allows for some of the highest quality audio experiences we have ever had on a gaming laptop. Sounds are crisp and clear and are about as realistic as they come.
Maintenance & Warranty
MSI has an outstanding level of customer service and know-how to look after their customers. With extendable warranties and a really attentive and quick-to-reply customer support team, you can buy with confidence, knowing that when things go wrong, MSI will have your back.
Price
Finally, we have the price, and as usual, this is one of MSI's strongest selling points. MSI has become famous for offering laptops that are cheaper than the competition without sacrificing quality or performance.
This laptop is priced exceptionally well, and by utilizing slightly older parts that are still incredibly powerful and efficient, they bring the price tag low enough that it becomes an absolute bargain for any gamer. If you want to see additional budget gaming laptops, you can read our guide here.
Who Is The MSI GV62 8RD Best For?
MSI is the perfect brand for those that want to dip their toes into low-mid level gaming and want to be able to do so without forking out thousands of dollars on a high-end rig. With an MSI laptop like this, you will be able to play all modern games, even the most demanding ones if you are willing to drop the video quality slightly.
Who Is Is Not suitable for?
If you are a gamer who likes to max out their settings on the highest AAA+ games on the market or plan to utilize VR headsets for virtual reality gaming, you might need to look at a model with a more modern model GPU and CPU.
This laptop is also overkill if you are only planning to play low-spec games like Minecraft or Fortnite. You can find suitable laptops for Fortnite and Minecraft in our review guides.
Specifications
Operating System | Windows |
Standing Screen Display Size | 15.6 inches |
Max Screen Resolution | 1080 pixels |
RAM | 8 GB |
Memory Speed | 2400 MHz |
Hard Drive Capacity | 128GB SSD 1TB HDD |
Battery Life | 8 Hours |
Comparing With Other Laptops (Which Is Best For Gamers?)
Let’s look at how the GV62 compares with other similarly priced laptops from MSI and Razer.
MSI GV62 8RD Vs GF63
- Display: 15. 6" FHD (1920*1080), IPS-Level...
- Processor: Intel Core i5-9300H 2. 4 - 4. 1GHz
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4G GDDR5
- Memory: 8GB (8G*1) DDR4 2666MHz, 2 Sockets...
MSI has a more modern version of the GV62, the GF63. This model comes with 10th generation Intel processor instead of the 8th generation processor in the GV62. The GF63 comes with a more modern GTX 1660, which is slightly more powerful than the GTX 1050TI in the GV62.
This laptop costs a lot more than the GV62, but we don't think the extra money is worth it for the GF63. If you want a true high-end gaming laptop, you may want to check out the GF65 below.
MSI GV62 8RD Vs GF65
- Ray-Tracing: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX...
- Powered Up: The 10th Gen. Intel Core i...
- Smooth Display: The 15.6” 144Hz display...
- High-Speed Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6 features 802.11ax...
If you are looking for a better MSI model, go for the GF65, as it comes with a much higher spec level and will last longer before you need to replace it for a more modern model.
The MSI GF65 comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, which has been updated to the latest specs. The display is quite impressive with 144Hz refresh rate and full HD 1080p output. To top it off, the GF65 comes with a drastically improved RTX 3060 card capable of raytracing.
MSI GV62 8RD Vs Razer Blade 15
- More Power. The 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H...
- Supercharger: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti...
- More Frames: Incredible performance paired...
- Thin and Compact: The CNC aluminum unibody...
Compared to the Razer Blade 15, the GV62 can't really compare. Razors' Blade range are the cutting edge of gaming laptop technology, and the specialist is much much higher, as is the price tag. You get double the RAM, a newer processor and GPU, and an industry-leading 120ms refresh rate panel that is dazzling. But, of course, the price tag is nearly double that of the GV62. However, this Razer laptop will last longer.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
What games can an MSI GV62 8RD run?
The GV62 is capable enough to run almost all modern games. You may have to reduce the image quality if you want to play the most modern AAA+ titles, but that is the same for the majority of gaming laptops, as these games are designed to be played on full desktop rigs.
How many RAM slots does the MSI GV62 8RD have?
The GV62 has two slots that can hold RAM.
Can you upgrade the RAM of MSI GV62?
Yes, the GV62 is capable of utilizing up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM.
How do you factory reset MSI GV62 8RD?
The MSI GV62 can be reset by opening windows and heading to the factory reset page. Click reset and make sure you have things backed up if necessary.
Conclusion
The GV62 is the perfect option for those who want a strong performance from their gaming laptop without breaking the bank. If you are happy to utilize slightly older parts, you are going to get a laptop that can keep up with the newest generation in almost every way for a price tag that leaves the rest in the dust. It is lightweight, powerful and it looks damn cool too.
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Jake Redman is a UK-born-digital nomad & founder of Ultimate Quality Content, a collective of high-end copywriters formed to provide detailed insight into everything technology-related. Jake is the definition of a man-nerd. He gets excited over things like processor architecture, ray-tracing, & is an avid E-Sports fan, specifically League of Legends. When he isn’t writing detailed tech-related articles, Jake can be found performing fire-breathing shows & wields a dragon staff, or on the sofa playing Mario Kart.