MSI GF63 Thin (2022) review: an affordable gaming workhorse

The MSI GF63 Skinny 11UC is likely one of the least expensive gaming laptops round, with a UK value of simply £699 and a US value of $1,006

These numbers will make anybody take discover, however low costs generally imply loads of design and element compromises.

And whereas it’s true that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics core is modest, it’s nonetheless able to dealing with 1080p gameplay – and, equally, the Core i5-11400H processor stays a strong alternative.

There’s no scarcity of opponents when you’re after an affordable gaming laptop computer, although, so it’s time to go hands-on to see if the MSI GF63 Skinny 11UC is a good discount or simply destined for the discount bin.

MSI GF63 Skinny specs and options

As configured, our MSI GF63 Skinny check system is promoting for £699 from Scan and $1,006 from NewEgg and options the next specs: 

• CPU:  Intel Core i5-11400H
• Reminiscence: 8GB onboard
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
• Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Show: 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 144Hz IPS
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: 1 x USB Sort-C, 3 x USB Sort-A, HDMI 2.0, combo audio jack.
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit Ethernet
• OS: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Biometrics: n/a
• Battery capability: 52.4 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.13 x 10 x 0.85 inches
• Measured weight: 4.1 kilos
• Value: £699/$1,006 (as examined)

MSI’s rig seems to be higher than its value suggests: the brushed metallic casing seems to be good, and the purple keyboard edging and logos lend the GF63 consistency. It’s extra mature than the military-inspired Asus TUF Gaming A15 and sleeker than the Acer Nitro 5. Solely the Dell G5 15 Gaming can actually compete except you’re prepared to spend extra.

At 1.86kg on the scales, the GF63 gained’t weigh you down, and its 21.7mm-thick physique impresses, too – each competitor weighs greater than 2kg and is no less than 25mm thick.

The MSI could also be slim and light-weight, nevertheless it’s not sturdy. The metallic above the keyboard flexes, the plastic base strikes an excessive amount of, and the show wobbles. In case you’re utilizing the MSI at dwelling it’s not an enormous deal, however you’ll need a protecting sleeve exterior.

The MSI’s left-hand edge homes a single full-size USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, and the right-hand facet has a USB-C port on the similar tempo and two extra full-size USB connections alongside Gigabit Ethernet. The rear has an HDMI 2.0 socket, and on the within there’s dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The chassis options conclude with a 720p webcam with out Home windows Howdy assist. There’s no card reader or Thunderbolt both.

For on a regular basis gaming that’s advantageous, however different notebooks are extra beneficiant. The Asus has two USB-C ports, the Acer has sooner USB connectivity, and the Dell has a fingerprint reader and HDMI 2.1.

Keyboard and trackpad

The keyboard has no numberpad and a single-zone purple backlight slightly than RGB LEDs. Fingers-on time, although, reveals surprisingly competent {hardware}. The buttons are quick and fairly crisp, to allow them to deal with the rigours of mainstream gaming.

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The Asus has crisper buttons and a numberpad, the Acer’s buttons are too smooth, and the Dell has RGB LEDs however a hole motion. The MSI simply competes right here.

The trackpad has responsive buttons, nevertheless it’s too small to show satisfying for gaming. A USB mouse would remodel your gameplay even when you solely spend ten kilos or {dollars}.

Display screen and audio system

The 15.6in show is an IPS panel with a 1920 x 1080 decision and 144Hz refresh charge, which is regular at this finish of the market.

Sadly, although, the finances bites with regards to high quality. The utmost brightness of 227 nits is ok for indoor use however not ok for open air, and the distinction ratio of 946:1 is common – advantageous for on a regular basis gaming however not excessive sufficient to ship vibrancy or depth.

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The panel’s delta E of 4.86 is mediocre and the show solely rendered 58.1% of the sRGB color gamut, so this display gained’t produce lots of the shades wanted for video games.

This display can nonetheless deal with on a regular basis gaming, even when titles look pallid and underwhelming – and it’s just like the Acer. However the Asus and Dell laptops have been considerably bolder and brighter.

The audio system, in the meantime, are serviceable – too tinny on the prime finish and with flat bass, however usable for video games in a pinch. That mentioned, a gaming headset will all the time present higher audio.

Beneath the hood

The RTX 3050 is Nvidia’s weakest laptop computer core, and that’s mirrored in its specification: it solely has 2,048 stream processors and 4GB of reminiscence. Within the MSI it additionally has a 40W energy restrict, which is miles behind its theoretical peak of 80W. The Core i5-11400H is a technology behind the curve, nevertheless it nonetheless consists of six Hyper-Threaded cores and a prime Turbo velocity of 4.5GHz.

The remainder of the specification disappoints. There’s a 512GB SSD and its learn velocity of two,230MB/s is ok, however its poor write tempo of 350MB/s will hinder recreation installations. And whereas 8GB of DDR4 reminiscence is the naked minimal for any laptop computer, its single-channel configuration will decelerate efficiency.

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Unsurprisingly the MSI was not significantly quick in video games. Its finest benchmark rating got here in Rainbow Six Siege, the place the GF63 averaged 134fps at Extremely settings, however that’s precisely 100 frames behind the Asus and its beefier RTX 3060.

The MSI couldn’t play Cyberpunk 2077 at Extremely settings because of a mean of 24fps, and it ran at 41fps with the settings at Medium. That’s playable, however miles behind the competitors. It ran Far Cry New Daybreak with an Extremely high quality common of 55fps, however different notebooks repeatedly hit 80fps.

It have to be mentioned that different laptops talked about have been examined with beefier graphics playing cards – however, it should even be mentioned that the GF63’s RTX 3050 isn’t a quick instance of this GPU. It scored 26,661 within the 3DMark Evening Raid check, however an RTX 3050 at full energy will rating past 30,000 factors. You need to anticipate that tempo from the most cost effective Dell and Acer laptops, as a result of these rigs run their RTX 3050 GPUs at 80W and 75W.

This leaves the GF63 considerably restricted. It’ll play most esports titles at speeds to sate the 144Hz display, and it’ll play immediately’s mainstream single-player titles at mid-range graphics settings. You’ll have to spend extra on RTX 3060 laptops if you wish to max out settings at 1080p.

The processor isn’t significantly fast, both. The MSI’s Geekbench 5 multi-core results of 5,366 is simply over 1,000 factors behind what the chip achieves with dual-channel reminiscence, and it’s miles behind the Dell’s Core i5-12500H. It’s additionally comfortably slower than the AMD Ryzen 5 6600H and Ryzen 7 6800H components you’ll discover within the Asus and Dell laptops.

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In case you want a laptop computer for content material creation or powerful workloads, you’ll wish to store round. That mentioned, the Core i5-11400H will run Workplace duties and a great deal of browser tabs, so it stays an appropriate on a regular basis CPU. The GF63 additionally has a spare reminiscence slot, so it’s simple to improve to 16GB of dual-channel reminiscence when you’d like an inexpensive enhance. It’s extremely quiet, too – more often than not you simply gained’t hear it.

The finances bites within the battery division. In a video playback check the MSI lasted simply over three hours, it delivered related longevity in a piece check. When enjoying video games it ran out of juice after one hour and quarter-hour. The Asus and Acer have been related right here, although, and the Dell was much better.

Pricing and availability

This machine’s mannequin quantity is 11UC-081UK and it prices £699 in the UK and $994 within the US. It’ll be on sale till the tip of 2022. In case you’d like a small efficiency enhance from the GF63, MSI builds a mannequin with the RTX 3050 Ti and Core i7-11800H that prices £799 and $1,049.

These costs evaluate effectively to rivals that do admittedly provide extra high quality in key areas. The most affordable Asus TUF Gaming A15 pairs an RTX 3050 Ti with an AMD Ryzen 6800H processor for £1,199 and $1,079. The most recent Dell G15 prices £849 or $899 for a rig that pairs the RTX 3050 with a more moderen Core i5-12500H, and also you’ll must pay £999 or $1,049 for that laptop computer with the RTX 3050 Ti.

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The one rival with costs that method the MSI is the Acer Nitro 5. For a Nitro with the RTX 3050 it’ll value you £749 or $799, and for the RTX 3050 Ti it’s £799 and $999.

Try our chart of the very best gaming laptops to see all the highest choices. In case you want one thing cheaper then head to our greatest finances laptop computer chart.

Verdict

The MSI GF63 Skinny is about as low-cost as gaming laptops get, and for £699/$990 you get an inexpensive machine that’ll sort out some necessary eventualities. It handles on a regular basis esports and has the processing energy for primary computing. The keyboard is respectable, and the MSI is slimmer and lighter than any competitor.

Elsewhere, although, the GF63 struggles. Different laptops provide extra gaming and processing energy. In case you’re joyful to spend a bit additional you’ll discover bolder, brighter screens, sooner USB ports, higher battery life and extra sturdy, feature-packed enclosures.

The MSI GF63 Skinny is slim, mild and tackles modest gaming – and it’s extraordinarily low-cost. It’ll do the job when you’re after a finances pocket book. However when you can afford extra, we’d suggest different rigs.