[Video Review] MSI Vector GP77 13V – This might be the most comfortable gaming laptop



MSI Vector GP77 (13Vx) in-depth review

The all-new RTX 4000-based laptops are already here and since we reviewed some real beasts with RTX 4090 (175W) and RTX 4080 (175W) it's time to see how powerful is the mobile RTX 4070. For doing so, we're going to inspect the performance of MSI Vector GP77 (13VG) equipped with the RTX 4070 (140W).  The latter could possibly be the new sweet spot for wealthy gamers.The MSI Vector GP77 brings all the bangs and whistles that are needed to be called a 2023 gaming device. Under the hood, you can find powerful 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-H CPUs, brand-new NVIDIA Ada Lovelace GPUs, and an impres[...]

Pros

  • Many RGB options
  • Top performance for its hardware
  • 99.3% DCI-P3 coverage and accurate color representation with our Gaming and Web design profile (BOE NE173QHM-NZ1 (BOE09F9))
  • Doesn't use PWM for brightness adjustment (BOE NE173QHM-NZ1 (BOE09F9))
  • 240Hz panel has very quick pixel response times (BOE NE173QHM-NZ1 (BOE09F9))
  • Good thermals and clocks under load
  • Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gbit Ethernet support
  • Great keyboard and touchpad
  • 2x DDR5 SODIMM + 2x M.2 PCIe x4 slots
  • Quiet during gaming
  • The MSI Center app offers a good amount of customization

Cons

  • The end price isn't pleasant

MSI Vector GP77 (13Vx) - Specs

  • BOE NE173QHM-NZ1 (BOE09F9)
  • Color accuracy  4.3  0.8
  • HDD/SSD
  • up to 4000GB SSD
  • RAM
  • up to 64GB
  • OS
  • Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home, No OS
  • Battery
  • 65Wh, 4-cell, 65Wh, 4-cell
  • Body material
  • Plastic / Polycarbonate, Aluminum
  • Dimensions
  • 397 x 284 x 25.9 mm (15.63" x 11.18" x 1.02")
  • Weight
  • 2.80 kg (6.2 lbs)
  • Ports and connectivity
  • 3x USB Type-A
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
  • HDMI
  • 2.1 (8K@60Hz / 4K@120Hz)
  • Displayport mini
  • Card reader
  • Ethernet LAN
  • 10, 100, 1000, 2500 Mbit/s
  • Wi-Fi
  • 802.11ax
  • Bluetooth
  • 5.3
  • Audio jack
  • 3.5mm Combo Jack
  • Features
  • Fingerprint reader
  • Web camera
  • HD
  • Backlit keyboard
  • optional
  • Microphone
  • Speakers
  • 2x 2W Speakers, Nahimic Audio
  • Optical drive
  • Security Lock slot

[Intro]

While we enjoyed the craziness that the 175-watt RTX 40-series graphics have to offer as well as the laptops that employed their needs, it’s time we check out some let’s say, more mainstream models like the new Vector GP77 from MSI. It brings the Raptor Lake H-series processors and goes as high as the 140-watt RTX 40 70.

[Design]

The laptop is still bulky, as the 17.3-inch form factor results in a weight of 2.80 kilograms and a profile of 25.9 millimeters. We see quite a lot of metal involved, as the lid and the base are made of the material. Only the bottom panel and the bits around the hinges and vents are made from plastic. Overall, the construction is very rigid. The design itself is pretty good. The hinges and heat vents give the laptop an aggressive appearance, but the muted color scheme keeps it classy.

[Input devices]

On the base, there’s a full-sized SteelSeries keyboard, with a per-key RGB backlight and large keycaps, including the Arrow keys. Typing and gaming on it feel great, thanks to the long key travel and clicky feedback. The touchpad is a bit smaller than what the competition offers, however, it’s still very fast and plenty accurate.

[Ports]

The port selection includes two USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen 1) ports on the right, as well as one more Type-A port, a Type-C 3.2 (Gen 2) port, and an audio jack on the left. Lastly, on the back, there’s an HDMI 2.1 port, a power plug, one Mini-DisplayPort, and a LAN port.

[Display]

The Quad HD IPS display pairs incredibly well with both the RTX 40 60 and the RTX 40 70. The 240Hz refresh rate makes gaming and just moving around the device incredibly smooth, while the high resolution delivers images that are crispy and very detailed. The peak brightness of 325 nits is alright, however, what truly puts the display above the rest is the 100% sRGB and the 99% DCI-P3 coverage, the latter of which is the digital cinema standard.

When we apply our Design and Gaming profile, we also get incredibly accurate colors, with a delta E value of 0.8. The human eye can’t distinguish values lower than 1, so this is as good as it gets.

We’ll link our display profiles in the description below.

[Sound]

The speakers on the Vector GP77 deliver good sound with a very high max volume. However, there are deviations across the entire frequency range.

[Performance]

Unsurprisingly, the device delivers very good performance, thanks to its Core i7-13 700H and 140-Watt RTX forty seventy. It scores higher than last year’s Vector GP66 with a Core i7-12 700H, while also being more powerful than the Strix SCAR 15 G533 with a Core i9-12 900H.

The 40 70 graphics is pretty much even with the 150 Watt versions of the RTX 30 70 Ti and the RTX 30 80. In games, the GPU is able to deliver high framerates at the maximum settings in any title you throw at it.

Forza Horizon 5 runs at 104 fps on the Extreme preset, so you can really feel the speed of the car you’re handling, and have a high-octane racing experience.

If you enjoy stealthy exploration and hiding in plain sight, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey runs at 93 FPS on the Ultra High preset.

Lastly, Elden Ring looks as good as it gets, giving us 96 fps in the Maximum preset.


If you want to check out more gameplay videos of the Vector’s RTX 40 60 or 40 70, our LaptopMedia Benchmarks channel will be right up your alley, as we’ve got most of the popular GPUs covered.

[Cooling]

The cooling setup with 5 pipes and two fans takes good care of the Core i7-13 700H, resulting in high-clock speeds and high TDPs. In short bursts, the chip reaches 135-Watts, while settling at 90 watts for prolonged tasks like video rendering or gaming.

On the side of the 40 70, we see that it doesn’t even come close to the 140-Watts power limit, instead going only as high as 95-Watts, while running at 61°C flat and with a clock speed of 2295 MHz.

All of this makes the laptop both well-performing and quiet. Thanks to the MSI Center app, you can fine-tune the cooling based on your needs, having RPM control for the fans, as well as a MUX switch toggle.

[Battery]

Moving to the battery life, we’re puzzled as to why MSI is offering only a 65 Watt hour unit, in a land where we have 90 Watt hours and even more.

The current configuration lasts for 6 hours and 40 minutes of Web browsing, or 7 hours and 9 minutes of video playback. Considering the battery capacity, these are decent results for a gaming machine.

[Teardown and upgradeability]

The upgradeability of the laptop is very good, with two SODIMM slots for up to 64 gigabytes of DDR5 memory, while both M dot 2 PCIe slots support Gen 4 SSDs. The RAM slots are protected by metal brackets, while the single NVMe SSD that’s inside is covered with two cooling pads.

For an in-depth look at the insides of the Vector GP77, check out our teardown video.

[Verdict]

While not having the groundbreaking performance or RGB-infused craziness of the Raider or even the Titan laptops from MSI, the Vector GP77 is still a phenomenal product that shouldn’t be overlooked. On the other hand, the price tag might make you consider going with a device from last year, which is also a viable option, looking at how the pricing of 40-series laptops is going.

What do you think of the Vector GP77 and do you feel it’s the device for you? Tell us in the comments and share what laptops you’d like to see in the future.

Don’t forget to check out our detailed review on our website LaptopMedia.com.

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