MSI Stealth GS77 Proves Even Gamers Need More Than Raw Power

The headline news is that this new MSI Stealth GS77 is one of the very first gaming laptops with Intel’s latest 12th Gen processors. For the chip, the results are impressive, but the overall experience is underwhelming. The improved silicon, combined with the top-of-the-range Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti mobile GPU, is suitably evolutionary—but not revolutionary. The package it comes in, the all-black Stealth GS77, scythes through demanding workloads and is generally enjoyable to use. But it doesn’t hit all the high standards you’d want at such a high price, especially with feisty competition.

The nitty-gritty of this device is raw power—it’s the main reason to buy the Stealth GS77. However, the consequences of this focus are also the main reasons not to buy it. On that key selling point, the performance here is achieved with an RTX 3080 Ti GPU and Intel Core i9-12900H at the very high end. You won’t find a processor-and-graphics-card combo more able than this in 2022.

The team-up achieves some impressive results. WIRED has tested the 4K 120-Hz display model and, while the gaming-focused may prefer to opt for the QHD 240-Hz or Full HD 360-Hz options, this version interestingly highlights what modern components can achieve at a 4K resolution. For instance, you can play games like Borderlands 3 at 4K on Ultra settings and get just under 30 frames per second, while Ghost Recon: Breakpoint bests the 30-fps mark and can reach just over 40. 

Again, gaming enthusiasts will likely opt for a higher-resolution panel, but such results show a creeping march toward making 4K high-fps gaming more of a reality. This was further demonstrated in shooter Apex Legends, where over 60 fps was achievable on Ultra settings, and you could even hit this display’s max 120 fps if turned down to 1440p. 

Pleasingly, during all of our tests, the fans never got intrusively loud, and the device itself only got slightly warm around the keyboard area—nothing to put off the performance-hungry there.

The 17-inch panel itself is acceptably bright yet nothing special, and images are crisp, but it does lack the punch you get with enhanced technology such as AMOLED or improved HDR. This makes the 4K 120-Hz panel a tough recommendation, with creators likely to be put off by the lack of range.