MSI Raider GE67 HX 12U

I've actually already had the luxury of checking out one of MSI's Raider GE laptops before, as a while back I reviewed the GE77 HX model. But, as PC and laptop manufacturers are starting to lean towards RTX 40 Series and 13th Gen Intel components, there's no better way to round out the last era of technology by taking a look at another titan. With that being the MSI Raider GE67 HX.

For starters, this laptop isn't really very different from the GE77 HX model at all. In fact, it's only really in the display that you see any meaningful changes. And even this is quite a minor thing, as the main feature that sets these computers apart is that the GE77 HX uses a 17-inch screen, whereas the GE67 HX uses a 15.6-inch screen. Both are still QHD and OLED, with a response time of 0.2 ms, a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz, and a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, meaning they are vibrant, responsive, clear, and generally speaking, excellent for whatever you may need them to do. That being said, I've found that on the GE67 HX, you will need to do some tweaking with its brightness and saturation and so on when getting the device out of the box, as the True Colour Technology and the HDR seem to conflict with one another at times and make the picture seem washed and lacking in detail. It can be a pain, but with a bit of fiddling around, this can be fixed.

On the gaming front however, to ensure best possible performance, the laptop usually switches these systems off, leaving you to manually activate them should you need them. What this means is that when it comes to gameplay, where fluid frame rates and vibrant graphics are king, the GE67 HX doesn't skip a beat. And the 12th Gen i9-12900HX CPU matched up to the RTX 3080 Ti GPU, and the 32GB of RAM all mean that you can run the latest games at the highest possible graphical settings, and still get solid frame rates, or alternatively at lower graphical standards for better performance.

Apex Legends

• Ultra: 112 fps


• Minimum: 240 fps (capping at the display's limit)

Deathloop

• Ultra: 110 fps


• Minimum: 138 fps

Marvel's Spider-Man

• Ultra: 80 fps


• Minimum: 101 fps

Returnal

• Ultra: 110 fps


• Minimum: 144 fps

Evil Genius 2: World Domination

• Ultra: 180 fps


• Minimum: 240 fps (capping at the display's limit)

Planet Coaster

• Ultra: 87 fps


• Minimum: 175 fps

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

• Ultra: 82 fps


• Minimum: 97 fps

While the performance is generally very good, it should be said that the GE67 HX is a laptop that runs very, very hot, and this means both that you get a lot of ambient fan noise when playing games, but also that it tends to haemorrhage its battery in an attempt to keep things cooler. While the 99.9 Whr battery will do what it can to ensure there's always a nice supply of power to play around with, having a power source nearby is highly recommended.

While I also noted in my review of the GE77 HX that the device is not particularly subtle, with a massive RGB bar sported across its front base and all manner of gamery indents and vents gracing its chassis, I do think that the 15.6-inch model suits this design style better, as having a smaller form chassis means there is less to draw your attention to. Even though there is less mass on this device, you still get plenty of ports and connectivity options (be it USB, micro-USB, 3.5mm audio jack, SD card slot, HDMI, Thunderbolt, and even an ethernet port), allowing the laptop to be used in a multitude of ways. And when the GE67 HX isn't running at its limit and the fan noise is minimal, the built-in speakers on either side of the body make for a great audio profile that is immersive and clear.

One thing that did leave me wanting more however was the Wi-Fi connection, as I found it did struggle to provide stable and accurate connections, which proved to be a problem when testing multiplayer titles like Apex Legends and Deathloop. Needless to say, the ethernet port seems to be a necessity to use.

But, all in all, the Raider GE67 HX is another capable and powerful laptop from MSI's portfolio. It's not perfect and has its kinks, but for modern day gaming this will more than suffice and allow you to experience the most demanding and current titles on the market. Is it better than the GE77 HX? In my opinion, marginally. Both are great devices, but I do think this design and style better suits a smaller device where everything feels like it moulds and fits together to a finer degree.