MSI Thin GF63 15.6" Thin GF63xxx037 Black 2024

The MSI Thin GF63 packs a surprising 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD into a budget gaming shell, but the RTX 2050 graphics card is a real letdown for modern gaming. It's a decent buy for esports and schoolwork if you can find it near the $900 mark. If you need serious GPU power, look elsewhere.

The i5-12450H is a solid workhorse for daily tasks and keeps up fine in CPU-heavy games, landing right around the middle of the pack in our database. The 24GB of DDR4 is a nice bonus you don't often see at this price, making multitasking a breeze. But the RTX 2050 is the bottleneck. It's a last-gen entry-level GPU that struggles with modern titles at high settings, even at 1080p. You'll be leaning heavily on DLSS and dropping settings to medium or low to hit that 144Hz refresh rate in anything demanding. The 1TB SSD is snappy and a good size, but the overall gaming experience is held back by that graphics chip.

Stacked against something like the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, this MSI feels like it's from a different era. The Zephyrus is lighter, faster, and has a much better screen and GPU, but it also costs significantly more. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is in another league entirely for raw gaming power. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is a closer competitor in spirit, but usually comes with a more modern GPU. The GF63's main advantage is that RAM and storage combo at a low entry price, but you're making a clear trade-off in graphics horsepower and build quality compared to almost any of its named rivals.

Pricing on this specific config is all over the map, with a spread from $909 to $1,243 across vendors. At the low end, it's a reasonable deal for a 144Hz laptop with 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. At the high end, you're getting into territory where an RTX 3050 or even 4050 laptop starts to make a lot more sense. If you can snag it closer to the $900 mark, the value proposition is decent. Just don't overpay for that RTX 2050.

The MSI Thin GF63 is a budget gaming laptop that tries to split the difference between work and play. You get a 144Hz screen, a decent 12th-gen Intel i5, and a surprising 24GB of RAM right out of the box. It's clearly aimed at someone who wants to game but can't drop $1,500 on a flashier rig.

But the RTX 2050 inside tells the real story. This isn't a machine for cranking Cyberpunk to ultra. It's for esports titles, older AAA games, and maybe some light creative work. The specs are a mixed bag, with some genuinely useful upgrades and one glaring compromise that holds the whole thing back.

Skip this if you want to play the latest AAA games at high settings or if portability matters. The RTX 2050 will frustrate you, and at over 3.6kg, this thing is a chunky boy that's no fun to lug around. If you need a laptop that can double as a serious gaming rig, save your cash for something with at least an RTX 3060 or 4050.

The MSI Thin GF63 is a decent entry-level machine for students or casual gamers who need a laptop for school and some after-hours esports. The 24GB of RAM and 1TB SSD are genuinely helpful for productivity. Just know that the RTX 2050 is a compromise you'll feel in newer games. If your main goal is gaming, save up a bit more for a laptop with a stronger GPU.