Nowadays, portability is almost as important as the actual function of a laptop, yet the two always seem inversely proportionate: the more portable a computer, the less likely you’d be able to do advanced things with it.

That’s not so much the case with this year’s MSI Stealth GS66, however, which brings a lightweight frame as well as the cutting edge of gaming technology for a package that will let you game anywhere, be it your personal gaming crib or even out and about.

At RM12,999 though, is this laptop worth its asking price? Read on and find out:

A Well Made Suit

I gotta say, it’s hard to not be in love with the look of the MSI Stealth GS66. Unlike the more showy lines like the GE Raider series, the Stealth’s lack of bright LED strips betrays a certain elegance about it. There’s a reason why black suits are so popular, and this laptop gets it. It just looks slick and clean, enough that your coursemates might not even realize this was the same machine you were using to dominate at Apex Legends.

It’s more than just a visual thing, too- this totally plays into the portability of the laptop. At 2.2kg, even I, in my gym deprived state, could carry this around without getting winded. If you’re the type that feels both the need to do high-end gaming and also be outdoors, the MSI Stealth GS66 has you covered. Heck, it’s easy enough on the hands that you could easily even open the lid with one hand- if you’re in the business of suddenly being asked to look something up on your laptop with a shortage of tables in the vicinity, the GS66 Stealth will totally be perfect for your lifestyle.

And while the laptop is free of any giant lighting effects on the outside, the same isn’t true on the inside- its keyboard sports per-key RGB lighting which you can customize, a nice touch for anyone who wants to show off their uniqueness. I gotta say, one other nice detail with the keyboard is the actual feeling of hitting the keys. While it feels tactile, it’s not too loud- you don’t have to worry about unnecessarily drawing attention to yourself with loud clacking, be it from writing important emails or practicing elite Street Fighter combos.

As for the display, there’s not much you can really say about it that you wouldn’t expect from MSI- 15.6 inches and 1440p display make this excellent for gaming, and the 240hz refresh rate means you’ll really want to enjoy games with uncapped framerates like Monster Hunter Rise.

One thing I should commend MSI for is the fact that all the ports are on either side of the laptop, rather than the back. While it’s definitely because of the smaller size of the Stealth, I do prefer having my ports on the side- since that means not having to stand up and do the jiggle of shame when you need to unplug HDMI cables and the sort.

Game In HD… And Silence

Of course, what good would a gaming laptop be if it didn’t run games? Most portability-aligned laptops tend to stumble here, often prompting you to sacrifice quality for the ability to lug your machine around without having to do stretches first.

That’s not so much the case with the GS66- sporting the RTX 3070 Ti, 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, the laptop’s more than prepared to handle even the most demanding of games, and play them in more than just powerpoint formats.

Even more visually demanding games like Days Gone or Horizon Zero Dawn run flawlessly here, outputting well above 60fps without compromising on the visuals. Heck, we ran Horizon on Ultimate settings and 1440p resolution at 72fps- all on a laptop that requires less hands to hold than my pet.

I’m especially fond of how it runs Apex Legends- 90fps is a great framerate for a fast-paced FPS, and it does all this without sounding like you were on the runway of a busy airport.

On the benchmarking end the MSI GS66 Stealth ranks pretty well with its contemporaries, which you can see below:

Closing Thoughts

The MSI GS66 might very well be one of my favorite laptops releasing this year. Even though I’m more of an all-day-plug kinda guy, the laptop’s huge 99.9Whr battery makes it so cafe hoppers can go extra long even without access to a power outlet, and the laptop’s overall slick design just screams cool.

At RM12,999, you’re absolutely getting your money worth- all the strength of a top-tier laptop combined with the portability of a tinier one is a tempting deal, and if you’re in a field that has you opening up your laptop on the go I couldn’t think of a better machine for someone upgrading their setup this year. As someone going to more fighting game events, it’s definitely a tempting deal, since a portable laptop like this would be great for your setup, letting you practice or challenge anyone, anywhere.

MSI Stealth GS66 (12UGS) Specs

Review unit provided by MSI