MSI Raider GE68Hx (2024)

MSI Raider GE68Hx (2024)

Manufacturer	MSI
Release date	January 2024 (2024-01)
Discontinued	No
Operating system	Windows 11 Home (Can be configured with Windows 11 Pro)
CPU	Intel Core i7-13950HX Intel Core i9-13950HX
Memory	32 GB DDR5-5600 (supports up to 64 GB)
Memory slots	2 user accessible
Storage	1 TB or 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Storage slots	2 user accessible
Removable storage	SD Card Reader
Display	Screen size: 16 inch Panel type: IPS Coating: Matte (anti-glare) Resolution: 1920 x 1200, 2560 x 1600, or 3840 x 2400 Refresh rate: 144 Hz, 240 Hz, or 120 Hz Brightness: 332 to 500 Nits DCI-P3: 67% to 100% VRR: G-Sync Screen-to-body ratio:
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop 8 GB GDDR6 140 W w/ Advanced optimus Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop 8 GB GDDR6 140 W w/ Advanced optimus
Sound	4 x 2 W stereo w/ Nahimic audio speakers Realtek HD audio chip
Camera	1080p with privacy shutter and IR for Windows Hello
Touchpad	Large and smooth
Connectivity	Intel AX211 WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C, DP 1.4) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C, DP 1.4, 140W PD) 1 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x Ethernet (2.5 Gbps) 1 x 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack
Power brick	280W slim 3-pin proprietary AC adapter (US)
Battery	4 cell Li-Polymer 99.9 Wh
Keyboard	Per-key RGB backlit, black (US) Standard full size layout
Chassis	Color: Black with red and gold accents Materials: Aluminum lid and keyboard deck; Plastic bottom cover Cooling: 2 x 50 mm fans, 6 heat pipes
Number pad	Full size
Fingerprint reader	No
Facial recognition	Yes
Predecessor	MSI Raider GE67Hx (2023)
Website	MSI

All statements attributed to reviews are the reviewer's own opinion. Note that these claims were accurate at the time of publication and may be dated when you are reading this article. Read more.

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   The MSI Raider GE68Hx (2024) is a high-performance gaming laptop equipped with Intel 13th gen HX series mobile processors and Nvidia Geforce RTX 4000 series mobile GPUs. Available configurations vary by store and location. The Raider GE68Hx is positioned as a mid-to-high-end gaming laptop, offering a balance of performance and features.

Primary Hardware

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Processor

The Raider GE68Hx (2024) can come with the following processors:

• Intel Core i7-13950HX with 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) and 32 threads, 36 MB cache and a max frequency of 5.5 Ghz for P-cores and 3.9 Ghz for E-cores.
• Intel Core i9-13950HX with 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) and 32 threads, 36 MB cache and max frequency of 5.5 Ghz for P-cores and 3.9 Ghz for E-cores.

MSI supplies the processors with sufficient power and cooling for CPU-intensive tasks resulting in average to above-average performance compared to other laptops with the same processors. In CPU-only tasks, SKUs with the i9-13950HX perform as expected. SKUs with i7-13950HX perform impressively well - scoring on average 5-10% higher than the average i7-13950HX and only 5% behind the average i9-13980HX. Performance sustainability is good but not perfect, with all processors losing about 5% performance in long stress tests.

MSI also supplies the processor with sufficient power in mixed CPU and GPU tasks like gaming leading to noticeably better performance than competitors with the same configurations. In particular, the SKU with i9-13950HX and RTX 4070 performs better than most other laptops with this configuration and is only 10% behind the GE68Hx with i9-13980HX and RTX 4090.

All SKUs lose a significant amount of CPU performance when running on the battery.

Benchmarks:

• Cinebench R23:
  • i9-13950HX: ~4437 pts (multi-core)
  • i7-13950HX: ~4343 pts (multi-core)

Graphics

In addition to the integrated Intel UHD Graphics, the Raider GE68Hx (2024) ships with the following discrete GPUs:

• Nvidia Geforce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU with 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 2370 Mhz boost clock, and 140 W Total Graphics Power (TGP).
• Nvidia Geforce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU with 8 GB GDDR6 memory, 2370 Mhz boost clock, and 140 W TGP.

All configurations support Advanced Optimus, DLSS 3.5, Dynamic Boost 2.0, VR ready, and DirectX® 12 Ultimate technologies.

MSI supplies all GPU configurations with 140 W of max power even though RTX 4060 and 4070 get diminishing returns beyond 100W. Nevertheless, in GPU-only benchmarks, SKUs with RTX 4060 perform slightly above average while SKUs with RTX 4070 perform impressively with results that are up to 15% faster than the average laptop RTX 4070.

In gaming, the RTX 4060 SKUs with the i9-13950HX perform significantly better than the competition with the same GPU and are just 10% behind the RTX 4070 GE68Hx with the better i9-13980HX CPU. The RTX 4070 and i9-13950HX SKU also perform above average and outperform laptops with the same 140W RTX 4070 configured with a lower power processor.

All SKUs lose a significant amount of graphics performance when running on the battery.

Benchmarks:

• 3D Mark TimeSpy 2560 x 1440:
  • RTX 4060: ~11000 pts
  • RTX 4070: ~13500 pts
• 3D Mark Fire Strike 1920 x 1080:
  • RTX 4060: ~27000 pts
  • RTX 4070: ~31000 pts
• The Witcher 3 1920 x 1080 Ultra HBAO+:
  • i9-13950HX and RTX 4060: ~110 fps
  • i9-13950HX and RTX 4070: ~130 fps

Memory

The Intel HM770 chipset used in the Raider GE68Hx supports a maximum of 2 SO-DIMM sticks and the 13th Generation Intel HX processors support up to 64 GB DDR5-5600Mhz memory.

Pre-configured SKUs come with 32 GB DDR5-5600 Memory. These sticks perform identically even when paired with different CPUs.

Benchmarks:

• AIDA64 Memory Copy: ~77128 MB/s
• AIDA64 Memory Read: ~84700 MB/s
• AIDA64 Memory Write: ~76687 MB/s
• AIDA64 Memory Latency: ~90.3 ns

Storage

The Raider GE68Hx can ship with 1 TB or 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD depending on the seller. The OEM SSD only uses 1 slot in all configurations leaving the other slot open for upgrades.

Reviews of the i9 13950HX + RTX 4070 and i7 13950HX + RTX 4060 SKUs note that both came with the Samsung PM9B1 1 TB SSD which is an OEM version of the popular 980 Pro. This is a downgrade from the PM9A1 used in the 2023 model since the transfer rates drop to 50 % after some time in stress tests due to thermal throttling.

Benchmarks:

• CrystalDiskMark 8:
  • SEQ1M Q8T1 (Sequential 1MB blocks): ~3652 MB/s (read), ~2897 MB/s (write)
  • RND4K Q1T1 (Random 4 KB blocks): ~90 MB/s (read), ~250 MB/s (write)

Co-processors

The Raider GE68Hx does not have a dedicated NPU to accelerate AI applications.

Input Devices

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Keyboard

The Raider GE68Hx comes with a standard keyboard layout with full size number pad and full size arrow keys. The keyboard offers 1.5 mm travel and 0.2 mm pitch. The RGB backlight has per-key customization. The refresh rate of the display can be changed using the Fn + R keys - three steps (60, 165, 240 Hz) on the higher-end 240hz display and only two (60, 165 Hz) on the lower-end 165hz display. The Fn + Q keys can be used to switch between the three performance modes - Quiet, Balanced and Performance.

The typing experience is identical to the previous model with the only difference being the inclusion of the Co-Pilot key instead of the right Ctrl key. The deeper travel and stronger feedback result in a better typing experience than competitors like Razer Blade or Asus ROG Zephyrus.

Touchpad

The Raider GE68Hx comes with a large and smooth touchpad.

The touchpad is spacious enough for simple tasks. The clicking is shallow and lacks enough feedback.

Webcam

The Raider GE68Hx comes with a 1080p webcam with an electronic shutter and IR for Windows Hello.

The webcam has poor color accuracy with a minimum DeltaE of 2.31 and a maximum DeltaE of 17.75. The webcam looks soft but is much sharper than 720p webcams that used to be common a few years back. The clarity is adequate for casual calls. There is a physical kill switch on the right side that disconnects the webcam from the laptop. The webcam also supports Tobii Horizon head tracking that can be used in supported games.

Microphone

The Raider GE68Hx comes with a dual microphone array.

Output Devices

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Display

MSI ships the Raider GE68Hx with 3 confirmed factory color calibrated displays:

• 16" UHD+, 120 Hz Refresh Rate, 100% DCI-P3 (Typical), IPS-Level panel (Optional)
• 16" QHD+, 240 Hz Refresh Rate, 100% DCI-P3 (Typical), IPS-Level panel (Optional)
• 16" FHD+, 144 Hz Refresh Rate, 67% sRGB (Typical), IPS-Level panel (Optional)

All known displays support Dolby Vision®, Nvidia G-Sync, Advanced Optimus. The 500 Nit rated panels also support VESA DisplayHDR 400.

The UHD+ panel reaches the rated 500 nits, has good screen uniformity and has above average contrast for a IPS panel at around 1400:1 however the black levels are somewhat high at maximum brightness. It also covers almost 100% or sRGB and DCI-P3 as rated and covers around 88 % of AdobeRGB. The screen is not well calibrated out of the box and NotebookCheck records an average ColorChecker DeltaE of 4.3 on their unit. They also measure an average gray to gray response time of 4.8 ms.

The FHD+ panel is the lowest-end panel offered by MSI on this unit. NotebookCheck records average contrast of 1000:1 which is below the rated 1200:1 and a gray to gray response time of 12 ms on their unit however the measured brightness is 8% higher than rated at around 380 nits with good screen uniformity. This panel is also calibrated better than the higher end panel with ColorChecker DeltaE of 0.97 on the tested unit.

None of the tested panels exhibit any PWM flickering at any brightness level.

Audio

The Raider GE68Hx comes with four speakers in stereo configuration.

The speakers have a low maximum volume around 75 to 80 dB for a 16 inch laptop. They produce balanced to high mids and balanced highs but lack any noticeable bass.

Connectivity

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WiFi

MSI equips the Raider GE68Hx with an Intel AX211 WiFi 6E WLAN module.

The Raider GE68Hx performs noticeably worse than other laptops with the same module however it is still able to reach decent transfer speeds for regular use.

Benchmarks:

• iperf3 transmit AXE11000: ~630 Mb/s
• iperf3 receive AXE11000: ~1040 Mb/s
• iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6 Ghz: ~820 Mb/s
• iperf3 receive AXE11000 6 Ghz: ~1200 Mb/s

Bluetooth

The Raider GE68Hx comes with a Bluetooth 5.3 module.

SD Card Reader

MSI includes an SD card reader with the Raider GE68Hx.

The SD card reader performs at an average level, not clicking in but sitting most of the way into the machine, reducing the risk of bumping.

Benchmarks:

• Average JPG Copy Test: 79.6 MB/s

USB

MSI equips the Raider GE68Hx with the following USB ports:

• 2 x USB-A (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps) on the left side.
• 1 x USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps) with DisplayPort 1.4 on the right side.
• 1 x USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps) with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery on the back.
• 1 x Thunderbolt 4 on the left side.

Community reports suggest that the full 140W power delivery is not USB PD 3.1 compliant and only works when using a charger that supports 20V/7A like the MSI C140 and when connected to a 220/240 V outlet. Otherwise, the USB-C charging will be limited to 100 W. In either case, performance mode cannot be enabled when charging through USB-C.

Display Outputs

The Raider GE68Hx comes with 3 display outputs:

• 2 x USB-C with DisplayPort 1.4, one on the right side and one on the back.
• 1 x HDMI 2.1 on the back.

The Raider supports up to 4 displays simultaneously including the built-in display.

Case

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The Raider GE68Hx (2024) is available in a black color with red and gold accents. The chassis has been redesigned compared to the previous model, featuring a more stylized rear and a new LED pixel bar upfront. The display lid is made out of anodized matte aluminum alloy while the keyboard deck and bottom cover are made out of plastic. The lid opens to 125 degrees, which is less than many other laptops. Surfaces are slightly roughened to reduce fingerprint buildup however it still attracts dust and fingerprints. The rear is elongated beyond the display lid and is thicker as well to accommodate a larger internal cooling solution. This contributes to the heavy weight. There are two MSI logos - one on the lid on the bottom left and another on the palm rest on the right. There is one big Raider logo on the top right side of the lid.

The chassis has a more professional look compared to the Raider GE67Hx (2023) with a uniform color instead of a two-tone silver and gray color scheme. There are fewer accents and angles as well.

Chassis rigidity is excellent with no audible creaking or weak points. The base and lid exhibit some twisting but not enough to be concerning.

Maintenance

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The bottom panel is held on by 13 Philips-head screws. There are clips securing the panel that must be popped up after removing the screws.

Upgradeable components:

• 99.9 WHr battery.
• Two M.2 2280 PCIe4 x4 SSDs each covered by an aluminum heatsink (most configurations only have one slot filled from the factory).
• Two DDR5-5600 SODIMMs covered by a single plastic shield (most configurations only have one slot filled from the factory).
• M.2 2230 wireless card.

Cooling System

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The Raider GE68Hx is equipped with dual 50mm fans connected to the core components with six copper heat pipes. There is one shared heat pipe for the CPU and GPU, one dedicated heat pipe for the CPU and GPU each, and another smaller heat pipe for the VRMs. The system intakes air from the side and bottom grilles and exhausts air through the back grilles.

Heat

Surface temperatures vary depending on the configuration.

The i9 13950HX + RTX 4060 SKU gets quite warm while idling, up to 39 °C on the bottom of the device. The left side with the WASD keys heats up more than the right side. Under heavy load, there is a hot spot of 57 °C on the bottom.

The i9 13950HX + RTX 4070 SKU is slightly cooler while idling across all areas reaching up to 36 °C on the bottom. The palm rest and the WASD keys remain comfortable during intensive tasks.

Benchmarks:

• i9 13950HX + 4060:
  • Maximum upper side: ~43 °C
  • Maximum bottom: ~50 °C
  • Idle upper side: ~30 °C
  • Idle bottom: ~34 °C
• i9 13950HX + 4070:
  • Maximum upper side: ~44 °C
  • Maximum bottom: ~55 °C
  • Idle upper side: ~33 °C
  • Idle bottom: ~36 °C

Noise

There is no electronic noise or coil whine. The laptop is effectively silent during undemanding loads like light browsing or video playback, hovering below 30 dB(A). During intensive tasks, the fans quickly ramp up even when set to balanced mode. Fan noise while gaming in balanced mode is identical to performance mode despite temperatures being noticeably lower in balanced mode. During intensive tasks, the laptop emits noise above 50 db(A) and is louder than most other gaming laptops. Most variants emit the same amount of noise with more powerful configurations being slightly louder.

Benchmarks:

• i9 13950HX + RTX 4060:
  • Load: > 50 db(A)
• i9 13950HX + RTX 4070:
  • Idle: ~23 db(A) (min), ~23 db(A) (avg), ~25 db(A) (max)
  • Load: ~45 db(A) (avg), ~53 db(A) (max)

Energy Management

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Power Consumption

The Raider GE68Hx ships with a large 280 W AC adapter.

MSI remains very liberal with the power supplied to the CPU during combined CPU and GPU loads. Both the i9 13950HX + RTX 4060 and i9 13950HX + RTX 4070 SKUs consume around 220 W during load with temporary spikes to around 290 W.

The i9 13950HX + RTX 4060 Raider draws around 50 W when idling for the most part, reducing to 15-20 W after waiting a very long time and any minor input brings the consumption back up to 50 W.

Battery Life

All Raider GE68Hx SKUs come with a 99.9 WHr Li-Polymer battery that MSI claims can charge from 0-40 % in 10 mins, 0 - 80 % in 30 mins and 0 - 100 % in 60 mins using the provided power adapter.

The battery life during light tasks is slightly below average for this class of laptop. Many competitors now include 90+ Whr batteries. Reviews verify the charging claims to be accurate.

Benchmarks:

• i9 13950HX + RTX 4060:
  • WiFi Browsing (150 nits): 308 minutes
  • Load: 105 minutes
• i9 13950HX + RTX 4070:
  • WiFi Browsing (150 nits): 290 minutes
  • Load (max brightness): 65 minutes

Biometrics

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The Raider GE68Hx supports Windows Hello face recognition but does not have a fingerprint reader.

Software

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All SKUs ship with Windows 11 Home but the laptop can be upgraded to Windows 11 Pro, either manually or when buying directly from MSI.

Preinstalled Software

MSI Center

The MSI Center program acts as the primary control center in the Raider GE68Hx. In addition to the performance profiles, the program also handles keyboard lighting macro keys, hardware troubleshooting, always on USB settings, toggling flip to start (opening the lid starts the laptop), battery conservation mode (limit charge to 80 %), MUX switch, system updates and other things.

There are three preset performance profiles - quiet, balanced and performance. MSI supports adding an AI engine in balanced mode that automatically adjusts system parameters based on the context. There is also a customized mode where the user can manually set various parameters.

Most reviewers use performance mode for performance benchmarks and quiet mode for the battery tests unless otherwise stated.

MSI App Player

The MSI App Player is developed under an exclusive partnership with BlueStacks for seamless mobile gaming experience.

Other Preinstalled Software

The Raider also comes with other less useful software like a 30-day McAfee security trial.

Linux Support

The Raider GE68Hx has been tested with Ubuntu 23.04 live CD, with all major components functioning correctly, including keyboard shortcuts for screen brightness, RGB brightness, volume, and max fan.

Accessories & Warranty

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The Raider GE68Hx comes with a 280 W AC adapter and paperwork.

There is one-year limited manufacturer warranty if purchased in the US.

Reviews Summary

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Overall Sentiment

The Raider GE68Hx is considered one of the best gaming laptops at its price with high CPU and GPU performance relative to competitors. Often found under $2000, the Raider is suitable for people looking for a high performance gaming laptop without breaking the bank. The laptop also comes with a decent screen for gaming and is highly upgradeable. The primary downsides are the poor battery life, large size and weight which make it unsuitable for portable use away from an outlet for a long time.

Problems Summary

• No SD card reader.
• Below average speakers given the form factor.
• Slow WiFi compared to other laptops with same module.
• OEM SSD loses 50 % performance during sustained disk loads.
• Plastic touchpad does not provide the best tracking experience.
• High idle power consumption
• Higher than average surface temperatures while idling and during intensive tasks.
• Below average battery life.
• Heavy
• Large size

Links

i9-13950HX, RTX 4060, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: JarrodsTech,

i9-13950HX, RTX 4060, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: PCMag

i9-13950HX, RTX 4070, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD: NoteBookCheck