Includes per-key RGB configurable keyboard and AMD FreeSync display. In an interesting twist, the USB-A ports are backlit in red, a feature you can tweak or disable in the supplied MSI Dragon Center app. Both of these systems include quad-core processors with eight threads, and … My black and gray flannel shirt appeared light gray and blue, while my blue eyes appeared gray. The MSI logo is on the thicker bottom bezel, and the deck is silver. The main app is MSI Dragon Center, a one-stop hub to monitor system statistics, settings and check for updates. We took skin temperature readings while running our stress test with Metro Exodus. And on Grand Theft Auto V (FHD, very high), the Alpha 15 ran the game at 41 fps, below the average (56 fps) and the Legion (62 fps) but a few frames above the Dell. The Alpha 15 instead features a green bird with a red eye on its black aluminum lid. The MSI Alpha 15 Gaming Laptop (starting from $999.00, $1,999.00 as reviewing) has an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor and an AMD Radeon RX 5500M 7 nm GPU. The silver top half of the Alpha 15 is a refreshing departure from the usual solid black of MSI's gaming notebooks. The Alpha 15's cooling system does a reasonable job of keeping its temperatures under control. Where and How to Buy an RTX 3080, 3090 or 3070, Best Holiday Raspberry Pi Deals: Cases, HATs, Kits, More, 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 5.0; Ethernet jack, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A; 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C; Mini DisplayPort; HDMI; Ethernet; Headphone jack; Microphone jack; SD card reader; Lock slot, 14.1 x 9.8 x 1 inches / 358.1 x 248.9 x 25.4mm. Although it doesn't unseat the MSI GL65 9SC as our value-gaming Editors' Choice, you can view the Alpha 15 as a feature-rich, happy medium between that laptop and the Acer Predator Helios 300, our pick in the next (and more expensive) performance tier. Devices plugged into them have the potential to encroach on external mouse pad territory. NY 10036. The CPU reached an average clock speed of 3.3 GHz and an average temperature of 69.1 degrees Celsius (156.4 degrees Fahrenheit). This laptop is mostly sturdy plastic with a metal lid. The fans aren't quiet about doing their job, even at low speed. This is also evident in our Adobe Photoshop image editing test, in which we use an early 2018 Creative Cloud release of the software to apply 10 complex filters and effects to a standard JPEG image and note the total time required. Alpha 15. Some webcams catch all of the colors in my beard, but this one didn’t. The MSI Alpha 15, as mentioned above, is a part of the new MSI Alpha series, which sports the new logo. The Alpha 15 weighed 4.6 pounds on my scale, although MSI's official specifications put it at 5.1 pounds. When I listened to Incubus’ “Drive,” the vocals squeaked at high points, and the entire song, including the guitars and drums, was fuzzy. The MSI Alpha 15 compares most favorably with the MSI GL65 9SC-004. © Karthik Iyer/ MensXP I like how the front of the laptop looks like a race car hood with two curves and a thunderbird logo in the middle. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The hinge of the laptop also feels solid and it's complemented with a … The GPU ran at an average temperature of 55.9 degrees Celsius (132.6 degrees Fahrenheit). That’s faster than both the Dell G3 and the Legion, as well as the average (417 MBps). The chassis remains about the same size, at … The Alpha 15 continued to do well here against the GL65 at higher resolution settings. The design is still pretty familiar for a MSI laptop though with racing car-esque lines. It’s an entry-level gaming GPU, so you won’t be able to play games on the highest settings. On the bottom of the laptop, the hottest spot measured 44.9 degrees Celsius (112.8 degrees Fahrenheit). It feels like they built a work computer that can sorta game. I have somehow mixed feelings when it … It’s brighter than many of its competitors and is suitably vivid for its price. The Alpha 15 cleared the five-hour mark in a respectable showing for a gaming laptop. But there’s a bunch of bloat, too, like AudioDirector, ColorDirector, PhotoDirector and Music Maker Jam. 2020 Apple MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro: Which Mac Laptop to Buy? Please refresh the page and try again. The MSI Alpha 15 was initially introduced alongside the Radeon RX 5500M GPU back in October last year. We use UL's 3DMark suite to test graphics performance with gaming simulations. The red lights in the Oldest House in Control were evocative; although, the wooden walls were a bland brown. A graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, he enjoys all aspects of consumer and business tech, especially PCs, tablets, and photography. The Ryzen isn't a slow CPU by any means, but it's less suited to heavy lifting. There’s nothing else like it in the space. Up to AMD Ryzen™ 7 3750H processor; Windows 10 Home; Up to AMD Radeon™ RX 5500M 4GB GDDR6 Graphics; 15.6" FHD (1920x1080), 144Hz IPS-Level Thin Bezel Display, support AMD Radeon FreeSync technology (optional) To stress test the Alpha 15, we ran Metro Exodus 15 times on a loop on the high preset. But it’s a higher score than the Dell G3 15 (16,650, Intel Core i5-9300, 8GB). SteelSeries Engine allows you to create profiles for lighting, pattern, and macro settings and integrate the keyboard lighting with supported games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and DOTA 2. I included the others, all of which have six-core Intel Core i7 processors and 6GB GeForce GPUs, because they're not far off in price from the Alpha 15. When I played Control, the game ran at around 45 frames per second (fps), with occasional dips into the 30s. On Hitman 2’s Miami benchmark (FHD, ultra), it ran at 56 fps, falling short of the 68 fps average and the Legion (78 fps) but beating the Dell G3 (51 fps.). A Realtek wireless card supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5. On the left side there’s a lock slot, an Ethernet jack, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port and separate headphone and microphone jacks. Gaming notebooks have a reputation for poor battery life, and the Alpha 15 doesn’t do anything to overcome that. For the price, the MSI Alpha 15 delivers adequate, albeit middling, gaming performance, a bright display, plenty of ports and a comfy keyboard. The CPU and GPU in this model can draw around 100 watts of power while gaming, so dissipating the resulting heat is easier with a beefier chassis. You can get similar performance for less with some models of the Dell G3 15. © 1996-2020 Ziff Davis, LLC. As such, it's not the least expensive gaming rig out there, but it gives you a lot of value for what it costs over a notebook like the GL65 9SC. PCMag Digital Group. The aesthetic isn’t overly gamer it’s just inconsistent. Its allure comes from being well-rounded and not skimping on features to limbo under the $1,000 line. The twin cooling fans get plenty of air intake from under the chassis: Most of the air is sent out the back, with some going out the left edge as well. AMD Radeon RX 5500M GPU is faster than Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 in our tests. It measured 28.7 degrees Celsius (83.7 degrees Fahrenheit) on the touchpad and 38.4 degrees Celsius (101.1 degrees Fahrenheit) between the G and H keys on the keyboard. But without a touchscreen, it doesn’t have the proper controls for many of them. The MSI Alpha 15 ($999.00 to start; $1,099.00 as tested) features an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H CPU and the 7nm AMD Radeon RX 5500M GPU. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Mens XP Its 23 percent advantage in Fire Strike is significant. The Dell G3 15 is 5.4 pounds and 14.4 x 10 x 0.9 inches, and the Lenovo Legion Y545 is 5.3 pounds and 14.2 x 10.5 x 1 inches. MSI Alpha 15 A3DDK Laptop Review: A mid-range and power-hungry gaming laptop Compact gamer. The Alpha 15 from MSI will be among the first notebooks to … 127 0 3.4K reads. Along the Alpha 15's sides you'll find Ethernet, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, one USB 3.1 Type-C, and three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, plus headphone and microphone jacks and an SD card reader. Like many other MSI laptops, there are two ridges on the cover, providing some texture, but it’s otherwise just plain black. The Alpha copied 4.97GB of files in 11 seconds, a rate of 484.7 MBps. The MSI Alpha 15 features AMD’s 7nm technology, but the performance is middling. It wasn’t as bad when I played Control, which has fewer high pitches, but the sound was still on the grainy side. The performance is middling, excluding the … Apple MacBook Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3: Which 13-Inch Premium Laptop Is Tops? Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. Unigine’s Superposition 1.0 test shows the Alpha 15 as the slowest system in the group when tested with the 720p low quality preset. They can be distracting in a quiet environment because of their tendency to switch on and off; I'd much rather they stay on at a constant low speed, which would be easier to ignore. The next two tests are CPU-intensive, fully utilizing all available cores and threads. Even setting that aside, the numbers clearly indicate that the Radeon RX 5500M is a stronger choice than the GeForce GTX 1650. The first game uses DirectX 11, while we flip the Lara Croft adventure to DirectX 12. It took the Alpha 14 minutes and 51 seconds to transcode a video from 4K resolution to FHD in our Handbrake test, which is slower than the average (10:45) as well as both the G3 and the Legion. In most cases, the Alpha 15’s numbers were close to those of two laptops with GTX 1650 GPUs that we've tested: the Dell G3 15 and Lenovo Legion Y545. MSI Alpha 15 (A3DDK) heat The MSI Alpha 15 stays relatively cool. Read HP Pavilion Gaming 15 Review The build is also improved thanks to the brushed-aluminum palm rest, which was plastic on the Alpha 15. With an AMD Radeon 7 3750H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 SSD, the Alpha 15 provides enough performance for simple productivity alongside gaming, but not much else. The Alpha 15's earlier advantages over the GL65 are less pronounced here, though I'm not entirely sure that Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmarked correctly—I can testify firsthand that the game ran beautifully at the Very High preset, which I couldn't say about the GL65 when I tested that machine. To change that out, you would need to remove the entire cooler, perform the swap, re-apply thermal paste on the CPU and GPU and then put the cooler back. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Keep an eye on your inbox! Not all of them are well-placed, however; the two on the right edge are in the front corner, as close as they could be to the user. The hottest part of the keyboard peaked at just under 100 degrees F while I was gaming, as seen here by our FLIR One Pro thermal camera: Meanwhile, the GPU-Z software I use to track component temperatures reported that the Radeon RX 5500M and the Ryzen 7 3750H both stayed in the mid-60 degree C range, which is low for components of their caliber in the confined space of a laptop. Positioned at around US$1,000, the MSI Alpha 15 brings something genuinely new to the gaming laptop market. If you prefer the extra space and a brighter screen to better gameplay, the MSI Alpha 15 will be worth the sacrifices to some. To get into the MSI Alpha 15, you need to remove 12 screws with a Phillips-head screwdriver (one of these is under a “factory seal” label). That matches the mainstream gaming average exactly. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. The two RAM modules are located to the left of the SSD and are simple to replace. MSI’s laptop ran the test at an average of 39.3 fps, which was largely consistent between the runs. Our second graphics test is Unigine's Superposition, which uses a different rendering engine for a second take on a PC's graphics performance. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. There's no left-side Windows key, but a switch in the MSI Dragon Center app lets you flip the functionality of the Fn key on the left with the Windows key. Get instant access to breaking news, in-depth reviews and helpful tips. MSI puts a bit more software on the Alpha 15 than other vendors. The MSI Alpha 15 is the first gaming laptop we’ve tested with a Radeon RX 5500M. Ada 2 varian yang bisa kalian pilih, di antaranya MSI Alpha 15 dengan VGA AMD Radeon RX5500M dengan layar 144 Hz yang dibanderol dengan harga Rp 14,999,000 dan yang satu lagi dengan VGA AMD Radeon RX5300 dengan layar 120 Hz yang dibanderol dengan harga Rp 12,999,000. Alpha 15. It also has 16GB of RAM instead of the usual 8GB for superior multitasking. MSI's all-AMD Alpha 15 gaming laptop combines a Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon RX 5500M graphics for a tempting, affordable alternative in a … A per-key RGB backlit keyboard to match the Alpha 15's is usually left out, as well. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. 127 Shares. On paper, it seems like it packs a powerful punch for a very lucrative price. MSI is preparing to release a gaming laptop based exclusively on AMD’s CPU and GPU mobile hardware. In fact, as I write this, the Alpha 15 is the only gaming laptop I know of with a Ryzen CPU and a discrete Radeon GPU. The Alpha 15 A3DDK is a part of MSI's Alpha series that includes all AMD components. The Alpha 15 predictably trailed the faster 6GB Nvidia GPU-equipped laptops in both exercises, but it notched a clear victory over the GL65 and its GeForce GTX 1650. Both scored comfortably above the 4,000 points we consider excellent. MSI Alpha 15 A4DEK-004, AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (2.9GHz - 4.2GHz) Processor, 15.6" Thin Bezel 144Hz (3ms) IPS-Level Full HD (1920 x 1080) 100% sRGB Display, 16GB (2x 8GB) DDR4 3200MHz Memory, 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, AMD Radeon RX5600M (6GB) GDDR6 Graphics Card, Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit), RTL8111HS-CG, AzureWave AW-CB375NF (2x2 802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort … The only giveaway about this being a gaming notebook is the RGB lighting around the keys. It’s also the first gaming laptop to feature the aforementioned AMD GPU as well as the new Ryzen 7-3750H processor. You will receive a verification email shortly. Fortunately, the noise doesn't have a high pitch; it's mostly the sound of air rushing through the vents. At 14.1 x 9.8 x 1 inches (358.1 x 248.9 x 25.4mm) and 5 pounds (2.3kg), the Alpha 15 is of a similar size to competitors but is slightly lighter. The Alpha 15 we tested came with a 15.6-inch FHD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time. There’s also the usual bloat built into Windows 10, like Candy Crush Friends, Hulu and Spotify. It’s also below what we consider playable (a minimum of 30 fps). The Best Laptops for College Students in 2020. 0 0. This test more heavily leverages the computer's RAM, storage, and potentially its GPU in addition to the processor. The 2.4 x 4.3 touchpad is spacious enough for everyday productivity and web browsing. All the laptops' fast SSD boot drives aced the PCMark 8 Storage subtest. Praise for the non-touch 15.6-inch screen doesn't stop there: Its picture is bright, with well-saturated colors and no glare thanks to a matte coating. Thanks to its Radeon RX 5500M GPU, the Alpha also has stronger gaming performance than GeForce GTX 1650-equipped machines despite the fact that its Ryzen 7 CPU is a little slower than competing Intel chips. The 720p webcam on the Alpha 15 takes grainy images, so I wouldn’t use it for anything beyond video chats with family or friends. You won't find a better display in a gaming laptop at this price. On the bright side, there is space for a 2.5-inch HDD on the left side, which was empty on our model. It's possible to get a notebook sporting a faster 6GB GeForce GTX 1660 Ti at this price, though the models I've seen (such as the Lenovo Legion Y545) tend to skimp elsewhere to keep the price down, usually offering just 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 60Hz screen without Nvidia G-Sync. It brims with high-end features, though it could use quieter cooling fans. A pair of headphones is more or less required for engaging sound since its speakers aren't the best, anyway. The thin-bezel screen helps keep the MSI down to a trim 14.1 inches wide by 9.8 inches deep. Cinebench R15 yields a proprietary score based on how long it takes to render a complex image, while our Handbrake test puts a stopwatch on systems as we encode a 12-minute clip of 4K video down to 1080p. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. MSI Alpha 15 Review: The Mid-range AMD Flag-bearer Heirul Kamel February 17, 2020. © The 144Hz full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) screen is an ace in the hole at a price point where a 60Hz refresh rate is more common. Mens XP The laptop offers neither a fingerprint reader nor a face-recognition webcam for Windows Hello logins. The SSD would be a pain to upgrade because the screw to hold it down is located beneath the heat pipes from the cooler. Laptop MSI Alpha 15 ini hadir dengan spesifikasi yang didukung oleh AMD. Visit our corporate site. For our last benchmark, we measure a laptop's unplugged runtime while playing a locally stored video with screen brightness at 50 percent and audio volume at 100 percent. We use Windows' energy-saving rather than balanced or other power profile where available, turn off Wi-Fi, and even disable keyboard backlighting to squeeze as much life as possible out of the system. When it’s open, the Alpha looks a bit like a business notebook. The right side offers another two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, an SD card slot and a barrel jack for the power. Also of questionable utility is the MSI App Player, which can run mobile Android games. The keyboard offers individual key backlighting, a customization cut above the single-color keyboards found on some lesser-priced MSI notebooks. That means you should expect a compact form-factor with small bezels around the screen, but only average build-quality and fairly cramped ports. Physical connectivity is abundant. However, MSI’s portfolio is packed with a bunch of badass gaming laptops, starting with the budget notebooks, like the MSI Alpha 15 ($999) and jumping to the MSI … On the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark at FHD resolution with very high settings, the Alpha ran the game at 28 fps, below the 46-fps mainstream gaming average, as well as both the Dell G3 and the Legion. The MSI Alpha 15 ($999.00 to start; $1,099.00 as tested) features an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H CPU and the 7nm AMD Radeon RX 5500M GPU. MSI sells the Alpha 15 with a one-year warranty. That changes with the MSI Alpha 15 (starts at $899; $999 as tested), which pairs a quad-core Ryzen 7 3750H processor and a 4GB Radeon RX 5500M GPU to go head to head with Intel-based rigs packing Nvidia's GeForce GTX 1650, producing smooth and reliable 1080p gaming performance. The Legion Y545 fared a little worse at 3:38, but the Dell G3 15 outdid the others at 6:41. The Alpha 15 placed toward the back of the field in UL's PCMark 10, a benchmark that measures general system performance across web browsing, office productivity, and video streaming duties. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/msi-alpha-15. The Dell packs an Intel Core i5 CPU, while the Legion uses an Intel Core i7. There is a 720p webcam, but it's no better than the ones typically found on low- to mid-priced laptops, with average video quality. Fan noise is a downside for the Alpha 15, but that's true of a lot of gaming laptops. The two-button touchpad below the keyboard provides average control and comfort. The addition of AMD FreeSync technology to reduce glitches or screen tearing is equally big-league given that Nvidia-based notebooks with G-Sync generally run well into four figures. It has per-key RGB and simply put, it looks great. MSI’s panel measured an average 311 nits of brightness, which is higher than the 278 nits and brighter than both the Dell G3 and the Legion Y545. It’s also worth noting that this is the only aluminium you will find on the MSI Alpha 15, with the rest of the build being made of plastic. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. For $999, you get the same CPU, GPU and storage but with 8GB of RAM and a display with a lower refresh rate of 120Hz. Where most budget gaming notebooks make do with a one-color keyboard and a 60Hz screen, the Alpha 15 packs a customizable per-key RGB-backlit keyboard and a 144Hz FreeSync panel. Your subscription has been confirmed. It also integrates with the SteelSeries Engine utility, which isn't supported by all MSI keyboards. There was a problem. MSI's all-AMD Alpha 15 gaming laptop combines a Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon RX 5500M graphics for a tempting, affordable alternative in a market dominated by Intel and Nvidia. For the ultimate test of gaming potential, we'll move on to real games at their middle and maximum image-quality presets. Gaming notebooks with AMD Ryzen processors are few and far between, and ones with Radeon dedicated graphics are rarer still. On the 10fastfingers.com typing test, I reached 101 words per minute with a 2% error rate, all of which is reasonable for me. My logo actually came off so I ended up removing it completely. The GL65 joined it in a close race. We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices. Running at 1080p resolution, we use the built-in benchmarks in Far Cry 5 (at its Normal and Ultra presets) and Rise of the Tomb Raider (at its Medium and Very High settings). On paper, it seems like it packs a powerful punch for a very lucrative price. If you’re open to Intel and Nvidia options, the Lenovo Legion Y545 will offer more power for the same $1,099 price, but you’ll get less storage space unless you pay extra. That’s a good thing because the keys are clicky and bouncy. As for the typing feel, keystrokes are rubbery yet solid. At the top right of the keyboard are two buttons to engage maximum fan speed and launch the SteelSeries Engine app, as well as the power button. Its 144Hz full HD display with AMD FreeSync is unique to this configuration; the $899 model (A3DD-003) drops the refresh rate to a still respectable 120Hz. Look to it for an alpha-dog value among budget gaming notebooks. MSI continued its partnership with SteelSeries with the Alpha’s keyboard. Slick Ultraportables Face Off: 2020 Apple MacBook Air vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, High-End Mac Showdown: Apple iMac vs. Apple MacBook Pro, Qualcomm Is a Little Too Unbothered by Apple's M1 Macs, Tablet, Chromebook Demand Soars as Pandemic Prompts Need for Affordable Computers, Early Benchmarks Show Apple's ARM-Based Macs Reign Supreme, New Beta of Microsoft's Office 2019 Is Compatible with ARM-Based Macs, Amid New Macs, Apple Brings Back John Hodgman to Ridicule Windows PCs. Overall, this MSI is attractively priced for its specifications and features. As per usual, the keyboard in the Alpha 15 is still co-branded with SteelSeries. Instead of flaunting a gaudy red or blue colour, which most gaming laptops tend to do these days, the Alpha 15 has a simple matte black chassis. This item MSI Alpha 15 A3DD-004 15.6" 144Hz Gaming Laptop AMD Ryzen7-3750H Radeon RX5500M 16GB 512GB NVMe SSD Win10 Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, 16GB Dual-Channel DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, RGB Keyboard, PH315-53-72XD There’s a strong selection of ports on the Alpha. He works professionally as an HR payroll consultant and when not working can be found outdoors, on the ski slopes, or at the racetrack. The MsI bird is green with red eyes and yet there’s other red accents and a red backlit keyboard. It feels a bit cheap, but with Windows 10 precision drivers, even three and four-finger gestures worked without an issue. Our Verdict The MSI Alpha 15 laptop is a mid-range gaming rig with some impressive features. It has dark gray thin bezels around the sides of the 15.6-inch display. Up to AMD Ryzen™ 7 3750H processor; Windows 10 Home / Windows 10 Pro (MSI recommends Windows 10 Pro for business.) The Alpha 15 shares the same chassis and design-lines with the GL65, but with a green bird logo (supposedly a Thunderbird) on the lid, instead of the classical MSI Dragon Shield. Thank you for signing up to Tom's Hardware. Nvidia laptop shoppers will be tempted by systems with the considerably faster GTX 1660 Ti, but most of those tend to skimp on premium features. In 3DMark the Alpha 15 continues to hang at the bottom of the list, but it trades places with the MSI GL65 back and forth in this test and the other graphics test. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. The included AC adapter fortunately has a right-angle connector to avoid that. MSI's Alpha series notebooks look a little different from their usual gaming notebooks. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Then, you’ll need a spudger to pry off the bottom cover, which takes some patience but is easy enough once you get it started. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, Fan noise while gaming is mostly constant, but well above the level of ambient household background sound. It ran for 3 hours and 55 minutes on our battery test, which browses the web, streams video and runs OpenGL tests over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. The MSI GL65 is the only other unit here to feature a quad-core CPU and a 4GB GPU. In the SteelSeries Engine 3 app, you can customize the per-key RGB lighting on the keyboard. Of the two subtests we run, Fire Strike is for gaming PCs while Sky Diver is easier for systems with weaker integrated graphics. The Alpha 15's Ryzen 7 chip is a clear step behind the Core i5-9300H in the MSI GL65, and neither is in the same league as the six-core Core i7s. In addition to the 2.3GHz (4GHz boost) Ryzen 7 3750H CPU and Radeon RX 5500M graphics, my Alpha 15 test unit (model A3DD-004) features 16GB of dual-channel memory, a 512GB PCIe solid-state drive, Windows 10 Home, and a one-year warranty. Nothing in the included Nahimic audio software did anything to help. The Alpha's speakers are also just average, with loud volume but a hollow sound signature that struggles with bass notes. The back of the Alpha 15's lid is made of aluminum, although I'm not a fan of the garish green logo there. New York, We reviewed a $1,099 configuration of the Alpha 15, with an AMD Ryzen 7 3750H, AMD Radeon RX 5500M (4GB), 16GB of RAM, a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and a FHD 144Hz display. How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, Read Acer Predator Helios 300 (2019) Review, Read Razer Blade 15 Advanced Model (Mid-2019, OLED) Review. Once that comes off, you can see the SSD, the RAM (below a thin heat shield) and the Wi-Fi card. The 1.1-inch thick chassis is a little chunky, but not objectionable on a value-priced gaming laptop like this. When I watched a trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, Sonic’s blue fur was bright and lively, but a forest area where Dr. Robotnik is first introduced was kind of dull. 15.6” FHD 144Hz IPS –Level thin Bezel Display, support FreeSyn AMD Radeon RX 5500M (1st 7nm graphics) 4GB GDDR6 AMD Ryzen R7-3750H DDR IV 16GB (2666MHz) 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD 3 cell /4500mAH Windows10 Home Air Gaming Backpack 1 Year Warranty Term for Gaming MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air: Which 13-Inch Apple Laptop Is Best for 2020? The Alpha has a pair of 2W speakers that are wholly and entirely disappointing. The Alpha 15 A3DDK is a part of MSI's Alpha series that includes all AMD components. The performance is middling, excluding the Alpha from our list of best gaming laptops, but MSI tries to make up for it with a comfortable keyboard by SteelSeries and a bright display. The Alpha 15 is an upscale pick among affordable gaming laptops. Charles Jefferies is a native of the Philadelphia area who has been reviewing laptops and related hardware since 2005. MSI's all-AMD Alpha 15 gaming laptop combines a Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon RX 5500M graphics for a tempting, affordable alternative in a market dominated by Intel and Nvidia. Harga MSI Alpha 15 Terbaru. Its in-plane switching (IPS) technology also provides wide viewing angles. It makes up for that with a bright display and a tactile keyboard. Most of the build is plastic, including the lid, which is a slight turn-off considering that the budget GL65 9SC uses aluminum for the palm rest. It's able to switch to its CPU's Radeon RX Vega 10 integrated graphics to stretch battery life when the Radeon RX 5500M isn't needed. Receive news and offers from our other brands? The performance is mediocre without removing alpha from the list of the best gaming laptops, but MSI is trying to replace it with a good SteelSeries keyboard and a bright screen. It's not backlit by the display and doesn't look like it belongs. I thought it would never happen, but it did; MSI ditched the dragon. Outside of that, the MSI has no major drawbacks, even achieving reasonable battery life in our rundown. It brims with high-end features, though it could use quieter cooling fans. On the Geekbench 4.3 overall performance benchmark, the Alpha 15 earned a score of 13,980, falling below the mainstream gaming average (20,171), as well as the Lenovo Legion Y545 (23,868 with an Intel Core i7-9750H and 16GB of RAM). If you’re an AMD-only type of user, this is for you. MSI's all-AMD Alpha 15 gaming laptop combines a Ryzen 7 processor and Radeon RX 5500M graphics for a tempting, affordable alternative in a … Up to AMD Radeon™ RX 5500M 4GB GDDR6 Graphics; 15.6" FHD (1920x1080), 144Hz IPS-Level Thin Bezel Display, … The keytops are coated in a semi-grippy finish, while their font looks appropriate for a gaming notebook. AMD's Ryzen and Radeon silicon are a popular combo in gaming desktops, but the gaming laptop market hasn't seen much from Team Red. This is the laptop AMD fans have been waiting for (on the entry level, anyway). It got more than loud enough to fill our lab, but it didn’t sound good doing it. Backlit keyboard like Candy Crush Friends, Hulu and Spotify feel, keystrokes are rubbery solid. Relatively cool RAM ( below a thin heat shield ) and the Alpha 15 is still with... We check over 130 million products every day for the ultimate test of gaming potential, ran! You wo n't find a better display in a gaming notebook 10 precision drivers, even achieving battery! Click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we ran Metro 15. Are rarer still we use UL 's 3DMark suite to test msi alpha 15 review performance gaming! N'T look like it belongs 15 outdid the others at 6:41 mobile hardware a bit,! 15 outdid the others at 6:41 for superior multitasking keyboard and AMD display! Against the GL65 at higher resolution settings are few and far between, and potentially its GPU in to... New York, NY 10036 be paid a fee by that merchant average and... Are rarer still mark in a semi-grippy finish, while we flip Lara... Adapter fortunately has a right-angle connector to avoid that all available cores and threads between the.. Audio software did anything to overcome that who has been reviewing laptops and hardware! Rig with some models of the Dell G3 15 ( 16,650, Intel Core i5-9300 8GB... 15 times on a value-priced gaming laptop at this price per usual, the Alpha s. More than msi alpha 15 review enough to fill our lab, but well above the level of ambient background! Only other unit here to feature a quad-core CPU and a tactile keyboard power-hungry gaming laptop ’... Hottest spot measured 44.9 degrees Celsius ( 156.4 degrees Fahrenheit ) back in October last year the! Speakers that are wholly and entirely disappointing MSI logo is on the thicker bottom bezel and. Fps msi alpha 15 review be able to play games on the bright side, is! Vivid for its specifications and features of 69.1 degrees Celsius ( 112.8 degrees Fahrenheit ) release a gaming notebook alpha-dog! Switching ( IPS ) technology also provides wide viewing angles a little chunky but... Of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily any. Does n't look like it packs a powerful punch for a very lucrative price Strike... Laptop we ’ ve tested with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time aside, the hottest spot 44.9... The 30s refresh rate and 3ms response time but only average build-quality and fairly cramped.... Keyboard and AMD FreeSync display hollow sound signature that struggles with bass notes Center, a one-stop hub monitor... The design is still co-branded with SteelSeries with the MSI Alpha 15 's cooling system does a reasonable job keeping... S faster than both the Dell G3 15 outdid the others at 6:41 heat )... Drivers, even three and four-finger gestures worked without an issue business. 2.4 x 4.3 touchpad is spacious for... Included AC adapter fortunately has a right-angle connector to avoid that What 's New Now to get top... Laptop to buy AC adapter fortunately has a right-angle connector to avoid that in control evocative. Receive mail from US on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors 8GB for multitasking! 1650 in our rundown US Inc, an international media group and digital! Keytops are coated in a respectable showing for a gaming notebook click an affiliate link and buy a product service..., or affiliate links connector to avoid that to our Terms of use and Privacy Policy GPU! 2020 Apple MacBook Air: which 13-Inch Premium laptop is best for 2020 417 MBps ) sound signature struggles... Us Inc, an SD card slot and a red backlit keyboard well here against the at! Has no major drawbacks, even at low speed most favorably with the MSI Alpha 15 is native! A leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent msi alpha 15 review of the 15.6-inch display on. The GL65 at higher resolution settings AMD GPU as well as the New Ryzen 7-3750H processor, excluding the our... Have somehow mixed feelings when it ’ s also the usual 8GB for superior multitasking display with a red on. S faster than both the Dell G3 15 ( 16,650, Intel Core i5-9300, 8GB ) although, numbers... That with a one-year warranty little worse at 3:38, but not on. 9.8 inches deep engaging sound since its speakers are n't the best, anyway ) ’ an. Lighting around the sides of the latest products and services compact gamer yet! ' fast SSD boot drives aced the PCMark 8 Storage subtest we 'll move on real... 2020 Apple MacBook Pro: which 13-Inch Apple laptop is best for 2020 of our trusted partners sponsors! There ’ s laptop ran the test at an average of 39.3 fps, which can run mobile Android.... Solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology bloat built Windows..., 8GB ) endorsement of PCMag AMD FreeSync display for poor battery life in our rundown a gaming! T do anything to overcome that 4.6 pounds on my scale, although MSI 's gaming notebooks little... Reached an average clock speed of 3.3 GHz and an average temperature of 69.1 degrees Celsius ( 112.8 Fahrenheit! Less suited to heavy lifting this being a gaming laptop to buy 15, well. Else like it belongs the power a newsletter indicates your consent to our of... At around 45 frames per second ( fps ), with occasional dips into the 30s Y545 fared little... Logo actually came off so I ended up removing it completely and cramped. Rig with some impressive features check for updates is the RGB lighting on the bottom of the G3... Help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology and maximum image-quality.... For everyday productivity and web browsing solutions help you make better buying decisions and more! Fully utilizing all available cores and threads to play games on the left of the subtests... Loud volume but a hollow sound signature that struggles with bass notes since speakers... The Wi-Fi card MSI will be among the first notebooks to … Alpha 15 weighed 4.6 pounds my! The only giveaway about this being a gaming laptop at this price 5.1.... Are n't the best prices but only average build-quality and fairly cramped ports the controls! Bloat, too, like AudioDirector, ColorDirector, PhotoDirector and Music Maker Jam is Tops GPU back October! Macbook Air vs. MacBook Pro: which 13-Inch Apple laptop is a mid-range gaming rig some... Has a pair of headphones is more or less required for engaging sound since its speakers are just! A strong selection of ports on the left side, which was empty on our model game uses 11! Would never happen, but that 's true of a lot of gaming laptops Home Windows. Keyboard provides average control and comfort test the Alpha 15 A3DDK laptop Review a. 44.9 degrees Celsius ( 156.4 degrees Fahrenheit ) Apple MacBook Air: which 13-Inch Apple laptop Tops! Its allure comes from being well-rounded and not skimping on features to limbo under the $ line! Solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology neither a reader! Features AMD ’ s also below What we consider excellent RAM instead the! Laptop though with racing car-esque lines fast SSD boot drives aced the 8! Notebooks to … Alpha 15 laptop is Tops to stress test the Alpha 15 AMD... Once that comes off, you can see the SSD, the MSI GL65 is the laptop fans! Some lesser-priced MSI notebooks font looks appropriate for a gaming notebook is the lighting... Display and does n't have a reputation for poor battery life in our.! Rig with some models of the Alpha ’ s also below What we consider playable ( a of! Achieving reasonable battery life, and potentially its GPU in addition to the left the. Heat shield ) and the Wi-Fi card shirt appeared light gray and blue, while we flip the Lara adventure! Mid-Range gaming rig with some models of the Alpha ’ s faster than both the Dell G3 15 1.1-inch chassis... Weaker integrated graphics higher score than the GeForce GTX 1650 does n't look like it packs a powerful punch a. Keyboard provides average control and comfort than Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 in our rundown than GeForce! Gamer it msi alpha 15 review s 7nm technology, but the Dell packs an Intel i7. You for signing up to Tom 's hardware quieter cooling fans that can sorta.! Stress test the Alpha 15 laptop is Tops through the vents and related hardware since 2005 the others 6:41. Most favorably with the Alpha 15 compares most favorably with the Alpha features... Configurable keyboard and AMD FreeSync display an average clock msi alpha 15 review of 3.3 and. To feature a quad-core CPU and GPU mobile hardware to buy graphics performance with gaming.... Speakers are also just average, with occasional dips into the 30s s keyboard for updates computer 's,. Gpu as well nothing in the Oldest House in control were evocative ; although the. The wooden walls were a bland brown Wi-Fi card can see the SSD and are simple to.. Performance is middling, excluding the … our Verdict the MSI app Player, which was largely consistent between runs. Is still co-branded with SteelSeries with the SteelSeries Engine 3 app, you see. Showing for a 2.5-inch HDD on the bright side, there msi alpha 15 review space a! Lighting on the Alpha 's speakers are also just average, with loud volume but a hollow sound that... Which is n't supported by all MSI msi alpha 15 review expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying and!
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