The 2019 iteration of the MSI Alpha was the first gaming laptop in years to use both an AMD processor and an AMD graphics card, but AMD's previous mobile processors couldn't keep up with the top. Now we have the Bravo series, featuring AMD's brand new Ryzen 4000 series. Does that make the MSI Bravo the affordable gaming laptop of 2020?
MSI Bravo 17
Price From € 1299,-Format 17 inch
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 4800H
Screen 1920x1080p 120Hz IPS
SSD 512 GB (Has an extra 2.5” slot)
Memory 16GB
video card AMD Radeon RX 5500 M
Connections USB Type-C, 3x USB Type-A, HDMI, 3.5mm jack, Ethernet
Website www.msi.com 8 Score 80
- Pros
- Powerful CPU
- Good all-round performance
- Negatives
- Screen insufficient for image editing
- Moderate battery life
A laptop is more than one part, but a good processor is crucial. AMD's new 8-core Ryzen 7 4800H does exactly what we hoped for. AMD is now as fast per-core as Intel laptops, and offers more cores for your money. As a result, the 1299 euro MSI Bravo 17 (or 1149 euro 15-inch Bravo 15) now has just as strong a CPU as Intel alternatives with an Intel Core i9(!) 9980HK that costs twice that.
The most important thing for gamers, this is a gaming laptop after all, is that the processor is no longer the bottleneck and the AMD Radeon RX 5500M can now perform better. You can play large AAA games on Medium or High at 1080p with 60 FPS or more, light games easily reach the 120 FPS that this screen can display. This makes it faster in games than laptops with a GTX 1650 Super, but slower than alternatives with GTX 1660 Ti; so check that they are not cheaper.
Two steps forward, one back.
In addition to the processor, we also see the faster WiFi 6 and MSI has kept the housing slightly tighter with brushed aluminum and a somewhat more professional look. Build quality remains a modest 6', but that is typical in this segment. Fortunately, the keyboard and touchpad are pleasant and there is no shortage of connections: three USB Type-A ports, a USB-C port, Ethernet and HDMI out. The interior is also as practical as ever. You can clean the fans yourself, replace the battery, expand the memory if 16 GB is not enough, or add an extra 2.5 inch SSD if the standard 512 GB M.2 SSD is not sufficient.
Too bad the Alpha's panel was better. The 120Hz Full HD screen of our Bravo 17 is fine if you mainly play games, but lacks the color range and fine tuning you want for serious creative tasks. And the battery life also lags behind; 3 hours with light use is not impressive.
Conclusion
With the new AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, the MSI Bravo has now become a better all-rounder with sufficient CPU and GPU power. As long as the street price is below alternatives with a better video card (GTX 1660 Ti), this is a nice entry-level device where you can play all games without paying the top price.
