MSI Thin 15, Core i5-13420H, 32GB, 512GB SSD, RTX 4050, Black

The MSI Thin 15 delivers a strong RTX 4050 and 32GB of RAM for around $912, making it a solid budget gaming pick. The 144Hz display is a nice bonus. Just know the 512GB SSD and 52Wh battery are the weak spots. Worth buying if gaming is your main thing and you stay near a plug.

The RTX 4050 sits at the 79th percentile in our database, which means it's a strong performer for this price bracket. You'll run most modern games at 1080p with decent settings, and the 144Hz display actually lets you see those extra frames. The i5-13420H is more of a middle-of-the-pack CPU at the 54th percentile, so don't expect it to crush heavy productivity workloads. The 32GB of RAM is a nice surprise at this price, landing at the 73rd percentile. Storage is where things get tight. 512GB fills up fast with modern game installs, and it's only at the 52nd percentile. The 52Wh battery is small, so expect to stay near an outlet.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or the Lenovo Legion 5i, the MSI Thin 15 looks like the budget option it is. The Zephyrus G14 has a better display, better build quality, and more ports, but it costs significantly more. The Legion 5i offers a stronger CPU and better cooling. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 is lighter and has a nicer screen. The Apple MacBook Pro M4 Pro is in a completely different league for creators, but it's also in a completely different price bracket. For pure gaming value, the MSI holds its own. For everything else, the competitors pull ahead.

At $912, the MSI Thin 15 is a decent deal if gaming is your main priority. The RTX 4050 and 32GB of RAM are the stars here, and you'd be hard pressed to find that combo much cheaper. But you're making trade-offs. The storage is tight, the battery is small, and the port situation is bare bones. If you can live with those compromises, the value is there. If you need more storage or better battery life, you'll spend more elsewhere.

The MSI Thin 15 is a budget gaming laptop that punches above its weight in a few key areas. You get an RTX 4050 with 6GB of VRAM, 32GB of DDR4, and a 144Hz IPS display for around $912. That's a solid combo for 1080p gaming without melting your wallet.

But the name 'Thin' is doing some heavy lifting here. At 1.86kg it's not exactly a featherweight, and the port selection is pretty sparse. Still, for the price, this thing covers the basics well enough.

Skip this if you need real portability or battery life. The 52Wh battery won't get you through a full workday away from an outlet, and at 1.86kg it's not exactly light. Creators should also look elsewhere. The CPU is only average, and the 512GB SSD will choke on video projects. If you need more than one USB-C port or want Thunderbolt, this isn't your machine.

The MSI Thin 15 is for gamers on a budget who want a capable 1080p machine without spending over a grand. The RTX 4050 and 32GB of RAM are the real selling points. If you mostly game plugged in and don't mind managing your storage, this laptop will serve you well. If you need a portable workstation or a machine for creative work, look elsewhere.