MSI

Alpha 15

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. 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. 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.

Solving the Value Equation
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. 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.
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. A per-key RGB backlit keyboard to match the Alpha 15's is usually left out, as well. Overall, this MSI is attractively priced for its specifications and features.



Likable Looks
The silver top half of the Alpha 15 is a refreshing departure from the usual solid black of MSI's gaming notebooks. 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. The back of the Alpha 15's lid is made of aluminum, although I'm not a fan of the garish green logo there. It's not backlit by the display and doesn't look like it belongs.
The thin-bezel screen helps keep the MSI down to a trim 14.1 inches wide by 9.8 inches deep. The 1.1-inch thick chassis is a little chunky, but not objectionable on a value-priced gaming laptop like this. 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. The Alpha 15 weighed 4.6 pounds on my scale, although MSI's official specifications put it at 5.1 pounds.



A High-Octane Display
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. 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.
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. Its in-plane switching (IPS) technology also provides wide viewing angles. You won't find a better display in a gaming laptop at this price.
Physical connectivity is abundant. 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. A Realtek wireless card supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.
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. 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. Devices plugged into them have the potential to encroach on external mouse pad territory. The included AC adapter fortunately has a right-angle connector to avoid that.





The laptop offers neither a fingerprint reader nor a face-recognition webcam for Windows Hello logins. 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. The Alpha's speakers are also just average, with loud volume but a hollow sound signature that struggles with bass notes.

Every Color, Every Key
The keyboard offers individual key backlighting, a customization cut above the single-color keyboards found on some lesser-priced MSI notebooks. It also integrates with the SteelSeries Engine utility, which isn't supported by all MSI keyboards.





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. As for the typing feel, keystrokes are rubbery yet solid. The keytops are coated in a semi-grippy finish, while their font looks appropriate for a gaming notebook.
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. 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. The two-button touchpad below the keyboard provides average control and comfort.

Battery Rundown Test
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.
The Alpha 15 cleared the five-hour mark in a respectable showing for a gaming laptop. 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.

Good (But Loud) Cooling
The Alpha 15's cooling system does a reasonable job of keeping its temperatures under control. 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. The twin cooling fans get plenty of air intake from under the chassis:





The fans aren't quiet about doing their job, even at low speed. 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. Fan noise while gaming is mostly constant, but well above the level of ambient household background sound. Fortunately, the noise doesn't have a high pitch; it's mostly the sound of air rushing through the vents.

An Excellent AMD Value
The Alpha 15 is an upscale pick among affordable gaming laptops. Its allure comes from being well-rounded and not skimping on features to limbo under the $1,000 line. 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. 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. It also has 16GB of RAM instead of the usual 8GB for superior multitasking.
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. 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.



Fan noise is a downside for the Alpha 15, but that's true of a lot of gaming laptops. A pair of headphones is more or less required for engaging sound since its speakers aren't the best, anyway.
Outside of that, the MSI has no major drawbacks, even achieving reasonable battery life in our rundown. Look to it for an alpha-dog value among budget gaming notebooks.

Source: Charles Jefferies