MSI are well renowned for making great gaming laptops … using Intel CPUs and Nvidia Geforce graphics. But now, with so much talk on AMD’s Ryzen mobile processors … they couldn’t take it anymore. They just had to hop on to the bandwagon and get a laptop out there with a AMD CPU and AMD GPU.
Taken from Notebookcheck … AMD MSI laptops are making a comeback: Bravo 15 and 17 series with Ryzen 5 4600H, Ryzen 7 4800H, and Radeon RX 5500M now available for $1000 USD.
After several years of offering only Intel and Nvidia parts, MSI finally reintroduced a laptop with an AMD CPU and AMD GPU in 2019 through the 15.6-inch Alpha 15. It may not have been the fastest in its budget category, but the price was attractive nonetheless. MSI will be launching two direct successors to the Alpha 15 this month called the 15.6-inch Bravo 15 and 17.3-inch Bravo 17.
Internally, the 2nd gen 12 nm Ryzen 7 3750H in the Alpha 15 will be updated to the 3rd gen 7 nm Ryzen 5 4600H or Ryzen 7 4800H for the Bravo series depending on the configuration. These CPUs are expected to bring massive efficiency gains and a performance level between that of an Intel 9th gen Core i7-9750H and Core i9-9880H. In fact, MSI is claiming double the power efficiency over the Alpha 15. Display options will be fixed at 1080p with both 120 Hz refresh rate and FreeSync as standard while the Radeon RX 5500M GPU will remain the same. We expect games to perform slightly below the GTX 1660 Ti as a result.
Visually, the Bravo systems will be updated with a new look and a slimmer design than the Alpha 15. The Bravo 15, for example, will be over 5 mm thinner and several hundred grams lighter than last year’s model. Keep in mind that ports and storage options have changed gen-to-gen as shown by the table below.
The Ryzen 5 Bravo 15, Ryzen 7 Bravo 15, and Ryzen 7 Bravo 17 are now available for pre-order on Newegg for $929, $999, and $1099, respectively. We suspect that the 2021 refresh will be the Charlie 15 and Charlie 17 should MSI continue this naming convention.
| MSI Alpha 15 | MSI Bravo 15 | MSI Bravo 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 12 nm Ryzen 7 3750H | 7 nm Ryzen 5 4600H or 7 nm Ryzen 7 4800H |
7 nm Ryzen 7 4800H |
| GPU | Radeon RX5500M w/ 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM | Radeon RX5500M w/ 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM | Radeon RX5500M w/ 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM |
| Display | 15.6-inch 1080, IPS, 120 Hz | 15.6-inch 1080p, IPS, 120 Hz, FreeSync | 17.3-inch 1080p, IPS, 120 Hz, FreeSync |
| RAM | 2x SODIMM, DDR4-2400 | 8 GB to 64 GB (2x SODIMM), DDR4-3200 | 8 GB to 64 GB (2x SODIMM), DDR4-3200 |
| I/O Ports | 3x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen. 1 USB Type-C Gen. 1 HDMI Mini-DisplayPort RJ-45 SD card reader 3.5 mm headphones 3.5 mm microphone Kensington Lock |
2x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen. 1 2x USB Type-C Gen. 1 HDMI RJ-45 3.5 mm combo audio Kensington Lock |
3x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen. 1 1x USB Type-C Gen. 1 HDMI RJ-45 3.5 mm headphones 3.5 mm microphone Kensington Lock |
| Storage | 256 GB NVMe SSD + 2.5-inch SATA III | 512 GB NVMe SSD | 512 GB NVMe SSD + 2.5-inch SATA III |
| Battery | 51 Wh | 51 Wh | 51 Wh |
| Dimensions | 357.7 x 248 x 27.5 mm | 358.9 x 253.8 x 21.6 mm | 397 x 260.1 x 23.1 mm |
| Weight | 2.3 kg | 1.86 kg | 2.3 kg |
Source: Notebookcheck
