MSI Thin 15, Core i5-13420H, 32GB, 2TB SSD, RTX 4050, Cosmos Gray

The MSI Thin 15 is a budget gaming laptop with a standout 2TB SSD and 32GB of RAM, paired with a mid-range i5 and RTX 4050. It's heavy for its name and the screen is mediocre for creative work, but for 1080p gaming and storage-hungry users, it's a solid pick. Worth buying if the price stays in budget territory.

The i5-13420H handles everyday tasks and light gaming without breaking a sweat. The RTX 4050 with 6GB of VRAM is a solid mid-range GPU, sitting in the 79th percentile in our database, so you'll get playable frame rates in most games at 1080p. The 32GB of DDR4 is overkill for gaming but great for multitasking, and the 2TB NVMe SSD is a standout, landing in the 94th percentile. That's a lot of fast storage for the price. The 144Hz display is nice for smooth gameplay, but the 45% NTSC color coverage means colors look washed out if you're doing any serious photo or video work.

Stacked against the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 or the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, the MSI Thin 15 falls behind in raw power and portability. The Zephyrus G14 is lighter and has a better screen, while the Legion Pro 7i packs a much stronger CPU and GPU combo. The HP OMEN Transcend 14 also offers a more premium build. But none of those come with 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM at this price point. The MacBook Pro M4 Max is in a completely different league for performance and battery, but it's also in a completely different price bracket.

Without a listed price, it's hard to judge the exact value, but the spec sheet suggests this is aimed at budget-conscious buyers who want big storage and RAM without paying for a top-tier CPU. The 2TB SSD alone is a huge selling point, and the RTX 4050 is capable enough for most games at medium to high settings. If the price lands in the budget range, this is a strong deal. If it creeps toward premium territory, you'd be better off with a faster CPU.

The MSI Thin 15 is a weird mix. You get 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, which is way more than most laptops at this level, but it's paired with a mid-tier i5 and an RTX 4050. The name says "Thin" but at 3.63kg it's anything but. Still, for the specs you're getting, it's a solid budget gaming machine with some surprising storage chops.

If you need a portable laptop you can carry around all day, skip this. At 3.63kg, it's a chunky machine despite the "Thin" name. Creative professionals who need accurate colors should also look elsewhere because the 45% NTSC screen won't cut it for photo or video editing. And if you're after top-tier gaming performance, the i5 CPU will bottleneck you in CPU-heavy titles compared to laptops with i7 or Ryzen 7 chips.

This is a laptop for gamers and general users who want a ton of storage and RAM without paying a premium for a high-end CPU. It's not the thinnest or lightest option, and the screen won't impress creative professionals, but for 1080p gaming and everyday multitasking, it gets the job done. If you're a student or casual gamer who downloads a lot of games and files, the 2TB SSD alone makes this worth a look.