Alongside the Stealth 16 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport edition, one of notable displays for MSI was the Raider GE78 HX Smart Touchpad at COMPUTEX 2023.This new model of MSI’s premium gaming laptop offers a touchpad experience that surpasses the mediocrity commonly associated with gaming laptops.
Unlike typical touchpads, the Raider GE78 HX boasts a generously sized touchpad that forgoes physical buttons, presenting a sleek and seamless design. The standout feature of this touchpad is the “smart touchpad” button located on the right side. When activated, the touchpad shrinks to a more conventional size, making room for a range of shortcuts and features. Users gain access to a multitude of functions, such as opening the Windows emoji panel, muting the microphone, enabling crosshairs for gaming, and more. The touchpad also includes five macro buttons, allowing users to customize shortcuts for enhanced convenience and productivity. This intuitive layout eliminates the need to memorize keyboard shortcuts or navigate through Windows menus.
In addition to the touchpad’s innovative design, the Raider GE78 HX incorporates a slider and buttons on the far right, granting users instant control over system settings like display brightness, volume, and keyboard backlight brightness. These settings can be adjusted effortlessly, providing users with a seamless and efficient user experience. Although an indicator for the active slider would be a welcome addition, users can determine the effect by adjusting the slider and observing the on-screen changes.
The concept of a multifunctional number pad is not entirely new, with Asus featuring a similar feature on some of its laptops. However, MSI’s approach distinguishes itself by preserving the touchpad area while offering an expansive touchpad experience when quick shortcuts are not required. Notably, the touchpad seamlessly blends with the laptop’s design, lacking physical edges. The top light bar serves as a visual cue, adjusting based on whether the smart touchpad feature is enabled.
Beyond the remarkable touchpad, the Raider GE78 HX Smart Touchpad is a power laptop whether for gaming or multimeida. Rocking an Intel 13th-gen CPU with up to 24 cores and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, its intended for decent performance with modern games as well as content creation apps. Although there may be a slight trade-off in performance compared to the standard Raider GE78 HX, the RTX 4070 GPU ensures a high-quality gaming experience.
Enthusiasts can anticipate the launch of the MSI Raider GE78 HX Smart Touchpad in the second half of the year, with a targeted release in Q3. MSI’s commitment to innovation and user-centric design positions this laptop as a notable contender in the gaming laptop market, catering to the needs of discerning gamers seeking both functionality and power.