MSI PS63 Modern 8RC review

Competition

The MSI PS63 Modern 8RC retails for $1399 at Newegg, with a $100 rebate card. Note that while our review sample came with Windows 10 Home, the one sold by Newegg comes with Windows 10 Pro which makes it an even better deal. But how about the competition? Note that all prices are at the time of writing (not publishing).

HP has the Spectre X360 15t touch, a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with an exquisite design and a bundled stylus. At $1520, it is more expensive than the MS63 but there’s a number of things that make it a better laptop - other than its versatility. It features an Intel Core i7-8750H, which is a six-core processor which is faster than the CPU in MSI’s workstation. It also has a 4K display which might be overkilled though.

Some may - with reason - challenge the fact that the MS63 is more of a gaming laptop than a true workstation, more of a fashion statement than a productivity workhorse. If you want to see what such a behemoth looks like, check out the MSI WP95. It is not thin and light like the PS63 but at only $1399 with a numeric keypad, a faster Intel i9-9750H CPU and a Quadro P620 GPU, you will be hard pressed to fault it.

The new XPS 15 is Dell’s formidable competitor to the PS63. It is slightly more expensive than the latter at $1460 but the price premium is justified thanks to an upgrade on the CPU (Core i7-8750H) and the GPU (GTX 1050Ti). It also features a 97Whr, the biggest battery of the rivals listed here, with additional goodies like Thunderbolt 3 and an SD card slot more than welcomed.

The dark horse of the competition has to be the Asus ZenBook 15 which has exactly the same configuration as the PS63 except that it has a numeric keypad and is also MIL-STD 810G certified. Sadly, there’s no Thunderbolt 3 connector and while we applaud the fact that there’s an SD card bundled, we cringe at the smaller-than-expected 73Whr battery. At $1399, it is a good substitute to the PS63.

Final verdict

Ironically, it is the after sales services and support that perhaps counts the most when it comes to workstation. While you can live with a couple of days’ downtime should your gaming PC breaks down, the same can’t be said for a workstation which is often an important asset in an existing workflow. If it breaks down, the losses can be real.

The PS63 comes with two years limited warranty that includes a free pick-up and return service. Unlike some of its bigger competitors, there’s no obvious way you can upgrade it to something superior, like say guaranteed next day collection. Just bear that in mind in your buying decision process.

The lack of a Thunderbolt 3 port is a deal breaker as a lot of creatives rely on Thunderbolt 3 storage devices and docking stations as part of their day to day workflow. MSI does offer one TB3 port on its “true” workstations as part of the WS series. These are far more expensive and do come with Quadro GPU as well. So consider the PS63 as a compromise between normal laptops and proper workstations.

• We've also highlighted the best mobile workstations