MSI laptop - bad luck or bad brand?

RecoveringAnalyst · November 27, 2019

I bought an MSI WS017 workstation laptop about 15 months ago. It had the hardware I wanted (and some to spare) and it was being written off as a business expense so I didn't mind the $2,600 USD price tag that much. The story mostly goes downhill from there though. I'm just curious if this is just a lemon machine or if others have had issues with MSI laptops and I paid a nice premium to learn that it just isn't a brand worth buying.

The initially performed well, although the battery life has always struggled to live up to anything remotely near the advertised hours (like every laptop, so I wasn't going to lose my mind there). By about the 6 month mark though, I started to notice a lot of performance issues that have plagued the system ever since. Even while plugged in, the machine just doesn't operate as well as I expect at its price point. There's plenty of reasons this might be the case, my daily driver is a powerful desktop so maybe I'm just spoiled.

It got really bad when build quality issues raised their ugly head. My left hinge is cracked because it is inexplicably cheap plastic despite a mostly metal body. It is at the point that I can no longer close the laptop for fear that the hinge will tear off when opened next. This is especially problematic since my primary use case for this laptop involves web-based software deployments for my job at a small software company, so any disruption will be a significant inconvenience for myself and the coworkers that will have to cover this functionality while the machine is down. This also makes any repair options difficult at best, I'm more likely to buy a replacement to move the critical work functions to and just sell this as is.

There are a handful of other less severe build quality issues, but that is the biggest one. And I know someone else that has had similar issues with MSI laptop hinges (didn't know that before I bought it).

Just curious if anyone has had similar issues and if so, how they were resolved? I've tried to submit warranty claim to MSI, but their website is awful and I've been unable to successfully do so. And even if I am - RMA is not a very good option and I live 100 miles from the MicroCenter where I bought it. Sorry for ranting/venting a little more than intended there, any advice / commiseration / condemnation welcome!

Founders · November 27, 2019

I have no first hand experience with there laptops other than checking them out in stores and they at least appear to be pretty solid in regards to their build quality. I have one of their monitors that I've been happy with so far. I don't know how hard you are on your laptops during daily use but if it was in fact a design defect they may assist you with an RMA if you call them. They'll have your previous tickets on file, it's not like it's a new issue. I know they cover damage during the regular warranty period, they're one of the few that do. In regards to your performance issues, the computer is probably thermal throttling under load, a common problem with laptops. You may be able to address that on your own with a few hours of down time if you can spare it. You could under-volt both your CPU/GPU assuming your BIOS allows for custom voltage selection. You could also apply a better quality thermal paste if you have the time to take it apart, thermal grisly is a good option. Or, just punt it off and get a replacement if you're ready to wash your hands on this one. Hope this helps.

RockTheHouse · November 27, 2019

My experiences with MSI are very poor, I suggest buying another system if it's just necessary. You could try to crack it open and reapply thermal paste as the above said, or clean things out if you're experienced enough.
Personally I'd move on and buy a Dell or HP workstation laptop if you can.

RecoveringAnalyst · November 27, 2019

Thanks for the replies. I can definitely improve the performance issues if I decide it’s worth sticking with the chassis. I’m losing confidence in the build quality though so I’ll probably buy a replacement, move the essential functionality for work, and just sell/donate this one.

Appreciate the replies though and if anyone else wants to chime in, especially with a reason to stick with the MSI laptop, I’d be interested to hear it.