MSI Cyborg 15 Review: A Bit of Both

So, you want to buy a gaming laptop? Well, right now is not a great time to be delving into what can already be a very expensive hobby, namely as RAMaggedon has seen pricing for consumer electronics rise sharply in 2026.

This notable increase in pricing means that many consumers are looking at value for money, which is kind of where the MSI Cyborg 15 is positioned. Billed as a sort of entry-level gaming laptop, it features a price tag that does not break the bank, and is comparable to what you might pay for a higher-end work laptop.

We spent the past couple of weeks with the MSI Cyborg 15, and in particular, the model kitted out with an Intel Core 7 240H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU.

This is what we learned about MSI’s gaming laptop for first timers and newcomers.

Outside and inside

We start with design, and here, the Cyborg 15 is one of the more interesting gaming laptops we have reviewed in recent years. There are not any unusual components per se, but the design choices do have a marmite-esque quality to them.

For example, the exterior of the device is fairly straightforward, with the 15.6″ laptop looking like most of the other options you’ll encounter on the market these days. The closer you get, however, and see flourishes become more evident.

More specifically, the use of a Light Grey transparent finish to portions of this laptop. The top of the lid features this design detail, which is used to open up the laptop, as well as house the webcam. The sides of the laptop get a similar treatment, so users can see what is used in and around all the ports of this device.

This aesthetic then takes over things when you open up the gaming laptop, as it features above the keyboard, as well as where the WASD keys are laid out. There is the usual RGB treatment too, just in case you were unaware that this is a gaming laptop.

The rest of the inside of the laptop has the same Black with Grey accents finish, which we would liken to a large bubble like graphic, similar to when two liquids that cannot mix are put together.

Like we said, the aesthetic is something you’ll simply like or won’t. Either way, it is certainly different to anything we have reviewed of late, and for those wanting a gaming laptop with lots of character, the Cyborg 15 has it in spades, particularly when you open up and power on this device.

Looking beyond the graphics, the layout and orientation of the laptop is solid. We commented while reviewing a flagship MSI gaming laptop recently that the keyboard felt placed a little too high up the body of the device, but that is not the case here. As such, for those planning on using this gaming laptop to work, and type in particular as we need to, the layout is very solid indeed.

We will delve into the trackpad experience a little later, but the rest of the Cyborg 15 is setup in such a way that it is suitable for doing more than just gaming. It also weights roughly 2.1kg, so it is certainly the type of device that does not feel like a chore to lug around. It also charges via USB Type-C, outside of the power brick supplied by MSI, so if you want to create a more lightweight power situation for portability, that is an option too.

The full specifications of the MSI Cyborg 15 (this review unit) are as follows:

MSI Cyborg 15 (B13WCKG)

Display

15.6″ QHD (2560×1440)

Dimensions

2.1kg

Weight

35.9cm x 24.5cm x 2.21cm to 2.31cm

CPU

Intel Core 7 240H

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Laptop GPU (8GB GDDR7)

RAM

16GB (DDR5-6500)

Storage

512GB M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Audio

2x 2W Speaker, 1x Mic-in/Headphone-out Combo Jack, 1x 3.5mm Combination Audio Jack

Connectivity

WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 LAN

Battery

55.2Whr

Ports

1x 1x USB Type-C Port with DisplayPort, 2x USB Type-A Port, 1x HDMI 2.1 Port

Colour

Black (Light Grey transparent accents and RGB lighhting for keyboard and strip on chassis)

RRP

R20 999 (depending on retailer)

Willing and able

Alright, let’s talk about performance. Here, the Cyborg 15 knows its limitations. As mentioned, MSI has positioned this device as a gaming laptop for newcomers, and in our benchmarking, it performs as such. Here, it recorded a score of 1 170 on 3DMark’s Steel Nomad test.

This is a respectable number, and one that shows that this gaming laptop can handle most AAA titles thrown at it. In our experience, games like Cyberpunk 2077 ran relatively smoothly, but when the graphics setting were put at their maximum or instances when a lot of on-screen action needed to be rendered, there was a considerable amount of lag.

For us, it means the Cyborg 15 can deliver an acceptable gaming experience, but users need to be careful about how they set up different titles, as this will ultimately have a considerable impact on how viable this is as a regular gaming laptop.

It’s not a strict apples to apples comparison, but if we compare scores from another MSI gaming laptop we reviewed recently, the Raider 18 HX, it recorded 4 800 on Steel Nomad. The near triple of the Cyborg 15’s score makes sense, given the Raider 18 HX commands three times the price tag.

We use it as an example here, to put the performance of the Cyborg 15 in perspective. As such, it is a capable enough gaming laptop, but don’t expect to push it too far without hampering the overall playing experience.

Where this laptop is perfectly setup, however, is work. The battery when not gaming really impressed us. Here, we were able to get through a full work day, which is something we normally only muster with our daily driver MacBook Air (M3). While nine-to-five is not what this gaming laptop is designed for, needing to be tethered to power constantly if you want to game for any time longer than two hours, the fact that it gets through a full work day is indeed a plus.

For users who want to do a little bit of both with their laptop, the Cyborg 15 is solidly appointed, which is not always something we can say about gaming laptops, especially ones you want to use on the go.

As for other elements we need to highlight, the laptop we reviewed had a decent enough display in terms of detail, but the colours did look a little muted on the default. Some tinkering around with the display settings got to the desired result, however.

We also have to mention the trackpad, which was slightly erratic in terms of its responsiveness. In particular, the performing non-clicking press on the pad, which did not function as consistently as we would have liked. The movement of the trackpad has fine, but sensitivity proved a problem at times, but this may also have to do with the fact that we’re not the first to use this review unit.

Final verdict

At R21k, depending on the retailer, the MSI Cyborg 15 does look well priced on paper. Ultimately, the value it offers depends heavily on what you actually want to use it for. If your next gaming laptop purchase is designed for heavy use and intensive titles, this may not be the option for you.

Instead, the performance on offer here is more akin to a causal gamer in our opinion. Someone who enjoys playing some of the latest AAA titles from time to time, and hopping into lobbies with friends every other weekend.

As such, it feels like a hobbyist type device, which is no slight against it, and to be fair, is precisely how MSI has positioned it.

Where we think it is worth considering, is as a laptop that does a bit of both – handling the causal gaming, as well as the normal nine-to-five stuff. It does a little bit of everything well, and has a battery system set up to offer a decent amount of playtime when not tethered to power.

If you are indeed wanting to keep it causal, while also working, this is certainly an option to consider.

Device

MSI Cyborg 15 (B13WCKG)

Display

7.5

Battery

8.0

Audiovisual

7.5

Keyboard/Trackpad

7.0

Performance

7.5

User Interface

7.5

Connectivity

8.0

Value

7.5

Overall Score

7.6 out of 10.

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