How MSI Became One Of The World’s Top Laptop Brands

MSI held a pop-up event at Sydney’s Macquarie Centre to show-off the company’s latest laptop technology (and The Claw!) and to celebrate 20 years of being in the laptop business. The event featured interactive stands and giveaways for visitors at the crowded shopping centre. While there, High Performance Laptops interviewed MSI Notebook Regional Sales Manager, Steven Yang to learn about the company’s journey.

But first… MSI’s 20th Anniversary Promotions

To celebrate 20 years in the laptop business, MSI is running this promotion.

MSI’s Journey in Gaming Laptops: From Challenging Start to Market Leader

In 2009, MSI launched the lightweight X340 laptop, which was not well received in the market. However, the company later found success in the gaming market. Initially, the challenge was that no one had ever made gaming laptops, and there was no market for them. MSI believed that understanding gamers’ needs was essential to designing good products. They involved many gamers in product design and marketing, including professional players, streamers, and reviewers. MSI also integrated feedback from professional gamers into the laptops.

Product Pillars

MSI’s three product pillars are Luxurious Aesthetics, Extreme Performance and Innovative Technology. Each series has its unique style, giving users a sense of luxury and distinction. MSI leverages its technical capabilities and the latest technology to maximise hardware performance, making laptops powerful and stable. The company prioritises user experience, from Ai-based optimisation to intuitive software and hardware settings, continuously listening to consumer feedback and incorporating it into product design and service improvements.

“Aesthetics also cover user experience. For example, our handheld gaming device, The Claw, went through tens of thousands of simulations and trials to create the most comfortable ergonomic grip. We also use top-quality joysticks to ensure players feel comfortable and enjoy using the device for extended periods,” said Steven Yang, MSI Notebook Regional Sales Manager.

Determining Price

Gaming laptops can be very expensive. MSI’s value-over-price standard has been built up through the development of its high-end laptops. In the first five to six years of MSI’s laptop business, it focused on the mass market. However, without unique selling points, the products easily fell into price wars. In 2010, MSI fully shifted to high-end laptops, moving away from price competition and focusing on value.

Elements of a High-End Gaming Laptop

The overarching experience of gaming laptops requires more than just high performance. MSI noticed that gamers often carried a lot of gear to meetups and competitions. Consequently, besides performance, MSI focused on sound, visuals, controls, and network capabilities to enhance gaming.

“MSI also introduced Steelseries keyboards and was the first brand to introduce mechanical keyboards in laptops, to meet gamers’ demands for tactile feedback. We initially used full-sized mechanical switches from Cherry, which are recognised as the best by professional gamers,” Yang explained.

Sound is also important. Whether through built-in speakers or headphones, MSI’s laptops are designed to deliver excellent sound quality. This was achieved by collaborating with Denmark’s high-end audio brand, Dynaudio, to ensure small laptops could produce big sound. Factors like speaker placement and resonance became prioritised during design. MSI also introduced technologies like ‘Giant Speaker’ and ‘Duo Wave Speaker’ to enhance audio quality in slim laptops. For headphones, Hi-Res Audio and built-in sound decoders provided high-quality audio.

Customer Feedback Adjustments

Many product series and features have been adjusted because of feedback from different user groups. For instance, the Stealth series focuses on portability and aesthetics, while the Katana and Cyborg series cater to users who don’t need top performance but still value quality. The Creator laptops are designed for complex tasks without performance drops over long periods, with excellent graphics and audio for professional needs.

Choosing the Gaming Field

Initially, MSI wanted to escape the cutthroat price wars and focus on providing value. Gaming was a completely new and uncharted territory, full of challenges. At that time, gaming PCs only referred to desktops, and there was no concept or market for gaming laptops. Nobody believed laptops could meet the performance demands of gaming. Even many MSI employees and long-term sales partners had their doubts, and everything required finding a new approach.

“Starting out was incredibly tough because nobody had ever made gaming laptops before, and there was no roadmap. MSI believed that understanding gamers’ needs was crucial to designing great products. From product design to marketing, MSI involved many gamers, including pro players, streamers, commentators, and editors, in the development team. We also gathered extensive feedback from professional gamers to integrate new applications into our laptops,” Yang said.

One key aspect is that gaming laptops need not only powerful performance but also a well-rounded experience. MSI enriched each gaming laptop with features in sound, visuals, controls, and networking. This was all to ensure that gamers could fully enjoy the gaming world and have a luxurious experience. Even with the same GPUs, MSI’s cooling technology allows graphics cards to perform at their best without throttling, ensuring that the specs translate into real performance.

Standing Out from Other Laptop Brands

For four consecutive years, MSI has been rated the best laptop brand by users on PC Mag. New product launches consistently receive praise from the media. MSI also believes in the importance of quality that’s backed by solid R&D and manufacturing expertise. Since 1986, MSI has handled its own R&D and production, building a strong foundation of skills and experience. This allows better control over product quality, like extended durability testing, and the ability to quickly respond to consumer needs and issues, turning new ideas into actual product features.

“MSI also focuses on delivering complete performance. While many other laptops throttle performance to manage heat, MSI ensures sustained, stable output even during prolonged use. This means you get the full potential of components like the RTX 4060 GPU without performance drops. MSI uses the best materials, flexible expansion options, and the latest features (e.g., WIFI 7) to provide the best experience,” Yang noted.

MSI likes to offer exclusive and first-of-its-kind features and often achieves this with close cooperation with upstream manufacturers and by providing priority support. MSI is also quick to bring the latest technology to market.

Core Brand Values and Mission Statement

Since 2004, MSI has focused on innovation, using the latest technology, and providing an exceptional user experience for a wide range of laptop users. It’s built on a foundation of passion and innovation with MSI’s business philosophy emphasising integrity and steady growth. The company prioritises customer needs and building trustworthy, lasting relationships.

Employee welfare is another core value. In 2023, MSI was named one of the “World’s Best Employers” by Forbes, highlighting its commitment to creating a healthy and growth-oriented work environment for employees. MSI employs automated and unmanned production equipment to boost efficiency and quality that’s focused on consumer needs and backed by extensive R&D and advanced technology.

MSI’s social responsibility is focused on environmental protection, energy conservation, and active participation in public welfare. In 2022, MSI received the Corporate Environmental Award, recognising its contributions to energy saving, waste reduction, and green manufacturing.

Challenges Over the Past 20 Years

MSI was founded in 1986, initially focusing on graphics cards and motherboards. In 2014, MSI started producing laptops, by which time it had already accumulated 18 years of design and manufacturing experience. Even before entering the gaming market, MSI had already launched several “world’s first” laptops.

“In 2007, MSI launched the world’s first overclockable laptop, the GX600. In 2008, MSI released the Wind U100, the world’s first 10-inch netbook, which had a screen 40 per cent larger than similarly sized 7-inch netbooks. In 2009, MSI introduced the X340, the lightest and thinnest laptop on the market,” Yang recalled.

However, 2009 was also the most challenging year for MSI laptops. The rapid rise of tablets and touchscreen phones changed people’s usage habits, and the financial crisis led to severe price competition in the market, putting MSI in a tough spot. MSI decided to pivot and invest in gaming laptops.

In 2023, after the COVID-19 boom ended, laptop sales plummeted. While the year-over-year growth rate for competitors was negative, MSI overcame many challenges and achieved growth against the trend. This success is attributed to keen market insights, timely adjustments in production and inventory management, and flexible sales strategies. The team’s excellent execution, comprehensive marketing campaigns, and strong partnerships with suppliers and sales channels allowed MSI to quickly bring outstanding products to consumers.

Societal Changes and Market Trends

Throughout these years, societal changes required significant adjustments in marketing and business operations. For instance, the rise of social media has changed how people find information, and the popularity of short videos has shortened attention spans, necessitating the delivery of key messages in shorter time frames.

While listening to users has been crucial, so was understanding market trends. In 2011, MSI prepared the Killer Network gaming network card for players, anticipating the market’s huge potential. Back then, the prize pool for Dota 2’s 2011 International tournament was $1.6 million. By 2013, it had reached $2.9 million, and in 2021, it soared to $40 million. The Killer Network card minimized latency during games, ensuring that network signals reached the game server faster, giving players an edge in split-second online battles.

Marketing and Sales Strategies

For marketing, MSI had to engage a new target audience in different ways and make them understand the product’s value. Since the product prices and customer base differed significantly, MSI had to find new sales channels when first venturing into gaming. The marketing and sales teams spent a lot of time sharing expertise with partners, helping them understand esports, grasp players’ needs, and stay updated on the latest products. MSI assisted in inventory management, organised various marketing activities, and provided hot-selling products, fostering mutual growth with partners.

“We often heard sales partners express their surprise at how enjoyable it was to collaborate with MSI, despite initially thinking esports would be a hard sell,” Yang mentioned.

In 2015, MSI became the global leader in gaming laptop sales. This was just the beginning of the journey in high-end laptops. MSI noticed that many users bought high-end gaming laptops not just for gaming but for creative and professional work. They needed a laptop capable of handling complex tasks without performance drops over long periods, with excellent graphics and audio to meet professional needs.

“Performance is one of MSI’s core pillars of laptop design. Many young users of MSI gaming laptops transitioned from school to work and sought laptops suitable for both work and daily use. We wondered if we could create a series of high-end laptops tailored for creators and professionals. Thus, after 2018, we launched the Creator series and the Business and Productivity series laptops, serving a broader range of users,” Yang explained.

Success Despite Market Decline

Despite the global laptop market experiencing a 10.8% decline in 2023, MSI managed to grow against the trend. This success can be attributed to keen market insights, timely production adjustments, effective inventory management, and flexible sales strategies. The team’s excellent execution, comprehensive marketing campaigns, and strong collaborations with suppliers and sales channels ensured that MSI could swiftly deliver outstanding products to consumers.

“We not only managed to get the latest generation of laptops into stores quickly, making them readily available to consumers, but also expanded our reach by partnering with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, introducing MSI to a new audience,” Yang noted.

Responding to the Future Wave of Ai

According to reports, analysts believe that the first generation of Ai PCs will primarily target high-end business needs and content creators, which aligns with MSI’s strengths. It’s not just about having cutting-edge hardware; it’s also about making Ai easily and fully accessible to users through a combination of hardware and software. Different manufacturers have their definitions of “Ai PC.” MSI believes that regardless of the definition, the goal should be to make Ai’s convenience easily accessible to users, essentially “Ai + PC.”

“We’ve developed smart applications like MSI Ai ARTIST and MSI Ai ENGINE to seamlessly integrate Ai into daily life. For advanced users, cloud-based Ai applications might not always be optimal. Local edge Ai applications can ensure better security and speed,” Yang said.

Laptop R&D Strategy

Anticipating market trends at least three to five years in advance is crucial. People use their computers for several years, so we can’t just focus on current technology; we need to foresee future trends. For example, while WiFi 6 was mainstream last year, MSI had already incorporated WiFi 6E and WiFi 7 into products to ensure users have access to the latest technology.

Design is also significant. The design team studies global events from recent years to identify colour trends. They then work with manufacturers to create the desired colors and surface textures for products, which takes a considerable amount of time. Whenever major components like CPUs and GPUs are released, MSI ensures that consumers can purchase these products immediately. This requires high-level skills in R&D, precise production scheduling, and effective inventory management.

Innovation in MSI’s Operations

“Innovation is almost everything. Especially when running a brand, you can’t succeed without it. Having a strong technical background is essential. MSI firmly believes in the importance of quality. From product conception and development to software and hardware design and even production, we handle everything in-house. This approach allows us to better control product quality, including longer durability testing periods. More importantly, we can quickly respond to consumer needs and issues, turning new ideas into practical product features, which is crucial for future success,” Yang emphasised.

Memorable Laptops

There have been many impressive products. Recently, the collaboration with Mercedes-AMG has been particularly notable. Discussions for this collaboration spanned several years due to COVID. This long-term partnership includes more than just co-branded laptops; it also involves various aspects. For example, the Mercedes-AMG esports team benefits from the stable, high-performance MSI products, enhancing their sim racing experience. The manager of the AMG esports team mentioned that many professional racers are also involved in sim racing, drawing more attention to these competitions. MSI is a key partner, providing excellent hardware. The laptops not only look elegant but also offer stable, high-performance practice sessions during travel.

“The latest Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport features a stunning display — it’s the world’s first 18″ 4K Mini-LED 120Hz laptop. It also comes with a 1:18 scale AMG model car and a luxurious range of accessories,” Yang highlighted.

High Performance Laptops’ favourite MSI laptop was the Dragon Tiamat Raider special edition.

Future Outlook

Ai is a core theme. It’s not just about having cutting-edge hardware; it’s also about making Ai easily accessible and fully integrated into users’ lives through a combination of hardware and software. Different manufacturers have their own definitions of “Ai PC.” At MSI, the belief is that regardless of how Ai PC is defined, it should provide users with the convenience of Ai, which we call “Ai+PC.”

“We’ve developed intelligent applications like MSI Ai ARTIST and MSI Ai ENGINE to seamlessly integrate Ai into everyday life. For advanced users, cloud-based Ai might not be ideal, instead, Edge Ai, which runs locally, can ensure better security and speed,” Yang explained.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of MSI laptops, a significant milestone. The company has always focused on innovation, applying the latest technology, and providing the ultimate user experience for laptop users. In 2024, for the fourth consecutive year, MSI has been voted the best laptop brand by readers of PC Mag.

Starting in June, various countries will celebrate MSI’s 20th laptop anniversary with a series of promotional activities and special 20th-anniversary merchandise. Many countries will also host special exhibitions showcasing the major milestones of MSI laptops over the past 20 years.

Moving forward, MSI will continue to focus on three core principles to launch even better products: luxury aesthetics, ultimate performance, and innovative technology. The aim is to serve a broader consumer base, including the business market, by establishing a dedicated business team.

“This is the first 20 years of MSI laptops, and we are especially grateful to our many partners, customers, and users. We hope to move forward together into many more decades. MSI will continue to be driven by innovation and leading technology, bringing users more prestige, surprises, and satisfaction,” Yang concluded.

Be sure to follow MSI’s social channels…

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustraliaMSI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MSIGamingANZ  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msigaming_anz/
Linked IN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/msi-computer-australia-pty-ltd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MSIANZOfficial 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msi_anz/
Youtube/TikTok hashtags: #AustralianNewZealandMSI

Last Updated on 19 August 2024 by Nick Ross