CES 2024: This 14-inch gaming laptop is so light, I thought it was a toy

Gaming laptops are typically heavy, chunky and unwieldy. So imagine my surprise when MSI unveiled the ultra-light Cyborg 14 ahead of CES 2024.

When I picked it up, I was so taken aback by its lack of heft, I yelped in surprise. How is a gaming laptop such a featherweight?

MSI Cyborg 14 may be too light for its own good

Gaming laptops are usually bulky and unpleasant to carry around, but that's because they're equipped with more powerful components that deliver zippier, dedicated graphics. They also feature cooling systems that ensure moderate temperatures. After all, more power means more heat.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

However, MSI Cyborg 14 defies the stereotype of gaming laptops — this 14-inch gaming rig weighs just 3.5 pounds. To put this into perspective, it weighs exactly the same as my 14-inch M2 Pro MacBook Pro.

MSI admits that the Cyborg 14 isn't designed to be some sort of beastly gaming laptop smushed into a small package. You should expect some trade-offs with performance; portability and compactness is the priority here. I could see this being a travel companion for users who need a system that can game and handle their demanding workflow on-the-go.

Battery life concerns

I worry that the Cyborg 14 may have disappointing battery life — even more so than the poor power efficiency expected from larger gaming rigs. This will hinder the Cyborg 14 from being a true portable dream. I mean, is a laptop really portable if you need to be shackled to an outlet all day?

Once we get the Cyborg 14 in Mashable's lab, we'll test its runtime. It'll be a miracle if it lasts at least two hours on a charge. I hope it defies that expectation too.

A quick look at specs

The 14-inch display on the MSI Cyborg 14 features an FHD+ display with a 144Hz refresh rate. The entry-level configuration comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 GPU, but the highest-end model comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

You can get up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage.

Despite its thin-ish chassis, the Cyborg 14 has a decent variety of ports, including one USB Type-C port, a USB Type-A port, an Ethernet port, an HDMI 2.1 port, an audio jack, and DisplayPort connectivity.

The Cyborg 14 has interesting design elements, too, like a see-through underside and transparent W, A, S, and D keys.

This lean machine has a starting price of $1,099, and it's set to ship in February.