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Our best laptop for No Man’s Sky

If you're after a portable NMS option, here is our top selection and alternatives
Last Updated on July 19, 2024
Our best laptop for No Man's Sky
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The game that keeps on improving and releasing more content is powered through more and more years, after a rocky start it has definitely turned things around. So now if you’re looking for a top laptop pick for No Man’s Sky then we have a device for you to look at with a selection of alternatives further below. As gaming laptops have been improving their hardware and cooling solutions and so they make for a potential good desktop replacement option at times.

As No Man’s Sky still doesn’t have recommended settings it might be a bit harder to find the right hardware if you’re looking to get gaming. But with the best GPU for NMS or the right laptop that meets the minimum, you will have no problems running the now vast worlds and space. Now here’s the laptop choice we recommend for playing the game wherever you want.


AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D launches today!

AMD has finally launched the highly anticipated 9800X3D, vowing for gaming CPU supremacy for another year. Below are the latest listings we can find

Prices correct as of November 7th, 2024.


The MSI Raider GE78 HX

  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG front closed, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG front on, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG front RGB bar, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG gaming CS2, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG Intel Nvidia, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG keyboard, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG laptop infront of box, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG left side, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG numpad and power, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG rear, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG right side, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG spec sticker, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG standing laptop, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG top, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG underside, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG WASD, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG touchpad, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG display logo, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG arrow keys, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG back lid, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG box contents, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG box, Image by PC Guide
  • MSI Raider GE78 HX 14VHG display, Image by PC Guide
Highly Recommended
Specifications
  • CPU: Intel Core i9-14900HX
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Laptop
  • RAM: 32GB (2*16) DDR5
  • Storage: 4TB NVMe
  • Max Refresh Rate: 240Hz
  • Resolution: 2560 x 1600
  • Screen Size: 17″
  • Panel Type: QHD+

In our quick look review of the MSI Raider GE78 HX, we found it to be quite the quintessential gaming laptop. It features its RGB colors and a more edgy design that makes it a bit harder to fit in around compared to some Stealth options. But there is at least some light control in case you want to turn it down a bit. But for the components baked inside, you get to play around with an Intel Core i9-14900HX and an RTX 4080 laptop GPU. Although they might not match up to the desktop versions, its some of the best to find on a mobile platform.

It is definitely a bit thicker of a laptop as it maxes out the cooling potential inside of it, and exhausting towards the back of the system. But that also enables it to feature a plentiful array of I/O and allows you to pretty much utilize peripherals, that something like a netbook might limit you from doing. There is also fairly easy access to the underside and taking off the plate for upgrades, after many screws this does allow for some upgradeability and cleaning if needed.

But the rest of the specs do make it a longer-lasting option depending on the variant you choose from. As the memory on board is DDR5 and a huge NVMe SSD, they combine to provide a compelling performance across the board and certainly hold up in the long term. Along with a 99Whr battery, WiFi 7, and a powerful 330W charger, it is a long-term and strong option to go for.

As for the display, that is also rather big and impressive, although it’s not a MiniLED monitor, it has a 17-inch screen that is a QHD+ resolution. That equates to a 2560×1600 and 240Hz refresh rate that gives it a better experience in smooth gameplay if they framerate can match up. NMS does allow that, with V-Sync off and frame rate limited up to 240Hz, if the performance is up there you can enjoy it.

No Man’s Sky requirements

If you’re wondering what it takes to run the game, we look at the game requirements and the hardware on there. Although the game provides a minimum option, there is no recommended option so it’s a bit generous out of what is needed. Considering it has been eight years since its release, it still just needs hardware from that time, but you can certainly enjoy it better with something better considering the graphics settings you can change.

Minimum requirements:

  • CPU: Intel Core i3/Ryzen 5
  • GPU: GTX 1060 3GB/ RX 470 4GB/ Intel UHD 630
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Storage: 15GB

For modern-day standards, NMS does not need anything too powerful but these are likely for lower-end settings, so it might not be the best experience but it does open it up to a load of PCs. But it does have a range of upscaling options to pick from, the likes of FSR 2, and even DLSS 3 in more recent updates, which does let you boost what you get out of it. So most recent releases are quite likely going to be able to run it but the experience will vary between them all.

No Mans Sky Binary star in space, Image by PC Guide
No Mans Sky Binary star in space, Image by PC Guide

Alternatives

With such a wide range of options out there, the MSI laptop might not be the one you’re after, if its size, budget, or specs, there are plenty of other options out there, such as the MSI Titan 18 which brings all the performance to it with high-quality displays and top specs. Or the likes of Razer Blade 16 or Acer Nitro 17 offer a lower spec option as well if you find those better suited. But most options are going to be a good solution for No Man’s Sky

Final word

There we have the top selection for No Man’s Sky with the MSI Raider GE78. This offers a great performance and build quality for longevity and gaming wherever you need. So if you’ve been looking for that hot new option, this could be the way featuring a 4080 and i9. Along with some alternatives, but with the low requirements of the game you’re very much going to find success in most options with dedicated graphics and enough hardware to meet the requirements.

With a fascination for technology and games, Seb is a tech writer with a focus on hardware and deals. He is also the primary tester and reviewer at BGFG and PCGuide.