– MSI Center manages power profiles, including traditional Windows modes plus unique modes like Eco Silent and Extreme Performance.
– A new “Apex” mode raises GPU TGP from 147W to 169W, offering ~7% graphics performance boost.
– Apex mode is poorly communicated and easily overlooked in settings, making it hard for average users to discover.
– Enable Apex mode for better gaming performance, but expect louder fan noise compared to Extreme Performance.
Why MSI Center Software Matters for Your Laptop
MSI laptops come pre-installed with the MSI Center software which is a centralized UI for monitoring system vitals, changeing between discrete and integrated graphics modes, updating drivers, finding system support, and changeing between different power profiles. The latter in particular is especially important as MSI integrates unique power profiles on top of the traditional Power Saver, Balanced, and Performance modes on Windows. This year, however, MSI has introduced yet another power profile mode on top of their existing ones for even more confusion.
The Arrival of Apex Mode Amongst Older Options
Previously, MSI Center would traditionally offer Eco Silent, Balanced, Extreme Performance, and Cooler Boost power profile modes. Now, a new one has joined the list called Apex. When compared to Extreme Performance mode, Apex mode raises the GPU TGP ceiling from 147 W to 169 W for an approximate 7 percent boost in graphics performance as shown by our Time Spy table and screenshots below. The problem, however, is that both the new mode and its effects are easy to miss and poorly comunicated to the user.
Why This New Mode is Easy to Overlook
Its not obvious that Apex mode is a step up from Extreme Performance mode while the small button to toggle it is so easily overlooked in the settings menu. The layperson or average gamer who may not be familiar with the MSI ecosystem would arguably have almost no way of knowing about the performance implications of “Apex” mode. This could lead to many users leaving performance on the table without ever realising that a simple click can unlock extra power.
Our Recommendation for Gamers
We recomend enabling Apex mode when gaming to get more out of your system and if you don’t mind the louder fan noise when compared to Extreme Performance mode. More performance comparisons and measurements can be found on our review of the Raider 16 Max HX.