MSI is such a mainstay name among laptops (as well as GPUs, accessories, and other serious gaming hardware), that it can feel like the company's been around since the stone age (which in PC terms is around 1999). As a PC enthusiast, it's hard to imagine a world in which an MSI-branded piece of tech isn't an option. But all great things must have a beginning, and MSI is about to commemorate one of its most important beginnings: the release of its very first laptop 20 years ago, and the start of its journey in the portable PC space.

To celebrate, MSI is inviting tech enthusiasts and historians to an event in London that will explore the journey of MSI laptops, from their tentative beginnings in 2004, to their place at the top of the pack today.

Here's what you need to know about the event:

The Venue: Outernet, Pop One, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 8LH (In front of Tottenham Court Road Station)

The Date: 17-18 August, 2024

The Price: FREE—come along, and bring your techy friends. Not only is the event free, but you'll be in with a chance of winning a small gift by playing on a claw machine! 

One venue, five areas

The event will take place across five different areas in the building, focusing on different aspects of MSI laptop history. Check out the History Wall to chart MSI's journey, where you will also get to see some of MSI's earliest laptops face-to-screen, including the world's first overclockable gaming laptop: the MSI GX600 (2007).

Once you've left MSI memory lane, reintegrate yourself with the modern age by putting MSI's latest laptops—such as the Cyborg and Katana series—through their paces with the latest major releases. You can even have a go on the limited edition Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport—an 18″ magnesium-aluminium beast of a laptop powered by a GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. You'll even get to play the Mercedes-AMG racing sim designed exclusively for this rig.

Then, once you're burned out from all that gaming firepower, kick back with MSI's new handheld offering, the MSI Claw. Going head to head with heavy hitters like the Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally, the Claw had some teething issues when it first launched, but MSI are out for redemption, having released multiple BIOS and driver updates that they claim have improved performance immeasurably. So why not put those claims to the test yourself?

The event will be a great way to kill a couple of hours in London, so whether you're sightseeing in Central or living in the Big Smoke, pop your head in August 17-18, and embark on a journey into MSI's past, present and a little bit of future. Staff will be on hand to chat to you about everything from MSI's laptop range, to reminiscing about nostalgic tech like the MSI X340, the thinnest laptop in the world when it first came out in 2009 (you might even find some Windows Vista defenders among the staff, but no promises).

So celebrate the 20th anniversary of MSI laptops in style. If you can't get down there in person, then catch up on the event (and everything else happening at MSI labs) on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It's been an epic journey, and if MSI showcases the same kind of progress over the next 20 years as they have these past 20 years, then it's going to be a trailblazing ride.