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MSI

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MSI
Basic information
Founded 4 Aug 1986
Legal Structure Public
Industry Computer hardware
Also known as Micro-Star International
Official website https://www.msi.com/

Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. or MSI is a Taiwanese technology company that designs, develops and provides computer hardware, related products and services. It was founded 4 August, 1986.

Consumer-impact summary

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User freedom

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  • MSI has historically placed "Warranty Void If Removed" stickers over chassis screws on laptops and prebuilt PCs.[1] While the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled that conditioning warranty coverage on breaking a factory seal violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and as such warranty cannot actually be voided by breaking these stickers.[2]

User privacy

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  • MSI's policy states that user data may be processed and shared with third-party service providers, advertising partners, or legal authorities under broad "legitimate interest" clauses.[3]
  • Certain software features and promotions require registration via an MSI Member Account, linking hardware directly to individual user identities and contact details.[3]

Business model

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  • MSI operates primarily as a consumer electronics hardware manufacturer. The majority of its revenue is generated through direct sales of graphics cards, motherboards, gaming laptops, desktop PCs and gaming monitors.[4]

Market control

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  • MSI has strong competition from competitors like ASUS, Gigabyte, Razer and Corsair.

Incidents

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This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the MSI category.

Motherboard CMOS Battery Obsolescence (2022-2026)

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Main article: MSI Motherboard CMOS Battery Obsolescence

Recent MSI motherboards have moved on from easily accessible clip-mount holders for their CMOS batteries. Instead hiding the battery behind the voltage regulator module (VRM) heat-sink assembly, and is affixed to the main-board via a lead, and mounted with adhesives and shrink-wrap plastic.[5][6]

Products

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  • Motherboards (1986)
  • Digital Audio Players (2003)
    • MEGA (2003)
  • Pen Tablet PC's (2003)
    • PenNote3100 (2003)
  • Notebook PC's (2004)
    • M510C (2004)
  • Laptops (2008)
  • Desktops (2008)
  • GPU's (2008)
  • MSI Claw (2024)

See also

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References

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  1. "MSI laptop has a sticker that states void if removed. I can't upgrade the ram without removing the sticker. MSI support gave me a strange response". Reddit. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 Jun 2023. Retrieved 25 Jul 2026.
  2. Tyson, Mark (11 Apr 2018). "'Warranty Void if Removed' stickers illegal warns FTC". Hexus. Archived from the original on 15 Apr 2018. Retrieved 25 Jul 2026.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Privacy Policy | MSI Global | MSI Global - The Leading Brand in High-end Gaming & Professional Creation". MSI. 25 Jul 2026. Archived from the original on 2 Jul 2026. Retrieved 25 Jul 2026.
  4. "MSI (Emesai Computer)". Tadviser. 25 Jul 2026. Archived from the original on 25 Jul 2026. Retrieved 25 Jul 2026.
  5. benjy124302a4 (2022-04-15). "MSI Pro B660M-A CMOS battery location?". MSI Global English Forum. Archived from the original on 2026-03-02. Retrieved 2026-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. "Where is the location of CMOS battery on this motherboard?". MSI Global. 2023-11-29. Retrieved 2026-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)