Event Coverage

MSI Gaming Notebooks Are the New Sexy

By Zachary Chan - 4 Jun 2014

MSI GS Gaming Notebooks

Game On!

MSI has refreshed versions of their entire range of gaming notebooks at Computex 2014, but their slim GS series are the ones that caught our eye. The GS series feature some of MSI's best design work till date, and we're pretty impressed with the amount of features that they've been able to cram into such a slim chassis. Besides top notch hardware, other standard features across the whole range include SteelSeries keyboard and input optimizations, Dynaudio audio system, Audio Boost built-in 600ohm audio amp, and Killer DoubleShot network configuration (Killer E2200 LAN + Killer Wireless-N 1202), everything a gamer wants in a gaming system.

 

MSI GS60 PE2 Ghost Pro 3K Edition

MSI also claims the GS60 Ghost Pro is the first gaming notebook to use ultra-light Mg-Li (magnesium-lithium) alloy to build its chassis, which comes in at a mere 19.95mm thin and 1.95kg light. The 15.6-inch GS60 Ghost Pro now features an Intel Core-i7 Haswell processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M GPU and a dual storage solution which comprises of 2 x 128GB SSD RAID 0 array (Super RAID) plus a 1TB 7,200rpm HDD. It also boasts a WQHD resolution (2880 x 1620 pixels) wide-angle display, hence the "3K Edition" in its name.

We also spotted a MSI GS60 PE2 Ghost Pro 4K Edition at the show floor, which featured a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) display. However, MSI noted that this model was merely a technology preview as the current level of hardware performance doesn't warrant the use of a 4K screen in a notebook. Basically, MSI is showing that they can do it, but until there’s an actual usage scenario or real market need, you won’t be seeing this model anytime soon. Sounds fine to us since you don't really need a 4K screen on a laptop and the 3K resolution is plenty sharp for regular usage needs.

The GS60 Ghost Pro, now with Intel Haswell and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M for extreme performance in an ultra lightweight, slim, sexy body. It also comes with a "3K" WQHD display. The 4K display seen here is just a technology demo.

The Mg-Li alloy chassis is incredible lightweight and looks real good, but as you can see here is a huge fingerprint magnet.

The left side consists of two USB 3.0 ports, and 2 gold plated audio jacks with MSI Audio Boost built-in amplifier.

To the right is another USB 3.0 port, a card reader, HDMI, DisplayPort and Ehternet port.

The GS60 Ghost Pro features a side hinge, which felt a little on the loose side compared to the more rigid GS70 Stealth Pro.

 

MSI GS70 PE2 Stealth Pro

The big brother to the GS60 Ghost is the GS70 Stealth (which we reviewed back in September 2013). This year’s updated model, the GS70 Stealth Pro is just about identical in terms of aesthetics. It is interesting to note that the GS70 Stealth Pro remains an aluminum build and does not share the Mg-Li alloy option as the GS60 Ghost Pro. Still, for a 17.3-inch notebook, 21.8mm and 2.66kg are very nice measurements to throw around. Its 17.3-inch display also remains at FHD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) resolution instead of the WQHD panel on the GS60 Ghost Pro.

Still, the GS70 Stealth Pro has gotten the same performance overhaul with a Core-i7 Haswell processor and GeForce GTX 870M. The main feature to look at however is its exclusive Super RAID 2 design with triple (that’s 3x) 128GB SSDs in RAID 0 to deliver a theoretical 1,500MB/s reading speed. Oh, and it still has a standard 1TB HDD for normal storage needs.

We reviewed the original GS70 Stealth back in 2013. The GS70 Stealth Pro puts in even more power in the same body. What's there not to like?

Connectivity options and configuration remains the same as the original GS70 Stealth.

They SteelSeries keyboard setup is identical on the GS60 Ghost Pro and GS70 Stealth Pro. It's probably worth noting that the GS70 Stealth Pro is less of a fingerprint magnet. It's not immune, just much less apparent after the same amount of fondling on our part.

The center hinge seems to offer better support on the GS70 Stealth Pro than the side hinge design of the GS60 Ghost Pro.

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