Some time agone I had the opportunity to look at Maingear's Titan 17 notebook, a system described as a high functioning desktop replacement by the boutique PC builder. The portable certainly lived upwardly to the hype equally it decimated every criterion we threw at information technology, chewing through games on its way to earning the title of the most powerful notebook nosotros had ever reviewed.

The harsh reality, however, is that most people can't afford to spend a few one thousand on a notebook computer, even if information technology'south on a solid gaming automobile that doubles as a desktop replacement. To that end, today we'll be checking out a portable from MSI that aims to deliver a similarly solid gaming experience without breaking the bank.

The MSI GX60 is the latest entry in the company's Gaming Serial of notebooks. The unit we tested arrived with a quad-core AMD A10-4600M CPU clocked at ii.3GHz alongside AMD Radeon HD 7970M discrete graphics with 2GB of GDDR5 retention, a 15.6-inch non-glare display operating at 1920x1080, 8GB of DDR3 memory in a 4GBx2 configuration, 128GB of wink storage used as the Os drive and a 750GB 7200RPM disk drive for storage.

MSI GX60 - $1,199 - 1,420

  • xv.six" 1920x1080 matte display
  • AMD A10 Processor (2.3 GHz)
  • AMD Radeon HD 7970M, 2GB discrete
  • 8GB of DDR3 RAM
  • 128GB SSD, 750GB HDD (7200RPM)
  • Blu-ray bulldoze
  • i ten HDMI, 1 x Mini-DisplayPort, i x VGA
  • SD/MMC card reader (left)
  • 4 Audio jacks (right)
  • 3 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0
  • Killer NIC 802.11b/yard/n, Bluetooth
  • 1.three-megapixel (1280x1024) webcam
  • Steelseries keyboard
  • 15.6 x 10.5 ten 2.2 inches, seven.7 pounds

It doesn't stop there, yet, as MSI has implemented a couple of gamer-specific features designed to boost the arrangement's overall appeal. It starts with an upgraded keyboard provided by SteelSeries that'due south said to offer a number of benefits such as simultaneous multi-cardinal presses and a secure tactical experience. MSI even includes a wired gaming mouse as part of the packet.

The GX60 too represents the offset time that MSI has incorporated Killer Intelligent Networking (aka Killer NIC) into a notebook, specifically the E2200 platform. According to Killer, the solution is able to automatically notice and accelerate game traffic ahead of other network traffic for smoother, stutter-free in-game performance which could lead to a competitive edge.

When first looking at the GX60, information technology's immediately articulate that this organisation will never be mistaken for an Ultrabook. Simply put, at 15.vi 10 10.5 x 2.2 inches and weighing in at 7.7 pounds, it'southward pretty hefty. Information technology's not every bit massive as the aforementioned Titan 17, merely in today's market, a vii.seven-pound computer is heavy.

Having said that, the GX60 is more aesthetically pleasing than other barebones gaming systems we've seen. The outer hat is mostly glossy with a raised design in the middle that terminates at the MSI logo. The right edge of the organisation is abode to iv audio jacks, a USB 2.0 port and a Blu-ray drive. Around back is a locking slot, the power jack, Ethernet jack, VGA connector, DisplayPort connexion and an HDMI connector. It's worth pointing out that the trio of video outputs back up AMD Eyefinity Multi-Display Technology, allowing you to output to iii displays simultaneously. On the left side of the GX60 are three USB 3.0 ports and a card reader.

Opening the lid reveals a spacious keyboard deck complete with number pad. Above the matte screen is the prototypical 720p Hard disk webcam and microphone. The bezel surrounding the display is pretty thick just it seems to blend in well enough with the overall theme of the notebook.

Stereo speakers flank the power push and various touch-sensitive controls that prevarication but above the keyboard. Nosotros're also told that the system includes a subwoofer although it isn't readily visible. I of the more interesting buttons here is the power to manually control the system's cooling fan – simply touch on the icon and the internal fans come to life. This is the first time I've seen such a characteristic on a notebook of any kind. Other touch buttons allow you to control the organisation's wireless connection, eject the optical tray and close down the figurer's display.

MSI says the SteelSeries keyboard is more rigid than the typical notebook board. I'd somewhat concur with this although information technology's not perfectly rigid by any stretch of the imagination. I noticed there is no Windows cardinal to the left side of the spacebar like normal, I imagine to relieve space and fit the numpad cleanly. I didn't notice anything to complain about with the SteelSeries board.

The touchpad is off-centered to the left because of the numpad, but still centered in respect to the actual keyboard similar usual. The touchpad is recessed and features a separate one-piece button for the left and right click functions. There isn't a ton of surface area with this touchpad simply odds are, serious gamers will use a mouse when playing anyway. V LED indicators adorn the bottom of the touchpad, giving condition updates to things like hard drive action and battery life.

The wrist remainder and surrounding surface area look to exist congenital of a brushed aluminum, while the keyboard deck uses a contrasting glossy black plastic that matches the upper one-half of the system near the speakers. The majority of the screen bezel is also glossy in nature which will no doubtfulness attract fingerprints over time.