MSI's gaming laptop ensures that your entertainment
hours are never the same again
Here at the CHIP Secret Headquarters, we've
seen our fair share of gaming laptops over the years. One of them was the MSI
GT70, which we heralded as one of the best gaming notebooks in recent times.
The slightly lower-spec GE60 arrives today and boy, is
it the game changer like its heavier brethren is.
MSI GE60 0NC
The GE60 is a big gaming notebook,
featuring a 15.6-inch full HD LED backlit display. In terms of I/O ports the
GE60 has two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one LAN port, a card reader, and
a HDMI and VGA port as well.
Powered by Intel's third generation Core ¡7
processor, the GE60 also includes an NVIDiA's GT650M
discrete graphics card, currently one of the most powerful GPUs in the notebook
space.
In terms of performance, the GE60 is no
slouch at all. We tossed a few highly graphical games at it such as Crysis 2 and Diablo III (among others), and it played them
with relative ease, not slowing down for a single moment.
Another thing we're particularly surprised
with is the sound quality of the speakers on the GE60. Not only is it
THX-certified, but it also has five presets for different purposes, be it
playing games, watching movies, or VoIP with friends and family.
Another addition that we really liked is
the Steel Series keyboard that is incorporated into the GE60, which is a
masterstroke move. Like the GT70 before it, the Steel Series keyboard feels as
good as it should, with a good level of travel in each key. Sadly, it doesn't
light up like the GT70 does.
The
SteelSeries keyboard is, like the GT70, excellent.
Too bad it's not backlit
Battery life is one of the lower points of
the GE60. Understandably however, considering that this is a power-sapping
notebook, the three to four hour battery life is very much expected. Trust us
when we say you won't want to bring the GE60 along with you anywhere without
the power adapter at your side at all times.
Pros
and cons
Pros: Excellent performance, Fantastic
keyboard, Great, loud audio
Cons: No backlit keyboard
Benchmark
results
PCMark 7: 3,870 points
PCMark 7 (Productivity): 3,410
points
PCMark 7 (Entertainment): 3,111
points
PCMark 7 (Computation): 9,004
points
Chip
conclude
The MSI GE60 ONC is a gaming notebook
through-and-through, fitted excellently with powerful components, a fantastic
keyboard and excellent audio. Had we mentioned these components on their own
without any subtext, you'd be thinking that we're talking about a desktop
setup. Performance wise though, that would not be too far off
from the truth.
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Specifications
Price:
$1,300
Website:
www.msi.com
CPU: Intel Core i7-3520M 2.3GHz
RAM: 8GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch LED backlight, Anti-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080)
Storage: 500GB
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, 1 x USB 2.0, 2 x
USB3.0, HDMI, VGA, LAN
Extras: SD Card slot, Webcam
Ratings
Performance: 5/5
Features: 4/5
Design: 4/5
Value: 3/5
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