MSI, one of the biggest names in the PC gaming business, is announcing a new Max-Q based laptop called the GS65 which offers near-desktop grade performance while retaining a thin, minimalist chassis.
Build and Display
The elegant-looking design is built from aluminum, being just 0.69-inch thick and tipping the scales at 4.14 pounds. It is also not as flashy as some of the other gaming laptops, though, it does come with a Steelseries RGB backlit keyboard (without the numpad).
The display on the front is a 15.6″ TN panel (no IPS unfortunately), with 1080p resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. It has narrower bezels than last year, too. 4K and touch options are likely not going to be available.
Performance and Connectivity
Under the hood, you get the new high-end Intel Core i7-8750H processor, with a clock speed of up to 4.1GHz. There’s also up to 32 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, with storage options being up to 512 GB of NVMe SSD (or 256 GB of SATA M.2). Users can also get a 1 TB RAID 0 setup.
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However, the star of the entire package sits in the graphics department: an 8 GB GDDR5 GTX 1060 graphics card in the base model, or 8 GB GTX 1070 on the high-end one. That means the GS65 won’t only be one of the best-looking systems on the market, it’ll also be one of the fastest.
For connections, you get 3 USB 3.1 Type A, 1 USB-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDMI 2.0, mini-DisplayPort 1.2, headphone jack, microphone, SD card reader and a 30 fps 1080p webcam. That’ll accompany Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 5.0 when it comes to wireless connections.
Battery and Price
GS65 is powered by a 4-cell 82Wh battery and comes with a 180W slim adapter.
Pricing is set at $1799 for the base model, though, GTX 1070 option will likely cost more. Also, with the market getting filled with multiple Max-Q options, make sure you check all the other offerings out there to get the best deal.
