Computex 2017 - Day 2

MSI

Given the recent Nvidia Max-Q announcement and the Intel X299 chipset news, it wasn't surprising to see MSI pushing notebooks and motherboards hard at this year's Computex.


Like many in the notebook game, MSI has a very large number of SKUs – far too many for us to cover effectively here. We focussed instead on models with plenty of features and on the Max-Q ones we found. One such Max-Q laptop is the GS63VR Stealth, a 15.6” laptop sporting a GTX 1070. The IPS panel is either 1080p or 4K, and users can have up to 16GB of DDR4 installed. The laptop uses MSI's Cooler Boost Trinity thermal solution to keep thickness down.


Another model of note is the GT75VR Titan SLI, which is one of the highest spec MSI laptop available. As such, you get an Intel Core i7-7820HK CPU, a pair of GTX 1070s in SLI (a single GTX 1070 or GTX 1080 are also options), and up to 64GB of DDR4. Options for the 17.3” screen include a 1080p one with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 4K one with 100 percent Adobe RGB gamut coverage. Users can also have a pair of NVMe SSDs paired up in a super-fast RAID 0 configuration. MSI has also partnered with SteelSeries here, delivering a keyboard that uses the latest SteelSeries mechanical switches, featuring a clicky and tactile feedback. You also get per-key RGB backlighting.


The last laptop we looked at is the GE63VR Raider, sporting an aluminium chassis and the world's first 120Hz 15.6” display with a 3ms response time (other display options are available). Per-key RGB lighting is included for the SteelSeries keyboard too, and speakers come courtesy of Dynaudio – the so-called 'Giant Speakers' really do provide quite a bit of oomph (the laptop even vibrates). Sadly, pricing and availability for these MSI laptops is yet to be confirmed.


Moving on to X299, MSI had five models to show for itself, although you can expect even more in the final lineup. Highlights include the X299 Gaming M7 ACK, which incorporates the new M.2 Shield Frozr. This is essentially a pair of M.2 heatsinks incorporated into a door-style design that opens and shuts as a single unit and is connected directly to the PCH heatsink. You also get Audio Boost 4 Pro, which has two dedicated HD audio processors allowing you to use speakers and headphones at the same time. Killer Double Shot Pro gives you dual Killer E2500 Ethernet connections alongside onboard Killer 1535 Wi-Fi. Mystic Light RGB is MSI's RGB lighting solution, and the software allows you to control the onboard lighting as well as compatible connected hardware. This motherboard also has 3D X-Mounting screws, meaning it supports a variety of 3D-printed components. You can be sure we'll have much more detail on MSI's X299 motherboards as our review samples arrive over the next few months.