I wanted to replace my Alienware M11XR2 with another machine with NVIDIA Optimus technology and a higher resolution screen. I have had MSI videocards and motherboards in the past and have never had hardware issues with their products so I thought I'd give this laptop a go based off of the specifications and price.
Short note for gamers... I've played the following games on it with all graphics options turned up (except antialiasing) at the native resolution (1080P):
Borderlands 1, 2 (on 2, I had to turn PHYSX down to medium to get graphics smooth)
Call of Duty Black Ops
Batman - Arkham City
Just Cause 2
Skyrim
I haven't used FRAPS to see actual framerates, but I did not experience any framerate dips or stuttering when playing these games. This is my main reason for this machine and I am very satisfied with the game performance.
The screen is great, 1080P with no glare and it gets very bright when you turn up the brightness all of the way.
The keyboard is great and doesn't feel crowded even with the number pad, I like the feel of the keys when typing and have not had any input issues.
The four speakers can get very loud without distortion and the THX software is great for simulated surround sound!
The case is all plastic and is a fingerprint magnet, but it is solid and keeps the weight down. I have not experience any flexing or creaking plastic when moving it around or using it. I am amazed with how thin and light MSI engineered this thing. Gaming laptop under 6 lbs, and the power adapter isn't the size of a brick!
The only heat exhaust is on the left side toward the rear, it blows out hot air when gaming for prolonged periods.
The cooling system works great though, it keeps the heat directed towards the exhaust and prevents the whole machine from getting hot.
The new Core I7 processor is very fast and complements the videocard very well.
The 650M GPU runs every game I've thrown at it, it seems to run faster than my media PC's GTX 460!
Again, NVIDIA's Optimus graphics switching software is awesome! It lets you decide when you use the dedicated graphics processor, and the Intel integrated graphics handle everything non-gaming perfectly.
General Hardware:
Built in WiFi/Bluetooth and Gigabit Ethernet all work flawlessly, my bluetooth mouse setup in seconds and WiFi signal around my house has full signal (my Alienware would lose signal in two of the rooms).
The optical drive works great and the eject button by the screen is well placed.
The 7200 RPM 750 Gig Hard Drive included is plenty fast and doesn't get hot.
This is my first machine with USB 3.0 and I have 3.0 external drives, it is much faster (4X) than USB 2.0 on my desktop!
Upgrade Options:
Putting the mSata SSD and installing more RAM took less than 5 minutes (once I found the right screw for the mSata SSD). Make sure you contact MSI support and get confirmation prior to taking off the cover before upgrading as there is a Warranty Void sticker covering one of the screws.
I upgraded the memory to 16GB and put a 240GB mSata SSD drive into the vacant slot on the motherboard and reinstalled the system software onto the SSD.
This system was no slouch right out of the box, I just love the 15 second boot times that SSD provides!
I am very pleased with how much computer you can get for under $1000.
I used to buy only ASUS/DELL for gaming systems, but it looks like MSI are on to something.
I'll definetly be looking at MSI first for my next laptop (which won't be for quite awhile now :)
I recommend this system to anyone looking for a gaming/performance laptop at an excellent price!
| Standing screen display size | 15.6 Inches |
|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920x1080 Pixels |
| Processor | 2.3 GHz Core_i7_3610QM |
| RAM | 6 GB DDR3 |
| Memory Speed | 2.3 GHz |
| Hard Drive | 750 GB SATA |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 2000 MB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11bgn |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
