Sure, MSI can build hunky, nine-pound gaming notebooks, but what about lightweight rigs? It's traditionally left those to the likes of Dell and Razer. Now, though, MSI has an ultra-light gaming laptop of its own. After teasing the 14-inch GE40 at Computex last week, the company is now shipping it, with prices starting at $1,300. What's interesting is that this announcement comes hot on the heels of Dell unveiling the new Alienware 14, and as far as specs go, at least, MSI comes out on top. For $1,300, you get a 2.9GHz Core i7-4702MQ processor, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX760M GPU, 8GB of RAM, a 750GB 7,200RPM hard drive, a bigger 90Wh battery, a sharper 1,600 x 900 display and a much lighter frame (4.4 pounds vs. 6.1 on the Alienware 14).
If you like, MSI is also selling a $1,400 version that combines a 128GB mSATA solid-state drive with a 750GB HDD. Now it's true, the Alienware can be had for a hundred dollars less than the lowest-end GE40, but it'll mean settling for a 1,366 x 768 display, a lesser CPU and half the VRAM. Naturally, spec sheets don't tell the whole story, and we hope to eventually review both of these, but if you're in the market for a lightweight gaming laptop that won't break the bank, this guy could be it.MSI GE40
See all photos 17 Photos
MSI Ships GE40, the New Standard in High Performance Portable Gaming
Combination of speed and mobility featuring Intel® Haswell processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® 700M Series Graphics measures less than 1-inch thick
MSI celebrates launch of GE40 with Facebook Giveaway worth over $4,000
City of Industry, Calif. – June 13, 2012 – MSI Computer Corp, leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, announces the availability of the GE40, the perfect combination of ultrabook portability and deadly gaming capability.
Armed with state of the art components, including an Intel® Haswell Core i7 processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 760M, the GE40 weighs only 4.4 lbs. and measures less than 1-inch thick, making it the ideal choice for gamers seeking superior performance and mobility.
The GE40 takes full advantage of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 760M performance by adding a Matrix display that allows users to output to 3 displays simultaneously (including the native notebook display). To complement the GE40's superior graphics, MSI incorporated Sound Blaster Cinema and Audio Boost, two technologies that deliver amazing surround sound with realistic and immersive sound clarity.
"The GE40 was designed for mobile gamers seeking the best in gaming performance but not wanting to carry around larger laptops," said Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI US. "Even though the GE40 is exceptionally light and nimble, it is still packed with high-performance components worthy of a desktop replacement unit."
The GE40 comes in a full aluminum body featuring a psychedelic dragon eye backlit design and is available in two configurations: 750GB HDD or 125GB mSATA SSD plus a 750GB HDD for increased performance. It also comes with 8GB of DDR3 memory, Giga LAN adaptor and 2 USB 3.0 and 1 USB 2.0 ports.
To celebrate the launch of the GE40, MSI is holding the "Just Game!" Giveaway through their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MSI.ComputerUS. Participants will have the opportunity to win over $4000 in prizes, including a completely new MSI GE40 valued at $1,399.99. For more information about MSI's complete lineup of gaming laptops, the GE40 or the giveaway, visit http://www.msimobile.com or www.usgaming.msi.com.
when.eng("eng.pr.init")when.eng("eng.perm.init")
