MSI Launches Thinnest 16" Gaming Notebook: GE600 With Core i5

You need a thin-and-light notebook. But you love gaming more than those darn spreadsheets. Oh, what to do? MSI has the answer, and it's called the GE600. Announced today, it's the company's lightest 16" gaming notebook, and it strikes a sweet spot that we're sure many have been searching for. Most 16" and 17" gaming notebooks these days are on the "huge" side, easily 1.5+ inches thick and upwards of 9-11 pounds. That's tough to justify in a tough economy, so splitting the difference seems like an intelligent move on MSI's behalf.

The new GE600 is equipped with Intel's new Core i5 CPU and ATI's Radeon 5730 GPU. Neither of those parts are "cutting edge" gaming hardware, but both are plenty capable of managing most intense games that exist today. The Core i5-430M performed very well in other machines that we have reviewed, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium means that there's lots of headroom to work with. Other specifications include 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB SATA hard drive (7200RPM), 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 6-cell battery, 1.3MP camera, VGA output, three USB 2.0 sockets, an HDMI port, eSATA, Ethernet, 4-in-1 card slot, a SuperMulti optical drive and a headphone jack.


MSI is shipping the 5.9lb. machine with a 3-year warranty, and while the only color available is black (with "sand" interior), we still think it's a bargain at under $900. For many, this is all the horsepower they'll need, and it won't break their back when lugging it around. Nice play, MSI.

MSI North America Announces GE600 – The Company’s Lightest 16-Inch Gaming Notebook

Stylish new gaming notebook sports durable scratch resistant design and features DirectX 11 Graphics and Intel Core i5 Processor

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA – April 28, 2010 – MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is proud to announce the availability of the stylish new GE600 gaming notebook.  Weighing in at just 5.9 lbs, the GE600 is MSI’s lightest 16-inch gaming notebook to date, but still packs quite a punch with Intel’s powerful new Core i5 processor and ATI Radeon 5730 graphics card -- all for under $900.

The GE600’s new ATI Radeon HD5730 GPU supports DirectX 11 graphics, making the notebook compatible with the rapidly approaching next generation of games and 3D graphics.  Its new Core i5 processor improves battery life by as much a 15% and Intel’s new Turbo Boost technology can increase overall performance by 30%.

“The new GE600 is a powerful mobile gaming station that delivers everything a gamer needs to emerge from battle victorious in a lightweight affordable package,” said Andy Tung, Vice President of Sales, MSI North America.

The notebook’s handsome new design features a durable scratch resistant chassis, glossy black exterior and a sand accented interior with illuminated touch sensitive hotkeys.  The GE600’s raised chiclet keyboard and wide touchpad increase both accuracy and comfort while typing or gaming.

The newest addition to the G-Series family of gaming notebooks also ships with a 16-inch LCD screen with 1366x768 resolution, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB hard drive 7200rpm, a 6-cell battery, Bluetooth connectivity and Microsoft’s Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

The GE600 costs just $899.99 and is available now at Newegg.