In the market for a gaming rig that you can take on the go? If so, you might want to consider MSI’s latest notebooks, which are not only equipped with Intel 4th generation Core i7 processors, but also sport Nvidia’s newest 800M series GPUs under the hood.
Dubbed the GT Dominator and the GE Apache, these notebooks will be equipped with a range of Intel Core i7 processors (with the exception of a single GE Apache SKU, which sports a Core i5 CPU) clocked at a minimum of 2.7 GHz. The big addition to MSI’s new lineup of gaming notebooks is the inclusion of Nvidia’s newest mobile GPU lineup. In MSI’s new GT Dominator and GE Apache systems, you’ll find one of the following new graphics chips from Nvidia: the GeForce GTX 880M, 870M, 860M or 850M.
Not only does Nvidia claim that these chips will provide better graphics performance compared to previous-gen chips, but they also include three new notable features. One of them is Battery Boost, which will significantly improve your notebook’s battery life, Nvidia alleges. The other is ShadowPlay, which allows you to capture in-game footage, snagging up to the last 20 minutes of your gameplay. Finally, there’s Nvidia GameStream, which lets you stream your gameplay from your rig to another device, like Nvidia’s SHIELD. ShadowPlay and GameStream are making their debuts on Nvidia’s mobile GPUs, but it’s worth noting that these features have been available with Nvidia’s desktop graphics cards already for some time.
MSI’s GE Apache notebooks will include a minimum of 8GB of RAM, topping out at 12GB. Each version of the MSI GE Apache will include a 1 TB 7,200 rpm hard drive, 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.0 and a SteelSeries 102-key backlit keyboard with customizable lighting. Ports will include a pair of USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and audio/mic jacks. GE Apache laptops will weigh a minimum of 5.28 pounds and a maximum of 5.95 pounds; pretty light for a gaming notebook. Every MSI GE Apache notebook’s display sports a 1920 x 1080 resolution, and you can get them in one of two sizes: 15.6 inches, or 17.3 inches. Naturally, you should expect the Apache’s 6-cell battery to conk out faster if you opt for the larger display.
As for the GT Dominators, which sit on the higher end of the specs and price spectrums, they’ll wield at least 8GB of RAM and a max of 32GB. In terms of storage, MSI’s GT Dominator notebooks sport at least a 1TB 7,200 rpm hard drive, and max out with a pairing of two 128GB SSDs in RAID 0, along with a 1TB hard drive on top of that, combining big speed and big volume in the same system. Like the Apache lineup, the lowest resolution display you can get with a Dominator is 1920×1080, but you can bump that up to 2880×1620. However, those high-res displays are only available on 15.6-inch panels. The 17.3-inch Dominators are 1080p only.
Each version of the MSI GT Dominator will include 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.0 and a SteelSeries 102-key backlit keyboard with customizable lighting. Ports will include three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and audio/mic jacks. GT Dominator laptops will weigh a minimum of 7.7 pounds, a maximum of 8.6 pounds, and be powered by 9-cell batteries.
Now for pricing: MSI’s GE Apache lineup will run you between $1,199.99 and $1,399.99. The GT Dominator notebooks offer many more SKUs and therefore, a wider range of prices. The entry level price for an MSI GT Dominator carries a $1,499.99 tag, topping out at a whopping $4,099.99.
All of these notebooks should be available starting today. We can’t wait to get a hold of review units.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.
