When it comes to playing back audio on laptops, the sound quality is – at best – pretty shonky, but MSI is hoping to hook in audiophiles with its beefy new GX660 laptop which promises a veritable orgy of aural pleasure.
High end gear
Stuffed full of high end components, the MSI packs an Intel Core i7-720QM processor (overclocking available), a hefty 8GB of DDR3 1333MHz RAM and 1GB GDDR5 ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 graphics backed by two 500GB hard-drives to park a vast stash of media and games.
Aimed at “serious gamers who demand extreme audio performance,” MSI hooked up with sound specialist supremos Dynaudio to conjure up a mix of built in speakers, optimal sound card and Surround Sensation Ultra PC technology from DTS to deliver “the finest audio experience”.
HD screen and Blu Ray
There’s no point having a gourmet sound system onboard if the screen is a squinty wee thing, so MSI have strapped on a generous 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, full HD TFT screen, with a built in Blu Ray optical drive and HDMI output for hooking up your home flatscreen for an extra-super fantabulous experience.
There’s also two USB 3.0 ports and an eSata port for super-snappy file shifting, plus two USB 2.0 ports, 802.11b/g/n(draft) Wi-Fi, an ExpressCard slot and a 4-in-1 card reader.
Measuring up at 396 x 269 x 55mm and weighing 3.5kg, the shiny black beast is available to pre-order now and can soon be yours for around £1,700.
Press release and full specs
Here’s the full press guff:
New Level of Sound and Performance
MSI + Dynaudio = New Standard of Gaming NotebookDynaudio Premium Sound Technology
The complex and interconnected elements that comprise excellent sound were painstakingly identified one by one to ascertain how to systematically develop the proper notebook technologies. After undergoing a very long process of cooperative development, Dynaudio and MSI have come up with the GX660R. The four directions used to develop Dynaudio Premium Sound Technology are summarized below. For serious gamers who demand extreme audio performance, the GX660R is the best and only choice!
Speaker Placement
In the past, limited space on notebooks meant speaker position was always considered last, which resulted in muddled sound in notebook speakers. Because of this, speaker position was considered during the initial stages of the GX660R’s development to facilitate optimum audio performance and to avoid sacrificing audio quality for incorrect speaker placement.
EQ Tuning- Adjusted for Optimization of All Types of Sounds
Different types of music represent distinct requirements for sound ambience. Jazz, pop, rock, or classical all possess special characteristics that affect computer game and movie sound performance and each has specific tone balance requirements. To express different types of music authentically, Dynaudio and MSI spent over 1,200 hours of continuous, repetitive testing and fine tuning of high, mid, and low range frequencies so authentic reproduction of different types of music can be achieved.
Sound Card Circuit Design Optimization
Speakers and their placement are not the only things that affect sound performance; the audio processing center of a notebook, the sound card, also plays a decisive role. Only sound that goes through high quality sound card processing, and speaker transmission free from tonal corruption can guarantee original sound reproduction.
Dynaudio and MSI understand the profound importance of sound card quality, so the GX660R’s sound card was specially augmented by strengthening its sound card circuit design to achieve an optimal configuration that allows for even cleaner and more penetrating sound. Whether playing DVDs, CDs, or Blu-ray DVDs, the GX660R is capable of easily reproducing original sound and conveying every authentic acoustic detail!
When listening to a symphony orchestra, you’ll be able to truly sense the relative position of each instrument and the size and power of each instrument’s sound, as if an orchestra were playing right in front of you!
The Best and Only Choice
MSI exclusive Turbo Drive Engine+ (TDE+) Technology for superior CPU and graphics performance
MSI Turbo Drive Engine+ (TDE+) Technology can increase CPU and graphics frequency. The TDE+ technology brings more calculating speed to enhance the system performance. It benefits the video decoding/encoding, 3D gaming and art work designing. With MSI TDE+ Technology, you can experience faster response time and efficient real-time data processing.
*The test result differs under different testing environment
Exclusive Cooler Boost Technology
Only one finger!! Exclusive Cooler Boost technology provides powerful cooling capabilities and receives real-time notification of the GT660’s core temperature variations and fan speed.
Exclusive DDR3 SO-DIMM x 3 slot Design Easily Doubles Performance
Provides you with the most economical means to upgrade memory capacity (12GB max), so you never again have memory issues affecting your gaming experience.
Smart Power Management System
GX660R incorporates MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine power management system, allowing you to select your usage scenario. There are a total of five usage scenarios—gaming, movie viewing, presentations, text processing, and Turbo Battery—each with fine-tuned presets for screen brightness and display sleep, system auto-sleep configuration, and processor performance. ECO Engine provides greater flexibility for battery usage, extending battery life and giving the GX660R an extra edge in mobility and productivity, while offering you added convenience.
* Actual battery life will vary depending on usage patterns and configuration settings.
A Paradigm of Cutting-Edge Performance
Style PerfectedElegant, Flowing Lines Symbolize Excellence
Continuing the unique design elements of MSI’s G-Series notebooks, the illuminating MSI logo, which symbolizes the GX660R’s uniqueness, expands outward. With clean flowing lines and a beautiful black finish as a base, the fiery red lines act as visual ornamentation symbolizing a sensation of extreme speed, giving the G-Series a sense of flawless perfection. Thanks to the MSI exclusive Color Film Print Technology, the GX660R is not only strikingly beautiful, but is also more comfortable to the touch. With a glossy, high-end texture that is scratch and water resistant, it also serves as the notebook’s ultimate protective layer.
Multi-Layered Aesthetics in Motion
The area around the keyboard is adorned with a checkered totem pattern, while the touch pad area also has a metal line design, giving the GX660R a layered appearance that gives off a distinctly out of the ordinary, high-end vibe. These characteristics help transform the GX660R into a stylishly contemporary and dynamic pro gaming machine that offers gamers an all-new aesthetic experience.
Less Than 27mm at its Thinnest Point
Compared to other brands on the market, the GX660R’s thinnest point doesn’t surpass 27mm, adding to the GX660R’s sprightly and portable feel.
Exclusive LED Performance Illumination Technology
This exclusive, dazzling LED performance illumination technology increases the sensation of instant immersion when listening to music, watching video, or while wrapped up in the gaming world, thanks to changes in the GX660R’s cool LED lights.
Audio Synchronize Mode
When listening to music, watching a video or when knee-deep in the exciting world of gaming, simply press the MSI LED light performance control hotkey and the GX660R enters Audio Synchronize Mode. Then, the GX660R’s LED lights on both sides of the notebook and at the front of the keyboard will light up all at once. The light performance will follow different changes in sound, allowing you to unconsciously follow the rhythm of the dynamic lighting and envelop yourself in an atmosphere of sound and light that will leave you breathless!
Intelligent Simulation of Sound Source
The exclusive LED performance illumination mode can also intelligently simulate sound. When the left-side speaker emits sound, the LEDs on the left side will independently illuminate, and the same on the right side. For example, when an image of a bullet passes from left to right, the noise of the bullet will also pass from left to right through the speakers, and the LED lights then light up in conjunction with the direction of the sound moving from left to right, giving images and sound a three dimensional effect and making you feel as if you are in the midst of authentic and dynamic reverberations!
The Lifelike GT660 Breathes!
When in sleep or standby modes, you can select “breathe” (a pulsating LED light frequency) control function to give the GT660 different ways to express inactive modes. Just like an actual person resting, the GT660 is lifelike.
Be Your Own Light Expert!
You can control on/off commands with the LED performance illumination hotkey, and also open the selection manual to choose detailed light performance modes, allowing you to personalize your GX660R!
Enjoy Entertainment in Multiple Extremes
Latest & fastest Data Transfer Technology USB 3.0
USB 3.0 can reach transfer rates of 4.8GB per second, 10 times the bandwidth of the current USB 2.0. A 27GB HD file (about as large as a 4 hour HD video) can be transferred within 70 seconds, so HD video and 3D game playback speeds are even faster. USB 3.0 is also capable of executing read/write data operations, while USB 2.0 can only execute unidirectional document transfers in the same amount of time.
High-Definition Multimedia Interface
The GX660R‘s HDMI output not only delivers super-fast 5GB per second data rates, but it also reduces cable clutter, while ensuring the best possible video quality. By taking advantage of HDMI, the GX660R can render game scenes with spectacular clarity and realism, making it a great choice for the next generation of both PC and online games.
Convenient Wireless Networking
With its 802.11b/g/n(draft) wireless LAN and Bluetooth networking interfaces, the GX600 provides a versatile way to connect to, browse, and retrieve data on both your own devices and the online universe.
Built-in HD Webcam
Genuine 720p high-definition (HD) video quality to 30fps (30 continuous images per second allowing smooth, natural progression without jerkiness; ordinary webcams only offer 8fps). This guarantees truly clear and smooth video and picture quality and exceptional audio effects. In addition, the 16:9 HD wide-screen video display can be used with all kinds of social networking media, allowing optimum high-quality video communication and production of HD videos for the enjoyment of friends and family.
Main Specifications
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor-720QM 2.8GHz
8GB DDR3 Memory
1TB Hard Drive
16″ 1920×1080 Full HD LCD Display
Blu ray Drive
1 Year International Warranty
Full SpecificationsSeries – Gaming
CPU – Intel® Core™ i7 Processor-720QM 2.8GHz
OS – Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
Chipset – Intel® PM55
Memory – 8GB (4GB+2GB+2GB) DDR3 1066/1333MHz, 3 slots, Max: 12GB
LCD Size – 16″ 1920×1080 Full HD
Graphics – ATI Radeon™ HD 5870
Graphics VRAM – GDDR3 1GB
HDD (GB) – 2.5″ 1TB SATA
Optical Drive – Blu-Ray
Audio – 4.1 Dynaudio Speakers with Subwoofer
Webcam – HD Webcam
Card Reader – XD/SD/MMC/MS
LAN – 10/100/1000
Wireless LAN – 802.11b/g/n
Bluetooth – Yes
D-Sub (VGA) – 1
HDMI – 1
USB 2.0 port – 2
USB 3.0 port – 2
eSATA – 1
Mic-in/Headphone-out – 1
Express Card – 1
Modem port – N/A
Line-in – 1
Keyboard – 103 keys
AC Adapter – 150W
Battery – 9 cells
Dimension – 374 (L) x 246 (W) x 26.8-35 (H) mm
Weight (KG) – 3.5
Supposedly the MSI GX 660R is released but I can’t find it anywhere, and I live in a major metropolitan area of the USA. Maybe everyone is embarrassed to sell it with those painfully silly flashing spotty lights (you can’t even change the color to something less iconically Halloween than orange). It looks like a AA-battery toy robot from 1975 or a bit of rubbish left over from an early Doctor Who set. MSI better not count on any business from epileptics. Or people who need their laptop to look at all serious at work. Or anyone with any dignity over the age of 15. Yeesh. But it has precisely the graphic quality features I want (I’m an artist). Guess I’ll just put duct tape over the lights.
I cannot find anyone to tell me precise graphics specs on my desired build: Color display depth, %NST color gamut, ANSI static contrast ratio. It isn’t in the MSI website specs. So far almost all the stores MSI lists as their USA vendors don’t have the MSI GX 660R and have no information about it at all.
(need to know dynamic contrast ratio too, of course)
Persnickety, if you don’t like the flashy lights (which I hate as well) you should consider getting a Sager/Clevo or ASUS gaming laptop. ASUS is coming out with their new G53 and G73JW series which are great, but will have a 460m GPU instead of the 5870. The current G73JH has the same specs as this computer, but as of now have the 720 instead of 740QM.
PS, the 460m is also a great card. It’s hard to speculate if it will be a downgrade from 5870, though. If it’s like the desktop 460 it should be a great card.
http://www.xoticpc.com/gx660r060us-gaming-laptop-order-p-2864.html
MSI gx660 here. The new G53 and G73 are still yet to come out…even for preorder :[
Thanks for the observations, Steve. I will be looking keenly at comparisons between the top configured GX 660R (except with spinning hard drive, not SSD) and the top configured G53 with spinning hard drives; especially cooling comparisons. 460M SLI would be very tempting — it is benchmarking very high and cheaper than some very good but not as-good performers, too. But it is a low bin 336-shader GPU harvested from inadequate fabrication of a very ambitious 512-shader card, voltage cranked up to compensate, and I am concerned about longevity. The HD 5870 is a known performer.
I am not seeing an option for the 5870Crossfire, though.