MSI’s Gaming Laptop Lineup Gets Makeover, Nvidia Pascal And More

On the heels of Nvidia’s debut of Pascal-based mobile graphics, MSI announced a complete overhaul of its entire gaming lineup, which included the new GTX 1080, 1070 and 1060 GPUs; 120 Hz displays; and thinner, lighter designs.

The lineup names were slightly altered, with “VR” officially added to (you guessed it) VR-ready laptops. At this point, that pertains to most of MSI’s laptop lineup, thanks to the new GPUs. The differences between the new notebooks and the old generation are mostly the choice of graphics.

New Titans On The Block: GT83VR Titan, GT73VR

We recently teased new Titan laptops with the announcement of a new dual-PSU adapter for the powerful gaming platform, and the MSI GT73VR and GT83VR Titan SLI notebooks are going to need all the power they can get.

The new Titans feature 6^th generation (Skylake) Intel Core i7 processors (with unlocked options) in addition to GTX 1070 and 1080 configurations. The GT83VR Titan SLI supports SLI (as the name implies) for both of the aforementioned GPUs, but it doesn’t list a single-GPU option on the promotional materials. The GT73VR supports only GTX 1070 SLI, in addition to single-GPU 1080 and 1070 configurations.

The GT83VR Titan SLI features an 18.4-inch 1920 x 1080 IPS display, but disappointingly, it’s not one of the new 120 Hz panels. The edges around the display are narrower than the previous version (the GT80S Titan), and the whole chassis is thinner and lighter than its predecessor. It still features a mechanical SteelSeries keyboard with Cherry MX switches and all the extras (RGB LED backlighting, fan control, overclocking) as the old model. This massive notebook is the king of MSI’s laptop mountain (mountain of laptops?).

The GT73VR sports a 17.3-inch display, which comes in three different flavors. It can be a 1920 x 1080 IPS panel, a 1920 x 1080 120 Hz screen, or a 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS display. This model is also slimmed down (thinner and lighter) compared to its predecessor, and although the SteelSeries keyboard isn’t mechanical like the GT83VR's, it does have a stylish look and RGB LED backlighting.

Dominator Domination: GT72/62VR, GT72VR Tobii

MSI’s dominator lineup received a similar treatment, with notebooks featuring GTX 1080 and 1070 GPUs. The GT72VR models can be equipped with the 120 Hz 1920 x 1080 display, in addition to a standard 1080p IPS display or a 4K panel. However, the GT62VR (15.6-inch model) doesn’t receive the 120 Hz option.

The GT72VR Tobii also received an update, with the same GPU options as the other GT72VR laptops, in addition to the 120 Hz display option. Tobii’s onboard eye-tracking sensor technology adds a considerable premium to the price tag, but it’s good to see MSI updating this laptop along with the rest of the Dominator lineup.

Thin And Light Just Got Thinner And Lighter: GS73VR, GS63VR, GS43VR

The GS-series (otherwise known as the Stealth Pro and Phantom) is MSI’s thin-and-light lineup, which previously was not considered to be all that powerful compared to the horsepower of the Dominator series. This still holds true, but now the GS73VR, GS63VR and GS43VR all come equipped with a GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card.

The increased performance compared the previous generation makes the Stealth and Phantom notebooks VR-ready and more powerful than ever. However, only the GS73VR can feature a 120 Hz display. Both the GS73VR and the GS63VR can be outfitted with a 4K screen, but the GS43VR is limited to only a 1920 x 1080 IPS panel.

MSI’s redesigned GS73/63 VR features the company’s new cooling technology, Cooler Boost Trinity, a temperature control system sporting three ultra-thin whirlwind blade fans and five heat pipes. It’s designed to cool powerful hardware in ultra-thin notebooks.

Apache Makes The VR Cutoff: GE72VR, GE62VR

Apache was previously MSI’s mainstream gaming lineup, and models were usually equipped with GTX 960M or 950M GPUs. Now, the new Apache GE72VR and GE62VR are proper pixel powerhouses sporting GTX 1060 graphics modules, with the ability to drive VR applications and AAA games at impressive framerates.

The 17-inch GE72VR can feature the 120 Hz 1920 x 1080 panel, a standard 1080p IPS display, or a 4K screen. Like the other smaller laptops in this update, the GE62VR is limited to a 1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160 display, without the 120 Hz option.

No Laptop, No Problem: Vortex Also Updated

MSI’s living room canister computer, the Vortex, was also updated with the new Nvidia GeForce 10-series mobile GPUs. The new G65VR Vortex can be equipped with a single GTX 1080, 1070 or 1060, or with two GTX 1070s in SLI. The Vortex, along with all the other VR-branded MSI offerings, is now VR ready in any iteration.

Pricing And Availability

The new MSI gaming laptops with GeForce GTX 10-series GPUs are available now from online retailers and the company’s website. The GT83VR Titan SLI (with GTX 1080) goes for a jaw-dropping $5,099. Titan GT73VR SLI notebooks (With GTX 1070) start at $3,599. Dominator Pro laptops will start at $1,899 (with the GT72VR Tobii priced at $2,699), and GS-series (thin and light) notebooks tagged as low as $1,599.