MSI GS30 Revealed

It seems that MSI (for the moment) is running alone... Alienware 13 with GA user: "Only thing I am a bit disappointed with is the dual core ulv. Been playing a bit of BF4 and on 64 man server I get 30"

 

Yes that's the big benefit of MSI's machine, a full fat quad.

 

Man I am getting anxious for CES to get here so we can get a better look at the GS30 - I am anxious for this little powerful beast

 

You do have a pretty potent beast as it is though to be fair. Is it the portability or the desktop GPU you are after?

 

I imagine GS30 future owners are excited by both the premise of a very powerful ultrabook, and the joy of choosing your own high end desktop GPU. I know I would be windowshopping for desktop GPUs ahhaha.

 

This laptop really has my interest. I have been looking for something like this for a long time. When I am on the road I wish I could have something small that would fit into my bags, not take up too much room, and allow me to do some light gaming in hotel rooms. Then when I return home hook it up to the dock and do some serious desktop class gaming. As it is now, my GT60 is a desktop. I haven't used it like an actual laptop in months. It sits connected to an external display, external mouse and keyboard setup, and I use headphones.

The GS30 if done right is going to be my next system. It satisfies my need for serious GPU performance at home and offers me portable and acceptable gaming while gone "working". My GT60 just is too big and bulky to lug around and bring on airplanes.

 

This too was my plan, but had a change of heart after really looking at my usage patterns. I went with a 970m equipped GS60 instead of waiting for this as I do enjoy kicking back in the recliner or on the sofa and gaming as well when at home. Don't get me wrong, I've got the external monitor/mouse/mechanical keyboard/HOTAS too for "serious" play, but I find myself more and more enjoying the mobility around the house the past few years, on the deck, etc. This simply wouldn't be possible with the GS30 as I'd have to play different games in these scenarios; I'd be giving up too much performance too much of the time for my personal use. At ~4 lbs, and less than an inch thick, now that the GS60 line has a 10000+ 3DMark11 GPU and runs cool, I'm beside myself with excitement ha. While absolutely not as fast as a desktop GPU, it's got most of the performance all the time where ever I end up playing either at home or while traveling in a portable package.

Still a very interesting concept with the GS30, and I'm a fan of the idea and will be watching this develop. In a perfect world, I'd LOVE to see the docking port shrunk down and integrated into all of their notebooks and even a Surface Pro type form factor tablet! :thumbsup:

 

The other option is a wireless keyboard and mouse along with a nice big display hooked up to the dock.

 

Yes yes yes now MSI release this thing already before I will splash my cash on a new PC build!!!
Anyone pre ordered this thing? the Alienware guys are now too busy discussing configs options, display resolutions and whatnot and I only here crickets on this thread!

 

I just read of the GS30. It really is amazing!
Iris Pro and a normal I7 CPU offer very great Performance (similar to desktop I7 CPUs ) .
How much will the GS30 (including the docking station ) cost?
WHY DID THEY MAKE SUCH AN AWFULL CONNECTOR FOR THE BOX? Why do i have to put the Laptop ONTO the dock?
I love that the dock offers PCI E x16, but i would favor x8 and a cable to connect the box (and put the box behind the laptop or so) , kinda like the AW 13 system.
So gimme a connector cable instead of sliding in the notebook into the BOX and this would be the perfect laptop!
By upgrading the GPU in the dock, the System becomes a high end system!
THIS REALLY IS A FUTUREPROOF GAMING LAPTOP! AWESOME!
So please MSI; give me a cable to connect the box with the laptop!! and let me use the laptop screen with the desktop GPU!!

 

Short pci express cable helps signal integrity and since you loose the keyboard and screen anyway...

I guess it means you don't need a stand too and saves desktop space.

 

Don't they sell female PCI-E to male PCI-E cables? Of course, like Meaker said, it would cause signal degradation. If the laptop keyboard, trackpad, and screen can indeed be used while docked (no indication of this from the pre-production units out now), I see no reason why one couldn't just purchase a cable like I mentioned and use it (with possibly some latency/lag).

edit: Something alone these lines? http://www.amazon.com/PCI-E-Express-Extender-Flexible-Extension/dp/B008BZBFTG

 

No I am more after the portable power that it will provide. I have more than capable desktops and gaming rigs since I have plenty of parts always on hand. Currently building a X99 5960X MATX SLI 970 system, though for now I am on a MSI Z97M Gaming and a 4790K. I want to be able to have something lighter and more portable that I can use on the couch or in an airplane.

 

I found some pricing and release info at this site in Norway

Laptop is sold with dock, but with and without graphics card: 20990kr/17490kr, or around $2800/$2350 US at current exchange rates.
This is with i7 4870HQ, 16GB ram, and 256GB SSD. Looks like the graphics card included in the dock is the GTX970 with 4GB GDDR5 ram.
Integrated graphics is the Iris Pro 5200.

Could not find a listing for the laptop without dock.

Estimated release date is Jan 9, 2015. We will likely see an official release at CES, then.

 

Price converted to USD is a lot higher than I, and I assume many others, expected.
I had an idea to compare the prices of already released MSI models on that Norwegian site vs on Newegg, for a VERY rough idea of the possible markup.

MSI GE60
https://www.komplett.no/msi-ge60-156-full-hd/815483#!tab:extra
MSI GE Series GE60 Apache Pro-003 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4700HQ (2.40GHz) 8GB Memory 1TB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB 15.6" Windows 8.1 64-Bit - Newegg.com
only differences I noticed are the inclusion of a 128gb mSATA ssd, which in today's market, is an insignificant cost relative to the whole machine=, and a SLIGHTLY (0.1gHz both with and without turbo) faster CPU (4700hq vs 4710hq), total price ~$100
11995nkr ($1607.80 USD) vs $1250 USD MSRP (I thought MSRP would be more fair to use than the discounted Newegg price, which would lead to a higher markup)
$1608-$100 (SSD and CPU cost) = ~$1500
1500-1250 = 250 markup
250/1250 = ~20% markup

MSI GE70
https://www.komplett.no/msi-ge70-173-full-hd/818099#!tab:extra
MSI GE Series GE70 Apache Pro-012 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4700HQ (2.40GHz) 12GB Memory 1TB HDD NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB 17.3" Windows 8.1 64-Bit - Newegg.com
differences: again, slightly faster CPU, as well as the 128gb SSD. also, 16gb ram vs 12gb from newegg (we'll say $30 for the ram), total price of upgrades ~$130
12,495nkr ($1674.82 USD) vs $1300 Newegg MSRP
$1675-$130=~$1545
1545-1300=245 markup
245/1300=~19% markup

So accounting for the ~20% markup, the 20990kr/17490kr ($2800/$2350) prices converted to Newegg prices would be:
2800 x 4/5 = $2240 with graphics card
2350 x 4/5 = $1880 without graphics card

Again, these are VERY rough and make HUGE assumptions. This is probably a much more niche and lower production model than the GE60/70s. Will it even be sold on Newegg, since they only seem to carry the more popular laptops?

The $2240/1880 adjusted prices are STILL higher than what I was expecting, but for me, this idea seems like a perfect solution for my situation. I am a college student who would like to carry around as little weight as possibly to classes and the library for homework, yet have the power for running lighter games (CS:GO) and demanding programs for my courses (media editing, programing, etc.) on the go. When I get back to my room, I can hook it up to the dock and fire up some of the most demanding games on the market, without having to waste space and money on another full tower computer, which I already have at home. I would like to see at most a $1500 price tag without the graphics card, but of course, even lower would be better.

Hopefully the calculations made sense to people, let me know if you guys spot anything wrong with them and I will make corrections. Thanks!
Sigh, I really have no life on this first day of a new year. Happy New Year to ya'll!

 

If the price of the gs30 is above 1000€ (germany) this laptop is not an option for me anyway.
If i pay 1000€ for the laptop including the dock, i still have to buy a graphics Card! Of course, prices will drop soon but it is far too high anyway.
Especially considering that 256GB of SSD are a joke, Win 8 uses about 20GB, so i have to buy an expensive m.2 SSD aswell.

Sorry MSI, but if that prices turn out to be true, i might go with the Alienware 13 after the I7 Broadwell CPUs arrive (in hope that this CPU will solve the bottleneck)

 

New video up. Lots of shots of the docking action, and a peak inside the dock. If anyone understands Czech and can translate, that would be great!




The above video is from this page.

Using Google Translate, here are some tidbits:

-laptop is 1.26kg, made of magnesium alloy.
-without the dock, laptop is quiet when not doing demanding work.
-4 fans in the dock (2 on the video card). Fans on dock are noisy.
-placement of speakers on dock makes it is awkward if you want the dock on the side.
-neat light around the front of the laptop, but can't be turned off by software.
-dock has led lights too?
-price around $60000 Czech Koruna, which is around $2600 US currently. In line with other estimates so far.

Also, some benchmarks:

6.75 hours doing office work with no wifi, 2.5 hours with wi-fi and watching video.

With the dock:
PCMark: 6472
3DMark06: 30801

 

Generally, the price is likely to be lower in the US.

 

MSRP is said to be $1999 with docking station (not clear if this includes a video card or not) at this link.

 

This site claims a $1700 price tag for laptop+dock without the graphics card:

Also notes that the dock may work with other laptops in the future:

Good to see some fresh news on the GS30 now that CES has arrived.

 

Not much talk about this today????
It has been released as a Newegg Exclusive, for now anyway

 

Both the laptop and the docking station?

 

Seems its available from Newegg next week.... $1899 US

MSI GS30 Shadow-001 Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7 4870HQ (2.50GHz) 16GB Memory 256GB SSD Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 Shared memory 13.3" Windows 8.1 64-Bit Multi-language - Newegg.com

 

Docking station included, no GPU in it though.

 

Yeah I figured, but they do at least include the docking station. It would only be 300ish more for a capable desktop GPU

Man, Newegg definitely paid to have them show up on their site earlier than everyone else huh. I like the price so far, specially since it does include the docking, but still I would have preferred at such price to include dual 256GB SSD rathern than 128.

 

"Pandora's box included".

 

I like the laptop itself. Although I favor 14" as it allows more room for better specs. However, I saw the video and the dock is..... worthless. why they design something like that. It mounted on a large cube-like dock and its not practical to use when docked. This means we have to provide our own monitor and keyboard. The dock is nothing more than a desktop computer.

I was hoping that was price similar, or lower then their GS ghost but it seems quite expensive.

I would like to see a light gaming notebook with a simple hot swap dock that allows for on demand performance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrPIqYpq1E0

edit: fix typo.

 

It's gonna require user to adjust the chair height in order to use it, or hook up an external display.
All in all, it's still a nice ultra gaming book at this form factor.

 

Correct if if i'm wrong here but doesn't the docking system still requires you to have an external display? It doesn't seem like it allowed you to use the laptop's screen (safety?) and causes the computer to turn off/sleep if interferes? adjusting your chair is not even an option (which is stupid to began with if you ask me).

 

I'm just hoping they make the docking system compatible with more products, seeing how Alienware had already started down this route.

 

Yes, but I think the way it's designed this way is because of the PCIe connection which needs to be as short as possible for best result, else the latency and performance can drop considerateably .

 

I like the concept but the implementation seems clunky at this point. If you need to use an external monitor and keyboard to use the dock, I don't see the advantage over a desktop. At that point, you can have a much more upgradable desktop and get an inexpensive thin and light for school/work.

If you can play directly on the laptop while it's docked, the form factor seems clunky for sitting at a desk - it just wouldn't be comfortable. I think a flatter dock may be more useful in that case.

Or if you need portability and the ability to game, just get a GS60. By the time you'd need an upgrade, it'd be time to buy a new laptop anyway.

For me, I'd like to a see a 15" version. I think 13.3" is too small - at least for me.

Bottom line for me: Good first steps, but not really usuable. Future iterations could make this into a great concept though.

 

Alienware 15 seems to be the perfect laptop for you.

I was considering this laptop when Alienware decided to launch their new lineup with quad core proccys.

 

Definitely an interesting option. Not a huge fan of Dell though - even if it is Alienware.

Better concept though.

 

The alienware 15 is massive. Its heavy and large. The only benefit is that it can be docked.

 

It's my college laptop btw, will AW 15 be too large for me to take to classes. It does have a huge battery. It should last longer than MSI GS 30.

 

15" is fine as long as the weight since its weight is just about 9 pounds.
I used to carry 12-pound of NB back in college days plus textbooks, so 9 pounds is very acceptable.

 

I hear you - I had an old 11lb sager as my first laptop. When I was younger it was no problem, plus the fact that no other laptop had desktop CPUs at the time made it worthwhile. Now I'm old and won't consider anything over 4lbs. Msi should really market this to old people

 

I have a Y500 right now(not in college right now) and I feel the weight is acceptable. I think this one is a little bit lighter.

 

It just weighs 2.65lbs so very light.

 

Interesting news here: TechRadar: Hands On MSI GS30

This would be great. I currently use 3 displays (laptop display, and 2 externals). Not being able to leverage the laptop screen is a waste of a screen.

The only other thing that would make this perfect for me is not having to shut down to dock/undock.

 

I wonder if the laptop USB ports will be available when docked.

 

Good review here: Review: MSI GS30 Shadow with GamingDock - Laptop - HEXUS.net - Page 16

Disappointed in the battery life (3.5 hours) and fan noise when the laptop is undocked. Would really like to use the laptop as a true thin-and-light.

 

Holy.....Man reviewers now a days use the most exaggerated terms ever.

I read the full review and it seems the laptop is amazing! It kept its performance on par with with a desktop using Intel Core i7 4770K and GTX 980. When both were using the same GPU, the GS30 even had better performance.

They mention mediocre battery life at 3.5 hours of continously looking 720p video at half brightness.... when you are using your laptop with an even lower load like just office programs etc, expect near 5 hours of battery. My Asus N550 is also a 4 cell battery laptop and it lasts me between 3 and 5 hours. Hardly "mediocre". Specially with that CPU power.

Also temps are pretty good so far, I suspect the power envelope is limiting the CPU when stress testing it, but so far it has shown to compete with a desktop 4770k in gaming, and temps are in the 80s... which is very good.

I don't know about fan noise but it just seems to me like grasping at straws. This niche GS30 is showing great promise for a new product. Lets see how it develops. So far the docking seems to be working as intended and the performance is there. Hopefully it will evolve into other notebooks

 

Xotic PC has listed the laptop with GTX TITAN Z. Does this mean that the laptop will support SLI cards. If that's true then this laptop must be capable of 4K gaming.

 

Since the GeForce GTX TITAN Z fits into a single PCIe slot it should work with no problems. However since we have not been able to test it yet that may change.

 

What are the possible things that could go wrong? Juice?

 

Not much that can go wrong honestly, we are confident in it enough to add that in as an option. But until everything is tested we can't be 100% sure.

 

Yeah, any GPU, even if its a dual gpu, as long as it fits a single PCB (and is not using water cooling) and its size is not bigger than what the case can hold, it should work. Though I am not sure how much juice the docking station can pump out for such dual GPUs.

Even a single GTX980 can play 4k, albeit fighting hard to reach 30fps!

 

Hm.....Thoughts about GS30 as a college laptop?