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An early look at Ivy Bridge motherboards: or, the side order without the main
Ssshh. Ivy Bridge is officially still a mystery, remember? Nevertheless, through some quirk of chronology, the accompanying Z77 chipset for motherboards has already been announced. If there's a reason for this early entrance, it's probably because Z77 is backwards compatible with Sandy Bridge, which means that the latest crop of motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI can be considered fully-fledged products in their own right. Well, kind of, anyway. In reality, some of the key selling points of Z77 won't get activated until you clamp on Ivy Bridge silicon -- including PCIe 3.0 support (hitherto only found on X79 big-momma-boards), so the real testing can't begin in earnest until the new kid arrives. With that caveat out of the way, read on for a quick review round-up.
Sharif Sakr04.09.2012
MSI outs new GT60 / GT70 gaming laptops, we go hands-on (video)
MSI already popped up on the rumor-radar this week, and now it's confirmed a pair of new gaming laptops at CeBIT. The main difference between the new boys -- that we can see so far, at least -- is the display, with the GT70 sporting 17 inches against the GT60's 15. Both rock an eye-tingling rainbow-effect "SteelSeries" keyboard, as well as some gaming focused hardware. If one hard drive simply isn't enough, then the G-series' support for two SSDs in a RAID 0 configuration, alongside a regular HD, should definitely keep you going -- and support for up to 32 gigs of RAM should help things tick along nicely. We don't have detailed processor specs to share, unfortunately, and the models that MSI had on-hand at the show were simply mock-ups with older components.After walking up to the duo, the first thing we noticed is how large they are -- especially after spending the day with a handful of Ultrabooks and tablets. The GT60 and GT70 aren't giants in the gaming world, but compared to other slim form-factor devices on offer, these are absolute monsters. We suspect this isn't so much of an issue, however, if you are in the market for this type of machine. The large size isn't wasted, either, with the both housing three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports (only one for the GT60), an SDHC card slot, and full audio in, out, microphone and headphone ports for audio connectivity, plus an optical drive in each. The final machines will likely have Ivy Bridge processors and are penned in for an April release (provided that Intel's latest-gen processors hit the market by then). You'll be able to pick up the GT60 for around €1,999 (about $2,630), with the GT70 coming in at €2,299 (roughly $3,025). Scoot on past the break to catch our hands on with the pair.%Gallery-149718%
James Trew03.06.2012
MSI GT780 GX rumored specs appear online
There's no official word about this laptop, and if any of you are caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge. Still, you can't stop a good rumor, which is why details have emerged about a supercharged edition of MSI's GT780DX that dials the original hardware up to 11. The GTI 780GX has a 17.3-inch 1600 x 900 display (with the option to boost it to 1920 x 1080) and weighs a workout-worthy 3.85kg. Justifying that heft is a Core i7 Extreme Edition 2920XM CPU which'll hit 4.16GHz in Turbo mode, thanks to a "Cooler Boost" heat-sink that'll stop the laptop from singeing your flares. Paired up with such a meaty chip is 16GB of DDR3 RAM, a GeForce GTX570M (itself with 3GB of DDR5 inside) and space for two (two!) HDDs that each hold up to 750GB. You'll also get a Steelseries gaming keyboard, THX Sound and a 9-cell battery. Given that the laptop doesn't officially exist yet, there's no word on pricing or availability but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
Daniel Cooper03.05.2012
MSI launches GT783 gaming laptop, burns through Battlefield 3 with GTX 580M GPU
Another day, another behemoth of a laptop packing some super-charged components for the demanding, but mobile, gamer out there. Underneath the hood of the MSI GT783 series is a quad-core 2.2GHz Core i7 2670QM along with a 2GB GTX 580M GPU for some pixel-punishing performance. Both machines also boast a 17.3-inch 1080p screen but, while the cheaper GT783R settles for 12GB of RAM and a pair of 750GB drives in a RAID array, the GT783 ups the ante to 16GB of DDR3 and trades in one of those spinning platters for a 128GB SSD. Both are pretty beastly portables (both figuratively and literally, at 8.6 pounds) and are also available as part of a limited edition bundle featuring Battlefield 3, a headset, a mouse and a few other extras. The GT783R and GT783 are available now for $2,300 and $2,500 respectively but, before you rush off to order yours, check out the PR after the break.
Terrence O'Brien01.05.2012
MSI launches Big Bang-XPower II motherboard for militant overclockers
Motherboards sporting Intel's X79 chipset are finally starting to make a decent dent in the marketplace and, after showing off a pair of options at IDF, MSI is back with a model for the serious builders out there. The Big Bang-XPower II comes packing the features you'd expect of any gamer-friendly MoBo, including four-way SLI and CrossFire support, PCIe 3.0, eight DDR3 slots and plenty of extra power connectors for hooking up your high-powered parts. And the company is taking care of overclockers too with military grade components and features like Direct OC, which lets you tweak your CPU's frequency with the push of a button. Check out the PR after the break and hit up the source for a few more pics.
Terrence O'Brien01.04.2012
Overclock your MSI motherboard using your iPhone, iPad or Touch
Do overclockers tend to carry iPhones? Some do, surely, which is why MSI has released Afterburner for all iOS devices over at the App Store. Like the Android version we reported a while back, it hooks up to the main Afterburner utility on your PC to allow remote tweaking and monitoring of your MSI motherboard. You don't even have to touch your case to clear the static.
Sharif Sakr11.10.2011
MSI infuses more gaming juice into its G Series notebooks with processor refresh
They may have barely finished component convalescence after being kitted out with NVIDIA's GTX 570M, but MSI's GT780DXR and GT683DXR are getting yet another technical leg-up. This time, the processors are being nudged up to an Intel Core i7-2670QM, replacing the Core i7-2630QM we found on these gaming rigs last time we met. The ultra slim X460 series will also get the same CPU refresh. We'll admit, it's a pretty gentle update, but it should help keep MSI's latest offerings close to the bleeding edge of high-end laptops.
Mat Smith10.14.2011
MSI GT683DXR review
Razer Blade: hands-on with 17 inches of gaming greatness NVIDIA reports Q3 earnings ASUS G74SX-A1 gaming laptop gets rated, loves a bit of Battleship While the jury might still be out on whether you can have a thin-and-light coupled with gaming prowess, over at MSI, it's pretty much business as usual. It's that kind of mantra that's produced the GT683DXR that lays before you, a rehash of the existing GT680 but with gussied-up internals, spearheaded by NVIDIA's GTX 570M. In our brief overview several weeks ago, we were impressed with its performance, but dismayed with its flimsy keyboard, possessed trackpad and general girthiness. So, were we completely off the mark? Or did our impressions change after spending a little more time coddled by its side? Join us in finding out, after the break. %Gallery-135844%
Dante Cesa10.10.2011
Intel Developer Forum (IDF) 2011 wrap-up
We came, we saw, we conquered -- and just like that, Intel's Developer Forum was over. Much like years past, Chipzilla was proudly beating its own drum: we saw demos of Ivy Bridge and Haswell, a healthy helping of Ultrabooks and of course its high speed interconnect du jour, Thunderbolt. But that doesn't mean we didn't see a lot of other random, mind-stimulating otherness. Did you catch all the treasures we found lurking deep within the halls of this year's show? Unfortunately, we can't tell from here, so you better hop past the break for the full listing and find out.
Dante Cesa09.20.2011
MSI demos X79 motherboards with PCI Express 3.0 and UEFI BIOS at IDF 2011 (video)
While MSI wasn't quite ready to publicly divulge all the details of its forthcoming X79-based motherboards, it was more than happy to give us a teaser. We were shown three upcoming models from the company at IDF, all toting PCI Express 3.0 slots, overclocking buttons and that snazzy UEFI BIOS. The latter makes changing settings a snap, and is carried over from the company's existing Sandy Bridge boards -- it even comes with a button that launches a browser, but unfortunately the machines in the booth weren't configured to support it. We'll know more in Q4, but in the meantime a gallery awaits you below, along with a video after the break. Myriam Joire contributed to this report. %Gallery-134332%
Dante Cesa09.19.2011
AMD Fusion tablets running Windows 8 at Build 2011: hands-on with video
You've already seen our in-depth hands-on with Samsung's Series 7 Slate, boasting an Intel processor and running Windows 8, and now it's time to give the other guys a little love. We got a chance to sit down with the folks at AMD, masters of the Fusion APU, before the Expo doors opened here at Build, and it would be an understatement to say that they're excited about getting their x86 chipsets running on Windows 8 machines. As with Samsung's Slate, AMD was showing off a pair of slates we've seen before, specifically the Acer Iconia Tab W500, running on the company's C-50 APU, and MSI's WinPad 110W, sporting the Z-01 APU. This is the first the company's seen of the Metro UI running on its chipsets, and like them, we're impressed with its performance. You'll get the same speedy boot-up here, as well as fast and fluid touch navigation. Unfortunately, they aren't giving up details on future devices, but we should see Brazos powering Windows 8 tablets, desktops , and notebooks in due time. For a look at AMD powering Windows 8, check out our video after break. %Gallery-133736%
Christopher Trout09.14.2011
MSI's GT683DXR and GT780DXR shred pixels with NVIDIA's GTX 570M (hands-on)
We might still be smitten with a certain svelte ebony beaut, but we're aware some of you require absolute maximum performance from your "portable" gaming rig. Here to heed your call for blistering frame rates is MSI, which has gone and refreshed two laptops from its gaming lineup: the 15.6-inch GT683DXR and its big brother, the 17.3-inch GT730DXR. While both retain the Core i7-2630QM from their forebears, the duo now feature NVIDIA's beefy GTX 570M with 1.5GB GDDR5. And just like their predecessors, either can be stuffed with up to 16GB of RAM, dual 500GB or 750GB drives and a Blu-ray burner. Also on board is a premium sound system from Dynaudio, four USB ports (two of the 3.0 variety), Gigabit Ethernet, VGA and HDMI sockets and, of course, 802.11b/g/n WiFi. They're on sale now, starting at $1,699 for the 15-incher and $1,799 for the 17-inch variant. MSI was kind enough to send us the smaller and lighter of the two, so hop on past the break for our brief impressions. %Gallery-132842% %Gallery-132847%
Dante Cesa09.07.2011
MSI X370 with AMD E-450 upgrade arrives stateside
Strip out the old E-350 Zacate APU from MSI's thin-and-light X370, replace it with a brand new 1.65GHz E-450 Llano engine with around 20 percent higher CPU and graphics benchmarks, and what do you get? The X370-205US, that's what, or equally the 206US white variant. The 13-incher just popped up at Amazon and Newegg with exactly the same $579 price tag as its vanquished predecessor, the same 1366x768 resolution, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, up to ten hours' stamina and an easy-going 3.11 pound weight that will only hurt your chiropractor.
Sharif Sakr09.07.2011
MSI's reverse fan tech keeps dust out, graphic cards chilled
We've all been there, trying in vain to remove dust caked onto the fans of componentry inside our rigs. It's mostly a fruitless endeavor, but here to save us from the horde of dust bunnies invading our graphics card is MSI's dust removal technology. Available on the company's "Lightning Xtreme" edition of the GTX580, soot is annihilated by spinning that card's fans at full throttle in reverse for thirty seconds after boot. That's apparently an effective method for flinging accumulated grime off the spinners and (hopefully) into a spot you can actually reach. Unconvinced it'll work? Well then, mosey on over to the source link bub, and prepare yourself for video proof of the fan-powered filth evisceration.
Dante Cesa09.07.2011
MSI X460 and X460DX make their slim and shiny debuts
MSI took the wraps off of two similarly named slim notebooks today. The X460 and X460DX both pack 14-inch displays, two USB 3.0 slots (and one 2.0), and shiny multitouch trackpads into 4.3 pound frames. The higher end X460 rocks an Intel Core i7 processor, WiDi 2.0 and 750GB of storage. The models are currently available, with a suggested starting price of $799.%Gallery-130951%
Brian Heater08.18.2011
MSI outs its latest GE620DX gaming laptop, orcs prepare for virtual slaughter
Spilled Mountain Dew on your last laptop during that marathon session of Starcraft II? MSI's got your back buddy, with its newly announced GE620DX. There's a serious bit of dedicated gaming punch lying under this notebook's brushed metal finish thanks to its 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M card and the audio tag team of MSI Premium Sound and THX's True Studio Pro. In addition to its 15.6-inch 1366 x 768 HD display, this "dream machine" sports a 720p camera, an HDMI out port and USB 3.0. The company's also thrown in a GPU Boost feature, which frees up the internal graphics chip should you be running any graphics-intensive apps. Unfortunately, your zerg Swarm-slaying hands will have to wait for an official price and retail date, but when you do get a hold of it, make sure to keep that caffeinated brew far from the keyboard.
Joseph Volpe07.28.2011
MSI tablet moseys on through the FCC, exposes its inner secrets
What we have here, is a decidedly low-end Android tablet from the folks at MSI (possibly a member of the Enjoy family) flying through the FCC as fast as its single-core 1GHz Cortex A8 CPU and 512MB of RAM will carry it. Inside you'll find Bluetooth and WiFi antennas, as well as enough room for a full-sized SD card, though oddly the user manual says this model (listed as MS-N0Y1) only supports sizes up to 8GB. Up front you'll find a camera for video chatting, the requisite buttons for navigating the customized version of Gingerbread, and a 10-inch screen sporting a rather uninspiring 800x480 resolution. There's a second camera around back, as well as the all important FCC tag. Check out the gallery below and hit up the source for the aforementioned user manual and a special treat -- schematics for those Android pushing internals. %Gallery-129016%
Terrence O'Brien07.23.2011
MSI's Brazos-powered WindPad 110w tablet officially up for pre-order, ships August 1st
It happened once before, but now it's in stone: MSI has just come clean with its WindPad 110w pre-order, with $599.99 grabbing you a place in line. For those who've forgotten, that price premium nets you a 10-inch panel (1280 x 800), 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 32GB solid state drive, a pair of full-size USB ports, a mini-HDMI socket, Windows 7 and AMD's Brazos processor platform. Make no mistake -- this ain't your average tablet, which may (or may not) explain the $100-above-average MSRP. Hit the links below if you'd like to make the best impulse buy of your week, but make sure you're prepared to wait on an August 1st ship date.
Darren Murph07.07.2011
MSI unveils Z68A-GD80 (G3) PCI Express 3.0 motherboard
The long-awaited debut of PCI Express 3.0 is finally here, and it's come aboard MSI's Z68A-GD80 (G3) motherboard. Rocking Intel's latest design standard, this board's packing two PCIe 3.0 -- one x16 and one x8 -- and three PCIe 2.0 slots, two USB 3.0 ports, and four DIMM slots. What's more, the board offers Click BIOS II, for a consistent interface whether you're tweaking at boot time or boosting clock speeds in Windows, and Virtu's switchable graphics. Unfortunately, for you mother lovers, there's still no word on pricing or availability for the Z68A-GD80 (G3). Full PR after the break.
Christopher Trout07.07.2011
MSI formally unveils 14-inch CX480 laptop, stops short of naming a price
We know, we know -- many of you just want to see some Llano laptops already, but that doesn't mean the flow of Sandy Bridge systems has run dry. MSI just formally outed the CX480, a brushed metal 14-incher it showed off at Computex a few weeks back. It's unclear to what extent you'll be able to configure it, but you will, at least, find multiple versions with either a Core i3-2310M or Core i5-2410M CPU. Otherwise, this 4.9-pound guy packs an NVIDIA GeForce 520M card with 1GB of video memory, HDMI and VGA output, a six-cell battery, a dedicated backup button, an "optional" USB 3.0 port, and a 5400RPM hard drive ranging in size from 320GB to 640GB. Without a price, of course, it's hard to say how sweet of a deal this is, though with that "summery" color palette, we're sure it'll pop up in the usual e-tailers well before back-to-school season gets into full swing.
Dana Wollman06.29.2011