MSI adds a GeForce GTX 1050 option to its thin and light Stealth gaming laptop
This thin and light has some gaming chops.
MSI introduced a new SKU to its GS63 Stealth laptop family. The newest model (GS63 7RD Stealth) features the same slim design measuring 14.96 x 9.8 x 0.69 inches and weighing 3.96 pounds, but packs a more affordable GeForce GTX 1050 GPU inside.
As to how affordable, that bit is still a mystery—MSI did not announce pricing or availability. That will depend on the exact configuration, and we suspect that MSI will offer several variants.
The GS63 Stealth has a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display rated to deliver 100 percent coverage of the sRGB color space (72 percent NTSC). This is powered by an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor based on Intel's Kaby Lake architecture.
Memory and storage options are where the models will separate themselves. The GS63 can be equipped with up to 32GB of DDR4-2400 RAM and can accommodate a single 2.5-inch drive and an M.2. drive. Based on MSI's other models, most configurations are likely to pair a 128GB of 256GB SSD with a 1TB hard drive, or thereabouts.
External connectivity consist of three USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and a USB 2.0 port. It also has HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2 outputs.
Other features include Killer-powered 802.11ac Wi-Fi and LAN connectivity, Bluetooth 4.1, a SteelSeries keyboard with full-color backlight, and Windows 10 Home or Pro.
The obvious concern with thin and light laptops is cooling. In this case, there are three fans and five heatpipes to keep the internal bits from cooking themselves. MSI claims it's a low-noise system, too.
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Whether this is a laptop to consider or not will come down to price. A GeForce GTX 1050 does not leave a lot of headroom for gaming into the future, but if priced right (aggressively), this could be an option for gamers on a budget.
Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).