Review: Updated: MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K

Introduction and design

Gaming in resolutions far sharper than mere "HD" is something that gaming PCs have been able to dangle over consoles – even the PS4 and Xbox One – for some time. Now, chip makers, like Nvidia, and hardware manufacturers, in this case MSI, have bestowed that power to gaming laptop fans.

MSI helped start the trend with the hulking GT60 Dominator 3K, and recently brought the tech to a respectable size with the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K. Taking the company's recently established and well-received Ghost design and slapping a 2,880 x 1,620 IPS display on it, this machine achieves both form and function.

Better yet, at $2,099 (about £1,235, AU$2,230), MSI does it for as much as the tinier (albeit much prettier) competition: the new $2,199 (around £1,294, AU$2,337) Razer Blade. Meanwhile, the Maingear Pulse 14 $1,699 (around £1,000, AU$1,805) matches the low-end Ghost Pro 3K's price at its most expensive, but barely manages to keep up. On paper alone, this mobile gaming rig already has a lot going for it.

Design

Even better, the Ghost Pro 3K has dashing good looks going for it, too. With a lid encased in deep gray, brushed aluminum adorned by an illuminating MSI Dragon Army logo, the laptop rides a fine line between subtle cool and unabashed gamer appeal. The same material covers the notebook' keyboard deck, but doesn't enclose the entire machine.

If you wanted a unibody design, look to the Razer Blade. The Ghost Pro 3K is out to save you a few bucks while still maintain a bit of cool factor. That said, the base of the unit is a black plastic with plenty of vents and small, downward-facing speakers that produce loud, but overall thin audio. As with most gaming laptops, bring a pair of headphones.

That being the case, what you see above the SteelSeries, island-style keyboard replete with numeric keypad are intake vents for two large cooling fans underneath. Just above that is a fantastically shiny, glowing power button and a rather thick plastic bezel wrapping around the 15.6-inch WQHD+ panel.

Despite some conceits to cut costs both for MSI and the consumer, the Ghost Pro 3K achieves a premium look and feel throughout. If it weren't for the bold, red dragon logo that lights up and effectively screams "gamer over here," I wouldn't think twice about pulling this machine out at the airport or on a train.

Three cheers for 3K

Even when you're not gaming – and more on that in a bit – the WQHD+ panel on the Ghost Pro 3K makes everything else look absolutely gorgeous. Of course, Windows 8.1 must be magnified by at least 150% to compensate for the plethora of pixels, but text and images nevertheless look stunning.

The viewing angles on this display are incredibly wide, as you should expect from any IPS screen. That makes this gaming laptop ideal for couch co-op play, though at that point you're likely to just hook it up to an HDTV anyway.

At any rate, rest assured that the only diminishing return on a screen this sharp is the included price. It's important to consider whether such a pixel-dense panel is even necessary, especially when gaming at said resolution. But before we get into that, let's see what MSI managed to produce for the price.

Specifications

Like I've said, it's no joke that not all gaming notebooks need be desktop replacements, and you're not sacrificing much these days in buying a more svelte solution. If you're looking for a thin-and-light gaming laptop, the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K is a fine stop to make along that route judging from dimensions alone.

Measuring 16.5 x 11.3 x 0.85 inches (W x D x H) and weighing just 4.36 pounds, the Ghost Pro 3K might be the thinnest 15-inch gaming rig around. (MSI certainly claims that it's the lightest.) It's slimness is only bested by the latest Razer Blade. While a smaller 14-inch unit, this laptop comes in at an astonishing 13.6 x 9.3 x 0.70 inches and a slightly more dense 4.47 pounds.

For comparison's sake to the average-sized gaming clamshell, the Maingear Pulse 14 fits under a tape measure at 13.31 x 9.5 x 1 inches and sits on the scale at just 3.8 pounds on average. But again, that's a 14-inch model – remember, the Ghost Pro happens to be one of the first of its kind.

Now, on to what MSI managed to cram inside such a slim and stylish suit of armor. Here's how the review unit sent to TechRadar was configured:

Spec sheet

• CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710HQ (quad-core, 6MB cache, up to 3.5GHz with Turbo Boost)


• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M (3GB GDDR5 RAM), Intel HD Graphics 4600


• RAM: 16GB DDR3L (1,600Mhz)


• Screen: 15.6-inch, 2,880 x 1,620 WQHD+ IPS (with MSI Matrix Display support)


• Storage: 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD (7,200 rpm)


• Ports: 3 x USB 3.0, HDMI-out, mini DisplayPort, RJ-45 Ethernet, 3-in-1 card reader, microphone-in and audio-out ports, SPDIF port


• Connectivity: Intel dual-band wireless-AC 7260 (802.11ac Wi-Fi), Bluetooth 4.0


• Camera: 720p webcam


• Weight: 4.36


• Size: 16.5 x 11.3 x 0.85 inches (W x D x H)

Apparently, it takes a lot to get thin. Again, this configuration would cost you a cool $2,099 (about £1,235, AU$2,230). While there are more budget-friendly options starting at $1,699 (around £1,000, AU$1,805), none of them come packing that gorgeous 3K screen. (More on the merits of such a screen later.) If you want even more solid-state storage, MSI offers an option with two 128GB SSDs in RAID-0 configuration for an extra 100 bucks.

When it comes to pricing, both the Razer Blade and Maingear Pulse 14 are in leagues of their own, but represent the spectrum of ultraportable gaming laptops pretty well. The former comes in at the low end for a whopping $2,199 (about £1,294, AU$2,337) with just a single 128GB SSD. That's accompanied by a slightly slower 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-4702HQ chip, a matching GTX 870M GPU and half as much RAM behind an even sharper 14-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 QHD+ touchscreen.

On the other hand, the most expensive Pulse 14 tops out at $1,699 (around £1,000, AU$1,805) with a similar 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-4702QM CPU and a matching 16GB of RAM, but just a GTX 850M graphics chip. That said, Maingear does offer 256GB of solid-state storage in addition to a 1TB mechanical drive.

It's pretty clear which of these three mobile gaming rigs offers the best value. While the Razer Blade offers unparalleled style and features, it drives the asking price up a wall. Inversely, the Maingear Pulse 14 just doesn't offer enough at its high end for what an entry-level GS60 Ghost costs. (It doesn't even have a backlit keyboard.)

Of course, all of these acronyms and buzzwords are only as good as what they net you. Let's see whether the GS60 Ghost Pro packs the power to back up its panache.

Performance

Getting right to the point, it's worth wondering what kind of frame rates you can get out of a mobile gaming setup with such a sharp screen. More on that in a bit, but first, you're naturally going to do more on such a device than just play games. So, here's how MSI's latest performed on our suite of tests:

Benchmarks

• 3DMark: Ice Storm: 100,052; Cloud Gate: 16,865; Fire Strike: 4,334


• Cinebench CPU: 645 points; Graphics: 97.26 fps


• PCMark 8 Home: 2,885 points


• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 2 hours, 4 minutes


• Bioshock Infinite (1080p, Ultra): 53.54 fps; (1080p, Low): 168.45 fps


• Metro: Last Light (1080p, Ultra): 18 fps; (1080p, Low): 75 fps

For the sake of standardization, we test all gaming products on a 1920 x 1080 baseline for benchmarks. That said, the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K produced far better numbers than the Maingear Pulse 14, which scored a measly 41.58 and 11.01 fps on BioShock Infinite and Metro: Last Light at Ultra settings, respectively. (We've yet to test the Razer Blade, unfortunately.)

All around, the Ghost Pro 3K destroyed our benchmarks, though the Pulse 14 scored a slightly superior 2,957 on PCMark 8 and lasted 15 minutes longer on the battery test. What that means for general performance is a machine that will be able to handle multitudes of open programs at once, thanks to its quad-core CPU and gobs of RAM.

Gaming at 3K

The main draw of this Ghost Pro is its ability to play games at resolutions beyond mere "HD". But given that mobile GPUs still have a hard time pushing stable frame rates in the most demanding games at 1080p, how does that all shake out? Not all at that bad.

Playing World of Warcraft at native resolution and the sliders all pushed to the right is one thing. (One glorious, gorgeous thing at over 60 frames per second, might I add.) But ruining robots with rocket salvos at, say, Titanfall at WQHD+ resolution is another beast entirely.

That said, the Ghost Pro managed to produce a perfectly playable 36 fps in the brand new mecha-shooter at its native pixel count. However, that wasn't before bringing the texture detail down from "Ultra" at 1080p to "High", with v-sync at double buffered, 2x MSAA, about 30% draw distance and the rest of its settings notched at "High".

While it's not a terrible sacrifice to play one of the latest games at a post-HD resolution, you'll have a much easier time at standard 1080p. Plus, I expect the GTX 870M to only have a tougher time with later releases at 2,880 x 1,620, like Dragon Age: Inquisition and The Witcher 3.

Leave your lap out of it

MSI makes a big stink of its dual-fan thermal cooling design found inside the GS60 Ghost Pro. Easily mistaken for a speaker grill, the row of perforations on the notebook's keyboard deck are actually intake vents for two fans that work double time whenever the GPU or CPU are under heavy load.

Vents on either side of the unit are said to dissipate heat at a 45-degree angle to avoid contact with your hands. In practice, neither do much to keep the laptop cool while gaming. After just a few minutes of playing any game, the upper left side of the keyboard down to about the Escape key reaches painful temperatures.

The machine was so hot to the touch that, frankly, I was afraid to test how it felt on my lap for fear of my future reproductive health. While heat like this isn't terribly surprising from a gaming laptop this slim, and MSI successfully kept the area underneath the keyboard itself cool, it's worth a warning for sure.

Don't count on the battery

It's point that's getting tiresome to reiterate, but don't expect any sort of decent endurance from a 15.6-inch gaming laptop, period. Save for last year's more premium 14-inch Razer Blade lasting up to 6 hours in some cases, don't be surprised by gaming laptop times that barely reach over 2 hours.

Naturally, MSI's latest thin-and-light option is no exception, lasting just 2 hours and 58 minutes in my testing. That time was reported on the Balanced power setting with Bluetooth and the backlit keyboard disabled. The screen brightness was at 50%, while streaming high-bitrate music, running TweetDeck, HipChat and over 10 Google Chrome tas at a time with a USB mouse connected.

If you want to eke another 30 minutes or so, crank down the screen even further, but don't hold out for this thing to ever last for long untethered from its power cord. Given its light weight and thinness, however, I might expect a little more endurance to match the laptop's design.

Snappy SteelSeries, sucky SmartPad

MSI places a lot of focus on its partnership with PC peripheral maker SteelSeries for its keyboards, and rightfully so. The deal has been a boon for the company, producing some of the best gaming laptop keyboards that I've ever tapped on, and the Ghost Pro serves up no surprises there.

Beyond just the robust backlighting options and SteelSeries Engine software (more on that in a moment), the keyboard offers simply punchy returns on my presses and is well-spaced. The backlighting is bright and attractive, and the keys' matte surface prevented many a typo.

The ElanTech SmartPad-brand touchpad, however, was ultimately a disappointment. It may look spiffy – with its chrome trim and spacious, textured surface – but it's simply inferior to Synaptics. Multi-touch gestures, namely two-finger scrolling, were a pain to pull off with any regularity. While you're going to hook up a gaming mouse anyway, it's a sore-eye on an otherwise solid mobile gaming rig.

Bundled software

MSI doesn't stuff its gaming rigs with much in the way of free apps, otherwise known as bloatware, but it does offer some a few useful tools. Here are the most notable:

• Dragon Gaming Center: This hub allows you to track your PC's performance and easily access background processes to free up system resources.


• Killer Network Manager: Lets you allocate network adapter bandwidth to specific apps and games – ideal for online gaming and content streaming.


• SteelSeries Engine: Customize your keyboard's lighting and macro layout through this app, and share your set-ups with fellow users.


• XSplit Gamecaster: MSI offers 6 months free of this easy-to-use, resource-friendly live streaming service, with licenses starting at $14.95 (about £8.83, AU$15.94) for three months.

Verdict

The MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K is as close as you're going to get to a premium gaming laptop without the matching price tag. Over $2,000 for a mobile gaming machine sounds like a lot of money – and it definitely is – but for the hardware you're getting, it's tough to beat.

Sure, the chassis isn't a unibody aluminum enclosure, and the bezel is quite thick when compared to the Razer Blade. But the sturdiness of the build is spot on, and the Ghost Pro 3K offers so much more hardware inside for $100 less.

But regardless of its intense value play, seriously consider how important 3K gaming is to you before picking one of these thin and light monsters. At such a small screen size, I'd argue that gaming at WQHD+ isn't all that prettier than 1080p, considering the cost.

We liked

I fell in love with the Ghost Pro design back when it was still in the prototyping phase at CES 2014, and nothing has changed about that since. MSI has achieved a premium look and feel for a fraction of the cost of its competitors, namely Alienware and Razer. This is thanks to subtle touches, like brushed aluminum on the lid and keyboard deck, plus an illuminated logo and power button.

MSI and Nvidia have together proven that 3K gaming is possible on mobile setups, albeit with a few conceits to texture detail and other settings. Is it worth it? That's up to how much stock you put in resolution. What's important is that it can be done, and within reason.

This gaming laptop is a great value even at the high end, but starting at just $1,699 for the 1080p version with a GTX 860M is a steal in comparison. At the moment, the Ghost Pro is no doubt one of the 15-inch gaming notebooks to beat.

We disliked

One knock against this machine is that, given its super slim design, it's in no way safe to play games with on your lap. (Dudes especially, you've been warned.) While MSI's cooling efforts and component placement go a long way, it's not enough to prevent scorching temperatures up near the hinge.

Gaming in 3K on a laptop is certainly possible, but is it really necessary on a 15-inch screen? Considering the extra cost and sacrifices to in-game settings needed to make it happen, I'd say "not really." Perhaps this will change with a possible 900M series of Nvidia mobile graphics chips, but it's just not yet worth it.

Finally, I would have expected more battery life from a machine that's designed to better fit in a backpack and easier on the spine. It is a gaming laptop, after all, and as such shouldn't be expected to challenge the 13-inch MacBook Air any time soon. But an extra hour or two would have been nice – again, cue the 1080p model.

Final verdict

Whether you settle for the FHD model or spring for 3K gaming, the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K is one 15-inch gaming laptop to beat. Though, while an undoubtedly impressive feat, beyond-HD gaming is neither something I'd call a must-have feature nor will it be all that great on this series of cards come 2015 and beyond.

Just don't expect the endurance of an Ultrabook from this rig. And gentlemen, for the sake of your future spawn, don't play with this thing on your lap without protection. (I mean a laptop cooler, you gutterhead!)

The GS60 Ghost Pro 3K is not only a beauty to behold, it offers more hardware in nearly as premium a package as the big boys. But unless you're seriously intent on getting into post-HD gaming right now, save yourself a few hundred bucks and opt for the 1080p version.

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