Delivering on earlier promises, MSI is now shipping its GX70 and newest GX60 gaming laptops. The $1,299 and $1,399 laptops are the first of their kind to feature AMD's Radeon HD 8970M -- what AMD argues may be the pinnacle of mobile graphics processors. For the price though, MSI is offering a lot of mobile gaming potential for the money.
Not only are these the first laptops armed with a Radeon HD 8970M, but they are also the first to feature AMD's A10-5750 Richland APU. The 35W A10 silicon combines a Piledriver-based 2.5GHz CPU (3.5GHz Turbo) with a relatively power-saving Radeon HD 8650G for use during non-gaming sessions.
Not unlike other laptops in its class, the term "desktop replacement" is a more suitable label for the GX70. The semi-mobile gaming rig weighs a hefty 8.6 pounds and measures twice the thickness of lesser laptops (2.17-inches). However, the monstrous laptop-like object does pack a 17.3" matte 1080p display, programmable backlit SteelSeries keyboard, 5 x USB ports (3 x USB 3.0 / SuperSpeed), THX-certified speakers, slot-loading Blu-ray drive and 3 x video outputs (VGA, HDMI and mini-DisplayPort). MSI boasts GX60 and GX70 owners will be able to achieve an effective resolution of 5760 x 1080 across triple-head setups.
Gamers looking for more portability though may want to consider the GX60 instead. The laptop boasts near-identical specs and features; however, the GX60 ships with a 15.6-inch 1080p display, weighs "just" 7.7 pounds and measures 1.77-inches thick. It's also a hundred bucks less than its 17.3-inch brother at a competitive $1,299. Of course, even with its generous 9-cell battery, owners probably won't be traveling too far without their two-pound, 180W power brick.
