External keyboard, display, and mouse FTW. Since the integrated laptop display doesn't work, this is really just a different take on a system where you dock it with a complete set of peripherals.
Oh great. They made a dock that you can put a regular GPU into but makes the laptop unusable. Since you have to buy a monitor and a keyboard you might as well buy a regular PC (which also fits regular GPUs).
Regular PC would take up more room, require buying a CPU and memory and HDD and mobo. You're still using those from the laptop. Not to mention the files and settings you don't have to sync.
Also, USB 3.1 doesn't have nearly enough bandwidth or low enough latency. Thunderbolt possibly could've been used, but to get something equivalent to PCIe 3 x16, you'd need about... 8 Thunderbolt cables. (Though x8 would probably sufficient in most cases).
It wouldn't take that much more space and you don't need to keep it on the table, so it would take zero useful space. You can just buy a PC without the GPU and add it later, so no need to look for parts. Like i said, they can make use of more than one standard plug that's available on every PC, laptop, TV... And USB 3.1 is as fast as Thunderbolt 1.
Dude, if I want portability in gaming, I'd pick 100% gaming laptop than this joke. If I have to sit down on my desk using the dock for more power I'd just make myself a powerful Xbox sized mini-ITX gaming pc (look for Silverstone RVZ01). Gaming on the go with the laptop? Pfft come on, what can Iris 5200 do in gaming? Even Dell solution is better since they put a GTX860M on it. The dock use its own psu, not a battery, means when the laptop is docked it is no different than a gaming desktop. Since the laptop itself is not a powerful gaming machine on the go, it is justified that a gaming laptop or a portable mini itx desktop is better. Now, before you become sarcastic, maybe use that head of yours a little. You want to use your laptop while drinking coffee? Buy an ultrabook or regular notebook. You want more power when sitting on your desk? Buy a gaming pc. Together they cost less than this $2000 price tag for a crippled gaming machine. Remember, this is intended as a gaming laptop, but come with a weak gpu, Iris 5200, that means gaming on the go where you rely on your laptop battery is absolutely impossible (except if you consider playing chess on your gaming laptop is gaming on the go).
It wouldn't. That's what i'm saying. They missed their mark. If you buy this you need to buy every peripheral that you buy for a PC. Might as well own both PC and Laptop. That way you have more power at the desk and you can spill coffee on your laptop at Starbucks.
Clearly you're not part of the target market, but I've been waiting for eGPU (even eCPU would be nice) for about 8 years. Most of my work is done in my office, but occasionally I have to work remotely without internet access and don't know what files/data/software I'll need. It's invaluable to have my entire computer with me in these instances, even if the performance takes a huge hit.
So why does it have two giant honkin stereo speakers? So you can have it on one side of your External Monitor, Mouse, KB setup? The useless laptop is flat on top so you cant even use it as a monitor stand.
it probably would be just as bad as not having it because, despite the IPS screen, having the laptop screen above the dock means you really won't be able to see very well, thus necessitating an external display, really.
While both this and the Alienware 13 are obviously both first-generation products, the ideal machine of this kind would be one which connects to the dock like the Alienware, with a cable, thus removing any ergonomic problems and allowing for more flexibility, while having the internals of the GS30: a powerful i7 instead of a measly ultra-low voltage i5 and no dedicated card inside the laptop so that the costs are lower and because it is practically redundant in a large number of cases.
I've been waiting for real workable eGPUs to come for so dang long.
It is truly a shame that they're all proprietary due to Intel not allowing thunderbolt to be used this way. Heartbreaking, really.
Time to step up Asus, Acer, MSI, Gigabyte, Dell, Lenovo, Clevo-- we need a standard! Obviously thunderbolt isn't it. So work together and draft a new one, go through a RFC process, and make this happen the right way. You'll ALL benefit.
Keep in mind that Thunderbolt would limit performance as it doesn't offer the full bandwidth of an x16 PCIe 3.0 slot. In fact, a single PCIe 1.0 lane can transmit 250MB/s (2 Gbps) bidirectionally, and PCIe 3.0 bumps that up to nearly four times the bandwidth (a bit less than 8Gbps bidirectional), so at best Thunderbolt 2.0 offers something like the equivalent of an x2 PCIe 3.0 connection or x4 PCIe 2.0. It's enough to get started, but there will be a performance bottleneck with external GPUs.
My personal belief: Intel isn't just "killing" external GPUs because they're a bit mean monopoly. I think there are some real hurdles to doing external GPUs over Thunderbolt and the potential for problems is enough that Intel doesn't want to open that can of worms. I believe Windows and the GPUs are at least part of the problem as well (unloading/loading drivers in Windows, and connecting/disconnecting GPUs on the fly).
TL;DR: It's messy and a very niche problem, so none of the big companies are really putting a lot of effort into solving this.
The performance gap isn't zero, but it's actually pretty small. Even expresscard eGPU solutions offer vastly improved performance over most mobile GPUs, and expresscard is essentially pci-e 1.0 1x. There have been lots of articles about this, I'm sure you've seen them so I won't go into more detail.
Expresscard hacked eGPUs work without any "cooperation" from GPU driver developers or Microsoft. Nvidia cards just work, with Optimus. If intel allowed thunderbolt 2.0 eGPU enclosures to be sold, they would work just fine.
None of the big companies are putting any effort into solving this because they (so far Dell and MSI) see it as a way to differentiate their gaming laptops from the dozens of otherwise nearly identical competitors. They don't see the bigger picture, that they could sell more laptops if they offered greater functionality.
Of course eGPU enclosures would be a whole new product category, too. With a real standard the chinese would churn them out cheaply, sure. Margins would be tight. But making laptops better at gaming makes the market healthier for everybody... and consumers would love it.
No it wouldn't. They can already make DisplayPort signal run on a USB 3.1 cable. The 3.1 has specified how to run other signals through. All it takes now is to make the GPU driver work with it and allow hot plugging.
"All it takes now is to make the GPU driver work with it and allow hot plugging." Lol, all it takes indeed. Hotplugging would require a new version of windows. PCIE has a limit in length because of signal issues so you would either need a very short usb3.1 cable or a special pcie usb3.1 cable with active circuitry like thunderbolt. Why do you think thunderbolt has active cables? Because pcie wouldnt work properly otherwise.
Didn't know about the active cables, but i do know that PCIe is not hotpluggable and Apple solved it with a driver (for external HDD). And yes. I would expect the cables bundled with the case to be about half a meter in length. With the case sitting next to your laptop (or behind it) you don't need more. It's not something you would use on the go anyway, since you need an outlet.
What about USB Type C (3.1)? I've been reading on Anandtech that one of the 'alternate modes' is PCIE-Express but I have always wondered, does that mean that Type C can actually act as an interface for external GPUs?
That's an excellent point, the "alternate mode" supports up to 10 GBps on each of 4 lanes with short cables. Unfortunately the alternate mode stuff isn't itself part of the VESA standard, they left it up to each manufacturer to figure that out on their own.
Also it's unclear if it _really_ looks like just another pci-e device like thunderbolt and expresscards do. If not, GPU drivers would need to support it.
Maybe the right answer is a standard to extend pci-e over USB 3.1? And then we're all in happy land.
I just want to buy a macbook air and a $300 eGPU box already, dangit.
That ambiguity is probably the only thing that would keep me from buying this. While the price is obviously also an issue, I am still not sure whether I should buy this, given that in a few months time, Type C laptops will be released and, then, if someone decides to start selling external GPUs using that, I'd be stuck with a proprietary design.
I'm not very attuned to the technical stuff but since what you say seems to suggest that it is technically/theoretically possible, even if they need drivers, I can't imagine it being too hard. I mean, Nvidia releases drivers for each new game release almost every two weeks! With someone like this, imagine using a Surface Pro with a proper graphics card. If it was done, it would boost not only gaming laptops but also the tablet industry by miles! I'd love that; a Surface Pro for my everyday University work and, when I get home, a full fledged desktop-grade graphics card for games...Man, even thinking about the possibility has me drooling!
If pricing and availability haven't been announced, then exactly what has? They've already told us about all this MONTHS ago. According to their original press release, January was when they were supposed to start selling these so when are they going to release the pricing and availability, exactly?
Heh... good question. I believe the GS30 will launch in the next month, and I think it's basically final hardware now. They're just hashing out the exact date, pricing and model specifics now.
So, while this article says pricing says that the pricing wasn't announced, a couple of other places do give prices but they aren't consistent. IGN and another site gave the price of the bundle - without a graphics card - as 1700, while another claimed it was 1999! Can you confirm any of these or are these just guesses and there is no offical word yet?
And they really should make the display usable. There is literally no reason that it shouldn't work, except to force people to buy another monitor because the Alienware 13 has almost exactly the same setup - except the cable vs laptop physically connecting to the dock - and the laptop display works without any problems there.
friends don't let friends buy MSI. its not the hardware nor the customer service, its their horrible warranty policy. need to send in a hardware part that has failed? you will get it back in 4-6 weeks. want a cross return (industry standard) NOPE. only on your SECOND return. the fact that they even have this plan b option lets you know something. look at great customer service from companies like EVGA. Need a cross return? just because? not even sure your video card is really the problem? no questions asked. enjoy your cross return in standard 3-5 day shipping.
I think the first time I saw this concept, the idea of an external GPU is definitely good for gamers. However, the designer definitely did not think in a practical way since it's quite illogical to put the laptop on that dock as it is very high. So in a nutshell, if you get that laptop and dock, u will need to shell out extra money for a GPU, keyboard/ mouse and a monitor as a base. Unless the price is decent, which I doubt, you probably will be better off getting an ITX desktop and a small laptop.
Looking at the suggest prices - some sites are going as high as $2000 - it's clearly better for one to just buy a proper gaming desktop and an Ultrabook, especially when you consider the cost of buying the GPU separately. The desktop would be around 1300-1500 with a GTX 970 and CES had Ultrabooks like Asus' T300 Chi starting from 700-800 with very, very good specs.
I love this concept for those wanting to reduce the cost of owning multiple PC's for different purposes. Lightweight business/student/travel etc usage on the go and game with a big LCD and abundant SSD or HDD when at home or base. This can make a laptop replace a desktop in no time. Maybe even some tablets down the road will entertain this concept. Thumbs up
To all the haters of the MSI Laptop, go ahead and stop because this is not marketed to you. It is marketed for me. To be honest, this is about as good as it gets. If it was an 11" laptop with touchscreen I would be even more pleased. I love that they put the top of the line CPU in, though the 5th gen models will improve heat and fan noise. I would also like to see room for a single 9.5mm 2.5" hdd for storage. One other drawback is only 2 memory slots limiting to 16GB, but that's not horrible. 2xm.2 msatas is nice but I would sacrifice 1 for the others if I had it my way.
The dock is badly designed I agree. but adding a native sata, native usb 3.0 and full PCI-e 3.0 x16 is awesome. The sata is great for a lot of reasons, and honestly, I wish there were like 4 or 8 connectors to make it a true desktop setup with some hardware raid, but I like I can add my 3.5" 4TB hdd to the setup. I always prefer native hookups if I have the option.
Speakers are unnecessary since you are hooking it up to a big screen anyways. To complain that it doesn't work on the small screen, is really minor to me, I don't want to play BF4 on a 13" screen but rather on a 25" 2560x1080p screen on ultra aa all the way. With a bigger keyboard I already own.
I also don't video game when Im out,, because Im out... and if Im going to some convention, or a place where we are setup for gaming,, I can pack a shoeboxed sized dock in a camera looking bag. I can bring my own monitor or hook it up to ANY TV or monitor found anywhere with appropriate adapters. Even Widi for nongaming hookups.
I like that it is a super powerhouse minus the graphics in a very small form. My current PC setup is this. I have my monster desktop with a 970 custom built all the way. I also have a Dell Venue Pro Tablet which I need because it allows me to do some more serious work on the go. It's small portable and convenient to carry. I am no fan of synching files and the Dell is slightly underpowered for me, but ultra convenient.
I'm waiting on the 2m model to arrive and I'm getting one, as long as its reasonably priced. On a certain website I found a deal for 1699 that includes dock and 970. if the pricing stays like that Im on it.
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Gunbuster - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Ergonomics fail right there with the laptop sitting a foot up in the air on your desk...JarredWalton - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
External keyboard, display, and mouse FTW. Since the integrated laptop display doesn't work, this is really just a different take on a system where you dock it with a complete set of peripherals.SleepyFE - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Oh great. They made a dock that you can put a regular GPU into but makes the laptop unusable. Since you have to buy a monitor and a keyboard you might as well buy a regular PC (which also fits regular GPUs).SleepyFE - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Forgot to mention, it's also useless because it has a proprietary plug. Should make use of USB 3.1, maybe two of them just in case.chaosbloodterfly - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Regular PC would take up more room, require buying a CPU and memory and HDD and mobo. You're still using those from the laptop. Not to mention the files and settings you don't have to sync.Also, USB 3.1 doesn't have nearly enough bandwidth or low enough latency. Thunderbolt possibly could've been used, but to get something equivalent to PCIe 3 x16, you'd need about... 8 Thunderbolt cables. (Though x8 would probably sufficient in most cases).
SleepyFE - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
It wouldn't take that much more space and you don't need to keep it on the table, so it would take zero useful space.You can just buy a PC without the GPU and add it later, so no need to look for parts.
Like i said, they can make use of more than one standard plug that's available on every PC, laptop, TV... And USB 3.1 is as fast as Thunderbolt 1.
phoenix_rizzen - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
How would your "regular PC" work while drinking coffee at Starbucks?How would your "regular PC" work while travelling?
This setup is for those who want a laptop while away from the desk, and want "moar power!!" while sitting at the desk.
ferooxidan - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
Dude, if I want portability in gaming, I'd pick 100% gaming laptop than this joke. If I have to sit down on my desk using the dock for more power I'd just make myself a powerful Xbox sized mini-ITX gaming pc (look for Silverstone RVZ01). Gaming on the go with the laptop? Pfft come on, what can Iris 5200 do in gaming? Even Dell solution is better since they put a GTX860M on it. The dock use its own psu, not a battery, means when the laptop is docked it is no different than a gaming desktop. Since the laptop itself is not a powerful gaming machine on the go, it is justified that a gaming laptop or a portable mini itx desktop is better.Now, before you become sarcastic, maybe use that head of yours a little. You want to use your laptop while drinking coffee? Buy an ultrabook or regular notebook. You want more power when sitting on your desk? Buy a gaming pc. Together they cost less than this $2000 price tag for a crippled gaming machine. Remember, this is intended as a gaming laptop, but come with a weak gpu, Iris 5200, that means gaming on the go where you rely on your laptop battery is absolutely impossible (except if you consider playing chess on your gaming laptop is gaming on the go).
SleepyFE - Thursday, January 8, 2015 - link
It wouldn't. That's what i'm saying. They missed their mark. If you buy this you need to buy every peripheral that you buy for a PC. Might as well own both PC and Laptop. That way you have more power at the desk and you can spill coffee on your laptop at Starbucks.Siress - Thursday, January 28, 2016 - link
Clearly you're not part of the target market, but I've been waiting for eGPU (even eCPU would be nice) for about 8 years. Most of my work is done in my office, but occasionally I have to work remotely without internet access and don't know what files/data/software I'll need. It's invaluable to have my entire computer with me in these instances, even if the performance takes a huge hit.gw74 - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
no. not ftw. what's opposite, ftl? I want to use my laptop with a desktop GPU. If I wanted to buy lots of extra peripherals, I'd buy a desktop.SleepyFE - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
The opposite is wtf?! (if the shoe fits).az060693 - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Doesn't matter as much because you can't even use the laptop display when it's docked :/Gunbuster - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
So why does it have two giant honkin stereo speakers? So you can have it on one side of your External Monitor, Mouse, KB setup? The useless laptop is flat on top so you cant even use it as a monitor stand.Anonymous1a - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
Yes, that is how the current setup would work. Though I suppose they will probably unlock the laptop screen in the future, itAnonymous1a - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
it probably would be just as bad as not having it because, despite the IPS screen, having the laptop screen above the dock means you really won't be able to see very well, thus necessitating an external display, really.eanazag - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
The speakers are to help drown out the desktop GPU fans sitting right next to you.Anonymous1a - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
While both this and the Alienware 13 are obviously both first-generation products, the ideal machine of this kind would be one which connects to the dock like the Alienware, with a cable, thus removing any ergonomic problems and allowing for more flexibility, while having the internals of the GS30: a powerful i7 instead of a measly ultra-low voltage i5 and no dedicated card inside the laptop so that the costs are lower and because it is practically redundant in a large number of cases.schizoide - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
I've been waiting for real workable eGPUs to come for so dang long.It is truly a shame that they're all proprietary due to Intel not allowing thunderbolt to be used this way. Heartbreaking, really.
Time to step up Asus, Acer, MSI, Gigabyte, Dell, Lenovo, Clevo-- we need a standard! Obviously thunderbolt isn't it. So work together and draft a new one, go through a RFC process, and make this happen the right way. You'll ALL benefit.
JarredWalton - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Keep in mind that Thunderbolt would limit performance as it doesn't offer the full bandwidth of an x16 PCIe 3.0 slot. In fact, a single PCIe 1.0 lane can transmit 250MB/s (2 Gbps) bidirectionally, and PCIe 3.0 bumps that up to nearly four times the bandwidth (a bit less than 8Gbps bidirectional), so at best Thunderbolt 2.0 offers something like the equivalent of an x2 PCIe 3.0 connection or x4 PCIe 2.0. It's enough to get started, but there will be a performance bottleneck with external GPUs.My personal belief: Intel isn't just "killing" external GPUs because they're a bit mean monopoly. I think there are some real hurdles to doing external GPUs over Thunderbolt and the potential for problems is enough that Intel doesn't want to open that can of worms. I believe Windows and the GPUs are at least part of the problem as well (unloading/loading drivers in Windows, and connecting/disconnecting GPUs on the fly).
TL;DR: It's messy and a very niche problem, so none of the big companies are really putting a lot of effort into solving this.
schizoide - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
The performance gap isn't zero, but it's actually pretty small. Even expresscard eGPU solutions offer vastly improved performance over most mobile GPUs, and expresscard is essentially pci-e 1.0 1x. There have been lots of articles about this, I'm sure you've seen them so I won't go into more detail.Expresscard hacked eGPUs work without any "cooperation" from GPU driver developers or Microsoft. Nvidia cards just work, with Optimus. If intel allowed thunderbolt 2.0 eGPU enclosures to be sold, they would work just fine.
None of the big companies are putting any effort into solving this because they (so far Dell and MSI) see it as a way to differentiate their gaming laptops from the dozens of otherwise nearly identical competitors. They don't see the bigger picture, that they could sell more laptops if they offered greater functionality.
Of course eGPU enclosures would be a whole new product category, too. With a real standard the chinese would churn them out cheaply, sure. Margins would be tight. But making laptops better at gaming makes the market healthier for everybody... and consumers would love it.
SleepyFE - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
You don't really need a new standard. Just a driver to make it work across a few USB cables. After that it's just a case that fits a PSU and a GPU.schizoide - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
I dunno, seems like extending pci-e over USB3 would be a bigger task than agreeing on a new standard plug and protocol. But I'm not an engineer.SleepyFE - Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - link
No it wouldn't. They can already make DisplayPort signal run on a USB 3.1 cable. The 3.1 has specified how to run other signals through. All it takes now is to make the GPU driver work with it and allow hot plugging.invinciblegod - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
"All it takes now is to make the GPU driver work with it and allow hot plugging." Lol, all it takes indeed. Hotplugging would require a new version of windows. PCIE has a limit in length because of signal issues so you would either need a very short usb3.1 cable or a special pcie usb3.1 cable with active circuitry like thunderbolt. Why do you think thunderbolt has active cables? Because pcie wouldnt work properly otherwise.SleepyFE - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
Didn't know about the active cables, but i do know that PCIe is not hotpluggable and Apple solved it with a driver (for external HDD).And yes. I would expect the cables bundled with the case to be about half a meter in length. With the case sitting next to your laptop (or behind it) you don't need more. It's not something you would use on the go anyway, since you need an outlet.
Anonymous1a - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
What about USB Type C (3.1)? I've been reading on Anandtech that one of the 'alternate modes' is PCIE-Express but I have always wondered, does that mean that Type C can actually act as an interface for external GPUs?schizoide - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
That's an excellent point, the "alternate mode" supports up to 10 GBps on each of 4 lanes with short cables. Unfortunately the alternate mode stuff isn't itself part of the VESA standard, they left it up to each manufacturer to figure that out on their own.Also it's unclear if it _really_ looks like just another pci-e device like thunderbolt and expresscards do. If not, GPU drivers would need to support it.
Maybe the right answer is a standard to extend pci-e over USB 3.1? And then we're all in happy land.
I just want to buy a macbook air and a $300 eGPU box already, dangit.
Anonymous1a - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
That ambiguity is probably the only thing that would keep me from buying this. While the price is obviously also an issue, I am still not sure whether I should buy this, given that in a few months time, Type C laptops will be released and, then, if someone decides to start selling external GPUs using that, I'd be stuck with a proprietary design.I'm not very attuned to the technical stuff but since what you say seems to suggest that it is technically/theoretically possible, even if they need drivers, I can't imagine it being too hard. I mean, Nvidia releases drivers for each new game release almost every two weeks! With someone like this, imagine using a Surface Pro with a proper graphics card. If it was done, it would boost not only gaming laptops but also the tablet industry by miles! I'd love that; a Surface Pro for my everyday University work and, when I get home, a full fledged desktop-grade graphics card for games...Man, even thinking about the possibility has me drooling!
SirKnobsworth - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
It's not four lanes - it's two bi-directional lanes.SleepyFE - Thursday, January 8, 2015 - link
USB 3.1 has 9 wires. I think they actually have 4 differential lanes.ferooxidan - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
When pcmcia card was available, we can make a DIY eGPU set up easily. Perhaps the answer already found but made obsolete because it's an old standard.Anonymous1a - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
If pricing and availability haven't been announced, then exactly what has? They've already told us about all this MONTHS ago. According to their original press release, January was when they were supposed to start selling these so when are they going to release the pricing and availability, exactly?JarredWalton - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
Heh... good question. I believe the GS30 will launch in the next month, and I think it's basically final hardware now. They're just hashing out the exact date, pricing and model specifics now.Anonymous1a - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
So, while this article says pricing says that the pricing wasn't announced, a couple of other places do give prices but they aren't consistent. IGN and another site gave the price of the bundle - without a graphics card - as 1700, while another claimed it was 1999! Can you confirm any of these or are these just guesses and there is no offical word yet?Anonymous1a - Sunday, January 4, 2015 - link
And they really should make the display usable. There is literally no reason that it shouldn't work, except to force people to buy another monitor because the Alienware 13 has almost exactly the same setup - except the cable vs laptop physically connecting to the dock - and the laptop display works without any problems there.ms-sigh - Monday, January 5, 2015 - link
friends don't let friends buy MSI. its not the hardware nor the customer service, its their horrible warranty policy. need to send in a hardware part that has failed? you will get it back in 4-6 weeks. want a cross return (industry standard) NOPE. only on your SECOND return. the fact that they even have this plan b option lets you know something. look at great customer service from companies like EVGA. Need a cross return? just because? not even sure your video card is really the problem? no questions asked. enjoy your cross return in standard 3-5 day shipping.watzupken - Tuesday, January 6, 2015 - link
I think the first time I saw this concept, the idea of an external GPU is definitely good for gamers. However, the designer definitely did not think in a practical way since it's quite illogical to put the laptop on that dock as it is very high. So in a nutshell, if you get that laptop and dock, u will need to shell out extra money for a GPU, keyboard/ mouse and a monitor as a base. Unless the price is decent, which I doubt, you probably will be better off getting an ITX desktop and a small laptop.Anonymous1a - Wednesday, January 7, 2015 - link
Looking at the suggest prices - some sites are going as high as $2000 - it's clearly better for one to just buy a proper gaming desktop and an Ultrabook, especially when you consider the cost of buying the GPU separately. The desktop would be around 1300-1500 with a GTX 970 and CES had Ultrabooks like Asus' T300 Chi starting from 700-800 with very, very good specs.TinksMeOff - Sunday, January 18, 2015 - link
I love this concept for those wanting to reduce the cost of owning multiple PC's for different purposes. Lightweight business/student/travel etc usage on the go and game with a big LCD and abundant SSD or HDD when at home or base. This can make a laptop replace a desktop in no time. Maybe even some tablets down the road will entertain this concept. Thumbs upRadioFace1982 - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
To all the haters of the MSI Laptop, go ahead and stop because this is not marketed to you. It is marketed for me. To be honest, this is about as good as it gets. If it was an 11" laptop with touchscreen I would be even more pleased. I love that they put the top of the line CPU in, though the 5th gen models will improve heat and fan noise. I would also like to see room for a single 9.5mm 2.5" hdd for storage. One other drawback is only 2 memory slots limiting to 16GB, but that's not horrible. 2xm.2 msatas is nice but I would sacrifice 1 for the others if I had it my way.The dock is badly designed I agree. but adding a native sata, native usb 3.0 and full PCI-e 3.0 x16 is awesome. The sata is great for a lot of reasons, and honestly, I wish there were like 4 or 8 connectors to make it a true desktop setup with some hardware raid, but I like I can add my 3.5" 4TB hdd to the setup. I always prefer native hookups if I have the option.
Speakers are unnecessary since you are hooking it up to a big screen anyways. To complain that it doesn't work on the small screen, is really minor to me, I don't want to play BF4 on a 13" screen but rather on a 25" 2560x1080p screen on ultra aa all the way. With a bigger keyboard I already own.
I also don't video game when Im out,, because Im out... and if Im going to some convention, or a place where we are setup for gaming,, I can pack a shoeboxed sized dock in a camera looking bag. I can bring my own monitor or hook it up to ANY TV or monitor found anywhere with appropriate adapters. Even Widi for nongaming hookups.
I like that it is a super powerhouse minus the graphics in a very small form. My current PC setup is this. I have my monster desktop with a 970 custom built all the way. I also have a Dell Venue Pro Tablet which I need because it allows me to do some more serious work on the go. It's small portable and convenient to carry. I am no fan of synching files and the Dell is slightly underpowered for me, but ultra convenient.
I'm waiting on the 2m model to arrive and I'm getting one, as long as its reasonably priced. On a certain website I found a deal for 1699 that includes dock and 970. if the pricing stays like that Im on it.