Laptop: MSI GS60 Ghost Pro or Razer Blade 2014

[Ericde95]

Hello world,

 

I am looking for a gaming/workstation laptop to order within the next few weeks. The specifications for the laptop must be:

-slim/light/portable

-1080p or greater

-able to game pretty well

-IPS (or equivalent) screen between 14 and 16 inches

-best CPU option available

-buget is not really a concern, however I would like to pay (at most) $2200 or so

 

Currently I am considering:

 

MSI GS60 Ghost Pro (see: http://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/msi-gs60-ghost-pro/ )

-3k Display

-870m

-screen is 15.6", which is a great size for me

-not available for now...

 

 

Razer Blade 14 (2014 model, see: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-blade/ )

-3k display

-touchscreen

-870m

-available but expensive

-screen too small?

 

 

What are your thoughts of these two, when can I expect to see the GS60 Ghost Pro available, and what other options should I be considering? I might want to try something past 1080p for the first time and there are not many options!

[XTankSlayerX]

Personally id go with the Razer Blade. But I think the MSI one seems like a smarter option.

[Coconut Money Affiliates]

If you can stretch the budget grab this http://www.amazon.com/G750JZ-DS71-17-3-inch-Gaming-GeForce-Graphics/dp/B00IAACWH6. It will perform about the same as an 4770 and a 4GB GTX 680 and will stomp evrything else you have listed.

 

EDIT: It is nowhere NEAR as portable as the others, just be aware of that. 

Edited April 14, 2014 by Coconut Money Affiliates

[Ericde95]

If you can stretch the budget grab this http://www.amazon.com/G750JZ-DS71-17-3-inch-Gaming-GeForce-Graphics/dp/B00IAACWH6. It will perform about the same as an 4770 and a 4GB GTX 680 and will stomp evrything else you have listed.

 

EDIT: It is nowhere NEAR as portable as the others, just be aware of that. 

Thanks for the suggestion, but yeah, its way too bulky for me! This is technically my college laptop, so I need it to work in classes/lectures!

[tryphaa]

Why don't you look at the y510 series from lenovo? Most expensive one is $1100, and has 755m sli. Outperforms what you listed.

[BennyK491]

Hey, I have a friend in the exact same boat as you, so I am super interested in hearing what people have to recommend. Will follow this thread closely.

[Ericde95]

Hey, I have a friend in the exact same boat as you, so I am super interested in hearing what people have to recommend. Will follow this thread closely.

Word , glad to hear I am not alone!

 

 

Why don't you look at the y510 series from lenovo? Most expensive one is $1100, and has 755m sli. Outperforms what you listed.

I'm not a fan, I would rather have the MSI GS60 Ghost for the size and sleekness over the Y510. Plus I think the Lenovo Y50 is > than the Y510!

[JAKEBAB]

Id go with the msi it should be out pretty soon the razerblade is way overpriced for what it is the only thing that is better about the razer blade is the touch screen which does come in handy in windows 8 on a laptop but with the real start menu coming back in an update it shouldnt be to much of a problem the ghost sounds like a much more viable option from a price/performance perspective and most college kids are looking for the best bang for there buck coz there usually pretty poor during that time in there life lol the msi gets my vote.

[Thebman712]

ailenware, if  you are willing to look like a fool in class, an ailenware isnt a bad choice, provided you get the good specs,

 

also out of the 2 the razer blade would be my choice but if you need more storage, witch if you use this as your primary machine you will need, i would go with the msi one

[Ericde95]

ailenware, if  you are willing to look like a fool in class, an ailenware isnt a bad choice, provided you get the good specs,

 

also out of the 2 the razer blade would be my choice but if you need more storage, witch if you use this as your primary machine you will need, i would go with the msi one

 

Im not a fan of Alienware at all! Sorry! My two no-no's are Alienware and Apple lol I'm not sure how much space i will have for my main desktop rig yet, so Im not sure if it is going to have to be my main rig!

 

 

Id go with the msi it should be out pretty soon the razerblade is way overpriced for what it is the only thing that is better about the razer blade is the touch screen which does come in handy in windows 8 on a laptop but with the real start menu coming back in an update it shouldnt be to much of a problem the ghost sounds like a much more viable option from a price/performance perspective and most college kids are looking for the best bang for there buck coz there usually pretty poor during that time in there life lol the msi gets my vote.

Besides your fantastic punctuation, I totally agree

[JAKEBAB]

Im not a fan of Alienware at all! Sorry! My two no-no's are Alienware and Apple lol I'm not sure how much space i will have for my main desktop rig yet, so Im not sure if it is going to have to be my main rig!

 

 

Besides your fantastic punctuation, I totally agree

yea sorry i left school in yr9 lol partly lazy partly not very good at it.

[URN]

I'd personally recommend the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition. It'll (hopefully) be released late April/early May and will be significantly cheaper than the Razer Blade. Just a 256GB SSD config of the Razer Blade will cost $2,399, and a 512GB SSD config will cost $2,699, both of which look to be outside of your budget. The GS60 will offer a much more attractive storage configuration with a 128GB SSD or maybe 256GB of RAID 0 SSD goodness, along with a 1TB 7,200RPM hard drive at around $1,999. It sounds like mostly this will be your primary machine, so the GS60's storage options and lower price should be the main selling point for you. Also, the GS60 comes with more RAM (16GB vs. 8GB). Not sure how important this is to you, but it's something.

 

I've also done some poking around and it looks like the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition may or may not have 256GB of RAID 0 SSD storage. Not sure whether it'll be 128GB or 256GB RAID 0 on the model I've been looking at. I've also seen rumors of the 870M being loaded with 6GB GDDR5 memory, which would really help it blast through the higher resolutions that the 3K display on the GS60 (the Blade would struggle w/ its higher resolution display and only 3GB GDDR5 memory). NOTHING IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS CONFIRMED.

 

Also, I personally HATE 13" and 14" screens, they are simply too small. 15.6" is a great sweet spot as it gives you a pleasing viewable screen size without adding too much weight or bulk. You should have no problem fitting a 15.6" notebook in a backpack or messenger bag. Plus, the GS60 is even lighter than the Razer Blade even though has a bigger screen and is slightly thicker.

 

However, the Razer Blade does have some features that give it an advantage over the GS60, mostly on the display. The fact that it has a very slightly higher resolution (3200x1800 vs. 2880x1620) and a smaller screen may lead to a noticeably higher pixel density and in general better visuals in games. BUT, the GS60 is already well over 200PPI, which should already look incredibly sharp, so the resolution is a big judgment call - I wouldn't be surprised if I couldn't see a difference between them. I have no idea what the fuck the "IGZO" technology on the Blade that everyone is talking about is, but both notebooks have IPS panels and should stack up pretty equally in terms of color accuracy. And of course, the Razer Blade has a touch screen. I don't know how important this is to you. A touchscreen can be helpful for professional creative usage or general work and stuff, but personally I don't need a touch screen. Windows 8 is already looking to become more notebook and desktop friendly without the need for touch, plus you can just use a trackpad to get a similar enough feeling of using Windows 8 w/ touch (Win8 works much better with a trackpad than with a mouse).

 

In general, I don't think the Blade's advantages are a viable selling point. Even if they were at the same price, I would still take the GS60 over the Blade because of the larger screen and other neat features that MSI notebooks offer (like the SteelSeries RGB programmable keyboard & Dynaudio/Sound Blaster Cinema speakers) - the touch screen and higher res are really not worth sacrificing screen size, cooling (the Blade's cooling is pretty bad), storage, and $400-$700 to me.

 

In conclusion, I really wouldn't consider the Blade unless you ABSOLUTELY need the touch screen. It costs $400 or $700 more, offers much less storage space, a smaller screen, it's heavier (but not by much), and poorer cooling.

 

...aaaaaannd that's my novel on how the GS60 is superior to the Blade.

 

Here are a couple retailer stores that have the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition available for pre-order to give you an idea of pricing and release date (I wouldn't recommend buying it from these websites, wait for Newegg or Amazon):

 

http://www.excaliberpc.com/631459/msi-gs60-ghost-pro-3k-097.html

http://www.hidevolution.com/msi-gs60-ghost-pro-3k-3gb-gtx-870m-15-6-wqhd-2880x1620.html?___store=default

[Pomfinator]

If you want to save money get the GS60. That's about the only reason why I would pick it.  The Blade is just a better product in my opinion, 14-inch vs 15.6 inch is actually a really large difference when you talk about portability.  

 

Fortunately, Apple does something right, the Macbook Pro is the perfect example of a very portable, powerful laptop, and it just so happens that the Blade is basically exactly the same size (due to bezels an whatnot).  Just think of the Blade as a black rMBP, hell even grab an Apple sticker and slap it on to fool your friends  The MSI's screen is also a very silly resolution.  I mean who the hell games at 1440x810, 3200x1800 makes much more sense as a gaming resolution.

 

I have the 1st gen 14-inch Blade and I love it, just have a bunch of buyers remorse cause 1600x900 screen (you make me sick Razer D:)

[URN]

If you want to save money get the GS60. That's about the only reason why I would pick it.  The Blade is just a better product in my opinion, 14-inch vs 15.6 inch is actually a really large difference when you talk about portability.  

 

Fortunately, Apple does something right, the Macbook Pro is the perfect example of a very portable, powerful laptop, and it just so happens that the Blade is basically exactly the same size (due to bezels an whatnot).  Just think of the Blade as a black rMBP, hell even grab an Apple sticker and slap it on to fool your friends  The MSI's screen is also a very silly resolution.  I mean who the hell games at 1440x810, 3200x1800 makes much more sense as a gaming resolution.

 

I have the 1st gen 14-inch Blade and I love it, just have a bunch of buyers remorse cause 1600x900 screen (you make me sick Razer D:)

Um... the GS60 model he's talking about has a 3K display (2880x1620)

 

What are you talking about, 1440x810? The cheapest GS60 has a 1080p display...

[Guest Emrye]

I'd go for the Razer Blade, simply because it looks better (imo) and I just like Razer as a company.

[lohjiahung]

I'd go with the Blade. It has one of the best build quality on a slim laptop like that with almost no flex. Hasn't Linus already reviewed both of them? Go check them out and maybe decide for yourself. I personally recommend the Blade over the MSI. I am typing on one right now and I can guarantee its quality. I cannot guarantee that friends and classmates won't go like "WOW! GAMING LAPTOP! SO THIN! SO COOL! IT'S BY RAZER! OMG!!!"  :rolleyes:

Maybe if you would go for something more towards gaming capabilities than portability, check out the Asus Republic Of Gamers G750JZ-DS71 I think it's called.

[Ericde95]

I'd personally recommend the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition. It'll (hopefully) be released late April/early May and will be significantly cheaper than the Razer Blade. Just a 256GB SSD config of the Razer Blade will cost $2,399, and a 512GB SSD config will cost $2,699, both of which look to be outside of your budget. The GS60 will offer a much more attractive storage configuration with a 128GB SSD or maybe 256GB of RAID 0 SSD goodness, along with a 1TB 7,200RPM hard drive at around $1,999. It sounds like mostly this will be your primary machine, so the GS60's storage options and lower price should be the main selling point for you. Also, the GS60 comes with more RAM (16GB vs. 8GB). Not sure how important this is to you, but it's something.

 

I've also done some poking around and it looks like the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition may or may not have 256GB of RAID 0 SSD storage. Not sure whether it'll be 128GB or 256GB RAID 0 on the model I've been looking at. I've also seen rumors of the 870M being loaded with 6GB GDDR5 memory, which would really help it blast through the higher resolutions that the 3K display on the GS60 (the Blade would struggle w/ its higher resolution display and only 3GB GDDR5 memory). NOTHING IN THIS PARAGRAPH IS CONFIRMED.

 

Also, I personally HATE 13" and 14" screens, they are simply too small. 15.6" is a great sweet spot as it gives you a pleasing viewable screen size without adding too much weight or bulk. You should have no problem fitting a 15.6" notebook in a backpack or messenger bag. Plus, the GS60 is even lighter than the Razer Blade even though has a bigger screen and is slightly thicker.

 

However, the Razer Blade does have some features that give it an advantage over the GS60, mostly on the display. The fact that it has a very slightly higher resolution (3200x1800 vs. 2880x1620) and a smaller screen may lead to a noticeably higher pixel density and in general better visuals in games. BUT, the GS60 is already well over 200PPI, which should already look incredibly sharp, so the resolution is a big judgment call - I wouldn't be surprised if I couldn't see a difference between them. I have no idea what the fuck the "IGZO" technology on the Blade that everyone is talking about is, but both notebooks have IPS panels and should stack up pretty equally in terms of color accuracy. And of course, the Razer Blade has a touch screen. I don't know how important this is to you. A touchscreen can be helpful for professional creative usage or general work and stuff, but personally I don't need a touch screen. Windows 8 is already looking to become more notebook and desktop friendly without the need for touch, plus you can just use a trackpad to get a similar enough feeling of using Windows 8 w/ touch (Win8 works much better with a trackpad than with a mouse).

 

In general, I don't think the Blade's advantages are a viable selling point. Even if they were at the same price, I would still take the GS60 over the Blade because of the larger screen and other neat features that MSI notebooks offer (like the SteelSeries RGB programmable keyboard & Dynaudio/Sound Blaster Cinema speakers) - the touch screen and higher res are really not worth sacrificing screen size, cooling (the Blade's cooling is pretty bad), storage, and $400-$700 to me.

 

In conclusion, I really wouldn't consider the Blade unless you ABSOLUTELY need the touch screen. It costs $400 or $700 more, offers much less storage space, a smaller screen, it's heavier (but not by much), and poorer cooling.

 

...aaaaaannd that's my novel on how the GS60 is superior to the Blade.

 

Here are a couple retailer stores that have the GS60 Ghost Pro 3K Edition available for pre-order to give you an idea of pricing and release date (I wouldn't recommend buying it from these websites, wait for Newegg or Amazon):

 

http://www.excaliberpc.com/631459/msi-gs60-ghost-pro-3k-097.html

http://www.hidevolution.com/msi-gs60-ghost-pro-3k-3gb-gtx-870m-15-6-wqhd-2880x1620.html?___store=default

 

Wow, I just saw that I had another reply. Thank you very much for the honest and in-depth review/opinion. Your thoughts have been the same as mine for quite a while. I have been doing extensive research on these two laptops. I love the build quality/looks of the Blade compared to the GS60 Pro 3k, however, the fact that it doesnt have a HDD is pretty annoying. I have been looking at my storage usage and trying to decide if I could get by with 256gb of storage only combined with transporting files onto/off-of my desktop/external HDD.

 

The fact the Blade has a touch-screen is kind of irrelevant because I probably would not use it. Maybe on start-up where it has the WIndows 8 tablet tiles, but thats about it. Therefore that is not really a "pro."

In my mind, this is the debate I am down to:

 

Blade

-the Blade has an extremely solid unibody construction and sexy looks

-screen may be too small, i am not sure...

-i like glossy panels relative to matte panels, but with a touch-screen I may feel the opposite way?

-no HDD is pretty damn annoying

-absolutely awesome battery life

-sweet screen, 1800p, IGZO so cool, so gamer, so laptop

-cooling may be an issue, but I don't game THAT much to be honest

-did I say how good it looks?

 

 

GS60 Ghost Pro 3K

-the screen is a great size (i think?), but looking at the construction, it wont feel as solid as the Blade (which is similar to a MBP).

-matte screen (which may actually be better, not sure)

-not nearly as sexy as the Blade

-has a HDD + SSD which is preferable

-battery is only 50wH compared to Blades 70wH (not terribly sure how important this truly is)

 

Another factor is timing... I am leaving for an internship in the beginning of June. I would like to have it beforehand, but I can wait if it means picking the right laptop.The Blade's are back-ordered like crazy and the Ghost Pro's arent even out yet...

 

I'd go with the Blade. It has one of the best build quality on a slim laptop like that with almost no flex. Hasn't Linus already reviewed both of them? Go check them out and maybe decide for yourself. I personally recommend the Blade over the MSI. I am typing on one right now and I can guarantee its quality. I cannot guarantee that friends and classmates won't go like "WOW! GAMING LAPTOP! SO THIN! SO COOL! IT'S BY RAZER! OMG!!!"  :rolleyes:

Maybe if you would go for something more towards gaming capabilities than portability, check out the Asus Republic Of Gamers G750JZ-DS71 I think it's called.

 

Hey there,

 

Do you have the 2014 version with the 1800p panel? If so, sell me on why I should choose the Blade over the MSI!

 

Thank you all for all of your replies,

Eric

[Hobox]

I have the same predicament between those same 2 laptops, but against the G750JZ.

 

I want Razer's the most because I want something small and light, but powerful. The issue is $2200 for only 128GB storage, 8GB RAM, and the gimped 870M with only 3GB VRAM instead of the full 6GB. It should be at least starting at 256GB. However, it has the touchscreen, wireless AC instead of just N, and a even higher resolution screen.

 

The MSI one has pretty much all better hardware for the same price and form factor essentially, but no touchscreen.

 

The G750JZ has beastly cooling that is also very quiet, and an 880M which is a lot more powerful than the 870M, but only a 1080p screen. I'm pretty upset that Asus decided to skip the screen race this generation... they could have at least put a 1440p screen in it and I would be going for that one hands down.

 

I don't know which to do :huh:

 

Edit: I can't even comprehend Razer's decision with the storage honestly. They are trying to market it as a gaming laptop... What is is a gaming laptop that can't have more than 3 games installed on it?

[Ericde95]

I have the same predicament between those same 2 laptops, but against the G750JZ.

 

I want Razer's the most because I want something small and light, but powerful. The issue is $2200 for only 128GB storage, 8GB RAM, and the gimped 870M with only 3GB VRAM instead of the full 6GB. It should be at least starting at 256GB. However, it has the touchscreen, wireless AC instead of just N, and a even higher resolution screen.

 

The MSI one has pretty much all better hardware for the same price and form factor essentially, but no touchscreen.

 

The G750JZ has beastly cooling that is also very quiet, and an 880M which is a lot more powerful than the 870M, but only a 1080p screen. I'm pretty upset that Asus decided to skip the screen race this generation... they could have at least put a 1440p screen in it and I would be going for that one hands down.

 

I don't know which to do :huh:

 

Edit: I can't even comprehend Razer's decision with the storage honestly. They are trying to market it as a gaming laptop... What is is a gaming laptop that can't have more than 3 games installed on it?

I don't even care about the touchscreen. Rather, I wanted the feel/look of the laptop. The only thing about the GS60 I like over the Blade is the storage, and possibly the 15.6" screen instead of the 14" screen.

 

Something a classmate told me to consider doing today: Buy the Blade, and then get a WD Cloud for mass-storage options. Best of both worlds, plus a Cloud when I need it! But then again, thats brings everything close to $3k...

 

I never looked at the G750s because of how freaking large they are.... not good for class.

[Ericde95]

UPDATE:

Just sent my order for a 256GB Blade! I'll use an external harddrive if I really need it, plus I should have my desktop with me. I went to Best Buy to look at 14"  screen sizes to see if i could live with it. I ended up with one with a touchscreen while I was testing it out. It was so cool that I couldn't imagine the Blade/Ghost without it! I usually hate touchscreen anything, but Windows 8.1 was perfect with it. Plus, the 14" screen was just large enough while also fitting easily in my backpack.

 

I am overall very happy with my decision. I can't wait for it to get here!

 

Eric

[lohjiahung]

Hey there,

 

Do you have the 2014 version with the 1800p panel? If so, sell me on why I should choose the Blade over the MSI!

 

Thank you all for all of your replies,

Eric

Sadly, no. But I think the touchscreen does help with productivity, and it has a better GPU (GTX 765M vs GTX 870M) and it has extremely high pixel density, I think 252 or 262 PPI (pixels per inch). Blade Pro also has this (not very awesome) touchscreen-touchpad thing with a display and 10 buttons (tactile? I think) Also Performance:Weight is higher for Blade over GS60. And insanely high 3200x1800 display. I like! II'm gonna keep my Blade 2013 for now.

Edit: Heard that you bought the 14" Blade 2014. Good choice! Even if you bought the MSI GS60 Ghost it would still be incredibly good performance compared to my other 5-year old laptop that cost more than both of those laptops 5 years sgo (when I bought it).

[Ericde95]

Sadly, no. But I think the touchscreen does help with productivity, and it has a better GPU (GTX 765M vs GTX 870M) and it has extremely high pixel density, I think 252 or 262 PPI (pixels per inch). Blade Pro also has this (not very awesome) touchscreen-touchpad thing with a display and 10 buttons (tactile? I think) Also Performance:Weight is higher for Blade over GS60. And insanely high 3200x1800 display. I like! II'm gonna keep my Blade 2013 for now.

Edit: Heard that you bought the 14" Blade 2014. Good choice! Even if you bought the MSI GS60 Ghost it would still be incredibly good performance compared to my other 5-year old laptop that cost more than both of those laptops 5 years sgo (when I bought it).

Thanks! Looking forward to receiving it (God knows when lol).

[Basiji]

Eric please do write an update of your experience after working with the Blade after a week or so because I am struggling with the same decision as yours. Please include whether you think the extra expense was worth it.

[Ericde95]

Eric please do write an update of your experience after working with the Blade after a week or so because I am struggling with the same decision as yours. Please include whether you think the extra expense was worth it.

Will do!

[SSOB]

Awesome that you went with the blade , i'm looking forward to a member's review with lots of sexy pictures .

As for the external storage i reccomend you just adding in another Sata M.2 Card as it is much more convenient than carrying around storage.