MSI's GE600: nine Benjamins, now shipping from Newegg

Though we question the MSI GE600's status as "gaming notebook" given it doesn't hold a candle to the company's signature red-and-black machines, those looking for a well-rounded, noble laptop -- not to mention a sub-$1000 price -- will now find just that on Newegg. For nine hundred clamshells, you'll get 16 inches of low-res 1366 x 768 real estate, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 320GB 7200 RPM hard drive and Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics, all fed their requisite bits and bytes by a 2.26GHz Core i5-430M CPU -- plus all the usual ports, Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi. Care to dine in the lap of semi-luxury? Now shipping.

[pika2000 Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:14AM]

8 sticker badges? Really?

[meekasanjinez Posted May 5th 2010 5:02AM]

@pika2000 well its now upgraded to core i5 now. Review: http://j.mp/msi-ge600-reactions

[voodoo Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:18AM]

Mobility HD5730 is a very capable upper-mid mobile GPU. Its equal or better than the Nvidia GTS250M.

So it is just about good enough to be classifed as a 'gaming laptop'; albeit a budget or entry-level one.

[purecussion Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:18AM]

KILLER DEAL!!!!

[spikejnz Posted Apr 29th 2010 9:26AM]

@purecussion Incredible deal...for a horrible piece of crap that will die in one year and product support department that is utterly uselesss! YAY MSI!!!

Seriously, I'm not going to rehash it in length, but I had a MSI laptop that died after 1 year, went through 5 subsequent motherboard RMAs, and all I got from MSI was an "I'm sorry it doesn't work, would you like to buy another motherboard?"

You can get a similar experience by buying a Chinese knock-off.

[URPradhan Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:34AM]

1366x768 CRAP RESOLUTION in a 16" screen. Its the DEAL BREAKER for me atleast.

[theweeklymancast dave Posted Apr 29th 2010 10:49AM]

@URPradhan
On another note, it does have HDMI out...you can't expect them to put an ultra hi-res monitor on a laptop like this because then there would be overheating problems...I think the purpose of this laptop would to be to have a computer that you can game on if you travel, but also have it hooked up to a monitor that runs a higher resolution (1080p for example). I get more than enough out of my 15.6" 1366x768 monitor for day-to-day classwork/homework/workwork.

[barkingghos Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:36AM]

The display is physically too small and not 1080P. Also, 4GB of RAM for a Core 'i' system is a joke. There are pre-built $500 disktops selling with at least 6GB of RAM.

[URPradhan Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:38AM]

@(Unverified)
CRAP RESOLUTION of 1366x768 on a 16" laptop. Just open MS Visual Studio and try to write some code, you will find how difficult to work on this resolution. This can be ONLY used for GAMING and NOTHING ELSE.

[mikedep333 Posted Apr 29th 2010 8:21AM]

@(Unverified) The cheapest 6GB 1080P ,laptop system on newegg costs $1425.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220688

[MRCUR Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:43AM]

No thanks, I'll pass.

The extremely low res display really kills it for me.

[DJ Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:45AM]

Wow, that is a fail resolution. Hope that can be upgraded somehow. And that in awful lot of stickers.

Still though, can't argue with the price.

[apairofdocs Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:47AM]

For everyone who is complaining: Look at the price. This is one of the first times a serious gaming notebook has dropped below the $1000 barrier and it does it with fairly impressive and more importantly upgradable specs.

Now I have to decide between this, one of the UL30s, and the Ugly Alienware.

[URPradhan Posted Apr 29th 2010 8:00AM]

@apairofdocs
I'm ready to pay extra $, can you please upgrade the screen to Full HD, 1080p ??? Hope you got the answer why many thinks its a genuine problem. It can ONLY be used for GAMING and I HATE games on a computer :-)

[BMills Posted Apr 29th 2010 7:47AM]

It upsets me greatly when I realize that I bought a custom $3200 "mobile Desktop" Laptop when I was in college for my 3D Classes in 2001.

The prices of tech have come Waaaay down.

Of course I needed it back then.

[Ken J Posted Apr 29th 2010 10:10AM]

@BMills

I don't, not even for a second, regret the purchase of my Dell XPS Gen2. I paid big bills for it but it was a monster of a gaming machine. Back then it was competing against P4 desktops and smoking them. My GF has it now because the 6800 Ultra just can't hang anymore, but it lasted as a capable gaming machine for years.

[mikedep333 Posted Apr 29th 2010 8:15AM]

I doubt you'll find a better deal on a gaming laptop for $900. Sure you'll be able to find one with a better resolution or whatnot, but I doubt you'll find one with both better other specs and a comparable/better GPU.

Keep in mind, with this laptop like $200 to $300 goes towards the GPU. Core i5 laptops do sell for $600 to $700 without a dedicated GPU.

[mikedep333 Posted Apr 29th 2010 8:23AM]

@Darkroom That has integrated graphics. The "Mobile Intel HM55 Express" is also called "Intel HD graphics."
It seems like a good computer and all, but they're very different computers.

[neufsky Posted Apr 29th 2010 8:45AM]

16 inches of low-res 1366 x 768 screen?

Booooooo~~~~~!!!!

[nanascho Posted Apr 29th 2010 9:12AM]

They weren't kidding when they said the demand for core i5 chip was causing prices to climb. -- I bought a Gateway NV79 for $650, upgraded the OS drive to a 64GB SSD ($200) and used the stock 500GB as secondary drive (the NV79 holds two drives) and still spent less than this.

[Suijin Posted Apr 29th 2010 1:00PM]

@nanascho

and the graphics you have in there??? only intel integrated for that price. That's the difference in price.

[nanascho Posted Apr 29th 2010 4:12PM]

@Suijin

Check the NV7901u specs (the one I bought) -- It's got an ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650 card.

[Suijin Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:00AM]

@nanascho
You got a good deal then they have been higher priced for awhile now, I've been looking around before buying one.

Got a Sony Vaio from Newegg for $850 (with an upgraded proc the 520M). Cheapest around for the last month or so has been an Acer for $800, also from Newegg.

[theweeklymancast dave Posted Apr 29th 2010 10:44AM]

I believe that's 9.1482 benjamins...shipping is way too expensive currently

[LEDfoot Posted Apr 29th 2010 10:57AM]

Where are the hi-res laptop screens at?

[Suijin Posted Apr 29th 2010 12:54PM]

@LEDfoot

They are around, not as many though (they are cutting corners on price by using cheaper screens). ASUS has one coming out soon with one of the better screens even, according to anandtech.

Also, for serious gaming any mobile GPU doesn't really cut it at 1920x1080 resolutions. They may name it 5870, but it is still the mobility version which is cut way down from the desktop version.

[Suijin Posted Apr 29th 2010 12:43PM]

Apparently the system ate my other comment, no email and was signed in.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834127092

SONY VAIO E Series VPCEB1LFX/BI NoteBook Intel Core i5 520M(2.40GHz) 15.5" 4GB Memory 320GB HDD 5400rpm Dual layer DVD Burner ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650

For $850 plus free shipping

[Gflo Posted Apr 30th 2010 5:50PM]

@Suijin
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115763

Acer Aspire AS7740G-6364 NoteBook Intel Core i5 430M(2.26GHz) 17.3" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650

Resolution 1600 x 900

[Suijin Posted Apr 30th 2010 6:55PM]

@Gflo
I went for the Sony, it is black, has slightly faster CPU, and has ESATA/USB combo port. I was hesitant to buy though due to no reviews of it that I could find.

The Acer has reviews though, and looks to be sorta lemony. Good for those that get one that works though.

[Ahslan Posted Apr 29th 2010 4:18PM]

Wonder how this fairs against an M11x...that thing is around the same price and seems to be an adequate portable gaming machine...