MSI has unleashed a couple of new laptops which combine high end hardware with high resolution displays that are not 2K or 4K, but in between at 3K resolution, WQHD+. Being part of the GT60 series, the 2OD-261US is designed for gaming, while the 2OKWS-278US is a workstation that’s certified for use with Adobe Creative Suite 6, AutoDesk and SolidWorks.
Both GT60 laptops are outfitted with 15.6-inch panels that proffer 2880 x 1620p resolution in 16:9 aspect ratio. The 2OD-261US comes preloaded with Windows 8, while the 2OKWS-278US workstation delivers Windows 7 Professional out of the box. MSI has thrown in a quad core Intel Core i7 4700MQ processor that has a base frequency of 2.4GHz with the HM87 chipset.
The main difference between the gaming model and the workstation is the GPU. The 2OD-261US carries the latest GeForce GTX780M graphics, whereas the 2OKWS-278US will have the workstation class Quadro K3100M module. To enhance productivity and performance, MSI has incorporated Cooler Boost 2 technology for maintaining low system temperatures, and support for 3 external displays.
The GT60 series features a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, 16GB of DDR3L RAM, SteelSeries backlit keyboard, Killer Doubleshot wireless, a SDXC card slot and USB 3.0 as well as 2.0 ports. Both models can read Blu-ray discs, but the workstation also has burning capabilities. Then there’s the Audio Boost technology for high fidelity sound output through the Dynaudio speakers with subwoofer. Where design is concerned, the GT60 laptops measure 14.97 x 10.24 x 1.77 inches and they weigh 7.7 pounds.
MSI is currently offering the GT60 2OD-261US gaming laptop for $2,199.99, while the 2OKWS-278US workstation is priced at $2,799.99.