PC gaming and portability are not usually things that go well together, though lately a handful of companies have attempted to challenge that notion by shaving a few inches off their gaming oriented notebooks. MSI became the latest to throw its hat in the ring back in June, when it first unveiled the GS70 at Computex, and now the self proclaimed thinnest and lightest gaming laptop is getting its official announcement.
At at 0.85 inches thick, MSI's latest machine is just slightly thinner than the similar size Razer Blade Pro, but almost a pound lighter with an all aluminium chassis weighing only 5.7 lbs. Despite the relatively thin and light profile (for a gaming machine, anyhow) MSI still managed to pack in an Intel Haswell processor, Nvidia's GTX 765M GPU, a 17.3-inch (16:9; 1920 x 1080) display, full-size SteelSeries color backlit keyboard, and more.
The GS70 will be available in two configurations starting at $1,799 – a full $100 more than previously hinted at. Both models share the exact same specs save for storage, which is a choice between a 128GB SSD and 750GB HDD on the base model, or two 128GB SSDs in Raid 0 complemented by a 1TB HDD on the $2,000 variant.
Other than that you'll get an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor (6MB cache, four 2.4 GHz - 3.4GHz cores, 47W TDP), 16GB of DDR3L memory, 4 USB 3.0 ports, 3 audio jacks, a 720p HD webcam, HDMI out, a couple of mini DisplayPorts and a 2.1 speaker system, as well as the aforementioned GPU, display and keyboard configuration.
MSI also touts an improved thermal solution design that uses two fans to pull heat from the top side of the laptop and dissipate heat at a 45 degree upward angle, for those long gaming sessions. Speaking of which the GS70's battery life is rated at "4 hours of video", giving Razer's Edge the upper hand in this respect.
You can check out more details on the GS70 product page. Availability details have yet to be announced.