MSI's new GS30 Shadow notebook is classified as a gaming system. While the machine does ship with an Intel Core i7, its Iris Pro integrated GPU - while impressive for an integrated solution - is certainly no match for a discrete graphics card.

So, what gives?

The GS30 Shadow has a secret weapon - an accessory that MSI is calling the GamingDock. The notebook is designed to sit on top of this mini-PC of sorts and utilize its discrete graphics card. The graphics card inside the GamingDock is up to you - it features a PCI-e x16 slot for your card of choice as well as DVI and HDMI ports and audio jacks so you can output to a full-size monitor.

And since the GamingDock works with your card of choice, it means you can upgrade it down the road to continue to play the latest games at the best possible graphics settings.

The idea is that you can game at home and take the notebook with you for business, education or whatever other needs you have during the day.

The notebook, meanwhile, features a 13.3-inch display operating at a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 and can be configured with up to 16GB of DDR3 memory. Storage comes courtesy of two M.2 solid state drives in a RAID array.

No word yet on pricing but we're told to expect the notebook and the GamingDock to launch this coming January.