MSI GS60 Ghost vs ASUS N550JK XoticPC FINAL DECISION

[Sebastian Garrubbo]

Hey guys,

You've probably seen some of my other threads, all of which say I have "narrowed it down to a couple options", but this time its for real. After extensive research, I have finally emerged with two options and basically need a little shove in either direction to make me pull the trigger and make the purchase already.

A quick heads up, I intend to configure both of these laptops through XoticPC, and I will go over the configurations and pricing of both choices below:

Another heads up, both of these configurations are configured to come with Microsoft Office Pre-installed, so that raised the price by $135 for both of them. Keep that in mind while evaluating the price/performance ratio

Also, please don't make an opinion until you've read through the entire thread and know my reasoning behind each choice. I will include a short paragraph backing up my logic under each option.

Option #1: MSI GS60 Ghost -012
- 15.6" Matte Display (1920x1080)
- Intel i7-4710HQ
- Nvidia GTX 850M (2GB DDR3)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound on the CPU and GPU
- 12GB DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory
- 128GB SSD (M.2)
- 1TB 7200 RPM HDD
OVERALL PRICE = $1600
Reasoning:

As a student, I hold portability in a gaming notebook to a very high value. Not only is the GS60 Ghost extremely thin and light, it is slim and sexy as well, and it does all of this while being built very well. I am in love with the Aesthetic of the GS60, which is one of the main reasons it is on my list. Also, the display on this unit is basically perfection, with amazing viewing angles and great colors at a perfect Aspect Ratio. Then comes the issue of heating, which is said to be a major flaw and drawback to the slim chassis build. I realized this, and went with the GTX 850m for this reason. It is a maxwell chip, meriting better power efficiency and a lower TDP, both of which lead to more stable temperatures. I also intend to purchase a cooling pad to counter any heating issues if they may arise, but I am fairly confident they won't due to the Maxwell Architecture and IC Diamond.

Option #2: ASUS N550JK-DS71T
- 15.6" Touchscreen Glossy Display (1920x1080)
- Intel i7-4700HQ
- Nvidia GTX 850M (2GB DDR3)
- IC Diamond Thermal Compound on the CPU and GPU
- 12GB DDR2 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory
- 120GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD (In HDD Bay)
- 1TB 7200 RPM HDD (In Optical Drive Bay)
OVERALL PRICE = $1590
Reasoning:

While this laptop is a bit thicker than the GS60, it still has a small enough footprint so that I could carry it around school if I really wanted it. It is completely reliable in terms of temperatures, with no complaints about heat anywhere on the internet. However, I will still have IC Diamond installed to keep it as cool as possible. I had it configured so that the HDD is in the Optical Drive Bay and the SSD (OS on it) is in the original HDD Bay.

Conclusion:
Overall, the MSI is the one Im leaning towards at this point, but I need to know if there are any dealbreakers (ie. Heat, fan noise) that will make me want to get the N550 instead. My final question is, which one would you buy out of the two if you were a student? Is the cooling in the GS60 THAT bad to the extent where it cant even handle IC Diamond and a Maxwell GPU? Both end up at around the same price point, so cost isnt a concern here.

Please leave an answer, and thank you in advance,
Sebastian

 

[iBUYPOWER - Jason]

Hey Sebastian!

Personally, I've always wanted to get a GS60 especially since I'm student like you. Portability is key, which is why I ended up getting a Macbook Pro (Other reasons for that).

Anyways, I would go for the GS60 because the ASUS N550JK-DS71T is about 20% thicker than the GS60. Unless you're getting a dominator from MSI, the GS60 will run as hot as the ASUS.

I noticed you posted in NotebookReview as well, so I'd look at the owner's lounge for the GS60 to get a feel for what the community says.