New Work Laptop - Anything better than MSI GS60 Ghost-242 for less than $1,500?

[LinxuSx]

We're in the market for new laptops for work and I'm heavily leaning towards the MSI GS60 Ghost-242. It seems to meet all our needs, is relatively portable and has plenty of storage. Is it worth the premium over the ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH74? Are there any other sub-$1,500 laptops I should be looking at? Any input is appreciated!

Option: MSI GS60 Ghost-242 15.6" SLIM GAMING NOTEBOOK LAPTOP GTX 965M i7-6700HQ 16GB 128GB SSD + 1TB WINDOWS 10

Alternate: ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH74 15-Inch Gaming Laptop, Discrete GPU GeForce GTX 960M 4GB VRAM, 16GB DDR4, 1TB, 128GB SSD (ROG Metallic)


1. What is your budget? $1,500 or less

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering? 15.6"

3. What screen resolution do you want? 1920x1080

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop? Semi-portable. I like the fact that the MSI is 1 lb lighter and thinner than the ASUS but this is not necessarily a deal breaker.

5. How much battery life do you need? At least 3 hours, but this is not a big factor

6. Graphics Requirements? This will primarily be a work laptop, but a dedicated graphics card is preferable for CAD (GTX 960 or better). The main uses are Office, Bluebeam (PDF editor), and CAD.

7. Storage Requirements? M.2 SSD is a must for the OS and primary programs. I need at least 500 GB of total storage and am fine with a secondary HDD for Dropbox files.

8. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ? Not required.

9. What country do you live in? USA

 

[jbaker22]

Fangbook is a laptop based of of MSI, and they can be better values. Here is the Fangbook 4. With a 970m, 256gb m.2, and 8gb ram for $1329

https/www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Fangbook_4_SX6-200_Gaming_Laptop

 

[spruce11]

If you're pursuing lightness, thinness and slight gaming style, GS60 is probably the most matching model for the similar spec range.

 

[LinxuSx]

Fangbook is a laptop based of of MSI, and they can be better values. Here is the Fangbook 4. With a 970m, 256gb m.2, and 8gb ram for $1329

https/www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Fangbook_4_SX6-200_Gaming_Laptop

Thank you for the information - I actually really like the Fangbook 4 SX6-100, upgraded to 16 GB memory, 240GB Intel 540s M.2 and 480GB Intel 540 SSD for only $1,287. It seems like a great deal. It's a little heavier and thicker than the MSI GS60, but substantially cheaper.

 

[jbaker22]

I recommend samsung ssds because you can use magician with them. How else can I help you solve this?

http/www.thessdreview.com/software-2/samsung-magician-4-5-rapid-mode-2-1-testing/

 

[LinxuSx]

I recommend samsung ssds because you can use magician with them. How else can I help you solve this?

http/www.thessdreview.com/software-2/samsung-magician-4-5-rapid-mode-2-1-testing/

I'm still looking for more input, specifically if there's any other competitors to the MSI GS60 Ghost-242. There's really not a whole lot of reviews online for that specific model

 

[jbaker22]

I would not get the competitor HP,Aleinware (a Dell upgraded), acer, lenovo ,or Toshiba. I would recommend clevo based systems like this eurocom. If you get a Razer laptop, then you can use an external gpu, but they are expensive. http/www.eurocom.com/ec/configure%282,350,0%29ec

 

[LinxuSx]

Any thoughts on Xotic's version of the MSI laptops? http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-gs60-ghost-242.html

 

[jbaker22]

It only has a 965m. 8gb of ddr4 can cost as little as $45. I have nothing against MSI, it's just they are not always the best value new. i advised my sister to buy a used MSI. She loves it and it is overkill power for under $800. http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820242125

 

[jbaker22]

http/How about this? http/www.ebay.com/itm/RM-MSI-GT72-Dominator-019-17-3-i7-6820HK-2-7GHz-16GB-1TB-GTX-970M-3GB-W10-/301946744782?hash=item464d6dafce:g:OJ0AAOSwaA5WjwsG

 

[1shado1]

http/How about this? http/www.ebay.com/itm/RM-MSI-GT72-Dominator-019-17-3-i7-6820HK-2-7GHz-16GB-1TB-GTX-970M-3GB-W10-/301946744782?hash=item464d6dafce:g:OJ0AAOSwaA5WjwsG

And it's only 8.6 pounds!

 

[BadActor]

More or less the same as the XoticPC laptops, but Sager will let you configure them for exactly what you want.

http/www.sagernotebook.com/17-Laptops/

 

[velo3100]

Out of the 2 laptops I would choose the asus as both gpus are capable of doing cad. These gpus aren't really designed for it but can handle it. As for other alternatives, barebone laptops are the best for your needs as you can configure the laptop to your needs.

 

[LinxuSx]

I also found the MSI WS60 series on XoticPC. With a dual M.2 main drive it should be fairly powerful.

http/www.xoticpc.com/msi-ws60-6qi-237us.html