This coverage at CES 2019 has been sponsored by MSI, without them I wouldn’t be here
to check out all of these new laptops.
I’ve previously covered MSI’s gaming laptops in another video, this time we’re going
to see what’s going on over on the more professional side. These machines are aimed
more towards creators and designers for instance rather than those after pure gaming performance.
Let’s start with the PS63 Modern, it’s got a solid metal body with a blue finish,
and like the GS75 also has a wider than usual touchpad with fingerprint scanner in the top
left corner. The keyboard felt nice to type with and has white backlighting. The air exhausts
can also be seen up the back just below the screen. The lid is solid metal too and has
the same blue finish with a very subtle MSI logo in the center, overall it had a very
premium finish and feel to it.
The PS63 is available in two configurations, the 8RC has the Nvidia GTX 1050 Max-Q graphics,
while the 8M version just relies on the Intel integrated graphics, again these aren’t
gaming machines so they don’t need beefy GPUs. The unit I was checking out had an Intel
Whiskey Lake i7-8565U quad core CPU, I recently tested that one out in another laptop and
it actually does quite well. The 15.6” 1080p screen has a 86% screen to body ratio, but
what I found most interesting was that MSI note 16 hours of battery life, that’s a
pretty huge claim and it will obviously depend on what you’re actually doing and the configuration
of the machine, though the 4 cell 82 watt hour battery is fairly large and can be charged
80% with Qualcomm quick charge in just 35 minutes.
The total weight is around 1.6kg and it’s actually got quite a small power brick, this
would be super appreciated by someone that travels frequently.
Oh if you’re wondering why this shot looks so much nicer it’s because Eber from Hardware
Canucks turned up and schooled us all on doing it right, I can’t wait to see how much better
their video turns out!
The next laptop on show was the P65 Creator, it’s a little heavier at 1.8kg and notes
around 8 hours of battery life despite having the same 4 cell 82 watt hour battery most
likely as a result of the higher end specs, so the PS63 does seem better there if you
don’t need GPU power, it’s lighter and lasts longer. Not sure if you noticed, but
the body is basically a white GS65, which is just fine by me as I personally like the
look of that design. It’s available with 8th gen i7-8750H CPU with the option of 1070
Max-Q, 1060 Max-Q or 1050 Ti graphics.
Next up is the PS42 Modern, and I think this was my favourite of these laptops. It’s
got a solid metal body with a silver finish and it felt very nice, there’s just something
about holding a solid metal thin laptop compared to a plastic gaming laptop, maybe it’s personal
preference but I prefer it so much more.
The PS42 is available in three different models, the 8M model which has no discrete graphics,
the 8RB which has Nvidia MX150 graphics, this was the one on display in the video, and the
8RC model which has the Nvidia GTX 1050 Max-Q graphics, so a few options based on your needs
in terms of graphics, which seems to be the only difference as far as I can tell. The
CPU in this one was the Intel i7-8550U, another quad core chip which I’ve tested on the
channel before, and again it holds up quite nicely.
If you’re after more power then you’ll want to look at MSI’s workstation range.
This model on display was the WS65 and had Intel’s i9-8950HK CPU and an Nvidia P3200
Quadro graphics card, so quite a powerful workstation in a fairly portable body. Other
models within the workstation range include Xeon server grade CPUs, ECC memory and range
from Quadro P1000 to P5200 graphics, so there are some pretty serious options available
if you need them. Again this range isn’t for gaming, MSI’s workstations are for professional
work like 3D modelling and engineering.
I’ve also quickly shown some of these models in my live stream, although I think I had
to stop for the presentation before getting through them all, it’s worth checking out
the stream of MSI’s presentation if you’re after more information on these laptops, as
they talk about them there too.
I’ve got more coverage of CES 2019 on the way, so if you’re new to the channel get
subscribed so you don’t miss any.