MSI GS60 Ghost Pro review

If you're looking for a gaming machine that can tackle all of the latest games and future titles coming down the line, you've come to the right place. With a new generation of processors and graphics chips, the new MSI GS60 offers a level of performance that takes a huge step forward.

We liked

Playing games at their best quality without having to worry about a wobbly frame rate is incredibly empowering. And the fact that MSI has packed all this power into a laptop that's no thicker than a nickel is pretty incredible, too.

The Ghost Pro also offers more than pure performance, with a great looking screen and dynamic sound. You'll also be hard pressed to find a notebook with a typing experience that's as pleasurable as the GS60's.

We disliked

I've come to expect poor battery life on most of these power-hungry gaming laptops, but it seems to be an exceptionally terrible problem with the MSI GS60. With battery life averaging around 2 hours and 30 minutes, this is one of the least mobile-friendly gaming laptops I've tested, despite MSI making it so thin and light for the sake of portability.

The terribly short battery life is a huge detractor – you can basically forget about taking this machine around as your daily driver. Instead, you're more than likely to leave this machine plugged in at your desk, at which point it might make more sense to get a bigger and more powerful desktop replacement (or just build your own machine).

Final verdict

Despite its glaring battery life flaw, the MSI GS60 is one incredibly well put together device. It's still one of the thinnest and most powerful gaming laptops in the world. While there's a higher-end model with a 4K screen, I strongly suggest sticking with the 1080p configuration.

Though the Asus G501 is a better option from a value-proposition perspective, the Ghost Pro is simply a better gaming machine. And it's practically the same story when comparing the Ghost Pro to the Gigabyte P55K v4.

While the GS60 comes at a slightly higher premium, the tech MSI has put behind the laptop's display and sound system – plus the amazing keyboard – is well worth a few extra hundred smackers.