MSI's 17.3" GE700 Desktop Replacement Boasts Core i5 CPU And ATI GPU

We're not usually ones to call a company "on fire," but MSI is definitely just that. Notebook after notebook has been announced from the company over the past week or two, and instead of taking Friday off, these guys and girls have popped out a real stunner. The GE700 is the company's latest big boy, a 17" gaming and entertainment machine that sports a jet black chassis, brushed silver accents and Intel's newest Core i5 CPU.

The desktop replacement sector definitely needs the competition, so we're happy to see another entry from MSI making its debut. This machine will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium, ATI's Radeon HD 5730 GPU (1GB VRAM), twin DDR3 RAM slots, a 17.3" HD+ panel, a 2.5" hard drive slot (250/320/500GB HDD with dual drive support as an option), a 4-in-1 card reader, HDMI and VGA outputs and four USB 2.0 ports. There's also eSATA, mic-in, a headphone out, Ethernet, a 6- or 9-cell battery, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, an HD webcam, stereo speakers and a subwoofer, a numeric keyboard and support for DirectX 11.

There's plenty of horsepower here for the vast majority of users, but it's not quite as potent as a Core i7 machine. We view this as a happy medium between a hardcore gamer's notebook and a multimedia viewer's notebook. The Core i5 will handle most games with ease, and it should lead to lower prices and better power ratings than Core i7-based alternatives. MSI isn't revealing price or release data yet, but they usually ship machines fairly soon after announcements.

Exceptional multimedia and processing performance
ATI Radeon HD5730 discrete graphics card (with 1GB DDR3 VRAM):The GE700 is equipped with the ATI Radeon HD5730 discrete graphics card with 1GB DDR3 display memory for superior display performance and lower power consumption. It also supports DirectX 11 for outstanding 3D graphic effects.

All new 2010 Intel® Core™ Processor:The MSI GE700 comes with Intel's powerful, energy-sipping Core i5 processor with Intel Turbo Boost and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology for dynamic enhanced processing efficiency. It handles more data and greatly enhances overall system performance.

All new style goes high tech
High tech black and silver body:The GE700's all new high tech exterior comes with MSI's own color film print technology. The cover has a bright jet black coating, while the area below the keyboard has a layered silver brushed finish. The blending of silver and black gives the GE700 a distinctively high tech feel.

Luminescent Touch Hotkeys:The GE700 continues the MSI gaming notebook tradition of high tech style. Above the keyboard is a unique luminescent touch hotkeys strip with fire-engine red shortcut keys, including GPU Boost, Cinema Pro, and Multimedia Control, are arranged systematically to highlight the GE700's speed.

Flexible performance to maximize battery time
Exclusive ECO Engine Power Saving Technology:The GE700 comes equipped with MSI’s exclusive ECO Engine Power Saving Technology which allows you to select from among five power management levels—Video Game, Film, Presentation, Word Processing, and Turbo Battery, for just the right amount of performance, when you need it.

Exclusive GPU Boost Technology:MSI’s exclusive GPU Boost Technology allows the GE700 to strike the ideal balance between multimedia performance and battery efficiency. When using applications that require high performance image processing, a touch of the GPU Boost key puts the GE700 into discrete mode for the ultimate in multimedia performance. When extended battery life is a priority, however, simply depress the Battery key to cut off the discrete graphics card and switch the GE700 to integrated display chip mode.

Exclusive Cinema Pro Technology:The GE700's powerful hardware maximizes both your gaming and film viewing experience. A touch of the Cinema Pro key switches the GE700 to film mode for higher screen resolution and richer colors.