MSI's Core i9 Mobile Workstation Proves Power Needn't Be Ugly
MSI brought a number of new products to Siggraph this year, but unquestionably the star of its lineup is the WS65 mobile workstation. If you've used MSI's GS65 Stealth Twin, then this new laptop will probably look familiar, as the company has outfitted it with a similar black chassis. While the laptop certainly looks sleek, it's what's on the inside that really makes it earn its "workstation" designation.
As with most laptops, you'll likely have a number of configuration options with the WS65, but your CPU options range all the way up to an 8th-gen Intel Core i9. You can pair that with up to an NVIDIA Quadro P4200 GPU, leading MSI to say that this computer is "up to 40 percent faster than the previous generation." Again, we're assuming that claim is based on the top-of-the-line configuration, which is probably going to cost a pretty penny considering its spec sheet.
Aside from the CPU and GPU, the WS65 is outfitted with a 15.6-inch 1080p display, an 82WHr battery that MSI says is good for up to eight hours of battery life, and one SSD/SATA combo paired with one PCI-e SSD. You'll certainly have plenty of ports at your disposal, with three USB-A ports, a single USB-C (all USB 3.1), one HDMI, one mini DisplayPort, and finally, microphone and headphone jacks. We wouldn't expect anything less from a computer that's billed as a workstation, right?
More in-depth specifications weren't made available, but that might have to do with the fact that the WS65 won't be here for a little while yet. MSI says that the computer is launching in September, but didn't give a specific release date. We also don't know the starting price for the laptop, but as we said above, it's probably best not to expect a cheap device given its internals.
In any case, MSI also announced today that three previously-announced products are now available. The first is the PS42 notebook, which ships with an 8th-gen core i7 and NVIDIA MX150 graphics and starts at $899. It's joined by a pair of gaming monitors – the Optix MAG271C and MAG241C – which both feature 144Hz displays and 1ms response time. The MAG271C costs $299.99 while the MAG241C costs $229.99, and both are available via Amazon today.