[section_title title=”Closer Look”] Closer Look
First thing about the packaging of the MSI GT60 2PE is just how enormous it is. In terms of size, it’s along the size of an original PS3 console box if you can remember how big they were or have a spare box still knocking around.
The back and front prints are mirrored although the side of the box offers us specifications run down.
With the box opened up your greeted with a further two boxes. One has the GT60 itself in, the other houses all the cables, accessories and battery pack. There’s no reason to believe that should you decide to go for the GT60 2PE that it will turned up battered and bruised.
The GT60 2PE itself comes well packaged in foam and two cloth coverings – one for the machine itself and another slipover for the screen.
MSI’s relationship continues with SteelSeries right down to the accessory box, where there is a SteelSeries mouse, headset and mouse mat included. In the small cardboard box on the right there is also a MSI gaming dragon stamp. The accessories are a nice touch and certainly fit within the ‘one stop shop’ MSI are looking to push with their new focus.
The first thing to strike you about the aesthetics of the GT60 2PE is the nice shiny brushed finish, and that it is indeed a finger magnet. Some of the above will be my own as well as the person who had it before me but either way, no one likes them.
On to the underside of the GT60 2PE it’s clear MSI have been, rather thankfully, liberal with the cooling solution. There is plenty of grills, visible copper and even a small fan at the top to keep the cool air flowing and the feet are actually quite pronounced to ensure the underlying surface doesn’t clog up any holes.
Down the right-hand side of the GT60 2PE we get our glimpse of the XFI powered audio jacks and the combination BD-RW drive.
Panning around to the back we have the rear I/O which consists of two miniDP ports and a 1.4 HDMI port. Also in shot is the Ethernet slot and power connector. To left you can see what looks like a blanked off slot for what would be another exhaust port to compliment the one on the right.
A closer shot of the existing exhaust port.
Moving to the left of the laptop and we get a view of another exhaust port as well as three USB 3.0 slots and the card reader.
The keyboard itself is still relatively more OEM than anything SteelSeries specific, mainly, due to the physical constraints that have to be worked within as far as a laptops profile is concerned. Along the top is various touch-sensitive controls including the usual suspects of network on/off, display output and more specific to the GT60 2PE, fan control and LED backlighting.
Aside from the visual aspects of the keyboard you can see that the rather generous power button takes center stage sandwiched between the two speakers.
Panning to the lower left of the chassis and we get our first glimpse of the SteelSeries branding. The logo itself isn’t over bearing and looks quite classy.
MSI have packed a lot into a standard chassis size and have done so without it looking to gaudy or gamer as we’re accustomed too. The space occupied by the GT60 2PE has been put to good use with plenty of connections, cooling and styled design to ensure everything runs at 100%.
The outside of the GT60 2PE is only part of the equation. Let’s see how the inclusion of a high resolution screen and gaming specific software help craft the GT60 2PE into a gaming laptop.
