MSI GS 40 6QD

Any idea where this might be available?

https://gaming.msi.com/products/notebook/gs-series?link=GS40-6QD-Phantom

This is the GS 40 with GTX 960M and eGPU dock compatibility.

 

Poking around Google, I've seen a few places selling the 6QD that are based in Australia and New Zealand, like JW and Scorptec (the later of which has the screen size wrong). Not sure if they'll ship internationally. It's still early though, and the 6QD doesn't have an entry on MSI's US website yet either. I expect it's coming to big sellers like GenTech and Xotic soon.

Super excited about this, it looks like an amazing laptop when combined with the MSI Mini Dock. Can't wait to see some reviews. I hope it handles heat just as well as (if not better than) the 6QE version.

 

I'm also very excited, on paper this looks just about perfect.

I've found some aussie sites that claim to have it in stock, but no mention of the dock. Do we have any idea of prices for that?

If it's out in Oz already, surely it will be in the UK soon?

 

Can't wait for more info such as pricing etc start to come out.

 

If this new GS40 can be priced at <$2000 WITH the dock, this will be my new laptop. If the price is closer to $1500- $1700, I'll instantly buy it.

 

I'm also very interested in this laptop, I'm in the market to replace my MSI GT70 which is now too heavy to carry around for work and I'm really keen in a lighter solution but that can have a dock when I'm at home to allow the HTC VR to run. I don't want to have a desktop and a laptop so this would be perfect.

 

JW's product page for the 6QD has been changed to say that they are selling only pre-orders for the 6QD at this time. No indication is given as to when the 6QD will start shipping.

http://www.jw.com.au/msi-gs40-6qd-007au-14-fhd-gaming-notebook-pre-order-p-80076

 

Thanks Prototime, it doesn't say anything about the MSI mini docking station though, is it going to have to be purchased separately? I want to buy the HTC Vive and a new laptop to power it up and for work so I'm waiting at the moment either for these or a laptop with a Pascal gpu.... Whatever comes out first is what I will get.

Thanks

 

I truly hope that it isn't going to be $2200 for the GS40 and dock. That's a pretty steep price...completely worth the money but it would be a much less pricing advantage to go against the Razer Blade 14 + Core.

 

It's not clear to me either, but I suspect that the MSI mini dock will come bundled with the 6QD, even though the JW page doesn't mention it. The new GS32 Shadow is coming bundled with the MSI mini dock, and there hasn't been any indication that MSI plans to sell the mini dock separately from the computers that are compatible with it. I'd be surprised if the 6QD wasn't sold with the mini dock.

Agreed. Though since JW is based in Australia, I suspect (and hope) that the $2199 figure is in Australian dollars. Converted to US dollars, the price comes out to $1626.05 (according to Google anyway). This amount is much closer to what I would expect the 6QD to be priced at, given that the 6QE version is priced at US $1599. Then again, the similar-but-smaller/weaker GS32 + Mini Dock is also priced at US $1599, so I'd expect the 6QD to be more expensive than that--maybe US $1699? Hopefully not US $2199, because the jump from the GS32's 13.3" screen and 650M to the 6QE's 14" screen and 660M hardly seems worth an extra US $600!

 

Don't forget weak dual core vs quad core in the GS32 vs GS40

 

Good point...

 

I'm really struggling to not spend the money on current technology instead of waiting for the pascal mobile chips.... I want to get the HTC vive but also need to get a new laptop as my only current pc is a laptop MSI GT70 and is now to old and heavy to carry around for work.

I want to replace it with something a bit lighter which won't be difficult as this ways a ton, and that can power up the htc vive and also be fit for work.

Everyday I'm googling something that can bit fit for what I need....

Thanks

 

This would be it. Or a Razer laptop with the Core. Or ASUS' XG2 Station when it's released. Or build a desktop and buy an ultrabook for work. Those are basically your options. I'm specifically looking into this because the TB3 eGPU solutions like the Razer Core have bandwidth issues and other issues that cannot really be worked-around that I don't want to deal with. MSI's dock is just about as perfect as I need.

 

Exactly, the extra bandwidth would be perfect compared to what you get with the TB3 eGPU solution form Razer. Well fingers crossed they will update us soon. I can't see why they haven't released it yet as all the components are available, gpu, cpu and the mini dock have been out for a while....

This website claims that they have it in stock:
http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Notebooks/Gaming_Notebooks/63541-GS40_6QD(Phantom)-007AU

 

Has anyone heard any more info about the 6QD?

 

I so wish we had I really don't get it, we want to spend our money but the brands seem to don#t want our money....Looking at you MSI and Razer

 

They don't want to rush things. A lot of debugging goes into something like this. This is a niche market and the team dedicated to this is probably not very big.

 

So I know this a bit of a speculative question, but how long into the future do you think this laptop, with its internal 960M, will be able to play new game releases smoothly without connecting an eGPU? For me, it would be ideal if I could get 2-3 years of use before spending money on a desktop graphics card to put into the mini dock (I'm not super concerned about ultra graphics settings in the meantime, I care more about performance). Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks.

 

If you don't care about maxing everything out and game at 1080p, you should definitely be good with a 960m for 2-3 years. For example, my friend's old Lenovo laptop with 755m SLI is still powerful enough to run a game like Overwatch on high/ultra settings at FPS and the laptop is over two years old as well as the GPU's. The single 960m is more powerful than the SLI configuration and more reliable. Like I said, you should have no issues running the 960m for a least 2 years.

 

Thanks. In that case, this really does seem like the perfect laptop. Now let's just hope that MSI keeps the price down compared to Razer Blade + Core.

 

Love that lenovo. I have the previous mode but the SLI cards are overclocked to above 755M levels. It's still a very strong laptop.

 

I really don't see any way that they couldn't keep the price down. The Razer Blade 14 goes for $2000 for the base 256GB model. The GS40 6QE goes for $1500 with almost the same specs. So that's an immediate > $500 difference because the 6QD won't have the 970m anymore. MSI has stated their dock will be around $169 to buy separately, I believe--I'd have to find a source on that, though.

The GS32 bundle goes for, what, $1600? So I believe that this new GS40 bundle will go for $1700- $2000. Still cheaper regardless compared to Razer but I'm hoping for the lowest number possible.

 

by the time they will release this laptop, 1080m and 1070m should be out in other laptops and they missed a trick....

This website claims to have 20 of these laptops in stock!!!

http://www.affordablelaptops.com.au/contents/en-us/p3144_msi-gs40_GS40-6QD-007AU.html

Why can't we get some in europe!!

 

First off, I've seen that website but since it doesn't specifically say that the dock comes with it, I wouldn't trust it.

Secondly, the internal 960m is not the point of the laptop. I'm sure that MSI will do plenty of updates of their other laptops with the newer chips but again, this GS40 has a 960m so that you can still play while on the go but the main point of the laptop is for you to go home, dock the laptop, and play on a full desktop GPU. If you're looking for the best performance while on the go, this isn't it.

 

I certainly hope it won't be that long, though I understand the frustration. In case you haven't heard and might be interested, MSI has announced plans to refresh the GS40's bigger cousins in the GS series (GS60 > GS63, GS70 > GS73), and sources indicate that they will be equipped with Pascal mobile GPUs. There's no word on whether any of these laptops will be compatible with the Mini Dock, or when they'll eventually release. I also wouldn't be surprised if MSI will eventually refresh the GS40 and GS32 with Pascal mobile GPU versions that are compatible with the Mini Dock. I'm sure that'll be a long wait though.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/MSI-GS32-GS63-und-GS73-Gaming-Notebooks-Overview.167962.0.html

Personally, I have a different view when it comes to GPU specs. I'd be fine if MSI made a mini-dock-compatible GS40 laptop with no discrete GPU at all--similar to what the old GS30 Shadow was, except with a 14" screen, Skylake processor, Thunderbolt 3, and so forth--and cut the price significantly. I'm not too concerned about gaming-on-the-go, and I'd just spend the money saved on a desktop GPU to play games at home. But seeing as that isn't an option, the GS40 6QD seems just about perfect for me - a bit pricier than a laptop without a discrete GPU, but still likely cheaper than Razer's offerings (and with a x16 PCIe connection), and I'll be able to play games on it for a few years before having to shell out for a desktop GPU (and which point, I'll either snag a cheap Pascal desktop card, or if I have the dollars and desire, a Volta).

So it looks like the GS40 6QD will, in different ways, be somewhat of a "compromise" laptop for both of us - but an amazing one, all the same.

 

I agree, I just want the laptop to be released my frustration got the better of me.

 

For my specific case, I need a laptop that is lighter than my current GT70 but still powerfull to run vm's and a lot of number crunshing, but then when at home powerfull enough to run the HTC VIVE for the next year at least. That is why this solution would be perfect because I could have a ful 1080 gpu in it and when away have a portable light computer to work. A GS73 looks really nice, but I'm not sure it would be able to power the VR games for the next year. Thanks for the info

 

According to Google translations of the below sources (from Japanese to English), the 6QD will be released on July 8th (at least in Japan, presumably). They also say the 6QD will have two variants: the 6QD-003 will have 8GB RAM + 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, and the 6QD-001 will have 16GB RAM + 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD. No mention of the mini dock.

http://s.kakaku.com/prdnews/cd=pc/ctcd=0020/id=57801/
http://s.news.mynavi.jp/news/2016/07/01/331/
http://www.itmedia.co.jp/pcuser/spv/1607/01/news154.html

 

Not long to go then!!! That is great news. Thanks

 

I might make a switch to this laptop if it runs cool and there's no thermal throttling.

 

Agreed. It'd also be nice if they improved the speakers over the 6QE version, considering that people are saying that phone speakers are louder.

 

Lol on a similar note, my HTC M9 speakers are louder than most laptops. I love the old dock's speakers. They have incredible clarity with great bass.

 

Anyone heard anymore on this laptop?

 

I wish we had

 

It's been over a month now since MSI put the 6QD up on their website. Is there precedent for such a huge gap between the time MSI puts a product up on their website and the time it becomes available for purchase? I'm beginning to lose hope that we'll ever see this thing released (at least in most markets).

 

I have given up on this laptop, I'm now looking into a portable powerful micro atx build with an gtx1080 and an 8 core cpu.Just researching all the parts.

 

^A comrade has fallen

 

I might be next to fall too. Seamon, you have the GS30 Shadow, right? How are you liking it? Do you think its use of an eGPU is worth it?

 

This is the best computer purchase I have ever made. I am a Computer Engineering student at one of the top US universities and I simply can't recommend this laptop enough(if I ignore the overheating issues). This is the lightest laptop I have owned period. I can easily take this laptop anywhere on campus(class, labs, research groups etc). After I am done, I usually go back home to continue my work on quad monitors I own. No need to transfer data anywhere. Also Raid 0 SSD makes booting etc super fast. No delays. Also I get frame rates equal to desktop builds so I can't see any reason to own anything else. Well if one doesn't need SLI etc. I think I would be sticking to eGPU setups for the foreseeable future.

 

Thanks - that's quite a ringing endorsement. I may just hold out a little while longer for the 6QD yet...

 

I personally don't mind waiting but that's probably because I currently own a GS70 with the 970m and can still game...but in my opinion, eGPU's and increasingly powerful single-card performance out of new GPU's will make desktop builds pretty much obsolete. Sure, the laptops are more expensive but for anyone that needs a laptop for work or travel and likes to play games away from home, it's easily the best solution. Sure my GS70 runs most games on high but it isn't as powerful as I'd like. I can build a desktop and keep my laptop but I don't want to deal with the hassles of having two computers. So when the GS40 is released, I'll buy it along with a GTX 1080 and I'll have plenty of power at home. The GS40 will still have a 960m which is still powerful enough for gaming on the go and I can sell my GS70 to make a bit of that money back.

 

eGPU master race

 

Well folks, for whatever it's worth, word is now trickling out about a Pascal refresh for the GS40 called the "GS43 Phantom Pro." It's even listed on one of MSI's websites. Not sure what this means for the 6QD - maybe they're not going to do much with it after all, and made a late decision to instead start focusing on the GS43. No word yet on whether the GS43 will have mini dock support, though. (Maybe we'll have better luck with a "GS43 6QD"? )

The thread for the GS43 is here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/msi-gs43.793376/

 

Thanks Prototime!!

Awesome, it hasn't even been released and it is already being upgraded...that means another month or two waiting for the new model...

I'm so annoyed, I have had a basket made with a mini itx X99 build with a 1080 and an 8 core processor but I keep delaying the buy in the hope that I will be able to buy a razer core or this MSI GS40 and avoid having 2 computers....

1st World problems I know

 

I wouldn't be so sure. I'm sure that there will be an upgrade in the dGPU department for the GS43...probably a 1070m which is all fine and dandy but that doesn't necessarily mean that it'll have docking capabilities. I don't need the next gen of GPU's in a laptop that is going to spend the majority of its gaming life docked so if the release of next gen GPU's brings the price of this package (assuming it's still being devoloped) down even more, I'm welcoming that.

 

Well I'm officially out!! I have just bought a new desktop machine with SLI GTX1080 and Core i7 6850K with 32 Gb's of ram and I will use an ultrabook while away from home. It is such a shame brands take so long to make their products available to us, that is you Razer and MSI You lost a client.

 

Very nice specs on the desktop, can't feel bad about that trade-off.

With MSI though, they are pretty quick to release new products once CPU/GPU manufacturers give the go ahead to start selling. But that always is the problem with electronics, there is always something cool out around the corner. You should still be pretty happy with that desktop though.

 

...and Pascal Titan X just comes out

 

Can't wait, I ordered the HTC Vive with it and a Thurstmaster T500 to have fun in project cars!!!

OMG!!! at first I thought you were being sarcastic but then went to check and you are right!!! Thank you. I'm still on time to upgrade to one Titan X for the price I paid for both 1080's, what would be better though.... Need to research quickly. Many thanks for the info really appreciate it.