Solid Performance, Premium Look and Experience

Of the two 14-inch gaming laptops that I've reviewed recently, both with very similar loftier-end hardware, the MSI GS40 Phantom 6QE is the better choice and the one I would ultimately recommend.

Like the Gigabyte P34W v5, there is a lot to similar about the GS40 Phantom'due south performance. The Core i7-6700HQ is more than capable of intense workloads, including video editing and gaming, and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M is a great GPU for gaming at the highest graphics presets at 1080p. Across our benchmarks, the GS40 went toe to toe with the P34W v5, and especially in real-globe gaming tests there was substantially no difference between the two laptops.

The GS40 is as well kitted out with a great range of other hardware. 16 GB of RAM is plenty for this sort of machine, and extras like Killer networking and a ESS Sabre DAC add to the value of this system. The only downside is the relatively poor operation and express capacity of the included SSD, although MSI claims yous can add together an "optional" NVMe bulldoze that my system wasn't equipped with.

The 1080p non-touch fourteen-inch display included with this laptop is good without being outstanding. Color reproduction from the "IPS type" panel is adequate, and the backlight can become bright enough for viewing in most conditions, peculiarly with the reflection-reducing matte finish.

The real winner in my eyes is the blueprint, which is both understated and squeamish enough to stand out from the pack. The more often than not brushed metallic chassis gives the GS40 the premium look and experience it deserves, and there is surprisingly little 'gamer' flare that usually ruins this sort of laptop. Subtle cherry highlights are a corking touch from MSI, and even though you lot're not getting a particularly slim or calorie-free laptop, the GS40 doesn't feel huge.

The SteelSeries keyboard included with this laptop is solid, with decent tactile feedback and travel distance delivering a dandy gaming experience. The trackpad, on the other hand, is very poor, thanks to terrible ELAN hardware that doesn't track finger motion too as it should. It's not the worst ELAN trackpad I've always seen, but it really shouldn't be included with a $1,500+ laptop.

On the software front end, MSI has loaded the GS40 Phantom with Windows ten and some bloatware, including an especially abrasive version of Norton Net Security. None of the utilities that are pre-loaded onto this machine add any value, so I'd recommend wiping and re-installing Windows on this machine as soon equally you accept information technology out of the box.

The GS40 Phantom 6QE volition gear up you dorsum $1,599 in its standard configuration, which is a reasonable price for the hardware that'due south included with this machine. Information technology is around $100-150 more expensive than Gigabyte'southward competing P34W v5 that I reviewed earlier, but in my eyes this laptop is worth the extra money due to its better build, superior keyboard and trackpad, and extra features including more than RAM. Plus, at $1,600 we're only talking about a cost difference of 6 per centum.

If you're after a 14-inch gaming laptop that ticks pretty much every box, the GS40 Phantom is a decent option. It'southward not a perfect device, simply it delivers on its base promise: a slap-up 1080p gaming feel.

Pros: Dandy performance from the Skylake CPU and GTX 970M. Amend than expected brushed metal build. Thunderbolt 3, Killer networking, and a SteelSeries keyboard are decent inclusions.

Cons: Some other bad ELAN trackpad. More expensive than Gigabyte'due south competing laptop. Non the greatest of cooling solutions.