MSI was of course also affected by the glitch in Intel’s 2nd-generation Core CPU lineup (Sandy Bridge). Thus it took a while before we say any signs of what MSI called the “fastest laptop ever” ahead of CES. Now that the latest Intel platform is back on track, MSI is introducing the GX680, with a few alteration over the GT680.
Since it’s part of MSI’s gaming series, it sports the same funky-looking design with LEDs along the edges. It comes with the new quad-core Core i7 2630QM CPU and what is somewhat more surprising – an Nvidia GeForce GT 555M GPU. This is technically more of an upper-midrange graphics card (Nvidia gives their high-end line a ‘GTX’ prefix).
In other words it’s the same GPU as in the Dell XPS 17, although in this case it is equipped with 1 gig of GDDR5 video memory, which is faster than the DDR3 found in the Dell. It’s a fast DX11 graphics chip regardless, but it’s odd that MSI didn’t opt for a GTX variant.
Other specs on the GX680 include four memory slots that allows for up to 16GB of DDR3, dual hard drive bays capable of RAID 0 and a USB 3.0 port. It is also equipped with MSI’s “Turbo Drive Engine” (TDE) technology that overclocks the laptop with the push of a button, and a “Cooler Boost” feature that keeps track of the core temperatures and fan speeds.
