There recent trend has been to make gaming notebooks as thin as possible, while maintaining a high level of gaming performance. Led by the release of the original RAZER Blade, companies like GIGABYTE have released slim and powerful notebooks under their AORUS brand, and MSI has been extremely successful with their Ghost Series. So when we saw this monstrosity called the MSI GT80 Titan, we thought it was a joke. Seriously. Who would want a gaming notebook this big, with a mechanical keyboard sandwiched into it, without a wrist rest?
The MSI GT80 Titan was supposed to be the company’s “secret project” due to be unveiled at CES 2015 in Las Vegas next January. But loose lips started sinking this ship, as information on this product started going down faster than a certain doomed ocean liner. It’s somewhat ironic that they called this product the Titan, as this product has some things that make it about as appealing as a boat anchor around your neck. For starters, the product is absolutely massive at over 18 inches, swimming in a sea of 17 inch gaming notebooks that already have issues trying to stay thin. Then, MSI crams a mechanical keyboard right into the body, removing the mandatory palm rest that a notebook needs, to be truly comfortable under long gaming sessions.
Somewhat impressive though, is the fact that the company did get the thickness of the MSI GT80 Titan’s mechanical keyboard section to 27mm, which is as thin as any mechanical keyboard is going to get. They also gave it Cherry Brown MX swtiches, which is a good compromise between typing response and the uber clickiness of blue switches. The keyboard is a partnership between SteelSeries and MSI, so you will get the benefits of the Engine Software along with CloudSync, so you can quickly setup your keyboard exactly the same as the one you have plugged into your rig at home.
While I applaud MSI’s enthusiasm when it comes to putting gaming capable hardware into different form factors, like their All-In-One systems, and their super slim Ghost Series notebooks, the MSI GT80 Titan is one product where I have to put the label of “WHY” all over. It’s going to be way to big to carry around, and without a wrist rest, it’s going to be uncomfortable. One of the company’s very capable 15 or 17 inch models, with a “tenkeyless” keyboard, would have been a potentially more versatile way to go.
Honestly, what do you folks think of this beast? Or maybe this “leak” is one way that MSI can avoid a potential “Titanic” disaster?
Full press release is below.
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MSI Unveils World’s First Gaming Laptop with Mechanical Keyboard
18-inch trailblazer outfitted with SteelSeries gaming keyboard featuring Cherry Brown MX Switches
City of Industry, Calif. – October 30, 2014 – MSI Computer Corp, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, unveils the GT80 Titan, the world’s first gaming laptop with a mechanical keyboard.
First of its kind, MSI’s GT80 Titan ushers the future of gaming by integrating a SteelSeries gaming keyboard with Cherry Brown MX switches into the 18-inch gaming beast. Mechanical keyboards provide superior tactile feedback, increases durability, and enhances overall gaming experience by eliminating key jamming even during the most heated battle sessions.
“Performance is key for gamers and the GT80 Titan will forever change the mobile gaming experience,” says Andy Tung, president of MSI Pan America. “We are proud to be at the forefront of the gaming evolution and will continue to provide solutions that deliver the most outstanding gaming experience in the world.”
MSI’s newest gaming laptop uses standard Cherry switches and a standard keycap with 27mm of thickness, nearly 5 times of traditional laptop keyboards. It is also the world’s slimmest and lightest 18-inch gaming laptop, measuring 17% thinner and 22% lighter than its closest competitor. To fully optimize the keyboard, the GT80 Titan features an enhanced SteelSeries Engine with CloudSync, allowing users to save and synchronize settings via SteelSeries cloud storage.
“The GT80 Titan blends the performance of a high-end gaming desktop with the mobility of a laptop,” adds Tung.
To receive the latest news about the GT80 Titan, including specs, availability and pictures, sign up at GT80 Titan’s Homepage. For more information about GT80 Titan or MSI’s complete lineup of gaming solutions, please visit us.msi.com
About MSI
Founded in 1986, MSI is driven and motivated by customer satisfaction. A worldwide leader in computer components, MSI boasts a state-of-the-art R&D department, an annual production of motherboards and graphic cards reaching the tens of millions and sales in over 120 countries. MSI reaches the consumer and commercial markets with a product lineup that includes notebook PCs, All-in-One PCs, servers, IPCs, robotic appliances and vehicle electronics. MSI’s slogan, Innovation with Style, represents the company’s core value “Innovation” and “Style” and embodies the company’s pursuit of excellence through quality products, user-friendly designs and cutting-edge technology.
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