Review by Daryl Tan
As the mobile gaming platform continues to grow, manufacturers have somehow managed to find their away around the size barrier to deliver ever smaller gaming rigs. Such ideas had been unthinkable only a couple of years ago. The GE60-2PE Apache Pro by MSI is one such device. Rocking one of NVIDIA’s latest Maxwell mobile GPU, the GTX 860M, the Apache seems destined for gaming greatness.
Lightweight and Sleek
Adorned in brushed aluminium, the Apache Pro looks as premium as they come, with a dragon insignia on the lid that lights up, Macbook style, when you power on the device. While the look certainly impresses, flipping the lid open exposed its rather flimsy construction; the lid flexes with the slightest touch. Take note: the lid is also a magnet for fingerprints.
Aesthetic Finish
Overall, the Apache Pro ticks almost all the right boxes in terms of design – the black finish of the notebook with its orange accents gives it an eye-catching look. The SteelSeries designed keyboard is also mighty impressive, with practically no keyboard flex whatsoever thanks to its aluminium construction. This results in a superb typing experience. Turn on backlight and you now have one of the best keyboards in the market.
Gaming Powerhouse
With an Intel 4th generation Core-i7 along with the new GPU, the Apache Pro chewed through the latest benchmarks with aplomb: PCMark8 gave it a Creative value of 4514 overclocked while 3DMark8 Fire Strike Extreme put out a commendable score of 1804. While these benchmarks may not be world beaters, keep in mind that this Apache is a reference unit, which means the real deal will have bumped up ratings. As for actual gaming scores, I had been able to achieve just over 60 frames per second (fps) on Tomb Raider at High Quality settings on 1080p and AA turned off. DoTA 2 also performed admirably with the console showing an average of 65 fps with everything turned to 11.
Mobile Fragging
Of course, like most gaming notebooks, you shouldn’t expect the Apache Pro to last too long unplugged; with regular web surfing, it served, at best, around 2.5 hours. While gaming, the laptop went from 100% to 7% within a scant 45 minutes. Still, this MSI entry is an impressive piece of tech. If you want the absolute latest in gaming hardware at relatively reasonable prices, few will be able to match MSI’s current offering.
Price: RM4,199
Dimension (W x H x D): 383 x 249.5 x 37.6~32.3mm
Weight: 2.6Kg (w/ Battery)
CPU: 4th generation Intel Core i7 Processor
OS: Windows 8.1
Chipset: Intel HM87
Memory: Up to 16GB x 2 DIMMs
Display: 15.6in Full HD (1920×1080), Anti-glare
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
Graphics VRAM: GDDR5 2GB
HDD: Up to 256GB Super RAID + 750GB HDD 7200rpm
Optical Drive: BD Combo / DVD Super Multi
Audio: 4 speakers
Webcam: HD type (30fps@720p)
Card Reader: SD (XC/HC)
LAN: Killer E2200 Game Networking LAN
Wireless: LAN 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0
I/O Ports: 1x D-Sub (VGA), 1x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x Mic-in, 1x Headphone-out
Keyboard: SteelSeries 103 keys
PCMark8
Home: 2892, 3318 (OC)
Creative: 3395, 4514 (OC)
Work: 3125, 4310 (OC)
3DMark8 Cloud Gate: 13362
3D Mark8 Fire Strike: 3586
3DMark8 Fire Strike Extreme: 1804
Value: 7/10
Features: 9/10
Performance: 9/10
Design: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Verdict: A gaming laptop that looks just as good as it bites.
Total Score: 8.6/10
