(MSI GS66 Stealth)
LAS VEGAS—Refresh rates on gaming laptops are climbing ever higher to suit esports pros seeking silky smooth action. Two of the latest ultra-high-refresh-rate laptops on display at CES are from MSI: the thin and light GS66 Stealth and GE66 Raider.
The GS66 Stealth replaces its GS65 predecessor, which won an Editors' Choice award for best midrange gaming laptop. The GS66 keeps most of the same physical design, including the under-5-pound weight that classifies it as a very svelte 15-inch gaming rig. As a result of its diminutive chassis, there's less room for cooling, but MSI partially makes up for that with redesigned, thinner fan blades.
The star of the show, however, is the available 300Hz full HD (1,920-by-1,080 pixels) display. A screen that can update that frequently means the GPU will almost always be the limiting factor in helping fast-twitch FPS players stay focused on their targets.
(MSI GE66 Raider)
The GS66 Stealth also features a larger 99-watt-hour battery. It's the largest battery that is legally allowed to fly on a commercial airplane in the US. We've seen several other manufacturers adopt these batteries, including Apple for its 16-inch MacBook Pro, and while gaming laptops generally have poor battery life anyway, it's nice to see MSI putting in maximum effort here.
The GE66 Raider is the GS66's big brother. It's wider and thicker, which means it has more room for cooling and therefore a slight theoretical performance edge over the Stealth. Compared with its predecessor, the GE65, the GE66 also offers more customizable lighting on the chassis. Like the Stealth, it also features a 99-watt-hour battery and an optional 300Hz panel.
Both new laptops will come with Intel's latest 10th-generation H-series CPUs and Nvidia GeForce graphics, which haven't been announced yet. MSI also has not announced pricing for the two new laptops, though based on their predecessors, we expect the Stealth to cost around $1,700 and the Raider to ring up at $2,500 or so, depending on configuration options.