MSI GX60 Gaming Notebook Review > Software and Performance

Software and Functioning

MSI recommends running Windows eight on the GX60 although our test unit arrived with Windows vii pre-installed. It'due south unclear why that was the case but every bit we've plant in the past, gaming performance is virtually unaffected so testing should reflect the hardware capabilities on either Bone. Unlike the recently reviewed Lenovo Yoga 13 running Windows 8, everything about the GX60 with regards to Windows and navigation was all familiar (e.chiliad. no Metro this or that).

From a common cold boot, the GX60 is prepare to get in Windows vii in 48 seconds – a tiny bit slower than I anticipated from a system equipped with a solid land drive, just still not terrible for Microsoft's previous-gen Bone that many hardcore users and gamers appear to prefer.

The first matter I typically exercise with a new PC later measuring initial boot time is caput to the Add/Remove programs listing and have a count of what I need to discard. MSI'due south GX60 did pretty well here as in that location were only about half-dozen or so programs that I would typically get rid of. Culprits include Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security 2022, Norton Online Fill-in and even MSI's own Due south-Bar.

South-Bar is a widget that loads aslope Windows 7. It sits at the peak of your desktop as a small icon that when opened, provides the user with a series of shortcuts to achieve tasks like adjusting the volume and enabling or disabling Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or the webcam. Information technology might exist a handy tool for beginners but seasoned Windows 7 veterans will likely desire to uninstall it to salvage resources and reduce clutter.

Benchmarks Results

Synthetic Tests	MSI GX60	TimelineU	Asus N56VZ

3DMark 06
3DMark Score	12343 3DMarks	11958 3DMarks	9665 3DMarks

PCMark Vantage
PCMark Suite	9024 PCMarks	6743 PCMarks	8675 PCMarks

Application Tests	MSI GX60	TimelineU	Asus N56VZ

iTunes Encoding Examination	1 min 55 sec	1 min 19 sec	1 min v sec

File Transfer Test
Pocket-sized files	45 sec	1 min xi sec	1 min 17 sec
Large file	52 sec	1 min 19 sec	57 sec

The iTunes encoding tests consist of converting 14 MP3s (119MB) to 128Kbps ACC files and measuring the performance'southward duration in seconds. For file transfers, we measure how long it takes to copy two sets of files from one location to some other on the same hard drive. On the pocket-size files exam we transfer 557 MP3s, totaling 2.56GB. For the large file, these same MP3s were zipped into a unmarried file measuring two.52GB.

Gaming Performance	MSI GX60	TimelineU	Asus N56VZ

Far Cry two
1024x768, Medium Quality	62.8 fps	69.0 fps	85.2 fps
Native res, High Quality	48.9 fps	55.5 fps	36.4 fps

StarCraft 2
1024x768, Medium Quality	31.seven fps	39.7 fps	68.4 fps
Native res, Loftier Quality	21.6 fps	29.nine fps	31.5 fps