MSI Ships GT660 Gaming Notebook To North America: Core i7, USB 3.0

MSI has been on a real notebook kick here lately, as it feels like a new one is produced every other week or so. Usually, the company's efforts are directed either overseas, or we Americans aren't told when to expect the latest debut. But the GT660 is definitely tailor made for the U.S. market, and it's on sale now at a variety of online retailers.

This gaming/multi-media monster is said to be the first notebook to combine Dynaudio's surround sound capabilities with "massive memory" and USB 3.0. It's a rare combination for sure, as is any combination that involves USB 3.0. Unlike most laptops, MSI's GT660 has not two, but three DDR3 memory slots, and there's also a Core i7 processor, NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 285M GPU, support for 3D output, Turbo Drive Engine + technology, HD webcam, and a noticeable paint job.

The GT660 won't come cheap, starting at $1649.99, but it's available now in North America if you're in the market for a potent mobile machine.

 MSI GT660 is First Notebook to Combine World-Class Surround Sound from Dynaudio with Massive Memory and USB 3.0

Notebook Takes Gaming Market by Storm with Three DDR3 Memory Slots, Dual Hard Disk, USB 3.0 for Lightning Fast 3D Gaming, and True-to-Life Sound for a Superior Multimedia Experience

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced the North American availability of its powerhouse GT660 gaming and multimedia notebook. The GT660 is the only notebook on the market to come equipped with high-fidelity surround-sound from world-class sound system designer Dynaudio. To further enhance the multimedia experience, MSI added three DDR3 memory slots, and USB 3.0 technology to turbo charge data transfer speeds as well as the unit’s performance.

    “The GT660 has received positive feedback from gaming aficionados around the globe, and now we can offer our customers the opportunity to play the games they enjoy the most, with the highest quality of sound through our work with Dynaudio.”

The GT660 features powerful hardware, including the Intel® Core™ i7 Processor and NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 285M top end discrete graphics cards for clear, smooth, and real-time 3D images.

“We’re pleased to announce the immediate availability of the GT660, our most powerful of the G-Series, here in the U.S. and Canada,” said Andy Tung, vice president of sales for MSI North America. “The GT660 has received positive feedback from gaming aficionados around the globe, and now we can offer our customers the opportunity to play the games they enjoy the most, with the highest quality of sound through our work with Dynaudio.”

“Quality notebooks capable of high performance and extreme gaming are difficult to come by. My experience with the GT660 was phenomenal...never before have I been able to run the latest games without any glitches in performance,” said Team EG professional gamer, Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert. “Not only was my gaming experience flawless, but the sleek design and durability of the notebook means it will withstand the normal bumps and bruises that come with traveling around the world."

Specific GT660 product highlights include:

    * More memory and top-of-the-line graphics card: The GT660 features three DDR3 memory slots, giving the notebook computing power one would expect from a server. The notebook is also equipped with NVIDIA’s most advanced GeForce GTX 285M discrete graphics card with 1GB DDR3 of display memory.
    * Latest and fastest USB 3.0 data transfer technology: USB 3.0 can reach transfer rates of 4.8GB per second, 10 times the bandwidth of the current USB 2.0. A 27GB HD file – roughly the equivalent of a four hour HD video – can be transferred within 70 seconds, so HD video and 3D game playback speeds are even faster.
    * World-class sound: As a result of its partnership with world-renowned sound system provider, Dynaudio, MSI completely overhauled the speaker circuits and housing structures traditionally found in laptops to give the GT660 crisper, more true-to-life sound. The MSI/Dynaudio R&D team determined the most ideal locations for the unit’s speakers, and tested each frequency to ensure a balanced tone and to produce high-quality fidelity.
    * Powerful hardware delivers enhanced horsepower and speed: The GT660 includes the world’s most advanced Intel Core i7 quad core processor, which boasts superior multimedia performance and can retrieve data from Blu-ray disks or update online photo albums twice as fast as conventional dual core notebooks. The processor also comes with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, allowing users to power up or down as necessary, depending on the load requirements of the task at hand.
    * TDE and overclocking technology: The MSI GT660 is the world’s first notebook to come with dual overclocking for processor and display performance. One touch of the Turbo hotkey kicks in MSI’s exclusive TDE+ technology (Turbo Drive Engine + technology) so the notebook remains highly responsive whether using high-load applications or gaming. Also with one touch, MSI’s Cooler Boost technology keeps the system’s temperature down in even the hottest conditions.
    * Entertainment in HD: The GT660’s wide cinema-class 16:9 ratio LED display delivers the sharpest colors while viewing HD films. The HD720p webcam allows for fast, interference-free web calls with friends and family.
    * Forged 3D supercar exterior: Designed to resemble a sports car hood, MSI’s white logo is set in the center of the GT660’s cover, framed by a raised black diamond trident above a glowing red slash.

The GT660, which starts at MSRP $1649.99, is available in e-tail stores including Amazon.com and Newegg.com in the U.S. and NCIX.com in Canada. For more information, including a complete list of specs, please visit http://www.msimobile.com/level3_productpage.aspx?cid=6&id=243.