MSI GS60 6QE Ghost Pro – Screen & Sound Quality

The 6QE’s 15.6-inch screen has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. That’s sensible, since it means there’s no need to mess around with Windows 10’s scaling options. It also means that there’s no extra strain on the graphics card, since it doesn’t need to run games at higher resolutions.

The MSI’s panel ticks many of the right boxes when it comes to quality. The measured colour temperature of 6,347K barely deviates from the 6,500K ideal, meaning colours will be free from any blue or red hues.

The maximum brightness level of 277 nits is fine, and the black level of 0.27 nits is also very good. The former is high enough to cope with bright lights, and the latter means that darker areas will have suitable depth. The result is a contrast ratio of 1,026:1, which is comfortably up there with the better laptops, giving this screen a punchiness that lesser models lack.

Colour accuracy is reasonable too. The average Delta E of 3.39 is good rather than great, but that’s fine for gaming, and the MSI’s panel displayed 83.1% of the sRGB colour gamut – a decent figure.

The good benchmark results help the MSI compete with its rivals. It’s more balanced than the Alienware, which is hampered by its cool colour temperature and worse contrast, despite its decent sRGB and Delta E levels.

It’s a close-run thing between the GS60 and the MSI GE62. The older, heavier machine had poorer colour temperature, black levels and sRGB coverage, but the GE62 beats the GS60 on contrast, brightness and Delta E.

That said, overall the GS60’s screen displays great quality in colour temperature and contrast and no major problems elsewhere. This is a satisfying screen for gaming.

By default, the speakers are reasonable. They offer acceptable volume and a pleasant bass, and there’s enough distinction across the range to lend a bit of nuance to music and games. There’s no getting away from the tinny top end, though, which is where the GS60 falls back to standard laptop territory.

The Nahimic app sets the GS60 to Gaming mode by default, which is a sound move; the Music and Movie modes are duller, with a lack of high-end crunch. Tinkerers will be pleased by the bass boost, reverb, surround sound and other options that can be fine-tuned.

MSI GS60 6QE Ghost Pro – Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard is by SteelSeries, which is standard for MSI gaming laptops, and this reliable partnership delivers another high-quality typing unit. The keys hammer down with speed and precision, but the action isn’t harsh – there’s enough softness to ensure comfort. The base is solid, too. For gaming on the go, Scrabble-tile keyboards don’t get much better.

My only issues with the keyboard concern its layout. The single-height Return key isn’t something we’re accustomed to in the UK, and the cursor keys are too small and too close to the other buttons for a gaming laptop. In addition, the Windows key is hoved to the right-hand side, and the number and Function keys are all a little small.

The trackpad is a wide unit with buttons built in to each corner, and it’s one of the better examples we’ve seen recently. The surface is responsive and works well with gestures, and the buttons are fast and snappy – among the best I’ve seen when it comes to replicating the fast click of a gaming mouse. It’s certainly good enough for games, but it’s no match for a proper USB rodent.