MSI PS42 now shipping for $900 USD to compete directly with the Dell XPS 13
MSI, who is best known for its lineup of gaming laptops ranging from the small 13-inch GS30 to the hulking 18.4-inch GT83, has historically shown little interest when it comes to traditional Ultrabook offerings. Apparently, competing directly with popular Ultrabooks like the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, or Asus ZenBook 13 series hasn't been a top priority. This all changed at Computex 2018 when the Taiwanese manufacturer showed off an original 14-inch Ultrabook designed to compete in a space outside of MSI's comfort zone.
The slim PS42 is now shipping in at least three different SKUs as detailed by the official product page. All configurations will carry the same 1080p display with either the Core i5-8250U or i7-8550U CPU, integrated UHD Graphics 620 or GeForce MX150 GPU, 256 GB to 512 GB of M.2 SATA storage, or 8 GB to 16 GB of DDR4 2400 MHz RAM.
As MSI's first "true" Ultrabook, the PS42 will be an important testing ground for the manufacturer to see if there is enough interest in a traditional MSI Ultrabook. The OEM is hoping that its aluminum silver chassis, high 80 percent screen-to-body ratio, Windows Hello integration, and sleek matte design can attract business users and not just gamers. Naturally, the system borrows multiple elements from the successful Gaming G Series including Cooler Boost 3 and Nahimic 3.
The PS42 is now available through major online retailers like NewEgg and Adorama. The base SKU with i5-8250U and integrated graphics costs $900 USD while the high-end SKU with i7-8550U and GeForce MX150 graphics costs $1300 USD.
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