Face Off: Three Generations of the 17-inch MSI GT Series
Any comprehensive list of the most recommendable 17-inch gaming notebooks is always guaranteed to have a model from the MSI GT family. The GT chassis has always been more versatile, more accessible, and generally stronger than the competition even after its numerous iterations.
For this Face Off, we'll be taking a step back to the 2012 GT70 to see how the manufacturer has improved after each revision and to identify any trends up to the current 2017 GT75VR. Since we've published on well over a dozen different configurations throughout the years, selecting just a few SKUs from the large pool would not fairly represent the entire GT7x family. A GT72 with the GTX 880M, for example, will likely have vastly different temperature and noise characteristics than a GT72 equipped with the GTX 1070. Thus, we've carefully chosen configurations from different hardware generations (i.e., GT70, GT72, GT73VR, GT75VR) instead of configurations from the same generation (i.e., GT72, GT72S, GT72VR) as we want to compare and contrast the hardware changes between each successive redesign.
We encourage users to check out our dedicated review pages below for more data and detailed analyses of the GT series.
- MSI GT70 (3610QM, GTX 670M), (4700MQ, GTX 770M), (4700MQ, GTX 780M) (4800MQ, GTX 880M) (4710MQ, GTX 970M)
- MSI GT72 (4710HQ, GTX 880M) (4710HQ, GTX 980M), (4710HQ, GTX 980M), (5700HQ, GTX 980M), (6820HK, GTX 980M), (6820HK, GTX 980), (6700HQ, GTX 1060), (6700HQ, GTX 1070), (7700HQ, GTX 1070)
- MSI GT73VR (6820HK, GTX 1070), (6820HK, GTX 1080), (7820HK, GTX 1080)
- MSI GT75VR (7820HK, GTX 1080)
Case
MSI has had no interest in creating a thinner or lighter gaming experience with the GT series as those are goals best suited to the GS series. Consequently, the jump from the GT70 to the GT72 and up have not resulted in more portable designs. The GT73VR, for example, is actually heavier than the GT72 it replaces and the GT75VR is even larger still because of the mechanical keyboard. By not having to worry about shaving off millimeters to be the "world's thinnest", the manufacturer has instead focused on rigidity, cooling, comfort, and expandability with excellent results. The GT72 in particular was the turning point as its more modular and easily serviceable components have lasted it from the early Nvidia Maxwell days up to the current Kepler family of GPUs. MSI saw no reason to retire the GT72/GT72S/GT72VR design until earlier this year even after introducing its direct GT73VR successor in 2016.
The jump from the GT72 to the GT73VR revised the chassis yet again but with special emphasis on the cooling solution. Whereas the older GT72 could support up to the GTX 1070, the GT73VR can house up to a single GTX 1080 with GTX 1070 SLI options. Moving from the GT73VR to the GT75VR is more minor in comparison as there were no major changes to the internals. Instead, the GT75VR integrates per-key RGB lighting, padded palm rests, and a mechanical keyboard. These luxurious features have added almost 10 mm in thickness and 500 g in weight over the GT73VR, which we find to be rather extreme.
Ports in Comparison
Connectivity
Gaming notebooks of this size are typically equipped with a wide range of ports and the GT series is not exception. MSI dropped both the legacy VGA and eSATA ports following the GT70 series and didn't drop the optical drive until after the GT72. USB Type-C was introduced in the GT72VR at the expense of one mDP port and multiple M.2 storage slots. The GT72VR series was introduced as a more affordable half-step between the GT72 and GT73VR and lacks Thunderbolt 3 support as a result. Nonetheless, the large number of USB and audio ports seems to be an ongoing tradition.
MSI GT70 | MSI GT72 | MSI GT72VR | MSI GT73VR/GT75VR | |
USB | 3x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 | 6x USB 3.0 | 6x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type-C Gen. 1 | 5x USB 3.0, 1x USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3 |
Video-out | HDMI, VGA | 2x mDP, 1x HDMI | mDP, HDMI | mDP, HDMI |
Audio | 4x 3.5 mm audio | 4x 3.5 mm audio | 4x 3.5 mm audio | 4x 3.5 mm audio |
Storage Bays | 2x mSATA, 1x 2.5-inch SATA III, Optical drive | 4x M.2 2280, 2x 2.5-inch SATA III, Optical drive | 1x M.2 2280, 1x 2.5-inch SATA III, Optical drive | 3x M.2 2280, 1x 2.5-inch SATA III |
Other | eSATA, Kensington Lock, Gigabit RJ-45, SD reader | Kensington Lock, Gigabit RJ-45, SD reader | Kensington Lock, Gigabit RJ-45, SD reader | Kensington Lock, Gigabit RJ-45, SD reader |
Input Devices
The chiclet SteelSeries keyboard suffered from more clatter on the original GT70 but had improved dramatically on the GT72 and GT73VR. It wasn't until the GT75VR that MSI went all out on a SteelSeries mechanical keyboard with individually-lit RGB keys designed specifically for gamers. The QWERTY keys on the GT75VR are elevated higher above the base chassis compared to the GT72 or GT73VR in order to accommodate the deeper travel depth. The gaming experience is invariably better due to the "clickier" tactile feedback at the expense of louder keys. Auxiliary keys for toggling Turbo Fan and the optional iGPU are present on every generation albeit never in the same position.
The touchpad has also been changing from model to model. The original GT70 touchpad was slightly trapezoidal in shape and with a glossy plastic perimeter. This was dropped on the GT72 in favor of a larger rectangular touchpad with a backlit perimeter. The problem here, however, was that there was no tactile barrier to separate the smooth touchpad from the smooth surrounding palm rests and cursor control was subsequently frustrating. MSI wisely addressed this issue on the GT73VR by adding elevation and texture differences to the touchpad while keeping the same backlight options. Finally, the touchpad changed once again on the GT75VR with its new soft-touch rubber surface and more angled perimeter that we believe is a downgrade from the smoother glide of the GT72 and GT73VR. No matter the generation, MSI never abandoned the dedicated mouse keys that are almost universally more accurate than integrated clickpads.
Display
Most 17-inch MSI gaming notebooks utilize panels from supplier Chi Mei. In fact, MSI has been offering the same Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 TN panel from the GT72 up to the current GT75VR. Users intending to configure a GT72, GT73VR, or GT75VR with a 120 Hz TN display will likely receive this panel with nearly identical contrast ratios, color spaces, response times, subpixel structures, and clarity between them. This is expected to change with the advent of new panels with 3 ms response times on the refreshed GT Raider and GS series.
It's not necessarily bad that three successive revisions of the GT notebooks have been utilizing the same panel. Color space is already very wide at over 100 percent of the sRGB standard and with faster black-white response times than other gaming notebooks using IPS displays. The latest GT75VR comes pre-calibrated and DeltaE values are subsequently very low for a significantly more accurate display than both the GT72 or GT73VR despite their panel similarities.
MSI GT70 | MSI GT72 | MSI GT73VR | MSI GT75VR | |
Display | TN | TN, G-Sync, 120 Hz | TN, G-Sync, 120 Hz | TN, G-Sync, 120 Hz |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 |
Panel ID | Chi Mei N173HGE-L11 (CM01720) | Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747) | Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747) | Chi Mei N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747) |
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 | MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | MSI GT73VR-6RE16SR451 | MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Display | ||||
Display P3 Coverage | 65.4 | 68.3 | 91.2 | 90.3 |
sRGB Coverage | 93.7 | 86.7 | 100 | 99.6 |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 67.2 | 63.4 | 84.9 | 86.8 |
Response Times | ||||
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 29 ? | 26 ? | 11.6 ? | |
Response Time Black / White * | 7 ? | 6.8 ? | 6.8 ? | |
PWM Frequency | 25000 ? | |||
Screen | ||||
Brightness middle | 325 | 299 | 314 | 274 |
Brightness | 312 | 277 | 294 | 262 |
Brightness Distribution | 80 | 87 | 89 | 87 |
Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.26 |
Contrast | 903 | 1107 | 1365 | 1054 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 11.28 | 9.65 | 9.74 | 1.36 |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 11.62 | 9.68 | 9.58 | 0.64 |
Gamma | 2.33 94% | 1.89 116% | 2.5 88% | 2.19 100% |
CCT | 14188 46% | 11652 56% | 11854 55% | 6551 99% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 61 | 75 | 76 | 77 |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 15.43 | 15.71 | 4.1 | |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
Total Average (Program / Settings) |
* ... smaller is better
Performance
CPU Performance
To nobody's surprise, processor performance has been steadily increasing from the old Ivy Bridge MQ days up to the current Kaby Lake HQ and unlocked HK series. In a very general sense, single-core performance has been growing more slowly than multi-core performance as shown by our CineBench benchmarks below. Users can expect a multi-core performance boost of about 50 percent from the i7-3610QM to the current i7-7820HK.
Internally, the motherboard and cooling solution have had two major revisions from the GT70 to the GT72 and then to the GT73VR. The second revision in particular invests heavily on a greater number of heat pipes to be one of the largest for a 17-inch gaming notebook alongside certain Clevo barebones. In comparison, the Alienware 17 R4 utilizes just two heat pipes with smaller surface area and subsequently poorer cooling potential. The longer length of heat pipes on the GT73VR/GT75VR are likely a direct response to the significantly higher TDP requirements of the GTX 1080 compared to the GTX 980M (180 W to 200 W vs. ~120 W).
See our dedicated pages on the Core i7-7820HK and Core i7-7700HQ CPUs for more benchmarks and comparisons.
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70PH-i7169BWW7H | |
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL | |
MSI GT72-2QE16SR21BW | |
MSI GT73VR 6RF | |
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70PH-i7169BWW7H | |
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL | |
MSI GT72-2QE16SR21BW | |
MSI GT73VR 6RF |
wPrime 2.10 | |
1024m (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70 2PE-890US | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL | |
32m (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70 2PE-890US | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL |
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0 | |
Pass 1 (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70PH-i7169BWW7H | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL | |
Pass 2 (sort by value) | |
MSI GT70PH-i7169BWW7H | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL |
* ... smaller is better
GPU Performance
The jump in raw graphics power from the GTX 980M to the GTX 1080 is an even larger leap than from the GTX 780M to the GTX 980M according to 3DMark benchmarks. This represents a performance boost of over 100 percent, though the drawbacks in temperature and fan noise become apparent in the next few sections below.
Cinebench R15 - OpenGL 64Bit | |
MSI GT72S 6QE-071PL | |
MSI GT72-2QE32SR311BW | |
MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | |
MSI GT73VR 6RF | |
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 | |
MSI GT70 2PE-890US | |
MSI GT72VR 6RD-063US | |
MSI GT72-2QE16SR21BW |
Stress Test
We run both Prime95 and FurMark to simulate maximum stress and to test system stability. These unrealistic conditions do not represent daily workloads and are instead meant to put both the CPU and GPU at 100 percent capacity.
In each of our four SKUs below, the CPUs never throttle below their respective base clock rates for reliable processor performance across the board. Stable core temperatures drop by a few degrees C when moving from the GT70 to the GT72 and again from the GT72 to the GT73VR even after considering the huge GPU performance upgrade from the GTX 970M to the GTX 1070. Our GT75VR and both its overclockable i7-7820HK and GTX 1080 processors run at faster clock rates than any GT7x notebook before it and the temperature readings are noticeably warmer as a result. Its CPU and GPU stabilize at 99 C and 81 C, respectively, to really push the limits of the cooling solution. Opting for a lower-end SKU of the GT75VR will yield cooler core temperatures if the similar GT73VR is of any indication.
MSI GT70 | MSI GT72 | MSI GT73 | MSI GT75 | |
Processor | Core i7-4710MQ | Core i7-7700HQ | Core i7-6820HK | Core i7-7820HK |
GPU | GTX 970M | GTX 1070 | GTX 1070 | GTX 1080 |
Rated GPU Core Clock (MHz) | 924 | 1443 | 1543 | 1582 |
Stable GPU Core Clock on FurMark (MHz) | 1149 | 1266 | 1304 | 1607 |
Rated CPU Core Clock (GHz) | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
Stable CPU Core Clock on Prime95 (GHz) | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Stable CPU temperature (degrees C) | 93 | 85 | 82 | 99 |
Stable GPU temperature (degrees C) | 80 | 77 | 70 | 81 |
Emissions and Energy
System Noise and Temperature
The performance gains come at a hefty cost as fan noise hasn't really improved throughout the years. The fans are always active in the low to mid 30 dB(A) range when the system is idling regardless of the generational design leaps. Fan RPM remains relatively stable during medium (3DMark06) loads with the exception of the GT75VR as its more powerful GTX 1080 will run significantly louder than the GT72VR or GT73VR with GTX 1070 graphics under all tested conditions.
Surface temperature development is directly related to the cooling solution and positioning of the processors. Since the GT72 and GT73VR/GT75VR have more symmetrical cooling solutions compared to the GT70, the temperature gradients between the GT72 and GT73VR/GT75VR are quite similar as shown by our temperature maps below. While we don't have a temperature map of the GT70 because of our ever-evolving test equipment, our existing temperature readings show a much warmer left half of the notebook compared to the right half. The comparatively flatter temperature of the palm rests and keyboards on the GT72 and GT73VR/GT75VR make for a more comfortable typing experience on the newer MSI models overall.
The move to a more symmetrical fan design on the GT72 and onwards was definitely the right call as it's now become a common theme on enthusiast gaming notebooks regardless of size.
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 | MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 | MSI GT73VR-6RE16SR451 | MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | ||||
Idle Minimum * | 33.8 | 34 | 32 | 33 |
Idle Average * | 35.2 | 35 | 33 | 34 |
Idle Maximum * | 35.6 | 37 | 35 | 38 |
Load Average * | 36.6 | 37 | 35 | 44 |
Load Maximum * | 53 | 44 | 49 | 62 |
off / environment * | 31 | 30 | 30 | |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 56 |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption
We can identify a steady uptick in average power consumption through each successive redesign. In particular, power draw when idling can be as high as 50 W on the GT75VR compared to almost half that on the GT70 when under similar conditions. Gaming loads may demand about 20 percent more power on the GT73VR (w/ GTX 1070) compared to the GT70 (w/ GTX 970M), but the difference is almost minuscule compared to the +200% raw GPU performance advantage between the Maxwell and Pascal GPUs.
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 GeForce GTX 970M, 4710MQ, Hynix HFS128G3AMNB | MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Kingston RBU-SNS8152S3256GG5 | MSI GT73VR-6RE16SR451 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0) | MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | ||||
Idle Minimum * | 14.2 | 20 | 31 | 34 |
Idle Average * | 21.5 | 27 | 35 | 41 |
Idle Maximum * | 26.2 | 31 | 40 | 50 |
Load Average * | 97.4 | 86 | 106 | 106 |
Load Maximum * | 186.1 | 184 | 218 | 320 |
Witcher 3 ultra * | 257 |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Battery life is yet another aspect that has seen no major improvements from revision to revision. Capacity has been falling from 87 Wh on the original GT70 to 75 Wh on the latest GT75VR. Combine this with the higher power consumption shown above and the added auxiliary features and you have measurably shorter runtimes on the GT75VR compared to earlier designs.
Another noteworthy difference is that the older GT70 has a swappable battery pack whereas the batteries for the GT72, GT73VR, and GT75VR are protected underneath their bottom panels. It's clear that battery life has been taking more of a back seat for each successive chassis redesign.
MSI GT70-2QD16SR21 87 Wh | MSI GT72VR 7RE-433 83 Wh | MSI GT73VR-6RE16SR451 75 Wh | MSI GT75VR 7RF-012 Titan Pro 75 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | ||||
Reader / Idle | 418 | 316 | 290 | 182 |
WiFi v1.3 | 263 | 230 | 206 | 144 |
Load | 74 | 91 | 72 | 65 |
H.264 | 228 | 148 |
Verdict
Looking back through five years of the MSI GT family reveals some interesting trends. The more obvious improvements aside from performance include firmer keyboard tactility and stronger successive designs without sacrificing serviceability.
There are a few aspects that have unfortunately remained constant or have even grown worse over time. Battery capacity has been decreasing, power consumption has been rising, weight and size have been increasing, and fan noise has been growing louder in a general sense. One would expect newer, heavier, and bigger gaming notebooks to at least run noticeably quieter than their older counterparts, but this does not appear to be the case. The highest-end configuration for the GT75VR in particular will still run hotter and louder despite its wider girth and advancements in cooling over the GT70 and GT72. We have the feeling that CPU and GPU power are growing at a faster rate than what MSI is able to effectively dissipate with their cooling solutions. Asus has been investing in vapor chamber cooling on certain G752 SKUs for potentially better cooling, but MSI has yet to show any interest in adopting this approach.
All the above drawbacks show that MSI is putting performance front and center even if it means taking space away from the internal battery and creating a bigger notebook in the process. None of our tested systems exhibited throttling when subjected to extreme stress and surface temperatures were never an issue in practice.
Based on what we've seen, we're hoping that future 17-inch GT models can at least maintain the current size and noise level of the GT75VR while still offering similar connectivity features and display options. A denser and more powerful cooling solution will certainly be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome should MSI want to keep the growing sizes and noise levels in check.