MSI GL62 7QF-1660

Specifications

Pricecompare

Reviews for the MSI GL62 7QF-1660

80% MSI GL62 7QF-1660 Gaming Laptop Review
Source: Tech For Pennies Archive.org version
MSI GL62 7QF-1660 holds strong even though it can not compete with gaming laptops in the +1000 dollars category. The main difference is – naturally – in graphics performance, where the GTX 960M can be seen as a mid-range graphics processor. However, considering that you won’t be able to use ridiculously high resolutions due to screen’s limitations, the oomph for gaming is sufficient here. So it pretty much boils down to that: if you are happy with smooth Full HD gaming experience, there are no questions about this MSI’s usefulness to you!
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/05/2017
Rating: Total score: 80%

Comment

Model:

The MSI GL62 7QF-1660 is a low-cost 15.6-inch gaming laptop. "Gaming starts here” is MSI’s slogan to advertise the pretty inexpensive GL62. Compared to other models from the GE or GS series, however, the manufacturer has cut some corners. For example, the 15-inch model lacks a keyboard illumination as well as an IPS display. Both the design and the port selection of the GL62 are reminiscent of the 15-inch sibling GE62. MSI decided to take the GL62 design down a notch by making it with a modest black plastic cover unlike its cousin, the GE62. Unlike some other MSI notebooks, the design is surprisingly subtle and has nothing much about it that shouts gaming. It mainly uses the colour black, and there are only some red elements on the lid and the bottom. As for the display, MSI only implements a TN-panel on this laptop. Under the hood, it is powered by an Intel Core i7-7700HQ, which is 8% faster than the i7-6700HQ under average usage. The 7th generation Intel Core H series processor utilizes a power-efficient microarchitecture, advanced process technology and silicon optimisations to deliver faster performance than processors of the previous generation. Thanks to the solid-state disk, the laptop boots up quickly and the system is generally fast. MSI also includes a conventional 1TB hard drive to avoid space problems.

Nvidia's Optimus technology, which uses either the GeForce GTX 960M or the integrated GPU of the processor (HD Graphics 530), has a big effect on the battery runtimes. The battery has a capacity of 41 watts, which is quite low, since the competition is usually equipped with 60-Wh modules. MSI has equipped the GL62 with various applications and tools. In addition to the System Control Manager, the Dragon Gaming Center is interesting. The latter includes monitoring and special functions such as the Shift mode, which adjusts the clock behaviour of the CPU and the GPU depending on the setting (Green, Comfort & Sport). The sound can be optimised via Nahimic Sound Enhancer. The Nahimic audio software offers high definition sound technology, which boosts the audio and voice performance of the gaming computer.  Office 365 and Norton Security are included as trial versions. Movie enthusiasts will be happy about CyberLink Power DVD 12. MSI uses the WLAN module Wireless-AC 3165 from Intel. As befits a modern gaming notebook, the module supports WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n as well as the AC standard (2.4 & 5 GHz, up to 433 Mbps) besides Bluetooth. In terms of connectivity, it has an RJ45-Ethernet, Kensington Lock, two audio jacks and two video ports, which are essential for a gaming notebook. It also has two USB 3.0 Type-C ports. It is quite well equipped for a relatively cheap gaming notebook. The MSI GL62 7QF-1660 is a good buy for casual gamers that are on a budget. Its main competition is the Dell Inspiron 15 that also offers mid-range gaming capabilities, but at a lower price.

Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M: Upper mid-range graphics card of the GeForce GTX 900M series.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

i7-7700HQ: Quad-core notebook processor based on the Kaby Lake architecture. Besides four CPU cores (including Hyper Threading), the chips also integrates the HD Graphics 630 GPU and is manufactured in an improved 14 nm process.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.60":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

MSI: Micro-Star International (MSI) was founded in 1986 in Taiwan. MSI is especially known as a manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards for PCs, but also offers computer accessories, complete systems, motherboards, graphics cards, laptops, desktop PCs, monitors and other components. However, the Microstar brand name in Germany belongs to the Medion company. MSI is known for its gaming products and has developed a wide range of gaming laptops and desktop PCs. The company is also active in workstations, servers and industrial automation. MSI has offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

80%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

Devices from a different Manufacturer and/or with a different CPU

Devices with the same GPU