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MSI GL72 7RD-028 Laptop (Core i7, Full HD) Review

Nothing new. MSI has given its entry-level 17-inch GL72 a hardware update. The new service package is enough to enjoy Full HD resolution adapted to the current gaming world. However, the device cannot offer any other improvements or innovations.

For the original German review, click here.

With the GL72 series, MSI has tried to prove that 17-inch entry-level devices can be successful. Our test unit of the gaming notebook is equipped with a modern, top-level Intel Core i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050. It is available for $1100 which is relatively affordable for a 17-inch gaming laptop.

This is not the first time that we have taken a closer look at the GL72 series. We were able to review the gaming notebook configured with an Intel Core i7 6700HQ and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M more than a year ago. Therefore, we would like to include this predecessor as a comparison device for this review.

Asus has a notebook similar to the current MSI GL72 available. The Asus ROG Strix GL753VD that we tested had the same performance characteristics. Depending on its configuration, this device is available for $1360 to $1400. To widen our range of comparable devices, we have also included 17-inch alternatives with the stronger Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050. These include the Asus GL753VE (available for $1300) and the Acer Aspire V17 Nitro. MSI also has a similar device with Ti graphics available: the GE72.

MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile - 4 GB VRAM, Core: 1354 MHz, Memory: 1752 MHz, GDDR5, 21.21.13.7654 (ForceWare 376.54)
Memory
8 GB 
, Single-Channel, 1 of 2 slots used
Display
17.30 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 127 PPI, Chi Mei CMN1735 N173HGE-E11, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175
Storage
HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630, 1000 GB 
, 7200 rpm, 7.200 RPM, 1 x M.2 SSD
Soundcard
Intel Skylake PCH-H High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Mikrofon-In, Audio-Out, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC
Networking
Qualcomm Atheros AR8171/8175 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUD0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 34 x 419 x 287 ( = 1.34 x 16.5 x 11.3 in)
Battery
43.2 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6 cells
Operating System
FreeDos
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: 4 x 2 Watt, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
3 kg ( = 105.82 oz / 6.61 pounds), Power Supply: 640 g ( = 22.58 oz / 1.41 pounds)
Price
1100 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

MSI has stuck to what it knows best - the GL72 looks just like its predecessor. The matte black case is made entirely from plastic and extremely prone to fingerprints. Just like last time, the test device shows some weaknesses. The keyboard unit and display lid give way too easily and the narrow hinges give a good impression: the large display stays firmly in position. However, you need both hands to open the notebook. Like its predecessor, the battery cannot be removed easily.

The simple matte design...
The simple matte design...
...does not give away what power...
... is hidden within the 17-inch gaming laptop.
The case is made...
... only of plastic.
The MSI GL72 is characterized by...
... its gaming performance and its...
... reasonable price.
MSI GL72
MSI GL72
maximum opening angle

The plastic case of the new MSI GL72 weighs 3 kg (~6.6 lb) and is about 200 g (~7 oz) heavier than that of its predecessor. But this may not be solely due to the improvements. The previous test unit was equipped with an M.2 SSD instead of a 2.5-inch hard disk. The US version is equipped with both an M.2 SSD and a hard disk while the German test unit had only an HDD available. Overall, the GL72 is still rather light-weight and comfortable for a 17-inch device. Its competition weighs about the same despite some of the devices having stronger components.

Size Comparison

420 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 37 mm / 1.457 inch 2.8 kg6.17 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 3 kg6.61 lbs420 mm / 16.5 inch 288 mm / 11.3 inch 32 mm / 1.26 inch 3 kg6.57 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 296 mm / 11.7 inch 27.62 mm / 1.087 inch 3.1 kg6.83 lbs414 mm / 16.3 inch 272 mm / 10.7 inch 33 mm / 1.299 inch 3 kg6.55 lbs419 mm / 16.5 inch 289 mm / 11.4 inch 27 mm / 1.063 inch 2.9 kg6.32 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

The MSI GL72 is designed to have all permanently connected devices on the left side of the notebook. On the right side you can, for example, connect a mouse via a USB 2.0 connection. As the ports lie in the middle on the left side, they are easily accessible. Unfortunately the USB Type-C does not support Thunderbolt. The HDMI port supports 4K resolution, but only at a frequency of up to 30 Hz.

front
front
back
back
left: Kensington lock, Ethernet port, USB 3.0, HDMI connector, Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, microphone-in, headphone jack
left: Kensington lock, Ethernet port, USB 3.0, HDMI connector, Mini DisplayPort, USB 3.0, USB Type-C, microphone-in, headphone jack
right: modular DVD drive, USB 2.0, SD card reader, power supply
right: modular DVD drive, USB 2.0, SD card reader, power supply

SD card reader

In order to test the speed on the SD card reader, we always use our reference card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. The AS SSD benchmark and manual copying of JPG files (each about 5 MB) confirm the meagre transfer rates of about 20 MB/s. If you copy files from SD cards regularly, you might want to consider an external card reader or even another product. If you take a look at the comparison devices, you will see that transfer rates of 80 MB/s are quite common.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Nexoc G739
 
78 MB/s +231%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
 
66.1 MB/s +180%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
 
26 MB/s +10%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
 
23.7 MB/s 0%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
 
23.6 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus GL753VE-DS74
 
92.3 MB/s +364%
Nexoc G739
 
87 MB/s +337%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
 
28 MB/s +41%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
 
25 MB/s +26%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
 
19.9 MB/s

Communication

MSI has chosen the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 to take over wireless network connection with a (gross) speed of up to 422 MBit/s. On top of that, it offers Bluetooth 4.2, with which we measured client transfer rates of 305 MBit/s. As a server, we measured an average of 342 MBit/s. These results are rather poor in comparison to its competitors. The Asus ROG Strix GL753, for example, reaches an average of 666 MBit/s (as client).

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
638 MBit/s +87%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
497 MBit/s +45%
Nexoc G739
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
388 MBit/s +13%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
342 MBit/s
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
294 MBit/s -14%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
618 MBit/s +103%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
594 MBit/s +95%
Nexoc G739
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
443 MBit/s +45%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
345 MBit/s +13%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
305 MBit/s

Accessories

No interesting accessories came with the device and we could not find any peripheral equipment on the manufacturer's website either. However, on its website MSI does offer accessories that match the laptop's looks.

Maintenance

As the device has no maintenance hatch, the entire bottom cover needs to be removed to do any maintenance work. In order to do this, you need to unscrew 19 screws, one of which is hidden beneath a sticker about warranty. The plastic case is additionally held in place by plastic clips, so caution is needed when lifting the cover off the base unit. We were forced to stop at this point so as not to damage our right to claiming warranty. We could, however, tell that one of the two RAM slots was in use and that the layout was almost identical to the previous MSI GL72.

A lot of screws hide the view into the inside.
A lot of screws hide the view into the inside.

Warranty

The manufacturer offers a two-year warranty (pickup and return) from date of purchase. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard

MSI has equipped the GL72 7RD-028 with a black chiclet keyboard. It has good travel and clear pressure points, which is a great plus. The keys do not give way too much in the corners either. The test unit has a German QWERTZ keyboard with a slightly altered layout that takes a bit of getting used to. We cannot say if the English version offers a standard layout or not. It was nice to see the large arrow keys and number pad. Our test unit also has a three-level white backlighting, which the predecessor did not.  

Touchpad

The touchpad is 10.7 x 6 cm (~4.2 x 2.4 in) large and has a smooth surface with fast response times. Unfortunately, it is no better than the case in terms of fingerprints, which are easily visible. We had no complaints about input. The touchpad responded quickly and smoothly even to multitouch gestures such as scrolling through websites. It does not register input well in the corners, unfortunately. The two mouse buttons have short and clear pressure points. The click sound they make is quite muffled, but not quiet.

updated: a three-level backlit keyboard
updated: a three-level backlit keyboard
A good keyboard in the MSI GL72
A good keyboard in the MSI GL72

Display

Pixel array
Pixel array

The large 17-inch display has a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. This corresponds with the performance of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050. Most new games can be played smoothly in high quality with this configuration. 

The German device is equipped with a TN panel from the manufacturer Chi-Mei. Apart from our MSI comparison devices all competitors feature higher quality IPS displays with stable viewing angles. As an alternative, MSI offers a display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz instead of 60 Hz. We took a closer look at this increased frequency during our testing of the MSI GE72.

We measured an average brightness of about 240 cd/m². This result shows an improvement by about 60 cd/m² in comparison to its predecessor (MSI GL72 6QE). A look at the results of the comparison devices shows that these values are below average for this level. Asus' comparison device, for example, can reach about 350 cd/m². The brightness distribution is disappointing at 80%. We noticed just a slight clouding on either side of the screen.

253
cd/m²
287
cd/m²
301
cd/m²
241
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
251
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN1735 N173HGE-E11 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 301 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 273.6 cd/m² Minimum: 16 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 300 cd/m²
Contrast: 1196:1 (Black: 0.25 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 12.92 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 13.16 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
60% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
94.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.36
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Chi Mei CMN1735 N173HGE-E11, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
AU Optronics, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Nexoc G739
CMN1738, , 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus GL753VE-DS74
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3, , 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE72 7RE-046
N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), , 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GL72 6QF
1920x1080, 17.30
Display
-5%
0%
25%
1%
Display P3 Coverage
65.2
63.1
-3%
66.7
2%
90.7
39%
65.9
1%
sRGB Coverage
94.3
86.5
-8%
91
-3%
99.9
6%
95.6
1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.6
63.3
-4%
66.4
1%
85.2
30%
66.7
2%
Response Times
-18%
-39%
-5%
36%
-18%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
29 ?(14, 15)
38 ?(20, 18)
-31%
45 ?(20, 25)
-55%
36 ?(18.4, 17.6)
-24%
27 ?(13, 14)
7%
45.6 ?(23.6, 22)
-57%
Response Time Black / White *
26 ?(21, 5)
27 ?(16, 11)
-4%
28 ?(7, 21)
-8%
22 ?(12.4, 9.6)
15%
9 ?(6, 3)
65%
25.6 ?(8.4, 17.2)
2%
PWM Frequency
961
450 ?(90)
-53%
980 ?(99)
2%
Screen
12%
23%
19%
16%
-7%
Brightness middle
299
301
1%
312
4%
366
22%
253
-15%
194.7
-35%
Brightness
274
270
-1%
304
11%
348
27%
230
-16%
183
-33%
Brightness Distribution
80
79
-1%
85
6%
90
13%
86
8%
79
-1%
Black Level *
0.25
0.38
-52%
0.23
8%
0.35
-40%
0.24
4%
0.247
1%
Contrast
1196
792
-34%
1357
13%
1046
-13%
1054
-12%
788
-34%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
12.92
3.49
73%
4.19
68%
4.4
66%
5.01
61%
11.44
11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.91
7.49
62%
8.7
56%
9.7
51%
10.4
48%
18.78
6%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
13.16
1.88
86%
3.72
72%
3
77%
7.26
45%
11.36
14%
Gamma
2.36 93%
2.35 94%
2.29 96%
2.1 105%
2.09 105%
2.12 104%
CCT
15046 43%
6587 99%
7104 91%
6362 102%
6329 103%
12948 50%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
60
56
-7%
59
-2%
56
-7%
76
27%
60.8
1%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
94
86
-9%
91
-3%
86
-9%
100
6%
95.3
1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-4% / 5%
-5% / 7%
7% / 15%
26% / 20%
-8% / -7%

* ... smaller is better

The gaming notebook manages to produce good black values with a contrast of 1200:1. The CalMAN results were not as pleasing ex-works. We measured a Delta E deviation both of about 13 for both colors and gray scales. Particularly disappointing: a very noticeable blue cast. Calibrating the display made an improvement. Afterwards, the average gray scale deviation was at just 1.35 and color deviation at 2.28. Last but not least, we took a look at color space coverage. This is quite good at 94% of the sRGB color space. The larger AdobeRGB color space is covered to 60%.

before calibration: CalMAN ColorChecker
before calibration: CalMAN ColorChecker
before calibration: CalMAN Gray scales
before calibration: CalMAN Gray scales
sRGB color space coverage
sRGB color space coverage
after calibration: CalMAN ColorChecker
after calibration: CalMAN ColorChecker
after calibration: CalMAN Gray scales
after calibration: CalMAN Gray scales
before calibration: CalMAN color saturation
before calibration: CalMAN color saturation
after calibration: CalMAN color saturation
after calibration: CalMAN color saturation
AdobeRGB color space coverage
AdobeRGB color space coverage
The MSI GL72 with overcast sky
The MSI GL72 with overcast sky

Thanks to the matte display and great brightness levels, the gaming notebook can be used outside. However, we would recommend staying in shady areas and avoid direct sunlight.  

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
26 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 5 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
29 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14 ms rise
↘ 15 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 32 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 961 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 961 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 961 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Choosing a TN panel means accepting limitations in terms of color and brightness levels from wider viewing angles. So the display has rather poor viewing angle stability. Thanks to the large opening angle of almost 180° the MSI GL72 can be adjusted to almost any position.

Viewing angle stability
Viewing angle stability

Performance

LatencyMon
LatencyMon

The new MSI GL72 is supposed to offer a Full HD experience in a 17-inch format. The CPU is one of the fastest laptop processors of the Kaby Lake generation. The mid-range Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 displays most of the current games smoothly in Full HD resolution. For its GL series, the manufacturer has foregone the Ti version, which is up to 30% faster. The storage solution in the German test unit is a hard drive with a capacity of one terabyte. Fortunately for readers living in English-speaking countries, their version has 16 GB of RAM rather than the 8 GB in the German version and an additional 128 GB SSD. 

Processor

Our test device is equipped with an Intel Core i7-7700HQ of the Kaby Lake generation and is classified as a high-end processor. The clock rate is between 2800 MHz and 3800 MHz. The biggest difference compared to its Skylake predecessor Intel Core i7-6700HQ is in the clock rate, which has increased by 200 MHz. There is no change in power consumption: Intel claims a maximum power consumption of 45 watts (TDP). To test its real performance, we did the Cinebench R15 benchmark. The test device achieved 731 points in the Multicore test, which matches our expectation. The clock rate remained at 3400 MHz throughout the test. The competition runs at a similar level. Only the Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7 cannot keep up due to its weaker Intel-Core-i5-7300HQ processor and reached only 515 points. That is 50 points difference compared to our test unit's predecessor.

We use the Cinebench R15 loop to measure how performance changes over a prolonged period of time. At first, the score fluctuates minimally and finally levels out at its normal level. The result stays the same even after disconnecting from the power supply.

You can compare more CPUS with our CPU Benchmark Tool.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Nexoc G739
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points +3%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points +2%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
145 Points -7%
MSI GL72 6QF
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
144 Points -8%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
141 Points -10%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Nexoc G739
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
743 Points +2%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points +1%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
732 Points 0%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
731 Points
MSI GL72 6QF
Intel Core i7-6700HQ
683 Points -7%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
515 Points -30%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
156 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
731 Points
Help

System Performance

The device's potent hardware ensures that system and software run smoothly. As the German device version is not equipped with an SSD, the MSI GL72 is in the last place in our comparison of PCMark 8 Home benchmark results. Last year's MSI GL72 6QE had a higher value thanks to its SSD storage.

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4270 Points +33%
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
3903 Points +21%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
3596 Points +12%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3570 Points +11%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
3220 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5243 Points +11%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5171 Points +9%
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
5090 Points +7%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
4735 Points
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
4486 Points -5%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3220 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3553 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4735 points
Help

Storage Devices

HD Tune Benchmark
HD Tune Benchmark
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark

The English version is equipped with both 1 TB of 7200-RPM hard drive and 128 GB of M.2 SSD storage. For the hard drive, we measured sequential read and write rates of about 130 MB/s with the CrystalDiskMark test. The important 4K values are at just 0.582 MB/s during the read test and 1.022 MB/s during the write test. The competition that is equipped with PCIe SSDs has a clear advantage in our comparison. Their sequential read rates are over ten times faster than those of our test device.

MSI GL72 7RDX-602
HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
Nexoc G739
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
MSI GL72 6QF
Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
67%
17392%
5607%
14630%
Read Seq
135.3
117.6
-13%
1666
1131%
1049
675%
2217
1539%
Write Seq
127
109.1
-14%
1192
839%
584
360%
950
648%
Read 512
45.57
39.93
-12%
857
1781%
583
1179%
938
1958%
Write 512
58.3
98.6
69%
827
1319%
458
686%
719
1133%
Read 4k
0.582
0.435
-25%
60.7
10330%
14.1
2323%
51.9
8818%
Write 4k
1.022
3.152
208%
154.5
15017%
108
10468%
149.7
14548%
Read 4k QD32
1.068
1.008
-6%
636
59451%
57.8
5312%
634
59263%
Write 4k QD32
1.102
4.705
327%
544
49265%
264
23856%
322.1
29129%
HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
Transfer Rate Minimum: 63.4 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 139 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 105.4 MB/s
Access Time: 15.5 ms
Burst Rate: 280.2 MB/s
CPU Usage: 2.9 %

Graphics

MSI has chosen an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 to take care of the device's graphics. This seems a little unusual as most 17-inch devices that we have tested are equipped with the stronger Ti version. In our case the GPU has a core clock rate of 1354 MHz and a GDDR5 memory of 4 GB. We have analyzed its performance and compared it to the Ti version with the help of the 3DMark benchmark. The device scored 5622 points in the Fire Strike test. That is about 150 points less than the Asus Strix GL753 with the same configuration. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti reaches 7000 points, which is clearly a lot better. Further down, we will take a look at what effects these results have on real-life gaming. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M used in the previous version reached a score of 4340 in the Fire Strike test.

If you like to use your laptop without power supply for short sessions, you will have to accept substantial losses in graphics performance. The result of the 3DMark 11 sinks from 7594 to just 2541 points on battery.

You can compare more GPUS in our benchmarks list.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
10270 Points +32%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
10186 Points +31%
Nexoc G739
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
10008 Points +29%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7769 Points
MSI GL72 6QF
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
5825 Points -25%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Nexoc G739
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
51987 Points +34%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
50683 Points +30%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
49223 Points +27%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
47807 Points +23%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
38907 Points
MSI GL72 6QF
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
33474 Points -14%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI GE72 7RE-046
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8086 Points +30%
Nexoc G739
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8027 Points +29%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i5-7300HQ
7883 Points +27%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7531 Points +21%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, Intel Core i7-7700HQ
6230 Points
MSI GL72 6QF
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M, Intel Core i7-6700HQ
4705 Points -24%
3DMark 11 Performance
7594 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
63241 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
19306 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
5622 points
Help

Gaming Performance

As mentioned already, the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 shows its strength during Full HD gaming. Most current games can be displayed smoothly with high or medium details. As the games "Rise of the Tomb Raider" and "The Witcher 3" show, the Ti version of the graphics unit is clearly stronger and makes gaming even smoother. With high settings it can produce up to 10 FPS more. 

To find out which games can be played with the inserted graphics unit and how well other GPUs do, take a look at our article "Computer Games on Laptop Graphic Cards".

BioShock Infinite
1366x768 High Preset
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
171.6 fps +23%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
140 fps
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
120.2 fps -14%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
97 fps +49%
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
72.5 fps +11%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
71 fps +9%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
65.2 fps
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
49.9 fps -23%
The Witcher 3
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
50.4 fps +39%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
48.7 fps +34%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
46.7 fps +29%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
36.3 fps
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
32 fps +34%
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
27.6 fps +16%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
26.9 fps +13%
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i5-7300HQ, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
25 fps +5%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
23.8 fps
Rise of the Tomb Raider
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:2x
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
84.2 fps +33%
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
64.8 fps +2%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
63.3 fps
1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
47.6 fps +24%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
47.4 fps +23%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
38.4 fps
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
34.6 fps -10%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
Nexoc G739
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
40.7 fps +26%
MSI GE72 7RE-046
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY
39.7 fps +23%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
37 fps +15%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
32.2 fps
MSI GL72 6QF
GeForce GTX 960M, 6700HQ, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe
25.6 fps -20%
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 178.2 146.7 140 65.2
The Witcher 3 (2015) 94.1 64 36.3 23.8
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 110.4 63.3 38.4 32.2

Emissions

System Noise

The MSI GL72 makes hardly a sound while idling. We measured a maximum of 31.8 dB(A). Even under load the system noise is comfortably low. The maximum value under load is 43.6 dB(A). It also has a good frequency and is not disturbing. In Turbo mode the rotation speed of the cooling fans can increase. In that case, the noise level rises to up to 50 dB(A). The comparison devices confirm that these are normal values. There were no real exceptions. Only the Nexoc G739 reaches 50 dB(A) even without Turbo mode.

Noise Level

Idle
32.4 / 32.4 / 32.8 dB(A)
HDD
32.8 dB(A)
DVD
47 / dB(A)
Load
40.9 / 43.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.8 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.833.539.933.934.735.82533.633.640.334.434.533.63141.240.741.838.943.141.2403232.234.533.632.1325035.840.94144.538.935.86332.831.136.430.433.432.8802628.227.827.727.92610026.828.526.626.926.226.812533.138.633.832.927.833.116025.229.626.823.524.725.22002629.726.823.223.52625026.532.428.223.122.726.531529.836.53222.721.529.840030.136.932.322.420.730.150026.732.528.220.719.726.763027.533.729.42019.627.580027.234.528.221.318.527.2100030.236.931.920.718.130.212503137.332.720.818.231160031.3393423.11831.3200031.942.434.721.617.931.9250029.339.732.919.81829.3315028.139.131.619.418.128.140002838.831.619.418.428500025.736.52919.318.425.7630023.832.526.61918.623.8800026.234.429.619.51926.21000023.932.927.82019.123.91250021.530.524.921.21921.5160002023.820.520.719.520SPL40.949.943.632.930.940.9N3.77.14.61.91.53.7median 27.2median 34.5median 29.4median 20.8median 19median 27.2Delta2.83.52.61.61.82.834.533.23036.234.53230.732.232.23230.630.631.431.730.63133.830.3293130.536.531.428.830.530.831.230.630.830.828.328.927.828.328.327.928.526.628.927.926.926.925.624.526.925.426.124.72425.427.626.524.124.627.628.92422.422.128.930.124.421.92230.128.525.420.420.828.525.923.419.720.325.925.52219.519.325.527.722.818.818.627.729.323.117.817.929.329.52317.617.729.532.523.117.41732.53322.31717.1333521.916.816.93531.720.216.81731.7321917.116.93228.718.81716.928.726.318.817.11726.321.618.817.117.221.620.31917.317.120.320.122.217.317.220.119.422.317.717.419.442.733.9303042.7421.41.44median 27.9median 22.8median 17.7median 17.7median 27.92.52.41.922.5hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseMSI GL72 7RDX-602Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811

Temperature

The device hardly heats up during day-to-day use, but can reach temperatures of up to 43 °C (~110 °F) under extreme load. Even cooler: The Asus ROG Strix GL753 does not even reach 40 °C (~104 °F).

We then took a look at core temperatures and clock rates. We put the MSI GL72 under stress with the help of Prime95 and FurMark. But even after an hour, our test unit was still running at 3.4 GHz. The CPU temperatures were a little surprising however. Occasionally, they almost reached 100 °C (~212 °F).

Max. Load
 42 °C
108 F
43 °C
109 F
35 °C
95 F
 
 39 °C
102 F
45 °C
113 F
30 °C
86 F
 
 33 °C
91 F
34 °C
93 F
25 °C
77 F
 
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 36.2 °C = 97 F
37 °C
99 F
28 °C
82 F
44 °C
111 F
25 °C
77 F
30 °C
86 F
38 °C
100 F
24 °C
75 F
26 °C
79 F
36.6 °C
98 F
Maximum: 44 °C = 111 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  32.7 °C = 91 F | Room Temperature 22.3 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.2 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 44 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34 °C / 93.2 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-5.1 °C / -9.2 F).

Speakers

MSI has installed four 2-watt speakers into the device. The speakers are satisfyingly loud and sound good enough for watching occasional TV-series or YouTube videos. The sound profile is OK even though there is no bass. We would recommend using subwoofers. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.734.741.72542.434.542.43145.143.145.14037.632.137.65038.638.938.66334.633.434.68030.227.930.210032.626.232.612541.427.841.416046.524.746.520043.323.543.325049.922.749.931553.921.553.940058.820.758.850058.619.758.663064.519.664.580070.818.570.8100074.518.174.5125078.318.278.3160076.61876.6200077.217.977.22500771877315074.518.174.5400072.118.472.1500072.218.472.2630065.718.665.780006619661000068.619.168.61250058.91958.91600062.919.562.9SPL86.130.986.1N61.11.561.1median 65.7median 19median 65.7Delta10.11.810.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.436.839.431.632.433.328.23433.934.132.129.628.932.831.729.729.927.6252625.324.227.424.235.521.647.721.749.121.450.919.251.818.157.818.266.818.1681866.917.764.717.861.217.566.317.865.117.663.317.85517.758.517.849.917.953.517.755.430.7761.532.9median 18.1median 552.312.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GL72 7RDX-602Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHzNexoc G739
MSI GL72 7RDX-602 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 77% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 60% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Nexoc G739 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (12.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 96% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 88% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 9% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The current MSI GL72 uses a lot less power than its predecessor, but 9.6 to 16.5 watts is still quite a lot. Under load consumption increases to up to 130 watts. The provided power supply is large enough with 150 watts. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.73 / 0.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.6 / 15 / 16.5 Watt
Load midlight 104 / 129 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Nexoc G739
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GE72 7RE-046
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba HG6 THNSNJ256G8NY, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GL72 6QF
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 960M, Samsung SSD 950 Pro 256GB m.2 NVMe, TN, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
-2%
21%
-23%
-58%
Idle Minimum *
9.6
7
27%
7.5
22%
14
-46%
22.1
-130%
Idle Average *
15
14
7%
11.3
25%
20
-33%
28.3
-89%
Idle Maximum *
16.5
23
-39%
11.8
28%
25
-52%
29.8
-81%
Load Average *
104
82
21%
82.1
21%
82
21%
87
16%
Load Maximum *
129
163
-26%
116.6
10%
135
-5%
134.1
-4%
Witcher 3 ultra *
96.3

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

A lithium-ion battery is meant to keep the MSI GL72 going, even when it is not connected to an external power supply. The battery seems equivalent to that of its predecessor: six cells and a capacity of about 43 WH. 

The previous MSI GL72 already had difficulty with its battery runtime. Nothing has changed since then. With communication modules turned off and brightness set to minimum, the device only just manages to run for 5.5 hours.

We tested its stamina in a practical scenario: surfing on the web. The test unit had to turn itself off after 3.5 hours. The Nexoc G739 is the winner of this round and lasts almost five hours in this test.

Last but not least, we took a quick look at minimum battery runtime. With the Windows power profile set to maximum performance and at maximum brightness the test unit switches off after less than an hour. Apart from the Nexoc G739, which makes it to just over 2 hours, no other competitor gets over the one-hour mark. 

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
5h 27min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 23min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
2h 49min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 40min
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 43.2 Wh
Acer Aspire Nitro BE VN7-793G-5811
i5-7300HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 52.5 Wh
Nexoc G739
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 62 Wh
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
MSI GE72 7RE-046
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 51.4 Wh
MSI GL72 6QF
6700HQ, GeForce GTX 960M, 43 Wh
Battery Runtime
37%
110%
31%
3%
-7%
Reader / Idle
327
613
87%
520
59%
238
-27%
H.264
169
322
91%
195
15%
WiFi v1.3
203
278
37%
288
42%
235
16%
184
-9%
107
-47%
Load
40
128
220%
47
18%
61
53%

Verdict

Pros

+ decent input devices
+ low system noise
+ low temperatures
+ readiness to perform
+ free M.2 slot
+ modular DVD drive

Cons

- case collects fingerprints
- case made entirely of plastic
- maintenance made difficult
- TN panel (no IPS alternative)
- battery runtime
The MSI GL72: test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
The MSI GL72: test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

A large and fast gaming notebook at an affordable price. This is what the MSI GL72 wants to be. To be able to offer a gaming notebook for $1100, you have to make some sacrifices. This starts with the matte and elegant case. Unfortunately, it is made entirely of plastic. Workmanship and quality fulfil basic expectations, but could be better. Particularly annoying: Fingerprints "adorn" the case very quickly. The display has improved and is brighter than that of its predecessor, although this improvement is limited - our comparison devices had better displays to offer. The use of a TN panel is not up to date. All comparison devices were equipped with IPS screens. Apart from this shortcoming, the new MSI GL72 has one great advantage: its readiness to perform. The 17-inch laptop perfectly demonstrates how gaming notebooks should make use of their components. 

Noise level and temperatures remain at an acceptable level. Casual gamers who are looking for a large notebook and have a clear idea of the price they are willing to pay will be quite happy with the MSI GL72.

For a little more money you could also get a brighter IPS panel, PCIe SSD and a graphics boost with the Asus GL753VE or the Nexoc G739.

MSI GL72 7RDX-602 - 06/21/2017 v6(old)
Nino Ricchizzi

Chassis
72 / 98 → 74%
Keyboard
81%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
68 / 81 → 84%
Weight
57 / 10-66 → 83%
Battery
69%
Display
81%
Games Performance
88%
Application Performance
83%
Temperature
90 / 95 → 95%
Noise
82 / 90 → 91%
Audio
56%
Average
76%
82%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GL72 7RD-028 Laptop (Core i7, Full HD) Review
Nino Ricchizzi, 2017-06-28 (Update: 2020-05-19)