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MSI GP62 7REX (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti) Xotic PC Edition Laptop Review

Looks familiar… Not a lot has changed with regard to the design of the MSI GP62 notebook over the years—but it’s what’s inside that counts, right? Today’s review unit features a Core i7-7700HQ paired with a GTX 1050 Ti. How does it compare to its peers in the budget gaming category?

MSI gaming notebooks have long been the poster children of no-frills, (often) bulky mobile gaming solutions, unapologetically placing function over form. The GP62 series has been around for quite some time as well, and while it’s one of the lower-end gaming devices that MSI offers, the latest NVIDIA Pascal GPUs have rendered it more than capable.

We last reviewed a GP62 laptop over two years ago in 2015: the MSI GP62 2QE, which we struggled to recommend given the additional value proposed by the slightly more expensive GE62 series machines. While it’s true that not a whole lot has changed in terms of the casing design, the old GP62, with its GTX 950, is worlds apart from today’s model—the GP62 7REX-1045US Leopard Pro—which packs an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti along with an Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU. It also brings along a dual-storage configuration featuring a fast NVMe primary SSD alongside a large 1 TB 7200 RPM storage drive. Our review unit can be purchased directly from Xotic PC from $1,299.

Since many of the basic design features remain similar or even identical, we’ll be truncating our case, connectivity, input devices, and other introductory sections accordingly, focusing primarily on the differences. For much more information about the design of the GP62, please see our previous review.

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US (GP62 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7700HQ 4 x 2.8 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2400
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, no, CMN N156HGE-EAL, TN LED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM175
Storage
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP, 128 GB 
Soundcard
Realtek ALC899 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - 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: microphone, headphones, Card Reader: SD / MMC
Networking
Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (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): 29 x 383 x 260 ( = 1.14 x 15.08 x 10.24 in)
Battery
41 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 1 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2.0, Keyboard: Chiclet, RGB backlit, Keyboard Light: yes, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.45 kg ( = 86.42 oz / 5.4 pounds), Power Supply: 641 g ( = 22.61 oz / 1.41 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

True to form, this latest MSI notebook looks just like everything else we’ve seen for the past few years. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the GP62 is built with value as a prevailing consideration, and its understated, matte black styling focuses all the attention on the attractive RGB keyboard. Still, the plastic casing has an inexpensive feel to it, and the display lid twists and warps easily with heavy distortion visible on the display panel. Fortunately, the base unit is a bit better, offering fairly good rigidity across the breadth of the palm rest and keyboard. The machine is average-sized for its class at 29 x 388 x 260 mm and 2.45 kg. Hinges are mostly tight and well-tuned, offering only a bit of wobble during significant movement, but none during basic stationary operation. The lid cannot be opened with one hand.

419 mm / 16.5 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 34 mm / 1.339 inch 3 kg6.61 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 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29 mm / 1.142 inch 2.5 kg5.4 lbs387 mm / 15.2 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.55 mm / 0.888 inch 2.9 kg6.46 lbs380 mm / 15 inch 267 mm / 10.5 inch 26 mm / 1.024 inch 2.5 kg5.56 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port selection is also nearly identical to its 2015 predecessor. The only major change is the exchange of one of the four USB ports—previously a standard USB 3.0 port—for a USB Type-C Gen 1 port. However, since it’s only a Gen 1 port, the swap makes very little difference apart from mere convenience.

Front: No connections
Front: No connections
Rear: No connections
Rear: No connections
Left: Kensington Lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, USB 30, USB Type-C, Microphone, Headphones
Left: Kensington Lock, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, USB 30, USB Type-C, Microphone, Headphones
Right: DVD+/-RW, USB 2.0, SD card reader, Charging port
Right: DVD+/-RW, USB 2.0, SD card reader, Charging port

SD Card Reader

The GP62’s SD card reader is unfortunately very slow, yielding just 19.84 MB/s and 18.73 MB/s in our JPG Copy and AS SSD Sequential Read Tests, respectively. Users who frequently transfer a lot of data between cards will want to opt for a standalone SD card reader via a USB 3.0 port. The card recedes most of the way into the port, but the very end does stick out even when fully inserted.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
 
74.7 MB/s +277%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
 
66.1 MB/s +233%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
 
23.6 MB/s +19%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
 
23 MB/s +16%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
 
19.84 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus GL753VE-DS74
 
92.3 MB/s +393%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
 
89.7 MB/s +379%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
 
23.3 MB/s +24%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
 
19.9 MB/s +6%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
 
18.73 MB/s

Communication

The WLAN adapter is nothing special.
The WLAN adapter is nothing special.

Our wireless test results of the GP62’s Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 Sandy Peak 1x1 adapter also left a lot to be desired. Nevertheless, during general use, signal strength was fine and transfer rates were acceptable for most purposes.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
626 MBit/s +98%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
497 MBit/s +57%
EVGA SC15
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
361 MBit/s +14%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
342 MBit/s +8%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
316 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
282 MBit/s -11%
iperf3 receive AX12
EVGA SC15
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
657 MBit/s +366%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
638 MBit/s +352%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
618 MBit/s +338%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
307 MBit/s +118%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
305 MBit/s +116%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168
141 MBit/s

Security and Software

MSI includes both the SteelSeries keyboard software as well as their Dragon Center package, which is a user-friendly central hub for numerous system operations, including thermal/clock rate monitoring, LED programming, and audio, fan speed, and CPU performance customizations, along with other items.

Accessories

Only a large 150 W AC adapter is included with the GP62.

Maintenance

The GP62 isn’t necessarily difficult to disassemble, but there are eighteen total screws—15 of one type, 3 of another in the optical drive bay—securing the bottom to the machine. Once the bottom has been removed, however, accessing and replacing all of the major internal parts is a breeze. You’ll find two RAM slots, a 2.5-inch and M.2 NVMe SSD bay, dual cooling fans, and the WLAN adapter.

The Factory Seal sticker stands between the user and this screw
The Factory Seal sticker stands between the user and this screw
Eighteen screws in total
Eighteen screws in total
Once inside, parts are easily accessed
Once inside, parts are easily accessed

Warranty

The GP62 ships with a one-year depot warranty along with an additional 1 year of accidental damage coverage if the user registers the machine within 30 days of purchase. Xotic PC also warranties all customized components for 1 year.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The SteelSeries keyboard is always a pleasure to use, and this one is no exception. Key travel is good, feedback is satisfying, and the keys themselves are firmly affixed without any significant rattle and only a bit of wobbling under the fingers. The layout is also very comfortable, with large keys and good size and spacing. There is a number pad to the right side, and the entire keyboard is RGB backlit and fully customizable within the aforementioned software packages.

Touchpad

Synaptics provides the GP62’s touchpad, which is large with a somewhat rough, yet still mostly comfortable, surface. The two large buttons beneath the pad are rather loud and require a bit more actuation force that we might have liked, but they provide good feedback and are far superior to the average clickpad.

The keyboard is very good overall...
The keyboard is very good overall...
...and the touchpad is above average.
...and the touchpad is above average.
The RGB backlighting is well done.
The RGB backlighting is well done.

Display

The GP62 only provides 1920x1080 as a display resolution option, though all displays are matte. Although the panel is referred to as “IPS-level”, ours is a standard TN LED panel, and the difference is noticeable to anyone with a trained eye. 1080p at 15.6 inches display size calculates to 141 PPI, which is fine, especially considering the impracticality of gaming at higher resolutions with the included GTX 1050 Ti GPU. Subjectively, colors appear vivid though brightness and contrast are somewhat visibly lacking, and color temperature is overwhelmingly cool.

240.9
cd/m²
234.5
cd/m²
231.4
cd/m²
244.6
cd/m²
265.7
cd/m²
241.8
cd/m²
231.6
cd/m²
257.4
cd/m²
242.6
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
CMN N156HGE-EAL tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 265.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 243.4 cd/m² Minimum: 12.92 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 265.7 cd/m²
Contrast: 422:1 (Black: 0.63 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 12.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
76% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
84.2% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
85.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.01
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
CMN N156HGE-EAL, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus GL753VE-DS74
LG Philips LP173WF4-SPF3, IPS, 17.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
LP156WF6-SPK3, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
EVGA SC15
ID: AUO42ED, Name: AU Optronics B156HAN04.2, , 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Chi Mei CMN1735 N173HGE-E11, TN LED, 17.30, 1920x1080
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0, IPS, 17.30, 3840x2160
Display
-20%
-17%
5%
Display P3 Coverage
85.8
62.3
-27%
65.2
-24%
85.4
0%
sRGB Coverage
100
89.6
-10%
94.3
-6%
100
0%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
84.2
63.6
-24%
65.6
-22%
97.8
16%
Response Times
5%
3522%
-20%
132%
6%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
34.4 ?(22.4, 12.4)
36 ?(18.4, 17.6)
-5%
58.8 ?(33.6, 25.2)
-71%
41.6 ?(21.6, 20)
-21%
29 ?(14, 15)
16%
29 ?(14, 15)
16%
Response Time Black / White *
26 ?(20, 6)
22 ?(12.4, 9.6)
15%
36 ?(23.6, 12.4)
-38%
30.8 ?(17.6, 13.2)
-18%
26 ?(21, 5)
-0%
27 ?(16, 11)
-4%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(99)
21550 ?(99)
10675%
961
381%
Screen
41%
5%
35%
19%
49%
Brightness middle
265.7
366
38%
239
-10%
281.5
6%
299
13%
380
43%
Brightness
243
348
43%
244
0%
253
4%
274
13%
336
38%
Brightness Distribution
87
90
3%
88
1%
73
-16%
80
-8%
81
-7%
Black Level *
0.63
0.35
44%
0.35
44%
0.27
57%
0.25
60%
0.32
49%
Contrast
422
1046
148%
683
62%
1043
147%
1196
183%
1188
182%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.6
4.4
54%
7.3
24%
3.9
59%
12.92
-35%
5.32
45%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
18.5
9.7
48%
24.7
-34%
7.1
62%
19.91
-8%
7.63
59%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
12.7
3
76%
4.9
61%
3.8
70%
13.16
-4%
4.9
61%
Gamma
2.01 109%
2.1 105%
2.19 100%
2.27 97%
2.36 93%
2.61 84%
CCT
13654 48%
6362 102%
7332 89%
7322 89%
15046 43%
6558 99%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
76
56
-26%
35
-54%
57.8
-24%
60
-21%
87.2
15%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
100
86
-14%
55
-45%
89.3
-11%
94
-6%
100
0%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
23% / 35%
1764% / 817%
-2% / 17%
45% / 33%
20% / 34%

* ... smaller is better

Measurements back up these impressions, with average brightness of 243.4 cd/m²—decent, but not great—and a below average contrast of 422:1. Brightness distribution of 87% means a fairly consistent illumination across the breadth of the panel. There wasn’t a terrible amount of backlight bleed on our review unit, but the TN panel already features weak vertical viewing angles, a limitation which is particularly evident in darker environments.

We measured 100% coverage of the sRGB color spectrum and 76% of AdobeRGB, both which are good values for a notebook of this class. These are good values; amongst today’s comparison field, only the Acer Aspire V17 Nitro does slightly better, with 87% AdobeRGB.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. EVGA SC15
vs. EVGA SC15
vs. Lenovo Legion Y520
vs. Lenovo Legion Y520

Meanwhile, CalMAN measurements corroborate our subjective impressions of the color temperature: with a pre-calibration CCT Average of 13654, the panel colors are extremely cold out of the box (the previous MSI GL72 we recently reviewed also possessed comparably poor color temperatures, with a measurement of over 15000 in that case). This is in addition to high DeltaE values both from the Greyscale and Colorchecker analyses of 12.7 and 9.6 respectively. The panel at least responds very well to calibration, with all values converging much more closely into the ideal range after a bit of work.

Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)

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↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 6 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
34.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22.4 ms rise
↘ 12.4 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 41 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to 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 200 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 200 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

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.

We detected PWM of a relatively low frequency—200 Hz—at all brightness settings below maximum. This is likely to produce eye strain in those sensitive to panel flicker.

Viewing angles are wide enough horizontally, but fairly restrictive on the vertical axis, with color inversion quickly setting in at around a 30 degree angle. Outdoors, the machine is usable in the shade thanks to the anti-glare panel finish, but brightness and contrast are too low for comfortable usage in the sun.

In the sun
In the sun
In the shade
In the shade
Vertical viewing angles are narrow due to the TN panel.
Vertical viewing angles are narrow due to the TN panel.

Performance

The MSI GP62 is also available with Core i5 options, but our MSI GP62 shipped with the venerable Intel Core i7-7700HQ, which is a popular quad-core CPU across machines in this class. So popular, in fact, that all machines in our comparison field possess the same processor. Our review unit also includes 16 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM (with an empty slot for upgrades to 32 GB) and a dual-storage configuration with an NVMe SSD leading the charge.

Surprisingly, a 3DMark 11 run while unplugged produced a score (P8380) just 4.5% below that while plugged in. LatencyMon reported no issues with streaming real-time audio and video.

CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z RAM SPD
CPU-Z RAM SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
SPECviewperf 12
SPECviewperf 12
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

So, then, how does the MSI GP62 fare in direct comparison to its brethren in the realm of CPU performance? Actually, not very well. Thanks to thermal constraints (which we witnessed only in relation to CPU stress and, as we’ll see later, not under GPU load), CPU benchmark results for the MSI were consistently near the bottom of the pack across the board, with only the Lenovo Legion Y520 occasionally trailing. Fortunately, in most cases, the differences were relatively minor, with margins of around 4 and 10 percent common between category leaders and the GP62. However, in wPrime, the score of 324 seconds is around 30% slower than its peers.

How will this affect the system during real-world usage? Thankfully, not terribly much—at least, once we take into account the results of our Cinebench R15 multi-CPU loop test. Here, we saw just shy of a 3 percent drop in performance as a result of thermal constraints during numerous consecutive Cinebench R15 runs, which bodes well for the realistic performance of the processor in everyday use such as gaming. See the graph below for a detailed record of how the notebook handled this test. It is also worth noting that with the notebook’s built-in Cooler Boost 4 mode activated, these drops in performance are slightly delayed, but temperatures ultimately wind up in the same range after a moderate period of time.

Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points +10%
EVGA SC15
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
160 Points +9%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points +8%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
159 Points +8%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points +6%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
147 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
738 Points +4%
EVGA SC15
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
736 Points +4%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
734 Points +4%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
731 Points +3%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
707 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
652 Points -8%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
EVGA SC15
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.73 Points +3%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.72 Points +2%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.68 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.61 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
EVGA SC15
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.18 Points +3%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.06 Points +2%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.91 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
7.12 Points -10%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
324 s *
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
225.7 s * +30%
EVGA SC15
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
212.5 s * +34%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.68 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
7.91 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
60.2 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
147 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
707 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
98.9 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

The GP62 manages respectable results in PCMark 8 and 10, with only the EVGA SC15 besting it. 5130 in PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated and an overall score of 4568 in PCMark 10 are good overall.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated v2
PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
5085 Points +29%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
3928 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3570 Points -9%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3444 Points -12%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
3220 Points -18%
Work Score Accelerated v2
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
5400 Points +5%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5171 Points +1%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
5130 Points
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
4735 Points -8%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4207 Points -18%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
7505 Points +48%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
5054 Points
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
5002 Points -1%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
4243 Points -16%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
3553 Points -30%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3928 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5054 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5130 points
PCMark 10 Score
4568 points
Help

Storage Devices

Our GP62 configuration shipped with dual storage drives: a 128 GB Toshiba PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 SSD alongside a 1 TB 7200 RPM HGST mechanical hard drive for storage. The combo does a good job overall in our benchmarks, even though the Toshiba is a bit slower than its peers in terms of write performance. Replacing or upgrading the drives is relatively straightforward as detailed in our Maintenance section earlier.

The internal NVMe SSD...
The internal NVMe SSD...
...alongside the 1 TB HDD.
...alongside the 1 TB HDD.
AS SSD
AS SSD
AS SSD Copy
AS SSD Copy
CrystalDiskMark 5.0
CrystalDiskMark 5.0
PCMark 8 Storage Accelerated v2
PCMark 8 Storage Accelerated v2
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
Asus GL753VE-DS74
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
EVGA SC15
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
AS SSD
-10%
48%
31%
-6%
Score Total
1829
1566
-14%
2617
43%
2474
35%
1678
-8%
Score Write
600
575
-4%
807
35%
896
49%
677
13%
Score Read
849
681
-20%
1232
45%
1081
27%
692
-18%
4K-64 Write
428.2
399.3
-7%
529
24%
706
65%
516
21%
4K-64 Read
628
498.6
-21%
919
46%
822
31%
503
-20%
4K Write
112
119.7
7%
139.4
24%
95.5
-15%
104.8
-6%
4K Read
35.84
32.5
-9%
48.57
36%
39.13
9%
29.75
-17%
Seq Write
601
558
-7%
1392
132%
943
57%
566
-6%
Seq Read
1848
1500
-19%
2649
43%
2203
19%
1590
-14%
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2108 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 630 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 590 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 434.2 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1592 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 622 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 45.04 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 158.4 MB/s

GPU Performance

Thankfully, where it matters most, the GP62 7REX Leopard Pro delivers, thanks to its GeForce GTX 1050 Ti. While users obviously can’t expect top-end performance from this midrange GPU, the GP62 does a great job of flexing its graphical muscle in comparison to other notebooks of its class, even beating out the other GTX 1050 Ti machines by a slim margin in most tests. Fire Strike Graphics and Fire Strike Extreme Graphics scores of 6834 and 3590 are nothing to sneeze at regardless.

Our Witcher 3 ultra sustained performance test revealed no cracks in the GP62’s armor; frame rates remained stable in the range of 59 – 60 fps, with just a few dips and jumps to 58 and 61 on occasion.

3DMark 06
3DMark 11
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Unlimited
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
15453 Points +64%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
14556 Points +55%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
9394 Points
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7769 Points -17%
1280x720 Performance Combined
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8876 Points +24%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8802 Points +23%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7163 Points
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6859 Points -4%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
60880 Points +19%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
51059 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
50981 Points 0%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
47807 Points -6%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
38907 Points -24%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11546 Points +47%
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
11453 Points +46%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7866 Points
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7682 Points -2%
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7531 Points -4%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6230 Points -21%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
EVGA SC15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
147250 Points +74%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
95568 Points +13%
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
84747 Points
Asus GL753VE-DS74
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ
71804 Points -15%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
27557 points
3DMark 11 Performance
8766 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
66682 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
21898 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
6834 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
3590 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
2474 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Gaming benchmarks reveal a system which can handle practically all modern games at native resolution (1080p FHD) on high and sometimes ultra-high settings. The GTX 1050 Ti never ceases to impress given its power efficiency, and GPU temperatures are never an issue for the GP62 regardless of Cooler Boost state.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
36 fps
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
37 fps +3%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
38 fps +6%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
66.8 fps +86%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
32.2 fps -11%
1920x1080 High Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
44 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
45 fps +2%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
38.4 fps -13%
1366x768 Medium Preset AF:2x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
71 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
76 fps +7%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
63.3 fps -11%
1024x768 Lowest Preset (sort by value)
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
122 fps
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
110.4 fps
Tomb Raider
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
91.2 fps
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
191.1 fps
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
231.2 fps
BioShock Infinite
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF) (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
71 fps
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
97 fps +37%
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
74 fps +4%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
110 fps +55%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
65.2 fps -8%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
108 fps +52%
1366x768 High Preset (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
155 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
174 fps +12%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
140 fps -10%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
210.5 fps +36%
1366x768 Medium Preset (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
164 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
189 fps +15%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
146.7 fps -11%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
227.9 fps +39%
1280x720 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
190 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
227 fps +19%
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
178.2 fps -6%
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
247 fps +30%
Metro: Last Light
1920x1080 Very High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
49 fps
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
59 fps +20%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
82.7 fps +69%
1366x768 High (DX11) AF:16x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
87 fps
1366x768 Medium (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
106 fps
1024x768 Low (DX10) AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
113 fps
Thief
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FXAA & High SS AF:8x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
49.8 fps
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
50 fps 0%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
79 fps +59%
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
68.9 fps
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
69.4 fps
1024x768 Very Low Preset (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
77.5 fps
The Witcher 3
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+) (sort by value)
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
32 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
38 fps
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
39.6 fps
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
23.8 fps
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off) (sort by value)
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
66 fps
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
36.3 fps
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value)
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
64 fps
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing (sort by value)
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
94.1 fps
Batman: Arkham Knight
1920x1080 High / On AA:SM AF:16x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
36 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
41 fps +14%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
62 fps +72%
1920x1080 High / On (Interactive Smoke & Paper Debris Off) AA:SM AF:8x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
58 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
64 fps +10%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
89 fps +53%
1366x768 Normal / Off AF:4x (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
87 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
101 fps +16%
1280x720 Low / Off AF:Trilinear (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
96 fps
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
113 fps +18%
Ashes of the Singularity
1280x768 low (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
52.3 fps
1920x1080 Standard (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
41.5 fps
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
63.7 fps +53%
1920x1080 high (sort by value)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
37.9 fps
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
36 fps -5%
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
59.2 fps +56%
low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 231.2 191.1 91.2
BioShock Infinite (2013) 190 164 155 71
Metro: Last Light (2013) 113 106 87 49
Thief (2014) 77.5 69.4 68.9 49.8
Batman: Arkham Knight (2015) 96 87 58 36
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 71 44 36
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 52.3 41.5 37.9

Stress Test

Targeted stress testing reveals the GP62’s CPU cooling struggles, as clock rates reduce slightly to between 3.1 GHz and 3.3 GHz and temperatures skyrocket into the mid-90s C after just a couple of minutes of Prime95-induced stress. GPU stress, meanwhile, produces no challenges whatsoever for the system; clock rates remain stable at 1366 MHz, with temperatures never exceeding 71 °C. Finally, combined stress only slightly affects GPU clock rates (temperatures still never budge above the 71 °C mark), but CPU rates decline further on average to closer to 3.1/3.2 GHz. We recorded an absolute high temperature of a blistering 97 °C amongst the CPU cores during this test.

For the record, Cooler Boost does not change these results apart from simply delaying the onset of high CPU core temperatures somewhat. In our opinion, it should rarely be worth the considerable increase in system noise given its apparently marginal cooling benefits.

Full CPU stress (Cooler Boost OFF)
Full CPU stress (Cooler Boost OFF)
Full CPU stress (Cooler Boost ON)
Full CPU stress (Cooler Boost ON)
Full GPU stress
Full GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.3 - 95 -
FurMark Stress - 1367 - 65
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.2 1354 94 70

Emissions

System Noise

The MSI GP62 is only moderately loud by gaming notebook standards, with an average measurement of 45.4 dB(A) taken during the Witcher 3 ultra benchmark, and a load maximum of 48.6 dB(A). However, activate Cooler Boost and it jumps to 54.5 dB(A), which is pretty annoying from the outset. Given the apparently marginal benefits of Cooler Boost on this system (according to our tests), we’d recommend leaving it off.

Noise Level

Idle
32.2 / 32.2 / 32.2 dB(A)
Load
40.9 / 48.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28 dB(A)
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP
Asus GL753VE-DS74
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
EVGA SC15
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Noise
-2%
6%
2%
2%
off / environment *
28
29.1
-4%
27.7
1%
28
-0%
30.8
-10%
Idle Minimum *
32.2
33.3
-3%
30.5
5%
31.9
1%
31.4
2%
Idle Average *
32.2
33.3
-3%
30.5
5%
32
1%
31.4
2%
Idle Maximum *
32.2
33.4
-4%
30.6
5%
32
1%
31.4
2%
Load Average *
40.9
42.6
-4%
40
2%
36.5
11%
38.6
6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
45.4
46.8
-3%
40
12%
40.3
11%
Load Maximum *
48.6
46.8
4%
42.6
12%
53.4
-10%
44.3
9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Idle temperatures on the MSI GP62 are already a bit higher than we’d like to see at around 5 to 6 degrees C above ambient room temperatures on average. Under synthetic load, those values jump to 36.4 °C (top of base unit, average) and 35.4 °C (underside, average), which aren’t particularly troublesome—but the distribution of heat is suboptimal for comfort. For starters, the keyboard is warm throughout during stress or gaming conditions, but the center reaches an uncomfortable 43.6 °C (the touchpad, while less critical, also reaches 40 °C). On top of that, the upper right/left quadrants on the underside of the machine also become very hot, which is uncomfortable while resting on the lap. Witcher 3 stress sees realistic temperatures a few degrees lower.

Max. Load
 34.8 °C
95 F
45 °C
113 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 34.8 °C
95 F
43.6 °C
110 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 32.6 °C
91 F
40 °C
104 F
28.4 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 45 °C = 113 F
Average: 36.4 °C = 98 F
48.6 °C
119 F
28.6 °C
83 F
47 °C
117 F
29.4 °C
85 F
36.4 °C
98 F
34.4 °C
94 F
27.8 °C
82 F
32.4 °C
90 F
34 °C
93 F
Maximum: 48.6 °C = 119 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  48 °C = 118 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.4 °C / 98 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 48.6 °C / 119 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.6 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 40 °C / 104 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-11.1 °C / -20 F).
Thermal profile, top of base unit
Thermal profile, top of base unit
Thermal profile, underside
Thermal profile, underside

Speakers

The speakers don't live up to their size
The speakers don't live up to their size

The GP62’s four speakers fire downward from the underside of the notebook onto (ideally) hard surfaces to enhance the volume and shape of the sound. They’re loud, at 87.27 dB, but absolutely no bass is present, and the shape of the sound leaves a lot to be desired. Far better can be had even in this price range, so we’d recommend a pair of headphones.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.535.639.52534.134.234.13133.833.933.84034.833.534.85033.231.933.26331.431.731.48031.629.931.610031.730.431.712531.929.631.916038.827.938.820047.727.247.725054.927.754.931556.526.756.540055.725.555.750057.925.657.963064.62564.680062.425.562.4100064.424.964.4125075.125.275.1160079.325.479.3200073.423.973.4250073.823.673.8315074.723.274.7400071.623.771.6500072.123.272.163007623.176800082.622.982.61000070.922.970.91250072.422.872.41600066.22366.2SPL87.336.487.3N66.92.766.9median 66.9median 25median 66.9Delta9.11.89.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GP62 7REX-1045USApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 91% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 78% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 18% 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%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption is higher than normal during idle conditions, with an average of 17.2 W exceeding that of every other notebook in our comparison field. Meanwhile, the load average value of 82.7 W is much closer to the mean, while the load max measurement of 136.7 W is once again higher than all notebooks apart from the EVGA SC15, which packs a hungrier GTX 1060 GPU.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.7 / 1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 14.6 / 17.2 / 17.3 Watt
Load midlight 82.7 / 136.7 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 GP62 7REX-1045US
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5128GP, TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 17.30
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
EVGA SC15
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7, , 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630, TN LED, 1920x1080, 17.30
Power Consumption
24%
26%
-36%
6%
Idle Minimum *
14.6
7.5
49%
8.5
42%
25.8
-77%
9.6
34%
Idle Average *
17.2
11.3
34%
9.1
47%
26.6
-55%
15
13%
Idle Maximum *
17.3
11.8
32%
9.7
44%
26.7
-54%
16.5
5%
Load Average *
82.7
82.1
1%
79.9
3%
80.3
3%
104
-26%
Witcher 3 ultra *
107
96.3
10%
97.7
9%
121.2
-13%
Load Maximum *
136.7
116.6
15%
121.5
11%
159.3
-17%
129
6%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

As expected, battery life is absolutely hammered by these power consumption readings—and in conjunction with the relatively small 41 Wh internal battery, we see some of the shortest runtimes in a modern gaming notebook. Thankfully, battery life is of negligible importance to gaming notebooks, but regardless, a web surfing benchmark result of below 3 hours is not going to turn any heads. Hang onto that AC adapter.

Battery Eater Pro Readers Test
Battery Eater Pro Readers Test
Battery Eater Pro Classic Test
Battery Eater Pro Classic Test
Surfing with Wi-Fi
Surfing with Wi-Fi
The internal Li-ion battery
The internal Li-ion battery
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
4h 19min
WiFi Websurfing
2h 54min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 41min
MSI GP62 7REX-1045US
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 41 Wh
Asus GL753VE-DS74
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 48 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y520-15IKBN-80WK001KUS
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, 45 Wh
EVGA SC15
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 62 Wh
MSI GL72 7RDX-602
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, 43.2 Wh
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro BE VN7-793-738J
i7-7700HQ, GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, 69 Wh
Battery Runtime
50%
49%
27%
14%
59%
Reader / Idle
259
520
101%
509
97%
222
-14%
327
26%
WiFi v1.3
174
235
35%
240
38%
167
-4%
203
17%
277
59%
Load
41
47
15%
46
12%
81
98%
40
-2%

Pros

+ strong, stable GPU performance
+ very good input devices
+ attractive and customizable RGB keyboard backlighting
+ useful and user-friendly systems management software included
+ not too difficult to maintain and/or upgrade

Cons

- thermal throttling somewhat constrains CPU performance
- extremely warm surfaces under load are a bother
- unimpressive, albeit loud, speakers
- high power consumption
- extremely short battery life
- case feels rather inexpensive
- somewhat expensive for what it offers

Verdict

In review: MSI GP62 7REX-1045US Leopard Pro. Test model provided by Xotic PC.
In review: MSI GP62 7REX-1045US Leopard Pro. Test model provided by Xotic PC.

The MSI GP62 is neither glamorous nor trailblazing. It’s a typical nondescript (apart from the Xotic PC markings and the attractive RGB-backlit keyboard) MSI gaming notebook with a primary focus on raw performance, and equivalently, low cost. At $1,299, it’s hard to argue with the GPU performance anyway, even if some competitors (such as the Lenovo Legion Y520) can manage similar scores for a couple hundred bucks less. And on top of that, the input devices are very good, the screen is decent (apart from viewing angles, PWM, and a relatively low contrast ratio), and the machine isn’t too difficult to upgrade and maintain—forgiving the venerable warranty void sticker covering one of the screws.

However, CPU performance is subpar thanks to thermal limitations, temperatures are sometimes bothersome, the speakers are weak, and power consumption is surprisingly high (and, correspondingly, battery life is short). There is nothing particularly offensive about the machine, but nothing really all that impressive, either. It’s a budget gaming machine through-and-through at an only somewhat budget price.

The MSI GP62 7REX is a budget gaming machine through-and-through at an only somewhat budget price.

Within this price range, clearly better options exist, such as the Asus ROG GL753VE, which is priced identically and offers better performance across the board, as well as far more reasonable temperatures, a better overall display, and longer battery runtimes. For a bit more money, other notebooks from MSI such as the GS73VR 6RF STEALTH PRO represent a better value (especially when equipped with an FHD panel rather than the UHD one in our review unit). At a steeper discount, the GP62 might be easier to swallow. As it is, users might first take a look at other options.

MSI GP62 7REX-1045US - 07/22/2017 v6(old)
Steve Schardein

Chassis
70 / 98 → 71%
Keyboard
90%
Pointing Device
80%
Connectivity
55 / 81 → 68%
Weight
60 / 10-66 → 89%
Battery
68%
Display
78%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
92%
Temperature
87 / 95 → 92%
Noise
80 / 90 → 89%
Audio
30%
Camera
61 / 85 → 72%
Average
71%
80%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GP62 7REX (i7-7700HQ, GTX 1050 Ti) Xotic PC Edition Laptop Review
Steve Schardein, 2017-07-24 (Update: 2017-07-24)