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MSI GT83VR 7RF (7920HQ, GTX 1080 SLI, Full HD) Laptop Review

A study in what is possible. With the 18-inch GT83VR 7RF, the gaming expert MSI shows what is currently technically possible (in terms of performance) in the notebook segment. Intel's most powerful mobile Kaby Lake processor is accompanied by two Pascal GPUs. However, the price is as extreme as the speed: over 5000 Euros (~$5600) makes the GT83VR 7RF an expensive toy for enthusiasts.

For the original German review, see here.

Cyberport.de, who provided our test unit, sells the 18-inch monster currently in two versions. One is the GT83VR 7RE-094 which costs 3700 Euros (~$4144) and is equipped with a Core i7-7820HK (3.9 GHz maximum), 32 GB DDR4-RAM, 1.25 TB hard drive capacity, and two GTX-1070 chips. The other version, the GT83VR 7RF-206, is even more expensive. For the exorbitant price of 5500 Euros (~$6160), the buyer receives a combination of Core i7-7920HQ (4.1 GHz maximum), 64 GB DDR4-RAM, 1.5 TB storage space, and two GTX-1080 chips.

(Depending on the equipment, in the US the price, for example, for the MSI GT83VR Titan SLI-253, i7-7920HQ, 32GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Nvidia GTX 1070 SLI 16GB, 18.4-inch Full HD is $3685. Prices can go up to $7500 with a 2 TB SSD. Note that the model numbering of the GT83VR versions is different in the US.)  

Both models have the matte Full HD panel with wide-view technology in common, which does not fit at all to the rest of the equipment as we will explain later. Also on board are a Blu-ray drive and Windows 10 Home 64-bit as the operating system.

MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI (GT83 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-7920HQ 4 x 3.1 - 4.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop) - 2x 8192 MB VRAM, Core: 1557 MHz, Memory: 2500 MHz, GDDR5X, ForceWare 382.53
Memory
64 GB 
, 4x 16 GB DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM, dual-channel, all slots occupied
Display
18.40 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 120 PPI, Samsung 184HL (SDC4C48), IPS, Full HD, 60 Hz, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel CM238
Storage
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0), 512 GB 
, M.2-SSD Type 2280 + HGST HTS721010A9E630, 1000 GB HDD @7200 rpm, 2.5 inch
Soundcard
Realtek ALC899 @ Intel Sunrise Point PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
5 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 2 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: microphone, headphone, line out, S/PDIF, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST BD-RE BU20N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 69 x 458 x 339 ( = 2.72 x 18.03 x 13.35 in)
Battery
75.24 Wh, 5225 mAh Lithium-Ion, 8 cells, 14.4 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: Full HD (1080p @30 FPS)
Additional features
Speakers: 4x 3W speakers + 1x 3W subwoofer, Keyboard: Cherry MX RGB, Keyboard Light: yes, 2x 330-Watt power supply, connector box, warranty booklet, Quick Start guide, recovery information, CyberLink PowerDVD 12, Magix Suite, MS Office 365 trial, XSplit Gamecaster trial, various manufacturer tools, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
5.5 kg ( = 194.01 oz / 12.13 pounds), Power Supply: 2.5 kg ( = 88.19 oz / 5.51 pounds)
Price
5500 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Improvements

Even though on the outside, the GT83VR 7RF is identical to the GT83VR 6RE predecessor we tested in 2016, MSI made improvements in several places. Besides the upgrade from the Skylake to a similarly fast Kaby Lake CPU, mainly the mechanical keyboard which does not merely light up in red but now also masters RGB, should be mentioned. Compared to the gaming competition which became thinner and lighter in the last few years (Alienware 13 R3, Gigabyte Aero 14, etc.), this design with the 6.9 cm (~2.72 in) thick and 5.5 kg (~12 lb) heavy 18-inch case does not seem particularly contemporary anymore.

MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF
MSI GT83VR 7RF

Yes, due to their single-GPU solution with GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, GTX 1060, or GTX 1070, smaller devices will offer considerably less performance, but it is debatable whether it is still necessary to be such a giant in 2017. After all, most demands will be satisfied by a single GTX 1080. The corresponding 17-inch notebooks such as the Acer Predator 17 X, Asus G701VIK, MSI GT73VR, and Schenker XMG U727 models listed in the article don't quite scream "tower PC" as loudly. The latter even needs only one power supply, instead of two. In short, the GT83VR is only suited as a desktop replacement that is operated stationary. 

Size Comparison

458 mm / 18 inch 339 mm / 13.3 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 5.5 kg12.1 lbs458 mm / 18 inch 339 mm / 13.3 inch 69 mm / 2.72 inch 5.5 kg12.1 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 287 mm / 11.3 inch 49 mm / 1.929 inch 4.1 kg9.06 lbs428 mm / 16.9 inch 308 mm / 12.1 inch 47 mm / 1.85 inch 5 kg11 lbs423 mm / 16.7 inch 322 mm / 12.7 inch 45 mm / 1.772 inch 4.3 kg9.58 lbs429 mm / 16.9 inch 309 mm / 12.2 inch 38 mm / 1.496 inch 4 kg8.8 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Note: Apparently our test unit was a dud. First, the card reader died during the SD-card test and only worked sporadically after that. Then during idle mode, there was an extremely annoying coil whine, which might however affect the whole model series. Because of those problems, the final grade of the GT83VR is lowered by 1% and the grade for the volume segment by 5%.

By the way, we took the pictures from the predecessor. Due to their similarity, we also did not evaluate the case, features, input devices, and speakers.  You can find that information in the review of the GT83VR 6RE.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
168 MB/s +20%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
166 MB/s +19%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
 
166 MB/s +19%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
 
157 MB/s +12%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
 
140 MB/s
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
79 MB/s -44%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
 
246 MB/s +27%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
 
224 MB/s +15%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
 
207 MB/s +7%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
 
194 MB/s
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
 
189 MB/s -3%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
 
89 MB/s -54%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
628 MBit/s +1%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
624 MBit/s +1%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
619 MBit/s
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
597 MBit/s -4%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
584 MBit/s -6%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
354 MBit/s -43%
iperf3 receive AX12
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
683 MBit/s +5%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
682 MBit/s +5%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
681 MBit/s +4%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
675 MBit/s +4%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
674 MBit/s +3%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Killer Wireless-n/a/ac 1535 Wireless Network Adapter
652 MBit/s

Software

As is customary for MSI laptops, the software offerings are ample. Dragon Center, which unites various features, is once again the hub. Gamers will be particularly happy about the System Tuner tab whose Turbo mode allows overclocking the GPU (Standard OC: +100 MHz @core, +200 MHz @VRAM).

All of our tests were done with the "Power Options" Shift setting, which uses the Windows settings. SLI was active, but the optional fan button (which increases the rpm to benefit the temperatures) was off. The sRGB preset mode was used as display setting (True Color), which noticeably lowers the maximum brightness of the panel.

App Portal
App Portal
System Monitor
System Monitor
System Tuner
System Tuner
Mobile Center
Mobile Center
Tools & Help
Tools & Help
SteelSeries engine
SteelSeries engine
True Color
True Color
System Control Manager
System Control Manager
Killer Control Center
Killer Control Center
Nahimic Audio Enhancer
Nahimic Audio Enhancer

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

One of the greatest weaknesses of the GT83VR is the Full HD display in our opinion. With that, we do not primarily mean that 1920x1080 pixels is not that much on the 18.4-inch display (120 ppi), but the fact that the two GTX-1080 GPUs are not challenged enough at all with this resolution. For this amount of pixels, even a single GTX-1080 is more than enough, as long as there is only a 60-Hz panel under the frame, as is the case for the GT83VR.

237
cd/m²
250
cd/m²
252
cd/m²
237
cd/m²
266
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
235
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
222
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Samsung 184HL (SDC4C48) tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 266 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 242.6 cd/m² Minimum: 19 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 266 cd/m²
Contrast: 760:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.88 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
91% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.7% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.41
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Samsung 184HL (SDC4C48), 1920x1080, 18.40
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Samsung 184HL (SDC4C48), 1920x1080, 18.40
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
AU Optronics B173ZAN01.0 (AUO109B), 3840x2160, 17.30
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
LP173WF4-SPF5 (LGD056D), 1920x1080, 17.30
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
B173HAN01.1 (AUO119D), 1920x1080, 17.30
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
N173HHE-G32 (CMN1747), 1920x1080, 17.30
Display
-0%
31%
-5%
-0%
25%
Display P3 Coverage
65.7
65.8
0%
86.6
32%
66
0%
68.8
5%
90.6
38%
sRGB Coverage
90.8
90.3
-1%
99.9
10%
83.7
-8%
87.7
-3%
99.9
10%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.4
66.1
0%
99.5
50%
61.2
-8%
64.1
-3%
84.7
28%
Response Times
5%
-16%
-17%
9%
52%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38.4 ?(18.8, 19.6)
37 ?(13, 24)
4%
44 ?(14, 30)
-15%
45 ?(18, 27)
-17%
38 ?(13, 25)
1%
26 ?(12, 14)
32%
Response Time Black / White *
24 ?(14.8, 9.2)
21 ?(5, 16)
12%
28 ?(6, 22)
-17%
28 ?(6, 22)
-17%
20 ?(4, 16)
17%
7 ?(4, 3)
71%
PWM Frequency
250 ?(90)
250 ?(90)
0%
Screen
20%
31%
14%
15%
-18%
Brightness middle
266
310
17%
362
36%
380
43%
306
15%
307
15%
Brightness
243
277
14%
344
42%
362
49%
299
23%
284
17%
Brightness Distribution
83
84
1%
85
2%
91
10%
91
10%
85
2%
Black Level *
0.35
0.4
-14%
0.35
-0%
0.37
-6%
0.27
23%
0.25
29%
Contrast
760
775
2%
1034
36%
1027
35%
1133
49%
1228
62%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.88
1.83
53%
2.46
37%
4.12
-6%
3.98
-3%
9.65
-149%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.31
3.92
53%
4.26
49%
8.19
1%
7.29
12%
16.36
-97%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.2
1.38
73%
2.9
44%
3.95
24%
4.15
20%
10.07
-94%
Gamma
2.41 91%
2.44 90%
2.31 95%
2.47 89%
2.45 90%
2.12 104%
CCT
7680 85%
6723 97%
6120 106%
6539 99%
7386 88%
12145 54%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59
59
0%
88
49%
55
-7%
58
-2%
75
27%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91
90
-1%
100
10%
84
-8%
89
-2%
100
10%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
8% / 13%
15% / 24%
-3% / 6%
8% / 11%
20% / 0%

* ... smaller is better

Nvidia's G-Sync technology, which ensures a smoother image without line displacement, is also missing. With the micro-stutters typical for dual GPUs, the image seems noticeably less homogeneous (or you could say "smooth") than in a classical single-chip notebook with G-Sync and/or 120 Hz. However, MSI can only be blamed to a limited extent, since the market probably does not currently offer any suitable 18-inch displays.

CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN: ColorChecker (calibrated)
MSI GT83VR vs. sRGB (91%)
MSI GT83VR vs. sRGB (91%)
MSI GT83VR vs. AdobeRGB (59%)
MSI GT83VR vs. AdobeRGB (59%)

Personally, the author would like to retire the 18-inch concept and - if it should be an SLI system - in light of the imminent introduction of Nvidia's Max-Q graphics card, move to a 17-inch case which perhaps MSI is planning anyway.

Since in the GT83VR 7RF the panel of the predecessor is used (Samsung 184HL), most of the display values are similar to the GT83VR 6RE, considering that there are always some manufacturing variations. The average brightness of 243 cd/m² is just as mediocre as the contrast of 760:1 and the black value of 0.35 cd/m². The slight blue tint of the panel can be removed through calibration. Our icc file is linked above. You can look up the rest of the advantages and disadvantages of the display in the previous review.

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
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 9.2 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % 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
38.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18.8 ms rise
↘ 19.6 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. » 52 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse 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 250 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 250 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.

Performance

The performance section begins with a sequence of system screenshots.

Processor

While the Core i7-7820HK Kaby Lake chip popular with high-end notebooks reaches 2.9 to 3.9 GHz under load, with the Core i7-7920HQ top model, it is between 3.1 and 4.1 GHz. Both quad-cores have 45 Watts TDP, 8 MB L3 cache, and the Hyper-Threading technology in common.

Single-core rendering
Single-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
Multi-core rendering
GPU load
GPU load

In contrast to other notebooks, MSI foregoes additional overclocking of the processor via the Shift function here. Because of this, the GT83VR comes out in the lower range of the field of competitors in the Cinebench tests. The competitors either have a powerful factory OC (4.3 GHz @Acer Predator 17 X and Asus G701VIK) or a real desktop CPU (Schenker XMG U727). During actual gaming you cannot notice any differences, however. All the devices master even demanding games, passing with flying colors.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
193 Points +18%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points +13%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
184 Points +13%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
172 Points +6%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Intel Core i7-6820HK
168 Points +3%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
163 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
958 Points +18%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
899 Points +10%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
874 Points +7%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
864 Points +6%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Intel Core i7-6820HK
842 Points +3%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
814 Points
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
2.18 Points +17%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points +12%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
2.08 Points +12%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
1.95 Points +5%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Intel Core i7-6820HK
1.91 Points +3%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
1.86 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Intel Core i7-7700K
10.59 Points +19%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.91 Points +11%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.6 Points +8%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Intel Core i7-7820HK
9.55 Points +7%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
Intel Core i7-6820HK
9.3 Points +4%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
Intel Core i7-7920HQ
8.9 Points

We test with Cinebench R15 whether the performance can be maintained for a longer duration. In the 30-minute test, the results were very constant, so that there are no concerns of performance drops in the CPU area.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570580590600610620630640650660670680690700710720730740750760770780790800810820Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6169
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
24138
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.86 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
8.9 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
163 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
814 Points
Help

System Performance

Despite the hefty price, in the system benchmarks it only suffices for one of the places at the bottom. With 5159 points (Home Score) and 5487 points (Work Score) in PCMark 8, the GT83VR 7RF settles between the predecessor and the Schenker XMG U727. However, these results are not very meaningful, since the PCMarks benchmarks depend strongly on the storage, which hardly plays any role during gaming asides from the load times. The results are more interesting for professional users (keyword: data transfers, etc.).

PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5975 Points +16%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5662 Points +10%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
5332 Points +3%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
5159 Points
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4902 Points -5%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
6123 Points +12%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
5846 Points +7%
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK, 2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
5624 Points +2%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
5487 Points
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
4972 Points -9%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
5159 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5487 points
PCMark 10 Score
5489 points
Help

Storage Solution

As high-end notebooks are supposed to, all the competitors in our test field offer the extremely fast PCIe/NVMe-SSD in the M.2 format. To justify the sales price somewhat, MSI combines two Toshiba 256-GB drives in a RAID-0 system.

CrystalDiskMark SSDs
CrystalDiskMark SSDs
AS SSD benchmark SSDs
AS SSD benchmark SSDs
CrystalDiskMark HDD
CrystalDiskMark HDD
HD Tune HDD
HD Tune HDD

Although 2837 MB/s in the sequential reads (AS SSD benchmark) and 1530 MB/s in the sequential writes are first-class, some single SSDs such as the 960 EVO (Schenker XMG P507) also achieve comparable values. In CrystalDiskMark the differences are considerably larger. Here, the GT83VR is miles ahead. The package is rounded by a 1 TB 2.5-inch HDD that spins at 7200 rpm and is manufactured by HGST.

MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
Samsung SM961 MZVPW256 m.2 PCI-e
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
2x Samsung SM961 MZVPW256HEGL NVMe (RAID 0)
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
2x Samsung SM951 MZVPV256HDGL (RAID 0)
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
5%
-7%
-16%
19%
13%
Read Seq
3045
3284
8%
1781
-42%
1494
-51%
3487
15%
3219
6%
Write Seq
2149
2548
19%
1515
-30%
1371
-36%
2690
25%
2572
20%
Read 512
1774
1728
-3%
371.4
-79%
898
-49%
1499
-16%
1776
0%
Write 512
1788
2352
32%
1073
-40%
1273
-29%
2493
39%
2445
37%
Read 4k
40.84
50.1
23%
61.5
51%
43.82
7%
53.7
31%
51.1
25%
Write 4k
138.9
137.6
-1%
195.6
41%
161.6
16%
133.2
-4%
141.3
2%
Read 4k QD32
635
506
-20%
755
19%
669
5%
795
25%
658
4%
Write 4k QD32
512
435.4
-15%
642
25%
552
8%
699
37%
554
8%
2x Toshiba NVMe THNSN5256GPU7 (RAID 0)
Sequential Read: 3045 MB/s
Sequential Write: 2149 MB/s
512K Read: 1774 MB/s
512K Write: 1788 MB/s
4K Read: 40.84 MB/s
4K Write: 138.9 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 635 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 512 MB/s

Graphics Card

Following the motto "two are better than one," MSI is not satisfied with a single GPU but incorporates two Pascal chips forming an SLI combination.

Sport mode (Shift function)
Sport mode (Shift function)
Turbo mode (Shift function)
Turbo mode (Shift function)

In the synthetic graphics tests such as 3DMark 13, the GT83VR 7RF wipes the floor with the single-GTX-1080 notebooks. It is 76% to 93% better in the Fire-Strike run and still 62% to 78% in 3DMark 11.

3DMark - 1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop)
40636 Points
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop)
35545 Points -13%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
23091 Points -43%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
22566 Points -44%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
21534 Points -47%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
21026 Points -48%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop)
50923 Points
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop)
45279 Points -11%
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
31412 Points -38%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
29426 Points -42%
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28675 Points -44%
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile
28595 Points -44%
3DMark 11 Performance
25018 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
161549 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
32233 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
22192 points
Help

There is also nothing to complain about the clocking behavior. Our 60-minute test with The Witcher 3 listed in the appendix shows slight performance drops at a certain time (100 - 108 instead of 107 - 118 FPS @Full HD/Ultra), but we did not observe real throttling during the game operation. Depending on the Shift mode, both graphics chips achieve around 1800 MHz (Sport/Power Options) or 1890 MHz (Turbo).

0123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra

Gaming Performance

The advantage in the gaming runs is not quite as compelling. If we base it on the native resolution of the display and take the average of the 15 games tested (Ultra-Preset), the dual GTX-1080 performs only a meager 7% faster than a system without SLI – and that at an additional charge of about 2500 Euros (~$2800) compared to the Acer Predator 17 X and Asus G701VIK. One reason for that is that the 18-inch device runs into the CPU limits below particular pixel amounts.

The Witcher 3
3840x2160 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
89.2 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
50.4 fps -43%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
115 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
74.9 fps -35%
Deus Ex Mankind Divided - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS AF:8x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
73.3 fps
Battlefield 1
3840x2160 High Preset AA:T
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
76.7 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
58.7 fps -23%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
145 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
132 fps -9%
Titanfall 2
3840x2160 High / Enabled AA:TS AF:8x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
74.2 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
56.8 fps -23%
1920x1080 Very High (Insane Texture Quality) / Enabled AA:TS AF:16x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
143 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
133 fps -7%
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare
3840x2160 High / On AA:FX
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
76.1 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
73.1 fps -4%
1920x1080 Ultra / On AA:T2X SM
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
124 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
122 fps -2%
Dishonored 2
3840x2160 High Preset AA:TX
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
71.2 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
52.3 fps -27%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:TX
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
88.4 fps +14%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
77.4 fps
Watch Dogs 2
3840x2160 High Preset
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
75.6 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
41.1 fps -46%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
102 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
75.9 fps -26%
Resident Evil 7
3840x2160 High / On AA:FXAA+T
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
59.8 (50min) fps +6%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
56.3 fps
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
55.6 fps -1%
1920x1080 Very High / On AA:FXAA+T
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
176 (155min) fps +9%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
165 fps +2%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
162 fps
For Honor
3840x2160 High Preset AA:T AF:8x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
108 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
60.5 (36min) fps -44%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
53 fps -51%
1920x1080 Extreme Preset AA:T AF:16x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
182 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
139 (75min) fps -24%
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
134 fps -26%
Ghost Recon Wildlands
3840x2160 Very High Preset AA:T AF:8x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
65.4 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
42.8 (34min) fps -35%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T AF:16x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
82.7 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
62.6 (54min) fps -24%
Mass Effect Andromeda
3840x2160 High Preset (Resolution Scale Mode off) AA:T
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
60 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
44.7 (41min) fps -25%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset (Resolution Scale Mode off) AA:T
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
94.9 (74min) fps +14%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
83.6 fps
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III
3840x2160 High / On (100 % Gameplay Resolution) AA:High
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
79.8 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
25.7 (20min) fps -68%
1920x1080 Maximum / On (100 % Gameplay Resolution) AA:High
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
97.4 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
73 (60min) fps -25%
Prey
3840x2160 High Preset AA:2TX SM AF:8x
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
83.9 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
70.9 (59min) fps -15%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:2TX SM AF:16x
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
141 (124min) fps 0%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
141 fps
Rocket League
3840x2160 High Quality AA:High FX
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
169 fps
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
106 (98min) fps -37%
1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
246 (207min) fps +6%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
232 fps
Dirt 4 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4xMS AF:16x
Desktop PC
GeForce GTX 1080 (Desktop), 6700K
109 fps +30%
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
84.1 fps

Only above 3840x2160 pixels, that is to say UHD, does the second GTX 1080 really makes sense. Here the advantage grows to a decent 40%. That it is not more has to do with the lacking dual-GPU support in some games. For example, Dirt 4, Resident Evil 7, and Call of Duty Infinite Warfare did not profit much from the secondary GPU, despite the brand new driver (ForceWare 382.53). Accordingly, even in 2017 the dual-GPU notebooks remain a niche product for a small clientele with a large budget.

low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 181 115 89.2
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 79.7 73.3
Battlefield 1 (2016) 157 145 76.7
Titanfall 2 (2016) 144 143 74.2
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare (2016) 124 124 76.1
Dishonored 2 (2016) 88.1 77.4 71.2
Watch Dogs 2 (2016) 118 102 75.6
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 192 162 56.3
For Honor (2017) 194 182 108
Ghost Recon Wildlands (2017) 122 82.7 65.4
Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) 89 83.6 60
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 100 97.4 79.8
Prey (2017) 143 141 83.9
Rocket League (2017) 232 169
Dirt 4 (2017) 134 84.1

Emissions

Noise Development

Besides the mismatched display, we mainly need to criticize the noise development. Even though the GT83VR contains a powerful cooling system, the 18-inch device becomes extremely loud under load. Almost 53 dB during the gaming test (The Witcher 3) and up to 59 dB in the stress test with the FurMark and Prime95 tools are not suited for sensitive ears and can even become annoying with a headset or external speakers turned up high – even for "regular" users.

Noise level idle
Noise level idle
Noise level load
Noise level load
Volume level speaker
Volume level speaker

To a large extent, the competition is considerably quieter – be it in 3D operation or idle mode. Apropos idle: The fans are constantly running (at least 35 dB) and depending on the power-saving settings, they tend to rev up towards 40 dB.

Noise Level

Idle
35 / 38 / 41 dB(A)
DVD
38 / dB(A)
Load
52 / 59 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: 31 dB(A)
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Noise
8%
9%
11%
10%
9%
off / environment *
31
30
3%
30
3%
30
3%
30
3%
30
3%
Idle Minimum *
35
33
6%
31
11%
33
6%
30
14%
34
3%
Idle Average *
38
34
11%
34
11%
35
8%
31
18%
35
8%
Idle Maximum *
41
35
15%
37
10%
37
10%
36
12%
37
10%
Load Average *
52
48
8%
44
15%
40
23%
47
10%
39
25%
Witcher 3 ultra *
53
51
4%
Load Maximum *
59
57
3%
52
12%
50
15%
56
5%
56
5%

* ... smaller is better

Temperatures

For the temperatures, we cannot give an overall judgment. While the keyboard remains pleasantly cool in any situation (26 °C, 79 °F maximum), the case warms up to 46 °C (115 °F, top) and 53 °C (127 °F, bottom). As usual, during idle operation the situation is more relaxed. The case levels out at a moderate 25 to 33 °C (77 - 91 °F).

Stress test
Stress test
Full load top (Optris PI 640)
Full load top (Optris PI 640)
Full load bottom (Optris PI 640)
Full load bottom (Optris PI 640)

The values of the components are not restrained at all. In the stress test, the Core i7-7920HQ heated up to a maximum of 100 °C (212 °F) and the two GPUs reached up to 93 °C (199 °F). One of them throttled down slightly to about 1400 MHz (basic value of the GTX 1080: 1557 MHz). The CPU was spared from any throttling.

Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
45 °C
113 F
45 °C
113 F
 
 44 °C
111 F
45 °C
113 F
43 °C
109 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 38.4 °C = 101 F
53 °C
127 F
45 °C
113 F
53 °C
127 F
50 °C
122 F
33 °C
91 F
52 °C
126 F
26 °C
79 F
26 °C
79 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 53 °C = 127 F
Average: 40.8 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  50 °C = 122 F | Room Temperature 24 °C = 75 F | Voltcraft IR-900
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.4 °C / 101 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 46 °C / 115 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 53 °C / 127 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.7 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(±) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.7 °C / 96 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26 °C / 78.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+2.9 °C / 5.2 F).
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Heat
22%
-8%
3%
4%
12%
Maximum Upper Side *
46
35.8
22%
47.5
-3%
44.2
4%
50.9
-11%
39.8
13%
Maximum Bottom *
53
42.8
19%
56
-6%
43
19%
44.6
16%
47.8
10%
Idle Upper Side *
33
24.7
25%
34.5
-5%
32.4
2%
29.9
9%
27.1
18%
Idle Bottom *
29
22.8
21%
33.6
-16%
32.8
-13%
28.8
1%
27.4
6%

* ... smaller is better

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2040.737.32535.233.4313032.54035.438.25028.535.46326.841.88026.550.210026.754.212524.351.716029.358.620025.162.525026.967.33152476.24002380.850020.480.763019.28080018.481.3100017.782.9125017.881.5160017.579.7200017.679.3250017.976315017.774.7400017.776.1500017.772.6630017.669.5800017.569.31000018.469.11250018.465.81600017.463.4SPL30.990.3N1.588median 18.4median 76Delta2.47.243.345.238.338.733.332.137.738.727.930.12632.627.641.925.861.224.36423.564.72465.323.373.221.97820.777.719.380.118.88018.978.418.381.818.179.217.973.317.976.817.974.417.975.617.976.617.972.917.874.21871.917.965.817.958.517.753.730.588.81.486.2median 18.1median 74.41.16.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLISCHENKER XMG U727 2017
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 14.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 11% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 85% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

SCHENKER XMG U727 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 89% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency comparison (checkboxes selectable!)

Power Management

The power consumption is more reminiscent of a tower PC. Most of the notebooks use much less than 45 - 62 Watts in idle mode. For example, the Asus G701VIK only indulges in 24 - 38 Watts. In the 3D applications, the GT83VR mutates into a power hog. Depending on the program, we measured between 178 Watts (3DMark06), 380 Watts (The Witcher 3) and 586 Watts (FurMark + Prime). Thus it is not surprising that two 330-Watt power supplies (together 2.5 kg, 5.5 lb), which are connected via adapter, are included with the 18-inch device.

Power Consumption

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 1.6 / 2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 45 / 54 / 62 Watt
Load midlight 178 / 586 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 GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK
Power Consumption
22%
26%
43%
44%
40%
Idle Minimum *
45
32
29%
32
29%
27
40%
24
47%
29
36%
Idle Average *
54
47
13%
43
20%
32
41%
31
43%
35
35%
Idle Maximum *
62
52
16%
51
18%
41
34%
38
39%
40
35%
Load Average *
178
152
15%
138
22%
102
43%
98
45%
94
47%
Witcher 3 ultra *
380
279
27%
Load Maximum *
586
366
38%
350
40%
248
58%
320
45%
315
46%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

It is not surprising that the battery life does not receive a good grade. Even with minimal brightness, the GT83VR lasts for 2.5 hours at most. The 2 hours in our WLAN test (display brightness at 150 cd/m²) is modest as well. With a combination of maximum brightness and high load, the battery gives up after one hour. By the way, it is not a good idea to play a game without the power supply: In The Witcher 3 the performance dropped by about 80% to 90%!

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
2h 26min
WiFi Websurfing
1h 58min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 59min
MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI
GeForce GTX 1080 SLI (Laptop), i7-7920HQ, 75.24 Wh
MSI GT83VR-6RE32SR451
GeForce GTX 1070 SLI (Laptop), 6820HK, 75 Wh
SCHENKER XMG U727 2017
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7700K, 89 Wh
Acer Predator 17 X GX-792-76DL
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 88.8 Wh
Asus G701VIK-BA049T
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 93 Wh
MSI GT73VR 7RF-296
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-7820HK, 75.2 Wh
Battery Runtime
-1%
53%
93%
93%
36%
Reader / Idle
146
152
4%
222
52%
313
114%
342
134%
WiFi v1.3
118
120
2%
168
42%
251
113%
241
104%
160
36%
Load
59
54
-8%
97
64%
90
53%
83
41%
H.264
204
145

Verdict

Pros

+ future-proof equipment (64 GB RAM, etc.)
+ mechanical keyboard with RGB illumination
+ many maintenance and upgrade options
+ optional GPU overclocking
+ outstanding performance
+ stylish touchpad
+ Thunderbolt port
+ practical tools
+ Blu-ray burner
+ good sound
+ SSD RAID

Cons

- SD-card reader does not work reliably (malfunctioning unit?)
- borderline CPU and GPU temperatures in the stress test
- extremely high noise level under load
- frequent coil whine in idle mode
- SLI hardly benefits in Full HD
- very thick and heavy case
- no UHD/120-Hz options
- hefty power consumption
- very short battery life
- two power supplies necessary
- extremely expensive
MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI, test unit provided by cyberport
MSI GT83VR 7RF Titan SLI, test unit provided by cyberport

If it is only about performance, what the MSI GT83VR delivers is excellent.

There is hardly any high-end notebook that has as many reserves for modern games – be it in terms of CPU, GPU, or RAM. However, the price of this almost unrivaled performance is not only a huge hole in the pocketbook (the test model costs more than 5000 Euros, ~$5600), but it also has quite a massive and heavy case that can only be moved with some effort.

Our main complaints are the display and noise development. At 1920x1080 pixels and 60 Hz, even a single GTX-1080 calculates very quickly, so that the extra charge for an SLI system stands in no relation to the FPS benefit. For that, the GT83VR would need to provide a 4K panel. The uncomfortable noise in the 3D operation and the annoying coil whine in idle mode prevent it from entry into the Gaming Top 10.

For the successor, we would wish for a 17-inch case (there are enough 120 Hz and UHD panels in this size) with – hopefully quieter – Max-Q-Graphics chips and G-Sync support. A thin 18-inch notebook with a single GPU would also be an interesting solution for users who prefer their displays to be as large as possible.

MSI GT83VR 7RF-206 Titan SLI - 06/17/2017 v6(old)
Florian Glaser

Chassis
78 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
90%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
68 / 81 → 84%
Weight
31 / 10-66 → 38%
Battery
62%
Display
84%
Games Performance
100%
Application Performance
98%
Temperature
81 / 95 → 85%
Noise
40 / 90 → 45%
Audio
90%
Add Points
-1%
Average
69%
84%
Gaming - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GT83VR 7RF (7920HQ, GTX 1080 SLI, Full HD) Laptop Review
Florian Glaser, 2017-06-21 (Update: 2017-06-21)