MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro Kaby Lake First Look

Final Thoughts

Pricing 

At the time of writing, the MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro costs £2299.00 from Amazon UK. Typically, I’d conduct a pricing comparison against similar products from other vendors as a means of assessing value. Unfortunately, this proved to be quite challenging due to the lack of rival offerings with a similar configuration. This is probably down to the laptop being relatively new and other manufacturers releasing models which utilise 7th Generation Intel processors at a more sporadic pace. Whatever the case, the laptop is competitively priced when you take a look at the component selection. Granted, it’s a considered purchase for anyone, but the fee can only be described as reasonable based on the current market value.

Overview

Intel’s 7th Generation processors might not be a revolutionary step forward in computing power but they’re able to leverage a decent boost in 4K video encoding/transcoding tasks. This is due to the enhanced Turbo frequency and support for VP9 as well as HEVC 10-bit hardware acceleration. The flagship i7-7820HK is an excellent accompaniment to high-end graphics hardware and legitimately rivals gaming-orientated desktop CPUs from recent eras. Of course, MSI has quickly updated their gaming laptop series to support the latest hardware and provide the best possible experience. The MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro is a wonderful creation due to the stylish design and impeccable Cooler Boost 4 technology. Additionally, the unit’s build quality is excellent and MSI has accommodated a wide range of connectivity protocols including USB 3.1 Type-C, Mini-DisplayPort and HDMI.

As previously mentioned, the laptop’s audio fidelity is pretty decent thanks to the 3.5-watt subwoofer and dual 3-watt speakers. Also, the 4K display has 100 percent sRGB coverage and looks absolutely stunning. While I have some concerns about the GTX 1070’s ability to drive current and future games at this high resolution, the experience when compiling documents and editing photos is superb. If you’re concerned about the gaming performance, it’s possible to select the base model with a 1920×1080 display instead which shouldn’t force you to employ lower visual presets. Thankfully, NVIDIA’s G-Sync improves the situation and ensures the frame-rate variation appears less jarring.

Rather surprisingly for a premium gaming laptop, the boot device isn’t particularly fast and has a maximum quoted read rate of 540MB/s and 520MB/s write speed. Given the price, I would have expected an NVMe solution which loads applications more quickly, improves Windows’ boot time and provides a snappier response in the operating system. On a more positive note, the laptop’s keyboard is extremely comfortable and you can type for long periods without feeling overly fatigued. The 1.9mm travel distance lends itself well to competitive gaming because the keys are easy to press while eliminating the likelihood of double key presses. The touchpad responds to user commands in a quick fashion and the tactile buttons have a satisfying click. Honestly, the tracking is really accurate and has a good amount of palm rejection.

Overall, I’m pleased with the MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro and believe it’s another great addition to MSI’s gaming laptop series. Admittedly, it’s not without some flaws like the mediocre boot drive and annoying software package which includes Norton. Putting this aside, the end-user is able to enjoy a stunning gaming experience in a relatively portable form factor and utilise Intel’s 7th Generation enhanced 4K video features. As a result, the laptop offers a more complete package than its predecessor and is a viable alternative to a traditional high-end desktop PC.

Pros

• Comfortable keyboard
• Dedicated function buttons
• Easy to open
• Exemplary cooling design
• Equipped with Intel’s flagship 7th Generation processor
• Good speakers
• Gorgeous, elegant aesthetic
• Great packaging
• Responsive touchpad
• Superb “IPS-Level” 4K Display with 100 percent sRGB coverage
• Supports NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology
• USB 3.1 Type-C
• Vibrant RGB illumination

Cons

• No NVMe drive as default
• Software suite can be irritating at times

“The MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro takes full advantage of Intel’s latest microarchitecture which complements the GTX 1070 to uphold a superb gaming experience. Not only that, the laptop’s attractive design and beautifully engineered cooling apparatus makes it one of the best Kaby Lake-powered portable machines available today.”

MSI GT62VR 7RE Dominator Pro Kaby Lake First Look

Thank you MSI for providing us with this sample.