Gaming laptops are a special segment of the corresponding electronics market. Manufacturers of devices of this type, on the one hand, need to solve problems related to ensuring high-performance devices, and on the other hand, those that reflect the need for efficient placement of laptop hardware components in a small case. Taiwanese company MSI is among those brands that manage to supply the market with the most competitive models in the segment in question. An example of a laptop from this company, which is characterized by speed and compactness - MSI GE70 Apache Pro. This device has an attractive design and convenient controls. What resources help the MSI GE70 laptop deliver the required performance? What do users who have experience using the features of this device say?
Basic information about the device
To begin with, it will be useful to consider how the MSI GE70 laptop looks. On the upper side of the lid of the device is the MSI logo, as well as the Gaming Series with white backlight, which is activated after turning on the device. The notebook cover material is aluminum. Among the most notable hardware components of the MSI GE70 laptop is the keyboard. It was developed by SteelSeries and is designed to be used specifically on MSI devices.
The laptop has a display diagonal of 17 inches, so the keyboard is full-sized. Its keys are cylindrical, pressed easily. The keyboard is equipped with a backlight - on the one hand, bright enough for recognizing keys in the dark, on the other hand - its glow does not distract from work.
The device is equipped with a TN type display. It supports FullHD resolution. The display is matte. The screen is bright enough.
Notebook MSI GE70 is equipped with 4 speakers, providing high quality sound. The device supports Audio Boost technology.
The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor with 4 cores and a frequency of 2.5 GHz. In some modifications of the device, the Intel Core i7 4710HQ chip can be installed. In some aspects, this may determine the difference in model performance. However, in all versions of the laptop, the processor supports the Hyper-Threading standard. In TurboBoost mode, it can be overclocked to 3.5 GHz - on some chips.
The laptop has an Intel HD 4600 graphics adapter, as well as an NVIDIA GTX860M graphics card based on the Maxwell architecture. The amount of RAM for the video card is 2 GB.
The laptop comes with a rather massive 120W power supply.
The device is equipped with 8 GB of RAM, the type of modules is DDR3, they operate at a frequency of 1.6 GHz.
The computer has a 1 TB hard drive, type - SATA, speed - 7200 rpm.
The main communication standards that the device supports are Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.
There is a drive that supports Blu-ray.
DOS is preinstalled on the laptop, so for games, the operating system will probably need to be installed separately.
Notebook MSI GE70 is positioned as a gaming. Among its main advantages are high performance, excellent sound quality and ease of operation.
Notebook Modifications
We noted above that in devices, depending on their specific modification, an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor can be installed. It can be noted that the MSI GE70 is actually a series of laptops. The difference between them is very small. It mainly comes down to the type of processor.
So, on the market there is a MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro laptop, which is equipped with an Intel Core i7 chip in Russian versions. There are other modifications of the device that are sold in the Russian Federation. Among them is the MSI GE70 2PL Apache laptop, in which Intel Core i5 in version 4210H is installed exactly the same. There are devices equipped with the most advanced processor - Core i7-4700MQ, which in Turbo Boost mode can operate at frequencies up to 3.4 GHz. However, the other specifications of MSI GE70 2PE Apache Pro laptops and 2PL Apache are the same.
Although, of course, different versions of the processors can predetermine significant differences in price between certain modifications of the device. So, MSI GE70 2PL Apache, equipped with an Intel Core i5 chip, costs about 53 900 rubles in Russian stores. In principle, it can be considered one of the lowest for all versions of the laptop in question. The MSI GE70 2PE Apache device costs about 77,000 rubles. On the Russian market you can find devices of this series, which occupy an intermediate position between the noted modifications of the laptop from MSI. So, the MSI GE70 2PC device costs about 55,000 rubles.
Thus, when purchasing a laptop of the considered series from MSI, you should pay attention to a specific index. The most productive and expensive modification of the device will most likely be the MSI GE70 2PE. Significantly cheaper - GE70 2PC. The most affordable is most likely the MSI GE70 2PL. The question is, of course, is a computer game enthusiast willing to overpay for a more powerful model. First of all, he should familiarize himself with the recommended system requirements of the games that he is fond of - perhaps, the budget processor that can be installed on the MSI laptops under consideration, as an option, Intel Core i5, may be enough.
Design features
We will now study the features of the device from MSI in more detail. Let's start with the design.
The appearance of the laptop is "gaming." As the materials of the case, not only plastic, but also metal was used. At the bottom of the laptop, slots are mounted to accommodate additional RAM modules. In general, the design is designed in a fairly strict concept, there are no large number of decorative elements on the case. It can be noted, perhaps, that the rim is red, which is placed along the contour of the device.
The main interfaces are located on the sides of the device. So, on the left side, USB 3.0 ports are mounted, as well as 3.5 mm audio jacks designed to connect headphones and a microphone to the laptop. Next to them is an HDMI connector, as well as a card reader compatible with SD media. On the right side of the case are USB 2.0 ports, D-SUB, Ethernet slots. Next to them is a Blu-ray drive. Only indicators are mounted on the front of the laptop. The working area of the MSI GE70 laptop, on which the keyboard and touchpad are located, is made of aluminum. Above it is located, respectively, the display. Directly below it is the MSI logo. The display has a plastic frame repeating its contours.
Many users note a relatively small number of glossy components on the case - unlike previous MSI laptop models. From the point of view of aesthetics, such materials look great, however, they are more susceptible to damage than matte materials. Therefore, the brand's enthusiasts took a rather positive view of the fact that the company decided to get along with a minimal set of glossy elements. Among them - the device cover, screen frame and a small area near the keyboard.
Laptop internal structure
The MSI GE Apache Pro notebook case is equipped with a removable panel made of plastic. Under it are the processor, graphics adapter, which are closed by cooling systems, RAM modules, solid state drives such as mSATA, as well as a hard drive. Experts do not recommend removing solid-state media from a laptop. If you need to do this, you must first copy the RAID array into a separate image. If you remove solid-state media from the laptop, the RAID array on which the OS is installed may stop working.
The device cooling system is represented by one turbine. In general, its power is enough to ensure the safe operation of the hardware components of the device at its full load, but some users and specialists believe that it would be nice for MSI to think about placing the second one.
Keyboard
The keyboard feature of the laptop in question is the presence of 2 additional keys. In the area of the corresponding hardware component, a power button is mounted, as well as switches for the cooling system and the backlight of the panel - this element consists of 3 blocks highlighting a specific section of the keyboard. It can be noted that the Win button is located to the right of the space bar. On the left is the Fn key.
The key travel is quite comfortable. The manufacturer removed some functional buttons from the workspace. Instead, three switches are mounted above the keyboard - turning on the maximum speed of the cooling system, keyboard backlight, and power. The working area of the device is made mainly using metal. There are not many glossy elements in comparison with previous laptop models from MSI. The corresponding coating is made with the effect of grinding metal.
Touchpad
The touchpad mounted on a laptop from MSI is among those that are not equipped with separate buttons that simulate clicking on the left and right mouse buttons. Corresponding components are implemented directly in the structure of the touch panel. The opinions of users and experts regarding the usability of the touchpad in such a modification are mixed.
Some device owners and experts believe that you need to adapt to the marked structure of the touch panel. Others believe that as you get used to this touchpad, you reach the highest level of convenience for managing your laptop.
Screen
A matrix made using TN technology is considered a relatively outdated solution. This predetermines the appearance of rather critical reviews about using a laptop. Owners of the device, as well as IT experts believe that the screen has a fairly modest color rendering, there are some nuances of displaying colors at a high level of brightness. However, the MSI GE70 Apache laptop, as we know, is "gaming." Possible drawbacks when drawing details on the screen, the person during the game, most likely, will not notice. In addition, experts rate the level of detail on the laptop screen from MSI as high. The display of the device has a very decent resolution - 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Sound
Sound components are among the key ones that predetermine the choice of many MSI GE 70 Apache laptop users. The characteristics of the corresponding equipment, of course, are very important for gamers. The main components of the laptop in terms of sound processing are 4 speakers, 2 of which are located under the display, the other 2 are in the lower part of the case. The sound quality is estimated by gamers and IT specialists as very decent, but not too sensational. Fans of computer games will be pleased with the reproduction of various effects, lovers of music and cinema - with playing melodies, soundtracks and “voice acting”.
"Iron"
The laptop is equipped with a processor such as Intel Core. The bulk of the load in processing the video stream falls on the GeForce GTX 860M graphics adapter. Appropriate hardware components together make the laptop one of the highest performing on the market. Other notable hardware components include an advanced Wi-Fi module. It implements technologies to reduce ping - the response time between the signal sent to the server and received from it. The lower the corresponding indicator, the greater comfort the user will feel when managing characters in network games.
Another significant aspect of studying the MSI GE70 laptop is the autonomous operation of the device. We will study it in more detail.
Offline work
As some IT experts note, manufacturers of gaming laptops tend to place large and not very efficient batteries in their devices. According to experts, the appropriate type of device is designed more for stationary use. As a result, manufacturers consider it permissible to install batteries in them, which are enough, perhaps, to move the device between outlets. However, the characteristics of the battery in the device from MSI in any modification, be it a laptop MSI GE70 2PL, 2PE or 2PC, are very decent. The device’s battery capacity is 4.4 thousand mAh.
Improving the battery life of the laptop contribute to energy-saving technologies implemented in processors that are based on Haswell architecture. These chips are installed on laptops of this series. Experts who measured the battery life of the device from MSI, as well as many users, characterize the corresponding parameter as very competitive in a variety of laptop modes - in idle time, when playing video, with high or, conversely, low brightness of the display. So, for example, if you watch a movie on the device from MSI, then the device’s battery resources can last more than 3 hours, as tests show.
Reviews
We’ll study in more detail what the owners of the MSI GE70 laptop say about their experience using the device. As we noted above, the device in question is available in several versions. The main criterion for the difference between them is the type of processor, and therefore, performance. Thus, in terms of the study of opinions reflecting the performance estimates of the device, it is necessary to distinguish between reviews left by owners of laptops with less powerful processors and those in which the most modern chips are installed.
At the same time, judging by the reviews on thematic online portals, users of MSI devices with even the most modest chips installed are not at all inclined to complain about poor performance. This may indicate that the laptops of this series are balanced devices, in which not only the processor plays a significant role in terms of speed, but also, for example, the video card. Which in all versions of the laptop is presented in the form of a powerful and high-performance solution. Thus, the speed of the laptop owners of the device, regardless of its specific version, evaluate positively.
As for the other characteristics of the MSI GE70 Apache Pro device - design, ease of operation, display quality, battery life indicators - users are also quite happy with their choice. Owners of the device characterize the laptop as a sufficiently effective tool, suitable not only for running games, but also for solving other everyday tasks that require high-performance devices.
The fact that the MSI GE70 laptop by default only has DOS as the operating system determines the ability to install almost any OS of your choice on it. It can be Windows in any modification, Linux or another solution. The necessary drivers are always available on the website of the manufacturer of the laptop. Judging by the reviews, the device, provided that the necessary software is correctly installed, works perfectly under the control of any operating system.