[TEST] GT72VR - GTX 1070 & i7-6820HK

Introduction

Swedish pc-konsulten.se was kind enough to send me an MSI GT72VR (IVY 172 MP) equipped with an i7-6820HK and a GTX 1070 for testing purposes.

Specs:
MSI GT72VR
i7-6820HK (2.7-3.6 GHz)
GTX 1070 (1443-1645 MHz, 8000 MHz, 8 GB DDR5)
16 GB DDR4 2133 MHz
17.3” 1920x1080 IPS 60 Hz

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MSI GT72VR


CPU i7-6820HK

This unit came equipped with an unlocked i7-6820HK, a 45W CPU with a base frequency of 2.7 GHz and boost frequencies of 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.6 GHz for 4, 3, 2 and 1 core respectively. All sliders were unlocked and Turbo boost power max and current limit could be adjusted.

A stock run in Intel XTUs stress test showed the CPU running at constant boost clocks of 3.19 GHz without throttling. Granted this is how it should work but it´s always nice to see no throttling without tweaking. Also the max temps were 59C which is pretty impressively low.

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Intel XTU stress test. Stock clocks, voltage, current limit and turbo boost power.

Trying to overclock the CPU to 3.6 and 3.8 GHz on all cores introduced both power and current throttling.

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Intel XTU stress test. 3.8 GHz all cores. Stock voltage, current limit and turbo boost power.

Raising current limits to 256A removed the current throttle up to 4.0 GHz. Undervolting to max stable -50 mV removed the power throttle up to 3.8 GHz. Raising the Turbo boost power to 100W didn´t let me go higher.

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Intel XTU stress test. 3.8 GHz all cores, -50 mV undervolt, 256 A current limit and stock turbo boost power.

In summary max stable overclock for this particular CPU was 3.8 GHz on all cores, achievable by undervolting -50 mV and setting current limit to 256A. I could´ve tested how high it would go without crashing or thermal throttle but I didn´t really see the point since it was gonna power throttle and downclock anyway.

While it´s nice to have an unlocked CPU, and 3.8 GHz is a step up from the stock 3.2 GHz 4-core boost, it´s a bit disappointing not being able to reach or exceed 4.0 GHz. As was the lack of impact of setting Turbo boost power to 100W. Perhaps a custom BIOS could help with this. Note however when overclocked to 3.8 GHz max temps were 68C which is still pretty impressive.


GPU GTX 1070

The GPU is Nvidias new Pascal GTX 1070 for notebooks. Similarly specced as its desktop sibling it has 1443 and 1645 MHz base and boost clock respectively, memory clock is 8000 MHz and it has 8 GB of GDDR5.

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Nvidia Inspector, Afterburner & HWInfo.

Looking at Nvidia Inspector in the picture above you can see the sliders for core and memory are unlocked but the others are greyed out. What surprised me was that there wasn´t the traditional +135 MHz limit usually seen on stock Vbios and I was free to overclock beyond that.

I used Heaven benchmark to determine max stable overclock achievable without being able to touch the voltage. Leaving the memory at stock the core clocked to +250 MHz, the memory clocked to +400 MHz with the core at stock. Another surprise came when they would clock this high together as well, leaving the max stable overclock, with stock voltage, at +250/+400 MHz.

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Nvidia Inspector after overclocked Heaven run.

Doing these initial testings it soon became apparent that the GPU wouldn´t hold boost clocks. It didn´t throttle below base clock but it bounced between base and boost. Temp target in the Vbios seemed to be set at 67-69C which I had a hard time exceeding.

Looking at it more closely during a GPU-Z render test the GPU seemed to clock down every 10C. It´s most likely an intended feature but to me it´s an unnecessary restriction and a throttle. Hopefully a custom Vbios can change this.

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GPU-Z render test. Clock vs temperature.


3DMark Firestrike

Moving on to synthetic benchmarks the results were impressive. In general the GPU was on 980Ti level in Firestrike and on 1070/Titan X level when OCd to max stable +250/+400 MHz. Graphics score were Standard 17150/18770 stock/OC, Extreme 8019/8717 stock/OC and Ultra 3878/4214 stock/OC.

Standard stock
Standard OC
Extreme stock
Extreme OC
Ultra stock
Ultra OC

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Firestrike compared to desktop cards (desktop scores from Sweclockers) and 980M in my P771ZM.


Gameplay

Shadow of Mordor 1080p Ultra got min/avg fps 67/98 and 80/100 for stock and oc respectively (prolonged Stronghold fight during alarm). The benchmark gave min/avg 75/128 fps stock.

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Shadow of Mordor stock. Temp reached 66C and flatlined, clock bounced.

BF4 1080p Ultra differed alot from game to game. I had 92/119, 110/152, 45/138 and 59/118 min/avg fps. The rare drops happened when the CPU tanked to 0.8 GHz. Unknown if this was because of some EC bug, there were no throttling reported.

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BF4 OC. Temps around 65C, clock bounced.

Dragon Age: Inquisition 1080p Ultra got min/avg fps 51/75 and 62/85 for stock/OC respectively fighting Rifts in The Hinterlands.

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Dragon Age: Inquisition. Temps around 67-68C, clock bounced.

Apart from the very rare drops in BF4 gameplay was smooth and fluid.


Gameplay videos

Don´t mind my terrible gameplay in BF4, I can do better, promise. This one shows one of those rare drops at 1.17 min.

Also I couldn´t get the overlay to work so sadly the only info is the fps.

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Shadow of Mordor stock.


Shadow of Mordor OC.


BF4 stock.


Dragon Age: Inquisition stock.


Dragon Age: Inquisition OC.

Summary

The performance is very good and on 1080p Ultra the GT72VR with GTX 1070 can hold above 60 fps in almost every scenario, sometimes with a great margin, sometimes with an overclock.

The CPU does overclock but not by an impressive amount, the cooling is very good however.

My main gripe is with the GPU. Not the performance itself, but by the ridiculously low temp target. Looking at the numbers and gameplay one can see it´s already a great performer. Imagine if we could only unleash it? Why force us to run below 70C, there´s a whole bunch of potential going to waste (barring no CPU bottlenecks).

Out of the box it´s a great performer. For those willing to overclock the difference is noticeable. I really hope we can get a custom VBIOS to truly unleash it.

 

Weird, I can't find a GT72VR being sold with an i7-6820HK.

What's the explanation? Is this a GT72S somehow equipped with a GTX 1070?

 

If GT62VR has 6820hk then gt72vr also, i think. here?

 

Excellent review Mr Najsman, covers off everything I'd want to know about the performance & behaviour of the new Pascal GPU (& CPU). The overall gaming performance is impressive like you mentioned, but it is frustrating to see the boost clocks bouncing around so much when the GPU temperatures are low - it needs more unrestricted power and temperature targets in my mind. I suppose NVidia have these power & temperature targets so that it protects the GPU but at the same time allows for more performance when within NVidia's stipulated 'safe' limits of power & temperature. As an enthusiast I'd like to have control over that myself & then live with the consequences, but for users not willing to take risks I suppose this new implementation of GPU boost could be a good thing.

 

It looks like the fans and heatsink setups are identical to the GT62VR.

And it seems like if the system power limit throttles, the 6820HK is a waste of a money if you can't get the full potential out of it.. Especially if you have to counter the power limit with a undervolt, MSI obviously threw in a 6820HK without the actual potential to throw more voltage at the CPU in order to use it properly. What the hell MSI?

 

Me neither. From what I can find on MSIs site the GT72VR doesn´t come with 6820HK, you´d need to go up to GT73VR. This isn´t a GT73, as it doesn´t have the same sidevents. It´s unclear if MSI themselves can sort out their models, as even pc-konsulten couldn´t get a straight answer what it actually is. We discussed if it could a Pascal-equipped GT72S like you said but that model has a plethora of storage options, mine has exactly the same (few) as the GT72VR reviewed on Notebookcheck.

Thanks It isn´t as in-depth in all departments as other reviews but my main focus is the performance and behavior of the GPU and CPU.

I wouldn´t personally call it a waste of money, it does overclock ~20% or 0.6 GHz (for gaming, gaming+streaming+50 tabs open in Chrome is probably another matter). But yes the results were abit dissapointing.

 

Do you get to keep this laptop Mr Najsman? (You got it free?)

 

@Mr Najsman have you tried using Throttlestop to lock your CPU speed to prevent the random 800MHz throttle? That IS an EC issue mind. I get it sometimes on this machine when I sleep and wake it up; it's like the system locks total power draw to a lower number by accident. I know you didn't test sleep etc, but I just mean to say that I know it's something the EC can do.

If you could get it into a scenario where it happens very frequently (Black Ops 3 unlocked FPS would do it, since it obliterates the CPU above 78fps; not sure if you saw the video I put out on it) and force the CPU to keep its clocks high, and you play and the PC shuts off after a few minutes, then it's not even a QUESTION of it being an EC problem or not anymore, that will be proof enough.

 

Taking a look on the review of the GT62VR and GT72VR, http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-MSI-GT62VR-6RE-Dominator-Pro-Notebook.170012.0.html
( http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-MSI-GT72VR-6RE-Notebook.171288.0.html )
it looks like the GT62VR only has 6 heatpipes meanwhile the GT72VR has 7. It shouldnt really be much difference whatsoever.
@Mr Najsman: Overclocking the memory by 400mhz is very impressive. But keeping in mind, that the memory clock on the GTX 1070 (Laptop and Desktop) already is extremely high for GDDR5, I (personally) wouldnt go any higher than stock (at least not in daily use). Do you have more demanding games to play (witcher 3 for example) ?
The GTX 1070 seems to keep its clocks low when the power isnt needed (the GTX 1070 EVGA FTW that my brother has in his gaming desktop keeps a very low clock when playing anno2205 as it easily reaches high fps, meanwhile when playing Witcher3 it goes up to the max.) So the lower clocks may also depend on the game you are playing.

 

Can someone please overclock GT72's screen to see if it can run @100Hz through Nvidia control panel?
It is totally safe btw
Thanks

 

Good review, thanks a lot.

 

That would be cool but no, not that lucky

Sorry I didn´t have Witcher 3 to test, and it´s on its way back now. I´ve held on to it for too long as it is already.

Yes, it´s a power-saving feature and sometimes that´s what you want. Or rather I understand if some people like that. But do we know it´s being used optimally? And I´d like the option to go full blast if I want to. Btw I set Nvidia control panel to max performance so it´s not that. The behavior I saw suits Adaptive better, Prefer max performance should allow it to keep clocks high and push over 80C, imo.

I actually forgot to try this Though mileage will vary on the same model. I get 96 Hz on my ZM while Jaybee i think got 63 on his.

 

One hopes for trade-in

 

I REALLY hope...i can put a gtx 1070 in my gt72s 6qe...i have the 980m currently...im going to try it withing the next few weeks when i get one..ill be so happy, i just wish i can find that heatsink
but seeing the gt72s and the VR look identical, accept the motherboard color...maybe other differences within the machine..the spacing is the same so the 1070 will fit.its just a matter of...will it work..

 

Hello! So I bought an MSI GT72VR with the gtx 1070, 120 Hz TN screen and i7-6820HK. I had some issues with it right out of the box though such as wifi not working well and stuff... Just wanna ask: did you use a cooling pad when playing? I had some issues keeping the temps down even with cooler boost and my old laptop cooling pad (or without it), my GPU would reach about 72 degrees celsius and then be stable around there (the fans sounded like a hair dryer at that point and I really had to bump the volume to hear anything).... I sent it to MSI to sort out many driver issues I encountered etc and check the GPU as it also crashed with pink stripes over the screen when playing. Just unlucky I guess, but oh well. Getting my money back within the 14 day period just to have to settle for something more expensive with lower specs was an option, but I decided against it really soon.

 

The crashes on the 1070 (which not everyone has; my GT72VR didn't have it before I RMA'd for a Titan) can be fixed by flashing the "Chinese" Vbios, which improved stability for 90% of the people who flashed it. Version 86.04.5B.00.8A if you search for that on MSI forums. Also are you sure you're talking about the GT72VR?? I thought only the GT73VR 6RE had the 6820HK? Yours isn't a Titan?

For some reason, the stock Vbios on the GT73VR + GTX 1070 and GT72VR+GTX 1070 seem to be different versions. Yet they all flash to the 8A Vbios easily (it is after all the same card). I have no idea what the difference is between the stock Vbios and 8A on my Titan, but I don't remember the max tems being any different.

The Titan (GT73VR 7RE) with the 7820HK and GTX 1070 keeps my GPU at 55C or lower when looping Valley Benchmark (and firestrike stress test), with the fans at 100%. The GT72VR with the 1070 and 7700HQ would get up to 70C in Valley with fans at 100%, as the fan vents and chassis aren't as large).

I wasn't aware the non titan 6th gen GT72VR came with an unlocked CPU option, but I guess it did...but I can definitely see heat issues happening. The Titan chassis is a much better cooler (but it's loud).

 

Yeah the gt72vr also came with the i7-6820hk, at least here in the Netherlands. The CPU is actually staying fairly cool, less than 50 degrees when playing (on standard clock speed, not overclocked, with cooler boost on). What worries me is the gtx 1070 getting so warm, maybe a pasting job gone wrong? Or maybe it is because of the insane clock speeds it reaches - it is supposed to run at 1400 and turbo to 1600 or sth, mine was lowest on 1600 and would go often to 1800 and sometimes peak at 2000 MHz. Guess that may explain why it becomes unstable >< I will see when I get it back, I cannot just return it anymore as I decided to give MSI a shot at making it run right. Both MSI and the retailer promised that if it doesn't work right afterwards, then I will be offered another model of the same or better specs. So I'll see.

 

If you had issues right out of the box

72 degree Celsius is not bad at all. Anything below 80 Celsius is excellent. I don't remember at which temp it starts throttling, maybe 85? but even so, those temps are below any danger point at all.

 

Your temps are normal for that chassis. With the Titan chassis and the more powerful vents, it would remain under 55C at maximum fan speed.

 

Great review,

Did you had any reboot/crash ?

Could you tell me the gpu default clock speed? it works with boost mode 1443-1900mhz?

Why theres people with no problems with default vbios, and some people has problems and have to update the vbios and limit their gpus?

Im having this issue with my brand new GT72VR 7RE.

Does your GT73VR 6RE suffers from the same issue?

The Chinese bios limits the 1070 GTX boost to 1645mhz, and before it could go to 1900mhz while playing, and is normal on msi laptops to go over the nvidia official clock.

My MSI PE70 2QE with 960m, with boost, would go over the official Nvidia boost.

So, in fact the 1070 should boost easily without problems, and tell me does other brands, like Asus or Clevo, limited their 1070 to 1645mhz?

What they did with my laptop was limit the gpu to 1443mhz with a debug vbios...

 

Yeah I will see, it should come back in like 2 weeks. I have the feeling they will just undo my windows reinstall and send it off as it was. Or as in your case install different vbios. At least that was my experience with my previous asus laptop, poor thing was shutting off randomly every couple days/weeks - guess what? Been missing that one for 2 weeks back in 2013 just to find out they only cleaned out some dust while it never heated up to more than 70 degrees even under load. Few years, countless crashes and no warranty fast forward, replaced original hdd with ssd and no more problems ever since. How can a faulty hdd even shut off laptop without BSOD or logs, that remains a mystery to me but I am on month 4 with no crashes so far. Sooo... yeah. Weirdest things can happen and manufacturers often don't take it/us seriously.

 

Thats why i hate to game on PC/Laptop, some strange and weird problems can happen and you waste more time fixing an issue then enjoying a nice game.

About your problem,

- " is supposed to run at 1400 and turbo to 1600 or sth, mine was lowest on 1600 and would go often to 1800 and sometimes peak at 2000 MHz."

Thats how the gpu works, is the boost mode working.

You said that you can trade for a laptop with better specs, but according to msi foruns, theres a % of pascal laptops (1060/1070/1080) with this problem.

So if you trade your laptop for something better, it will be a lottery.

 

I just realized my issue may not be the one everyone is experiencing. Just found out that the MSI gt72vr also has the realtek audio built in... same as my old asus. And I already know the game I mentioned is not really compatible with realtek since my asus had issues with it too, never any pink stripes over the screen though or crashes to desktop - on the asus the picture ingame simply freezes and I need to kill it in task manager (only happens with sound on, no freezes with it off). Hopefully it was after all the game that was the issue since as I said, I had no nvidia driver error at that point as others did. But thank you for your answers, it helped calm me down to talk it out here, 2200 euro is no joke for me having a 600 euro monthly salary (still a student too). I guess I will see for sure after it returns from MSI.

 

I have realtek audio as well, i dont think realtek driver would do something like that...

But i hope your laptop comes back from msi working good, please give feedback after it returns.