My GT60 Dominator review!!

My GT60 Dominator arrived yesterday and so far I love it. It's specs are as follows
I7-4810mq (3.8ghz)
8gb Ram
1Tb Hard drive (RPM7200)
GTX870m
15.6 1080p

GAMES

Game = Battlefield 4, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P , Average FPS = 35, Comment: Gameplay was really smooth except during high explosion and smoke FPS drops to 25

Game = Bioshock Infiniti, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P, Average FPS = 60, Comment: Real smooth gameplay throughout

Game = Batman Arkham Origins, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P, Average FPS = 40, Comment: Sudden drop of FPS to below 10, it’s because of game problem not the graphics card or something

Game = Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P, Average FPS = 23, Comment: Even though FPS was low but real smooth gameplay. I’ll upload a video review as well on Youtube and it’ll be evident there

Game = Crysis 3, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P, Average FPS = 19, Comment = The game was very much playable not as smooth as Assassin’s Creed but still not annoying.

Game = Max Payne 3, Graphics Settings = Ultra, Resolution = 1080P, Average FPS = 32,

Heat & Fan
I played BF4 for about 2 hours and after about 80 minutes the fan started hitting it's max which was expected but what was not expected was that after finishing my 2 hours of gameplay the CPU maxed at 82c and the 870m maxed at 81c which was very impressive,
The fan throughout gaming was quite low but gets a bit noisy (as expected when maxed, overall impressive since MSI are known for there crappy pasting job.

PROS
Extremely fast CPU & GPU
Keyboard is top class & can change colour of backlit on certain keys etc
Best sound I've ever heard from laptop speakers
Killer Wifi & Lan
Stays cool
Cheap for gaming laptop (1300$, 1300 euros)
7.6 pounds (light for what it packs)
1080p screen is beautiful
Nearly as upgradable as Desktop

CONS
No Sata Drive
Battery only lasts to 3.30-4 hours
DVD drive is nothing special

Conclusions
Overall it is a top end gaming laptop which can handle any game out there with world class sound and keyboard and while the laptop doesn't come with a SSD which in 2014 is necessary the good thing is that an SSD can be installed (I've already installed mine)
I was very surprised by how nice the screen is; no dead pixels, the colors are very rich and it has a pretty good viewing angle too.
I would definitely recommend this laptop to anyone who wants a relatively inexpensive gaming laptop with great specs.

 

As I am in the market for a GT70 myself, I find your post VERY VERY helpful and encouraging. Thanks! +repped.

 

Is the GT60 lap-friendly while gaming or does it run too hot?

 

No gaming laptop should be used in bed or on the lap all by itself. Reason - it gets hot and you are likely to block the bottom vents with your feet. Use something like a board between your lap and the machine, with flat surface.
And as to using it while in bed - don't do that. Dust accumulates many times faster when used near bed sheets and clothes than it does normally.
Cleaning will turn into a chore and skipping that could ruin the hardware from overheating.

 

The GT60 is lap friendly as it does not draw air from directly underneath so knock yourself out for browsing the web etc, it should not spin up too loud as a result of being a bit blocked. I would avoid gaming with it on your lap if possible but it is possible if you position yourself right.

 

I pretty much agree with this exact review. I'm running the GT60 Dominator 424 and have added an additional 8gb dimm (2x8gb now) and a Samsung 840 Evo 256gb in the open bay and this thing is awesome. I do wish that there were official drivers for the 870m but Nvidia hasn't released them yet it seems. I think that some games will benefit from them because I'm seeing about 60 fps avg on Diablo 3 while I know this can do better as the 770m that was in my previous gt60 was getting 100+ with the same settings.

Anandtech recently released their review on the base GT70 with the 880m and it is done very well. I will say that the LCD panel is different between the GT70 and 60 (obviously) but one of the main compliants they had was the subpar screen of the GT70. I've noticed that the GT60 (atleast mine) is using a PLS panel from Samsung that seems to be a little better (just my eye test)

AnandTech | MSI GT70 Review: GTX 880M Edition

 

I tried gaming on BF4 for about an hour on my lap too test and CPU hit 87c and GPU was 89c, The laptop didn't feel that hot on my lap but due to air flow etc the CPU and GPU temps did rise a bit.
PS did not attempt to game while in bed(And I wouldn't )

 

You can use trays but I'm not sure that's a good habit to get into lol.

 

Re: GT60 Dominator-424

Hi guys,

Can anybody help me verify what/how many storage bays this unit have? I'm having doubts about the info given by a certain seller.

Is it:
• HDD (2)
• HDD (1) + mSata (1)
• HDD (2) + mSata (3)

TIA :hi2:

 

Thanks for this review. I've been looking for reviews for the GT60 but couldn't find some (aside for some gameplay vids on youtube). Mine won't be here 'till tuesday, can't wait!

 

Ships with no msata then 2x 2.5"

If ships with 1 or more msata then 1x 2.5" and 3x msata.