[section_title title=”Performance”]Â Performance
When it comes to the overall performance aspect of the system MSI have done a good job at also focusing on aspects of use other than just that of gaming and while it might not be the smallest/lightest of notebooks, it is definitely still easy to carry around with you on a day to day basis if need be; in comparison a PC would NOT be easy to carry!
Taking a look with what will most likely be the main point of concern when looking into any gaming notebook, we will start with the performance. Remembering back to our benchmark results the GT70 2PE was only really beaten out by desktop systems though some of the results were close in regards to graphical performance when comparing to its predecessor, the GT60 2PE. From a graphics point of view both the GT60 and GT70 both have an 8GB GTX 880M GPU in them so it is easy to see why those benchmarks that relied heavier on graphics were very similar. It is not until you look at the CPU intensive benchmarks that you see this is where the GT70 2PE really shines over its older brother, this is of course due to having an updated 4th generation Intel processor. The updated processor helps ensure the GT70 will be a powerhouse for more than just gaming and that bit of extra power is sure to not go unnoticed; also useful for video rendering and content creators.
What else will users need to go with all that performance? Well, I would say a good cooling solution and MSI have that covered as well. MSI have upped the ante a bit with their new Cooler Boost 2 technology. While the original Cooler Boost held its own and did the job, MSI found a way to improve on it. MSI have now added a what they call a thermal bridge which actually connects the GPU and CPU heat sinks to one another and while that may not sound like such a good thing, but it is. Having the thermal bridge between CPU and GPU will allow for better heat dissipation if one of them is not running as hot as the other. Before if the CPU was running hotter than the GPU the heat would just have to work its way back towards the fan and get blown out of the notebook. Now if the CPU is running hotter than the GPU it can pass on some of its heat to the GPU heat sink which will result in quicker and more beneficial heat dissipation.
The other thing that was quite impressive to me as this was my first gaming notebook I have properly got to use was the keyboard. While there isn’t a whole lot that can really be done with the keyboard on a laptop due to space restrictions. MSI and SteelSeries have teamed up and brought together a great effort with the keyboard being very responsive which is great for gaming and it is also much easier to type on than most other notebook keyboards; at least in my experience aznyway. Aside from just the feel alone of the keyboard let’s also not forget about the multi-zone lighting controls and the fact that users can set macro keys up via the SteelSeries engine software. Combining all of those features together really gives a good experience when using the GT70 2PE’s keyboard and makes it an enjoyable experience; something which should please gamers who like functional bling!
