MSI has updated its gaming line-up of notebooks and has some really good offerings, at least going by the specifications. Out of the long list of its 'G' series notebooks, we've managed to get our hands on one of its flagship offerings, the GT663R.
This notebook is packed to the gills with features and components one would typically expect from a high end gaming notebook. The GT663 is powered by a Core i7 740QM processor running at 1.7GHz and TurboBoost upto 2.9GHz. On the memory front we have 8GB of DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz and two 500GB hard drives in RAID 0 configuration. The graphics part is handled by an Nvidia Geforce GTX 460M with 1.5GB of dedicated memory. This itself is a pretty good recipe for a powerful gaming machine.
This notebook is packed to the gills with features and components one would typically expect from a high end gaming notebook. The GT663 is powered by a Core i7 740QM processor running at 1.7GHz and TurboBoost upto 2.9GHz. On the memory front we have 8GB of DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz and two 500GB hard drives in RAID 0 configuration. The graphics part is handled by an Nvidia Geforce GTX 460M with 1.5GB of dedicated memory. This itself is a pretty good recipe for a powerful gaming machine.
MSI has also added some of their own technology to make it more attractive. They've implemented their Turbo Drive Engine + (TDE+) technology which automatically boosts the speed of the CPU and GPU when needed. Another is their Cooler Boost technology that activates an additional fan for better cooling while gaming. Fancy lights on your notebook, well the GT663R has them. There are LED lights placed along various sections of the notebook. But, unlike Alienware, these are of a single color, although you can choose between different patterns.
The audio department has a got a serious makeover as well, as the GT663R incorporates speakers from Dynaudio, which is a well-known manufacturer of professional audio equipment for cars and homes. All of this is quite impressive but the real challenge is how it all comes together in the real world, which is what we are going to find out.
Bundle
The MSI GT663R comes with the following accessories;
- Quick setup leaflet
- Windows 7 backup disc
- Screen wipe
- MSI gaming mouse
- Charger
The power adapter is a large brick since it's rated at 150W. This is clearly not meant to be carried around, as it's more of a desktop replacement than a laptop. The notebook weighs 3.5kg, so it's not exactly lightweight.
Design
The lid does have a slightly glossy surface with an illuminated MSI badge. There's another strip of lights below, which lights up when powered on. The lid is built well and with good rigidity, so the screen isn't affected much when pressure is applied.
Apart from the exhaust vent the rear is also home to the VGA port, LAN jack, HDMI and ESATA port, and the charging port.
The left hand side has some more vents followed by two USB 3.0 ports, memory card reader, USB 2.0 port and an Express Card slot.
Coming to the right, we have the multi-channel audio port including a line-in jack, a USB port and DVD burner.
There are several compartments in the bottom for swapping out different components like the memory and hard drives. We can also see a "subwoofer" to enhance the low frequency sounds in movies and games. We'll find out in a bit how well that actually works.
Things get a lot more interesting once you lift the screen and look inside. The left and right speakers are clearly defined facing upwards, so as to avoid any obstruction when placed on your lap.
There are a whole bunch of touch sensitive shortcut buttons for creating a custom shortcut, engaging TDE+ mode, activating the exhaust fan, locking the Windows button from accidental press when gaming, WiFi, Bluetooth, Eco mode and finally toggling the LED lights on and off. The keys sadly aren't backlit but have the Chiclet design. The WSAD keys are marked more prominently, so it's easier to see when gaming. Finally we come to the trackpad, which is a decently sized and also has some LED indicators along the edge to show the battery status, etc.
Next let's see what damage this beast is capable of inflicting on the games we throw at it.
Performance
Games
The screen that came with our review unit only had a resolution of 1366x768, which was a cakewalk for the Core i7 and GTX 460M. There is an optional Full HD screen that you can opt for according to MSI's website. The GT663R simply ripped through Dirt 2 which we had set everything to max including the DX11 water effects. We managed to get a solid 56FPS here, which goes to show how much leg room this notebook has. Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV also gave us similar performance averaging 56FPS with everything maxed out and AA set to 8x.
Ergonomics and Multimedia performance
Going by the scores in the tests, there's no doubt that the GT663R nails anything you throw at it. Whether it may be high end games or productivity tasks like audio or video encoding, it certainly has the brute strength to pull it off. But numbers don't always make up the whole story and it's the attention to detail that differentiates a great notebook from a good one.
My first area of concern was with the trackpad, which is horribly non-responsive to taps. Also, there is a huge lag whenever you try to move the mouse around. The buttons don't exactly have a soft click either making it even worse. I guess that's the reason MSI bundles a mouse along with this. The keys are better off but again feel a bit too small. We appreciate the full sized keyboard but there is a lot a free space on the sides that could have easily been utilized for larger keys. I say this because while typing this review on the GT663R, I often found myself hitting the wrong keys. Also, there is some amount of flex on the keyboard while typing and also on the bezel of the screen and hinge. It doesn't seem like the plastic is of a very high grade.
On the multimedia front, the GT663R produces a full and loud sound enough to fill a small room. The DTS enhancements are a bit of a gimmick though, as they tend to muffle and distort the music quite a bit, its better you leave them disabled. We weren't too convinced with the "subwoofer". As we've seen in the past, it offers no enhancement to the lower frequencies at all. In fact, a MacBook Pro sounded just as good as the GT663R.
The screen that came with our review unit only had a resolution of 1366x768, which was a cakewalk for the Core i7 and GTX 460M. There is an optional Full HD screen that you can opt for according to MSI's website. The GT663R simply ripped through Dirt 2 which we had set everything to max including the DX11 water effects. We managed to get a solid 56FPS here, which goes to show how much leg room this notebook has. Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV also gave us similar performance averaging 56FPS with everything maxed out and AA set to 8x.
Ergonomics and Multimedia performance
Going by the scores in the tests, there's no doubt that the GT663R nails anything you throw at it. Whether it may be high end games or productivity tasks like audio or video encoding, it certainly has the brute strength to pull it off. But numbers don't always make up the whole story and it's the attention to detail that differentiates a great notebook from a good one.
My first area of concern was with the trackpad, which is horribly non-responsive to taps. Also, there is a huge lag whenever you try to move the mouse around. The buttons don't exactly have a soft click either making it even worse. I guess that's the reason MSI bundles a mouse along with this. The keys are better off but again feel a bit too small. We appreciate the full sized keyboard but there is a lot a free space on the sides that could have easily been utilized for larger keys. I say this because while typing this review on the GT663R, I often found myself hitting the wrong keys. Also, there is some amount of flex on the keyboard while typing and also on the bezel of the screen and hinge. It doesn't seem like the plastic is of a very high grade.
On the multimedia front, the GT663R produces a full and loud sound enough to fill a small room. The DTS enhancements are a bit of a gimmick though, as they tend to muffle and distort the music quite a bit, its better you leave them disabled. We weren't too convinced with the "subwoofer". As we've seen in the past, it offers no enhancement to the lower frequencies at all. In fact, a MacBook Pro sounded just as good as the GT663R.
Battery Life
The MSI GT663R comes with a 9-cell battery to give this beast some amount of respectable backup time. In our 720p video drain test we managed to ring out 1Hr 49Min. Tapping the Eco mode button several times will eventually get you to the max battery life mode. With this set and WiFi - On, we were able to get a battery life of about three hours, which is nothing to shout about, but we didn't expect miracles either. In any case you'll mostly be using this on a table or desk, so you can be plugged in at all times when gaming.
Pricing and Verdict
This is where it really hurts, the MSI GT663R retails for an absurd price of Rs.1,39,000. Leaving aside the good performance there is nothing going for the notebook for it to command this sort of premium. If your heart was set on this killer configuration then Asus has something similar to offer with the G53Jw. It features the exact same CPU and graphics card, 6GB RAM, 500 GB of storage, 8-cell battery and it's party piece, Nvidia 3DVision ready with the transmitter built right into the front bezel not to mention backlit keys, BluRay combo drive and very sexy design, all this for a smidge under 1 lac.
The MSI GT663R is a great and powerful machine packing in some of the best technologies that would no doubt easily quench anyone's thirst for power. But apart from that, it does fall short in many basic features, which should have been present or at least done right, which sadly it lacks.
The MSI GT663R comes with a 9-cell battery to give this beast some amount of respectable backup time. In our 720p video drain test we managed to ring out 1Hr 49Min. Tapping the Eco mode button several times will eventually get you to the max battery life mode. With this set and WiFi - On, we were able to get a battery life of about three hours, which is nothing to shout about, but we didn't expect miracles either. In any case you'll mostly be using this on a table or desk, so you can be plugged in at all times when gaming.
Pricing and Verdict
This is where it really hurts, the MSI GT663R retails for an absurd price of Rs.1,39,000. Leaving aside the good performance there is nothing going for the notebook for it to command this sort of premium. If your heart was set on this killer configuration then Asus has something similar to offer with the G53Jw. It features the exact same CPU and graphics card, 6GB RAM, 500 GB of storage, 8-cell battery and it's party piece, Nvidia 3DVision ready with the transmitter built right into the front bezel not to mention backlit keys, BluRay combo drive and very sexy design, all this for a smidge under 1 lac.
The MSI GT663R is a great and powerful machine packing in some of the best technologies that would no doubt easily quench anyone's thirst for power. But apart from that, it does fall short in many basic features, which should have been present or at least done right, which sadly it lacks.
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