Ryzeki's GT73VR 6RF Titan review (GTX1080)

Spoiler

The best laptop I’ve ever owned.

Welcome to my GT73VR! Don’t let the first sentence be a spoiler of the review. I hope you enjoy reading my review!

It’s been a long while since my last actual review. Mainly because time has been tight lately (what with the new family member, work and more!). I also never finished my GT80 review despite having about 80% of the written impressions done. I just took too long and after some point, I thought it was no longer that relevant because so many new models came out, including two full new CPU gens and a new GPU king.

But now I realize part of the reason why I couldn’t finish it. I guess wasn’t as impressed with the GT80 as I am right now, with the GT73. And don’t think I don’t love my GT80, I do. But it’s been such a long while since I’ve used a machine that offered tremendous high end performance and superb thermals, combined with a proper high refresh rate screen with great colors/contrast. Reminds me of my golden times with the MSI GX660R.

As with most of my MSI machines, I got mine from GentechPC. At this point I am sure you know the great resellers that participate on this forum, and GentechPC is among them. Ken and Kevin have been a great help when it comes to picking up and suggesting machines, as well as helping out here in the forums. I do always recommend checking out our great resellers here, because their customer service is much better, in my opinion.

Ken convinced me to get the GTX1080 variant, and I don’t regret it. Thanks for shipping it fast too

Specs as currently being used

• Core i7 6820HK 2.7ghz-3.6ghz (Unlocked, benched at 4Ghz)
• 16GB of DDR4 2400mhz RAM
• nVidia GTX1080 8GB GDDR5X (+100c/+200m)
• 128GB m.2 PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD
• 1080P TN 120hz display with 8bits per color, 5ms response time.
• Killer 1535 wifi + Killer e2400 Ethernet adapter (Doubleshot PRO)
• Cooler Boost Titan (or simply… an amazing cooling solution that works)

General thoughts – what an awesome machine.
Between a fast GPU, fast CPU and a fast screen, all booting from a fast SSD… I suppose the first and predominant adjective for the GT73 is that, fast. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks. Working, downloading games, playing some, benching stuff, web surfing etc.

But no matter what, I always felt like I was using something really fast. Snappy, responsive, smooth. Even working on this review. It felt inviting even.

And I liked it.

It’s been a long while since I’ve used a laptop that made me feel such… confidence? But this is beyond “fast”. It’s also… reliable. Build quality is good. Looks are good, and while I am not generally super fan of the “Gamer” look, I am liking this one. The keyboard is good, sound is good, though I like how Sound Blaster, ahem, sounded like, more than nahimic (at least this new nahimic sounds better than the previous version).

This laptop nets you strong, consistent and dependable, high end performance. It’s been a while since I’ve used a laptop that delivers practically all areas with high marks, out of the box. I used to be careful because I didn’t want a laptop to run too loud, or too hot, or pack too much hardware because the PSU was not enough. This is not an issue that the GT73VR has, even though it includes top of the line hardware for gaming.


Build Quality – Good, sturdy and lighter than it looks.
One thing some may feel is how the laptop looks way heavier than it is. At least it was surprising to me. The mix of sturdy plastic construction with aluminum finish that feels nice to the touch, even if it’s a slight finger print magnet. There is light flex if you press hard. The screen lid is slim and feels easy to move, but holds its position without problems.

The bottom panel is like a huge vent, and it has more open space and open air flow compared to all previous MSI laptops I have owned in the past (and I’ve owned quite a few!). The bottom panel also has very few screws to remove, to remove the single cover to rule them all. This is VERY nice because opening every single previous laptop required about 10 or so screws on an uneven distribution, and different sizes etc.

A note to consider: Flex is not necessarily your enemy nor a bad thing. People often mistake flex as automatically bad quality. Additionally, people also often consider all metal (like some aluminum only complete body) high quality because they exhibit no flex. The problem is, with no flex comes consequences, meaning either permanent deformation (dents!) and/or fracture. Having some flex helps overall avoid those two things. The main point is, flex is not automatically bad. This is a sturdy machine

I have no problems holding nor moving around this around. For what it is, I’d say the build quality is good, especially for what it is, a gaming laptop. I can lift the machine from the corners without feeling it will break.

I would expect higher end build quality that can take a hit or damage, only from a field-work intended laptop. Build quality is comparable to my strong GT80 and that has lasted near 2 years so far with 0 damage anywhere.

Here are a couple of pictures comparing sizes of GT73(Left) with a GT80 (right)


While they might seem similar in size, once you open both you see how bigger is the GT80 over the GT73


Also, I really like the red accents on the exhaust of the GT73 (top) haha


Pics show here in album form

Screen – A great gaming partner.
This screen is beautiful. I knew beforehand that it was a TN panel, but the 120hz refresh rate was enticing enough to go for. I was not expecting such quality from the screen, as I have been using IPS screens for a while now. This is one of the selling points of the machine. It even reminds me of my 4K LG TV which does have amazing colors.

Colors are vibrant and pop out. Reds might be a bit too strong but can be tweaked. The included MSI TrueColors software has different profiles depending on what you want to achieve/do and are very different among themselves. Users can also make their own profiles instead of using MSI TrueColors. The panel is 8 bits per color and from the tests I’ve done, it shows.

Compared to the GT80 which has an IPS panel, it is definitely better here. Viewing angles are the weak part of TN displays in general, but I find this one to have good enough viewing angles in all directions as to feel comfortable with a wide sweet spot. Horizontal viewing angles are great, vertical viewing angles are the noticeable ones, but they are alright. Working on the review, gaming and watching videos, I was not bothered at all.

Here is a comparison of both screens.

While this is not the best camera, and the best angle, it does show how GT73's screen has more colors, more vibrant. Particularly seen on red/purple/blue, where the GT80 panel is more washed out. In real life, both look a bit better than this picture, particularly GT73 is more defined, the camera makes it seem more saturated.

The 120hz refresh rate is excellent for gaming and general usage. With my GT80, I was able to overclock my monitor to 100hz, and after doing so, I couldn’t go back. With GT73VR and the included 120hz, great colors screen, everything under windows feels better/faster and more responsive. Considering the hardware, the GT73VR packs, it feels exactly like the hardware it sports: high end/top of the line. Compared to 60hz screens, this is a great step up for performance enthusiasts.

Response time is also great. I did not see any distracting effects, ghosting or anything while playing high games, with gsync on, vsync off (frame limited) and 120fps. I tried several tests online for screens and everything seemed to be on the great scale.

It is weird that 120hz took such a long while to appear on more brands and more models. While it is not something absolutely new on computers or laptops, the inclusion as a stock option after such a long time feels right at home. These types of screens were usually extra configurations and only in select models and brands.

People might be compelled to go for a higher resolution screen, like the 4K option for the GT73VR, but I think the 1080p panel with 120hz is a better choice for gaming. Particularly for the GTX1080, because it ensures you will play with this machine at max settings for years to come, and nothing is stopping you from going external 4K monitors. But if you do get the 4K variation, be sure to tell us here how it is!

For me, this screen is excellent and helps the whole notebook feel great and powerful. It should be a stock screen with any high-performance laptop. Hopefully we will see screens of this quality or better in the coming models, as well as higher resolution.

As for the new added icing on the cake? Most of the new MSI models seem to be including G-sync and the GT73VR is no exception. Thanks to the power of the GTX1080, you can run most games easily at the high refresh rate offered, taking advantage of G-sync. I noticed that everything seemed smoother than what my GT80 achieved, despite often having similar performance in some games. On one hand, SLI can sometimes experience microstutters. On the other, G-sync does a great job at smoothing out refresh rate.


Keyboard - Reliable
I went from an old-style keyboard with the GT60, to the fantastic mechanical keyboard offered by the GT80. What I can say is that the keyboard in the GT73VR, while this is not a mechanical keyboard, feels and responds with good feedback. Key travel is good enough to make you feel like you are properly typing. Key resistance to typing is tight so that it does require a bit of punch to each key, and for me it feels good and responsive. It feels dependable.

And while this is no mechanical keyboard, It does have the added benefit of having a proper numpad. All in all, this is a good keyboard, and probably among the better ones out there. I think, for regular non-mechanical keyboards, this is probably around as good as it gets.

For general use, typing, responsiveness, it is excellent. I had 0 missed strokes, hardly any typos despite being completely different to the last keyboard I used for nearly 2 years. I adapted quickly and have enjoyed it so far.

As is has been standard for most MSI models now, the steel series keyboard includes software to enable multiple color lightning, and it can be easily customized to a variety of colors and intensity levels. This, includes the touchpad too, for its outline. Since the LED backlight of the keyboard is done by fairly big/bright LEDs, certain colors will look a bit different on specific parts of the keyboard, mainly because how color is made.


Performance CPU – High end, cool running skylake i7
I believe most configurations for this machine do come with the same Core i7 6820HK. What can I say? It’s basically top of the line for mobile CPUs. Only Desktop 6700K is better. But even then, I found easy enough to clock this immediately to 4Ghz that I suddenly don’t mind much the lack of a desktop CPU.

While I wish MSI would offer their great GT series laptops with desktop CPUs, and maybe focus their GS series and the like for mobile CPU, the 6820HK is still an exceptional CPU thanks to its unlocked nature and high possible clocks, at least for this machine. This CPU is also a great match for the GPU offered, especially for the high refreshrates with the included screen. Demanding games like Battlefield 1 should benefit from the overclockable CPU to reach the 120fps in 64 man multiplayer.

Coming from a 4720HQ, I can say even on windows the difference is a noticeable, to my surprise. My GT80 already felt fast, in part thanks to its overclocked monitor and CPU that at least was 3.6ghz. But this 120hz screen, and fast 4ghz feels evens snappier.

You can see specifics in the benchmarks section.

Performance GPU - "Aim for the top!" But we are already there!
The GTX1080 is basically in the range of top of the line, and this is also including desktops. It feels kind of weird at first, that we have “parity” of sorts, in general performance, compared to desktops. Obviously, a desktop can still pack more (Titan XP), have custom cooling solutions etc. But even so, this laptop is an absolute beast delivering comparable high end performance. Just like the 980 before it, the 1080 is a strong GPU that gives you tremendous single GPU performance as well as a great VR experience.

Gaming performance is nothing short of excellent, and this single GPU packs more power than a pair of 980m GPUs in SLI, even with a mild overclock on them. This high level of performance also came with an overall raised requirement for thermals, which thankfully the GT73 addressed in a stellar way. No matter what GPU you get, both the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 have absolute great temps while under load, and their performance is the closest you can get, on stock, to their desktop counterparts. Even overclocking is possible. How much? I will be finding out with time!

Every game I have tried has worked completely maxed without any particular issues. Games like Witcher 3 can be run completely maxed out, including demanding features like hairworks. And it happens to be an example of how a GTX is not exacly overkill for 1080, but the right amount of "kill"

Oh, and there does not seem any hybrid battery boost happening here. My max power reading so far has been 300W, with overclocking, so I will see how much we can ask of this beast card.

You can see specifics in the benchmarks section.

Temperatures - Winter is... not gonna make that joke.
Just stellar. Cooling performance is amazing. This goes hand in hand with sound coming from the system itself, which in my opinion, is quite silent despite the excellent performance it offers.

Both the CPU and GPU are properly cooled, each one with an independent fan. CPU temperatures hardly reach above the 60s range when in use, and GPU usually is on the 70s range, with a top temp so far of 77 when gaming. All in Celsius.

If you desire even cooler temps, you have options. With the dragon center program, you can tweak the fan curves for both the CPU and GPU. Or, if you would like maximum cooling at all costs, you can enable the cooling booster button and hear the fans go to 100%, which do sound like jet engines taking off haha

The cool part about the jet engines is that they do cool the system down considerably more. I don’t think I reach 70’s with the GPU when in cooler boost.

The new cooling system, or “Cooler Boost Titan” as the stickers say, is remarkable. This thing runs so much cooler than my GT80. And the GT80 already had huge fans, as well as generally good GPU cooling.

These temperatures during gaming, use, everything, are one of the reasons I recommend the GT73. With this laptop, you get top of the line performance and top of the line cooling. It’s seriously good.

From beginning to end of all tests, without rest or resetting HWmonitor, the max CPU temp recorded after a couple of hours of pure testing was 68 celsius. The GPU reached 77 Celsius, and this one was due to Witcher 3. This is an example with a firestrike run on older drivers. Temps are great.

One thing to note, as comparison to my GT80. In witcher 3, a game with great SLI scaling, I was seeing similar, slightly slower performance compared to my GT73. However, GT73 ran faster, more silent, and still much cooler, on a smaller package. The GT80 ended up with 87 celsius for the CPU, and 76 Celsius GPU1, 92 Celsius GPU2 with considerable more noise during gameplay.

Benchmarks (will post results, and if needed, pics)!
All tests done with CPU at 4Ghz and the GPU with +100/+200 (because why not? It’s a slider on MSI’s Dragon Center )

Cinebench R15
Multicore Result: 866
Single core Result: 171

3dmark firestrike normal: 17299
Graphics: 22803
Physics: 12413
Combined: 7794

For comparison, here is a stock run of my GT80 with recent drivers (Which they added more performance than when I bought it!)

3dmark firestrike ultra: 5312
Graphics: 5336
Physics: 12373
Combined: 2813

The witcher 3, Completely maxed (In parenthesis, without hairworks)– First fight and forest
Min: 56 (70)
Average: 70 (90)
Max: 90 (106)

Batman Arkham Knight, completely maxed, including physics
Minimum: 50
Average: 96
Max: 116

Alien Isolation (maxed, vsync on)
Locked 120 fps haha
Notes: I did have a weird issue. Without vsync, framerate was stuck around 83fps. It felt stuttery. I blame drivers.

Metro: Last Light (maxed, SSAA x2, vsync on)
Min: 96
Average: 110
Max: 120
Notes: Same issue as Alien Isolation. Game ran better with vsync on. Any idea as to why this happens, is welcome. This issue did not happen with the other games.

Summary of performance!


VR playtime (HTC Vive)
My experience so far using VR with the GT73VR has been completely positive. I was surprised how... plug and play it was. Everything updated as necessary, no software had issues finding the headset or updating or running.

I tested the following games, and all worked perfectly:

• Arizona Sunshine
• The Brookhaven Experiment
• Tilt Brush
• Holopoint
• Richies plank experience
• Audioshield

I will be trying more as well as going through external tools to enable higher resolution, but so far, it has been a positive experience that I have shared with family and friends

Unlike regular gaming, VR requires and usually runs at 90fps, sync, so it's different to measure the experience vs regular games. All tested games had no issues nor I noticed any stuttering or motion sickness.

Wifi - Max speed, full stability, finally?
I was thinking if it was worth it to mention something like wifi performance, but after using this a decent amount of time, I think it is. I don’t know if it’s this particular laptop, or all enabled Killer 1535 laptops. This is the first time a laptop I use that can sustain 100% of my ISP speed without any issues, wifi dropping or resetting etc. Even my GT80 would experience something like a wifi reset after downloading 200mbps continuously. But this GT73 VR has been flawless from beginning to end, after over 200GB of continuous data download. Color me impressed.

Likewise, online gaming actually runs better (tested with overwatch) with slightly lower latency on average, and no disconnects so far. Previous laptops always had particular glitches, like a game would freeze for a second, or kick you out sometimes per day, or have above the expected latency. Most of these issues were either drivers, or the Killer software program. Turns out these are non-issues with the GT73VR.

It is important to note thought, that I use an above average router; An Asus RT87U. I mention this because I’ve seen a couple of users complain about their wifi connection dropping. Or something along those lines. But I also noticed that many users have entry level routers, and connectivity issues are something I also used to experience with my generic 50dlrs d-link router, with previous machines.

Conclusion - My precious
Most of the time, we reach a conclusion where we evaluate the pros and cons throughout the review. The problem I have though, is that unlike many other times, I am simply running out of cons. The only real “con” is price, and even that is subjective, considering the package this machine is. As well as options (like a GTX1070)

I’d say, if you want a top end laptop, a well-rounded system with good-to-great score in every area, this is it. “faults” of the system will come down to personal preference, but if you are looking for a strong gaming performer, you will have a hard time topping out this one without some serious mods. And I bet there are very few contenders that offer an unlocked 6820HK which can actually clock high and run cool out of the box, a GTX1080 that runs close to its desktop counterpart, out of the box, an overall cooling system that is both effective and silent, with a great screen that offers not only image quality but also performance with low response time and 120hz refresh rate.

This is one notebook I seriously recommend.

The only way I would recommend something else, is if you absolutely need a desktop CPU. Other than that, this machine packs a punch and delivers with flying colors.

Thanks for reading my review! If you have any comments or suggestions, as well as requests, feel free to let me know

Due to current dates as well as work, it might take me some time but rest assured I will do my best to fulfill requests.


UPDATE!

Extra information
This section at the very end will add meaningful direct posts to users that have provided additional excellent information for any owner

Thanks alaskajoel for your excellent addition to this topic! Subjects in post:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...fr-review-gtx1080.799357/page-2#post-10413298

• Thunderbolt/Displayport
• External Displays
• Power measure for GTX1070
• Killer wireless network conflict
• RAM stock placement
• Other overclocking methods without Dragon Center
• Clean install/Backup

Disassembled unit

 

I'd like, but...starting from $3650 here - let's see....

 

Excellent review, if I had better writing skills I would say similar things about mine.

 

If there is anything you guys want me to test let me know.

A new game to be added to the bench list:
Gear of War 4

I also have The Division but since I haven't played it in a while, it's not even installed. I'll be checking others to add, as well as CPU bench.

And possibly an overclocked section where I will post results for the max OC I can attain

It's definitely expensive, and 3650 is way too much. I found the 2800dlrs for this model to be expensive but worth it. I was actually going, originally, for the 1070 version which is quite cheaper, but I figured if I wanted to really get into VR, might as well get the best GPU.

Thanks I am no writter myself but I try haha.

 

Great review and as another owner of similar laptop I agree with most everything you said!

I also was surprised by the weight....it is certainly not a light laptop but much lighter than I thought it would be.

 

Thanks for your thoughts--great review.


Just to put some more info all in one place and because this is the best review thread up thus far, I'll add additional info people might want or need to make a decision. The following information is for the same notebook, but with GTX 1070. Max CPU watt consumption was over 80w as per HWinfo

Benchmarks:

Spoiler

Max temps while overclocked:
CPU hit 86, GPU hit 61.

Overclocked runs performed with:
CPU @ 4.2Ghz x 4 cores w/ +.15v
GPU Core +225
GPU mem +350

Stock Fire Strike: 12961
http://www.3dmark.com/fs/11074362

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Overclocked Fire Strike: 15635
http://www.3dmark.com/fs/11074719

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Overclocked Timespy: 5688
http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/16664240

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Initial Setup and Q&A:

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• The thunderbolt port on the back has a Displayport hardwired to it. This unfortunately means the dual-display output adapters (like this popular Plugable unit I use with my Dell 9550) don't work with the GT73vr. You only get one of the two displays to output. I will plan on testing a lot of other Thunderbolt accessories (including docking stations) when they become more available in the new year.
  Spoiler

  
  
  
• Don't fret if you want to run more than 3 external displays and you thought this device was your only option. An MST hub works great with the GT73. Keep in mind, you are still limited to the maximum 4 display rule common on all Geforce graphics cards. This can be a combination of internal or external displays. I have 4 external displays (3 of which are running off the MST hub and one with a USB-C to Displayport adapter. The MST-hub connects two 1080p60hz monitors + one 1440p75hz monitors easily.
  Spoiler

  
  
  
• Using my kill-a-watt meter, I have recorded a 262w load on the PSU when purposefully maxing out the overclocked system. (4.2Ghz w/ +150mv, +220 GPU core +350 GPU mem). Assuming 80-90% efficiency, the stock 230w PSU is at the absolute limit. The GTX 1070 does not sustain the overclock during this type of benchmarking. I'll do more investigating as to why and try experimenting with a 330w adapter. When playing Overwatch, the max wattage recorded from the wall is only 210w, but I know Overwatch is not a stressful title. This testing was done with the battery fully charged. I will test again with the battery depleted since some curious system performance issues have been reported when the battery is not fully charged.
  
  
• The Killer wireless network adapter conflicts with my Razer Naga Epic or the software thereof. It will occasionally stutter when the wireless adapter is enabled, but it never stutters when the adapter is disabled and I am using ethernet instead. This behavior doesn't happen with my Logitech G702 or MX master, so It might be something about the Razer software. There is another thread on NBR about this behavior with trouble shooting tips. In my case, I just replaced the Killer wireless card with an Intel 7260 unit instead and the problem has disappeared.
  
  
• In the base version (GT73VR-017) the 16GB of memory is installed under the keyboard. You have two open dimms in the bottom. The M.2 heatsink is still present and I installed a Samsung NVMe drive next to the default 128gb drive. (The standard 128gb drive is a Toshiba XG3 NVMe in case you are curious)
  
  
• There is so much room next to the M.2 drives, I might try to install an internal USB port for a mouse (I prefer my G702 when traveling.) I'll do a write-up for this mod if it materializes.
  
  
• I have completely removed Dragon Center and all other MSI bloat from the system without problems. I overclock via the bios + afterburner only, use HWInfo to monitor temps and use MSI Silent Option to control the fan behavior.
  
  
• If you want a clean install, make a backup using the MSI software first and then install with it. At first I used Samsung's migration software to image the 128gb drive to my new 512gb, but the MSI backup application WILL NOT create backup media if the original storage configuration has changed at all. Make the backup media before swapping your drives!
  
  I made the backup flashdrive then recovered with it to my Samsung 512gb. The recovery partitioned the 512gb Samsung NVMe into 5 partitions:
  • Windows reserved 1
  • C: Local Disk (~240gb)
  • Windows reserved 2
  • MSI Recovery (~18gb)
  • D: data. (~215gb)

I used diskpart to delete the Recovery and Data partitions and then extended the C: to the full size of the drive. I don't know if the MSI recovery would do this if I still had the original 1tb HDD installed or not...(I replaced the 1tb HDD with a 1TB 850 Evo)
​

​

Internal Photos

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CPU + CPU heatsink
Paste job is great for factory. It's perfectly uniform and clearly applied by machine. Explains why our temps are so good.

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Heatsinks Removed
CPU top left, GPU core bottom left, GPU components right

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Memory, Wi-fi PCIe

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GPU, socket + GPU Heatsink

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Expansion, Secondary GPU Slot, SATA + M.2
I am assuming this power adapter plug is filled on the units equipped with the GTX1080. You can also see the notches made for the second GTX1070 equipped devices.

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GPU + CPU installed

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Battery, Speaker, mini-woofer

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Bottom panel removed / Stripped

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DISASSEMBLY

 

Thanks for reading and for providing more info on this machine series! The GTX1070 is a beast, and overclocked gets really near a stock a GTX1080. I agree we have excellent thermals specifically the CPU, so this chassis can definitely pack a desktop CPU. Maybe MSI can do this if we keep suggesting it, considering they can finally do it now. The tornado F5 has a fairly robust cooling system for the CPU which even GT62 doesn't have, but in this case, GT73 can definitely handle a delided 6700K with ease.

Hahaha, do you want me to show pictures of the insides of the machine? Want me to tear everything apart or what?! I can definitely show you the inside, but not so sure about full tear down yet, as it is almost christmas and I don't have enough consistent single sitting free time to pull it off But I will try. Anything in particular you are looking for?

Also! Since you are more experienced with Skylake 6820HK, I can set the max current for the CPU on BIOS. Stock is in auto, but I can set a specific number of amps. Do you have any suggestion here? I assume this current limit is the one that holds my clocks down when pushing prime95 for example.

Also, I found 4.2Ghz to be stable at +40mv, so I was thinking going full +100mv and attempt 4.5ghz. Thermals so far have been great.

 

Hmm, after tweaking the system a bit and finding some limits...

1) Current limit on Auto is too low, even for 4-4.1Ghz. I upped it to 225A and so far I haven't experienced current limits.
2) My particular system requires ridiculous amounts of voltage to get to 4.3 stable, like +120mv.
3) At 4.3Ghz and high current limit, I managed a max consistent CPU power draw of 96w. And temps reached 80 with max fans. This is way too hot for my taste and for very little gain. In comparison, runnining at 4.1Ghz with +25mv has only resulted in around 70-74w max draw, considerable less power and temps.

I also broke my very small OC firestrike score ([email protected], GPU +190/+250)
Total 18265
Graphics: 24167
Physics: 13033
Combined: 8194

 

I needed +150mv to get 4.2 stable in a 100% load, so it sounds like your chip is a bit better than mine. Regardless, the 6820hk appears to be a garbage bin overall because that much voltage is crazy for just 4.2 - 4.3.

I'll probably run mine at 4.1 and auto voltage daily because like you said, the returns aren't worth it. I haven't had this setup crash on me yet and it isn't holding me back in any meaningful way. Not to mention, it's super quiet this way. One of the quietest machines I've used while playing Overwatch. I have my fans at 50% and temps never exceed 70c.

Remind me, have you repasted your CPU or GPU? I was planning on it, but haven't seen the need yet. I usually do this first with a system like this but with 70c on a realistic load, 29c on light battery tasks and 40c on light plugged-in tasks... What do I really hope to gain?

Edit: ambient is 21c in my basement where I'm testing... In case folks were curious.

 

I'd like to see the inside of it too! If only to compare to my single 1070 version.

The price is reasonable if you go for the single GPU versions. I picked up my single 1070 model for $2078 and I could have gotten a single 1080 for $2599.

Another thing to like about the GT73VR is that it uses an mxm gpu so you have the option to upgrade the card in the future.

Did you notice that the HDMI and power connectors are upside down on the GT73 compared to the GT80? I thought that was interesting.

 

Only guessing, but I think that shiphas sailed long ago, I think the max you could probably get is a 1080.
Not sure if Nvidia will produce another new generation of mxm or if it will still use pascal.

Anyway Id like to see the guts too, I am wondering what the slot is at the bottom left, I have seen pics butnot sure if its just sli specific or single card.

 

I think the price is super reasonable. Got my base 1070 for $1999 and swapped out the storage devices. The HDMI was upside down on the GT72S, so I felt right at home with it.

Because this is the best review thread up thus far, I'll add additional info people might want or need to make a decision. I'll copy this stuff to my first post on page 1 so people don't have to dig too far or have it end up lost in the owners thread.

• The thunderbolt port on the back has a Displayport hardwired to it. This unfortunately means the dual-display output adapters (like this popular Plugable unit I use with my Dell 9550) don't work with the GT73vr. You only get one of the two displays to output. I will plan on testing a lot of other Thunderbolt accessories (including docking stations) when they become more available in the new year.
  Spoiler

  
  
  
• Don't fret if you want to run more than 3 external displays and you thought this device was your only option. An MST hub works great with the GT73. Keep in mind, you are still limited to the maximum 4 display rule common on all Geforce graphics cards. This can be a combination of internal or external displays. I have 4 external displays (3 of which are running off the MST hub and one with a USB-C to Displayport adapter. The MST-hub connects two 1080p60hz monitors + one 1440p75hz monitors easily.
  Spoiler

  
  
  
• Using my kill-a-watt meter, I have recorded a 262w load on the PSU when purposefully maxing out the overclocked system. (4.2Ghz w/ +150mv, +220 GPU core +350 GPU mem). Assuming 80-90% efficiency, the stock 230w PSU is at the absolute limit. The GTX 1070 does not sustain the overclock during this type of benchmarking. I'll do more investigating as to why and try experimenting with a 330w adapter. When playing Overwatch, the max wattage recorded from the wall is only 210w, but I know Overwatch is not a stressful title. This testing was done with the battery fully charged. I will test again with the battery depleted since some curious system performance issues have been reported when the battery is not fully charged.
  
  
• The Killer wireless network adapter conflicts with my Razer Naga Epic or the software thereof. It will occasionally stutter when the wireless adapter is enabled, but it never stutters when the adapter is disabled and I am using ethernet instead. This behavior doesn't happen with my Logitech G702 or MX master, so It might be something about the Razer software. There is another thread on NBR about this behavior with trouble shooting tips. In my case, I just replaced the Killer wireless card with an Intel 7260 unit instead and the problem has disappeared.
  
  
• In the base version (GT73VR-017) the 16GB of memory is installed under the keyboard. You have two open dimms in the bottom. The M.2 heatsink is still present and I installed a Samsung NVMe drive next to the default 128gb drive. (The standard 128gb drive is a Toshiba XG3 NVMe in case you are curious)
  
  
• There is so much room next to the M.2 drives, I might try to install an internal USB port for a mouse (I prefer my G702 when traveling.) I'll do a write-up for this mod if it materializes.
  
  
• I have completely removed Dragon Center and all other MSI bloat from the system without problems. I overclock via the bios + afterburner only, use HWInfo to monitor temps and use MSI Silent Option to control the fan behavior.
  
  
• If you want a clean install, make a backup using the MSI software first and then install with it. At first I used Samsung's migration software to image the 128gb drive to my new 512gb, but the MSI backup application WILL NOT create backup media if the original storage configuration has changed at all. Make the backup media before swapping your drives!
  
  I made the backup flashdrive then recovered with it to my Samsung 512gb. The recovery partitioned the 512gb Samsung NVMe into 5 partitions:
  • Windows reserved 1
  • C: Local Disk (~240gb)
  • Windows reserved 2
  • MSI Recovery (~18gb)
  • D: data. (~215gb)

I used diskpart to delete the Recovery and Data partitions and then extended the C: to the full size of the drive. I don't know if the MSI recovery would do this if I still had the original 1tb HDD installed or not...(I replaced the 1tb HDD with a 1TB 850 Evo)
​

If you have specific questions feel free to ask me. I'll get some internal pics for folks since it sounds like you're curious.

 

Wow, 120 for 4.2? I actually reached 4.4Ghz at +150mv, but it was way too hot, way too much power used (basically 100w draw from the CPU alone. Right now I am fully stable at 4.1 with +15mv, but I also noticed I am fully stable at 4.0 at -30mv, so I am even considering droping to 4ghz for even cooler temps and lower power draw.

I haven't repasted presicely for the same feeling you got, I don't think I need it yet. I have some ICDiamond and CLU ready, but maybe in the coming months My GPU does exceed and consume more power. Max power so far for the GTX1080 has been around 190W. Overall max system power consumption has been 300W so I think we do have a bit of headroom.

Yep, I did notice the HDMI is inverse. I actually prefer it this way due to the cable I use for my TV, ends up in that position. With the GT80 I had to twist it and I didn't like it haha

I will then try to make some time soon to open this baby up. I suspect the innards should be the same, though maybe the heatsink a bit different? You can also meanwhile watch GentechPC's review of this machine on youtube, they open up the machine at the end

I do believe the GT73VR with GTX1070 might be the best value right now. The GTX1080 is a premium, and is only recommended if you need the extra punch.

Hopefully with this new revision in GT series, they can actually put out MXM modules, but considering what happened with previous gens, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Alright, I will try to open it up soon Yeah the slot is for an additional MXM module. Not sure how it would work, as in, if we can actually "upgrade" to SLI. If we do, it will require an upgrade kit with the module, pads, heatsink, power connector and new SLI bridge. And I suspect the price will be silly

 

Thank you for your insight and extra information! I will add it to my post as a direct link to your post

Thanks~!

 

Here are pictures of the internals, as well as a few comments where relevant.

CPU + CPU heatsink
Paste job is great for factory. It's perfectly uniform and clearly applied by machine. Explains why our temps are so good.

Spoiler

Heatsinks Removed
CPU top left, GPU core bottom left, GPU components right

Spoiler

Memory, Wi-fi PCIe

Spoiler

GPU, socket + GPU Heatsink

Spoiler

Expansion, Secondary GPU Slot, SATA + M.2
I am assuming this power adapter plug is filled on the units equipped with the GTX1080. You can also see the notches made for the second GTX1070 equipped devices.

Spoiler

GPU + CPU installed

Spoiler

Battery, Speaker, mini-woofer

Spoiler

Bottom panel removed / Stripped

Spoiler

 

So the fans come off independently of the heatsink?

 

Yes, and you need to remove them in order to get the heatsinks out.

 

Great!

Mine make a small noise at low rpm that you can only hear up close. Good to know I could replace myself rather than rma if it becomes an issue in the future.

 

Those missing solder pads on the right of CPU and possible CPU heatsink aluminum contact points hints at extra hardware needed for 7820HK kaby lake?

 

Mine make a sight noise at low rpm too. I'm not sure if it's the mounting of the fan, or the fan itself making the noise. I'm going to try using some rubber washers on the mounting points and some thermal tape over the fan-to-heatsink connection to see if it's any better.

I noticed this too. Could very well be for Kaby, even though I'm hoping it's for a future model with an LGA socket. Just like the body and motherboard layout of the GT72VR is adapted to the 16L13.

 

A Catzilla benchmark?

Otherwise, great review, I am jealous!

 

I think I can indulge this

I will see when I get home. These dates are a bit busy with family and work haha.

 

Let me know how this turns out. If it works for you I may try the same!

 

What a great review.

I am eyeing an upgrade from my two units in my sig next year.
Would this be the best to go with?

 

Thanks for reading!

I do believe the GT73 is the best way to go for single GPU, particularly GTX1080. Excellent cooling, screen and performance all in all. But this is only right now, I don't know what next year has in store for us

That being said, all the imrpvoements done to the new GT series show. If you have any particular requests let me know. Maybe next year there will be even better screens along GPUs? who knows? haha.

 

I love the pics of all the removed parts, some day I may want to replace my keyboard so if you ever get to that level of disassembly I would love to see some pics.

 

Excellent review! I've been waiting on Gigabyte to send Aorus models to GenTechPC for the better part of a month--after having already returned an AW 17 R4 due to, well, many issues. Patience is a virtue which has, finally, ran out. So I called up GenTechPC and swapped my order to a GT73VR Titan model. I used to own a GT72, but I got rid of it due to a creaking hinge. How's the hinge strength on this unit?

 

Will try my best. Thanks to users here I can start collecting other's effort so that people have the information. Once I get around disasembling the unit and repasting, I will try to post pics for the keyboard part

Thanks for reading! Once you receive your unit, check thermal performance to ensure everything is up to par The hinges are not hard at all, I can move them easily and they stay in place.I haven't had issues with them. The screen itself weights less and is thinner than every model I have owned from MSI, so maybe that is helping.

 

Happy New Year 2017 to everyone! Great write up ryzeki. Its perfect. Looking at those screenshots of the GT73VR copper heatsinks and heatpipes underneath is amazing. Nice THICK copper pads, love it! You can just tell the average quality paste stamped and pads used. I just can't wait for one of you guys to do some LM magic on both cpu/gpu and some 17/14W alphacool/fujipoly magic pads on this too. It needs to be ICE COLD. Its already has the best cooling as stock.

PS. You could change the title to 6RF

 

Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed it I agree that this machine has superb cooling. Since cooling and performance have been excellent from the get go, I haven't felt the need to open up and repaste or change pads (I do have some thermal sheets lying around). Maybe later

 

Well where I live it is summer now. and my temps are slowly creeping up. plus having the laptop for awhile now, 8-10hour sessons of gaming almost daily, running on OCs/fans full power. I can see the GPU going to 76/77/78C.....eventuallly will hit 80s when summer hot days. im just preparing. there was a new owner on the gt73vr owners club. i think he is first LM user and his reporting super cool temps, no fans spin up even. his overclocking potentials is amazing at 200core core for gpu...i am lucky it reach 180-190 sometimes.

So far games run fine machine can cope thanks to its titan cooler it stops the gpu from going furthur than 77C. Some owner using stock paste doesn't seem to be worth while. If I am going to do a full repaste might aswell go FULL on best LM and pads as possible, otherwise u just gonna see like 3-4-5-6C drops which is a waste of time and effort...AW team proves it like iunlocks , LM is the way to go.

 

I wanted to update with some VR experiences. I have played some games for a while and since I bought the 1080 as the best VR GPU, why not share some of those games? I also saw John Wick VR game came out... I am tempted to try it.

VR game small review

Arizona Sunshine (max settings, 2.0 level of detail, 1.5 resolution scale, locomotion via touchpad)
This is currently the first full game I have tried on the vive. By full game, I mean a game where you have a campaign, more "freely" around the world (teleport or locomotion via touchpad) and has a story. Pretty nice but it also made me realize how tiresome some games can be on VR after a while! A recommended zombie game.

Audioshield
This is a fantastic game for newcomers to experience a light game on VR. Music games tend to be a hit with people and this one is intuitive and easy to play. I've shown and demo'd this to a lot of family members successfully.

The Brookhaven Experiment
This is also a great game to show off to friends that want a "horror" FPS experience with the vive. This is a "survive waves" game and unlike Arizona Sunshine, this one is more arcade, you can't move outside your roomscale portion and need to survive waves of enemies with different weapons. Easy to setup and play. Plays wonderfully and no issues with frames per second.


Fantastic Contraption
Fun game that is a bit more advanced so newcomers can be overwhelmed, but its easy to get the hang of it once you have experienced VR games. It's a puzzle game full of creativity. You have to complete a goal like move X item to Y place, and you have different tools.


Holopoint
All VR games will make you sweat because I assume none of us work out enough. But this one? Man, you will sweat from the first levels onwards! This is a "survive waves of enemies" type of game with a bow an arrow. Enemies shoot you to the face from all angles so you will be turning, jumping, ducking etc. It's really basic graphicswise so it should be easy to run. First waves are stationary targets that shoot back when destroyed. Next are ninjas!


Hover Junkers
Multiplayer online FPS shooting, but I haven't played much of this, mainly because I haven't tried almost anything online. Seemed fun from the videos and from friend's suggestions but I have yet to try this more than once! It has potential and it is one of the first/few full multiplayer shooters with a creative art style and decent graphics.


Job Simulator
Very simple fun game. I am not sure what genre this is, but the closest should be puzzle. It is full of humor and can be enjoyed as a compilation of mini games. This is supposed to be set in the future, where humans "play" a VR simulation of what it was like to work, presumably because in the future we no longer work! So you have your office, mechanic, chef simulator etc. Each type of job has several tasks, all made as a joke. I love the office one, for example, where they show you profits are down and you must change the situation, so you log on your computer and alter the books by inserting random huge numbers as profits.

As a note, every single person that has played this, ends up throwing objects at random places. I suppose it is in our nature to behave like babies

Keep talking and nobody explodes
I haven't tried this one on VR, as it became recently VR capable. The gist of it is to defuse a bomb with different failsaves, and you and a group of friends must deal with it. Only one person handles the bomb, the rest are only "telephone consultants" of sorts. you have to tell your friends what you see, and each friend has a different manual for a different failsafe. So you go "hey, I see colored wires" and the person with the wire manual can guide you to which wire to cut. Fun stuff, regardless of VR.


The lab
A great VR experience. Full of different mini games, and well, experiences. You travel around a Lab that has different tech. You can warp into a mountain to play with your pet dog throwing around a stick, or go launch a ball into stacks of boxes to throw them around, or fend off swarms of flying enemies. It's a nice free demo to show people what VR is about.


Richie's plank experience
This one is very very basic, and I got it only because I have several friends and family have some sort of vertigo haha. The game is about getting inside an elevator, getting you high above ground and then make you walk on a plank while watching everything down. It's an interesting experience and as my cousin said "It's so weird because I "know" I am not walking on a plank, but I still get hella scared!". Plus if you are mean, you can push them in real life. I didn't push them because I was afraid of my vive!


Tilt brush
More than a game this is just a tool for creative people I guess. Basically it is a drawing tool, a 3D canvas where you can make what you want. People that love drawing certainly get captivated by the fact you are making stuff in 3D space. I found it pretty cool for a while but then again I am not really into drawing, so I haven't played it much since I got the vive. A couple of friends and family loved it and kept drawing up to one hour. I couldn't do it for more than 15 min.

Some of these games, I demo'd them to family during holidays and recently over the weekend. VR is definitely a huge hit, but the price and difficulty to setup will most likely make it hard for the average casual consumer. Anyone that plays consistently games on PC had no trouble either setting up the games, launching them, or understanding the gist of VR. Casual family and friends had to get a tutorial before they fully get what they are doing. All of them had a blast

One thing they did comment on though, is that it would be cool to "watch" on a large screen what the others were doing inside. I agree it would be cool, but I guess we will depend on people having big screens or a projector.

On a side note, non gaming applications, I have been using a bit or Virtual desktop to play around my PC as a huge screen inside VR. It's more like a gimmick right now though, as resolution on the vive is not sharp enough to supplant a real huge high res screen, but still fun to try. And also watch either 3D content, games, or 360 videos on youtube.