MSI GT72S G Tobii review

With a starting price of $2,599 (about £1,810, AU$3,576), the Tobii-equipped MSI GT72S surprisingly doesn't cost any more than other equally configured gaming laptops. A similarly specced Asus ROG G752 costs the same, as does as an Acer Predator 17 with only half the amount of video memory.

Spec Sheet

Here is the MSI GT72S G Tobii configuration sent to techradar for review:

• CPU: 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-6820HK (quad-core, 8MB cache, up to 3.6GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (8GB GDDR5 RAM), Intel HD Graphics 530
• RAM: 32GB DDR4 (2133MHz)
• Screen: 17.3 FHD (1,920 x 1,080) Anti-Glare IPS Wide View Angle
• Storage: 256GB SSD (PCIe Gen3x4) + 1TB SATA HDD (7200RPM)
• Optical drive: 8x Blu-ray disc burner
• Ports: 6 x USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C, mini DisplayPort, mini HDMI, SD card reader
• Connectivity: Killer N1535 Combo (2 x 2 ac) + Bluetooth 4.1
• Camera: FHD type (30fps, 1080p)
• Weight: 8.50 pounds
• Size: 16.85 x 11.57 x 2.30 inches (W x D x H)

Performance

On top of some novel eye-tracking technology, the GT72S comes with a well-stocked configuration to keep games running smoothly. I was able to play Assassin's Creed Syndicated at decent 60-50 fps with maxed out graphical settings. With The Division, I could set everything to Ultra without seeing a single dropped frame.

Of course, with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-6820K processor and a Nvidia GTX 980M GPU with 8GB of DDR5 VRAM, what else would you expect?

The included 32GB of DDR4 RAM, also means you'll never have to worry about running out of memory as you would with only a 256GB SSD. At the very least MSI makes it easy to upgrade your storage, and you also have a 1TB of hard drive space to archive your game collection.

Benchmarks

• Here's how the MSI GT72S G Tobii performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
• 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 12,552; Sky Diver: 14,621; Fire Strike: 8,342
• Cinebench CPU: 675 points; Graphics: 73 fps
• GeekBench: GeekBench: 3,299 (single-core); 13,365 (multi-core)
• PCMark 8 (Home Test): 3,971 points
• PCMark 8 Battery Life: 2 hours and 26 minutes
• Battery Life (techradar movie test): 2 hours and 37 minutes
• The Division (1080p, Ultra): 56 fps; (1080p, Low): 119 fps
• GTA V (1080p, Ultra): 30 fps; (1080p, Low): 146 fps

Thankfully the extra process of eye-tracking hasn't bogged down the performance of the MSI GT72S G Tobii. The 17-inch rig is just as fleet footed as other comparably equipped gaming laptops like the Gigabyte P35X v5.

The GT72S G Tobii is so fast on the processor front that it actually outpaces its desktop Nvidia GTX 980-equipped Dominator Pro brethren and other high-end rigs.