Review of MSI GT725 laptops

There are currently three editions of the 17-inch gaming device MSI GT725  laptops  in the German-speaking area. While the GT72-2PE16H11BW (SKU5) has a pretty conventional equipment, MSI really goes all in with the GT72-2PE16SR21B (SKU6) and our review configuration GT72-2PE16SR231BW (SKU7). The box not only contains a large (32 x 27 centimeters) mouse pad, but also a keyboard cover, two dog tags and a bulky backpack. The real highlight is the stylish SteelSeries periphery: Besides a headset (Siberia v2), MSI also equips the more expensive configurations with an optical mouse (Kinzu v2).

The new chassis leaves a much better impression than the GT70 in terms of design. Instead of a chaotic mix of materials and shapes, the customer now gets a pretty grown-up design, even though the 17-inch device still has some gaming elements. While the display cover is made of aluminum, the display frame, the keyboard and the bottom cover are made of plastic. The package is completed by a palm rest that appears to be rubberized.

Even though MSI decided to use a matte finish (only the surrounding of the display frame is glossy), the MSI GT725 attracts dirt quite easily at some spots. Both the metal surfaces as well as the palm rest are very sensitive to greasy fingers. Another point of criticism are the hinges, which sometimes create creaking sounds and cannot keep the display perfectly in position during vibrations. 

The GT725 is also competitive in terms of weight. 3.79 kilograms are on one level with the Clevo P170SM-A, whereas the Alienware 17 and the Asus G750JZ are 400-500 grams heavier. Still, we would classify the GT72 as a typical desktop replacement. Other gaming notebooks like MSI's own GS70 are much easier to carry around.

 The communications section reveals two highlights for gamers. Both the network card as well as the wireless adaptor are based on the Killer technology from Qualcomm Atheros (formerly Bigfoot Networking). Killer products benefit from a comprehensive software and are supposed to be optimized for gamers. Besides the transfer rates, the manufacturer claims to improve the latency as well.