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MSI GT70 Dominator Review

The Good: The MSI GT70 Dominator crushes everything else in this price range. The combination of the Intel Core i7-4800MQ 2.7 GHz CPU, backed up by 8GB of RAM, means it has the calculation power of Einstein. The GPU, the NVIDIA Geforce GTX 870M with 3GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM, is so powerful you will be playing everything on ultra. 

The Bad: At 8.6 pounds, this guy is not good at hiding the muscle. 

The Verdict: What a machine. Being the all-time favourite of the Editorial team, the MSI GT70 Dominator does what the name implies: Dominate. The CPU is faster than Usain Bolt and the GPU has more graphical talent than an art gallery. The best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars, with ease. 

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Why is the MSI the best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars?

The MSI GT70 carries so much muscle, it looks like a bodybuilder, literally. At nearly 17 by 11 by  2.2 inches and 8.6 pounds, this guys doesn’t put in effort to hides its gaming genes. And for good reason. Because carrying the best in class CPU and GPU in one machine at this price, is worth showing off. The best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars of 2018 is the MSI.

 

Features

The game station engineers at MSI have never been known to build machines with a compromise. On the contrary; MSI is very well known for building dedicated gaming monsters. And the MSI GT70 is no exception to this rule. Having said that, if you want to venture out from your gaming into video editing, AutoCAD or Photoshop the 2.7 Intel Core i7 with 8GB of RAM will allow you to just about everything your gamer heart desires. 

What makes a great gaming laptop under 1500 dollars? As in every price class, it is the GPU. And by the beard of Zeus, does the MSI Gt70 have a CPU. The DirectX 11-compatible GeForce GTX 870M, was unveiled last March 2018. Compared to the old 770M, it offers a ton of extra performance due to its increased clock rate and extra shaders. In practice this means that it will allow you to play any hi-end 2013 and 2018 game of Full HD resolution with Ultra details settings. 

But let’s say you feel adventures, and want to journey into the world of video or photo editing. As mentioned in our comparison of the best video editors, many programs cary the ability to edit 4k and 3D resolutions. Sadly though, only few graphic cards do the same. In case you would choose the MSI GT70 as your gaming laptop under 1500, there is nothing to worry though. Having the 5th generation PureVideo HD video processor built into its core, this card will let you do just about anything. Supporting the common codecs of MPEG-4 ASP, MPEG-1/2, H.264 and VC1/WMV9 all the way to 4k resolution, this card is your loyal companion when it comes to video editing.

Packing all this marvellous technology requires a big chassis. And having nearly 17 by 11 by  2.2 inches and 8.6 pounds of beautiful Aluminium Black does just that. Carrying in it a full terabyte (100GB) of hard drive space, 2x 2.0 USB ports, 3x 3.0 USB ports and a DVD Super Multi station will make sure your capacity will never fall short. Oh, and did we mention it has one of the best 17.3 inch Full HD screens? What a machine…

 

What games will you be able to play?

You will be able to play the games below not just on any mode, but on full HD ultra settings at 30 frames a second. Happy gaming!

The Elder Scrolls Online, Titanfall, Thief, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, F1 2013, Fifa 14, Total War: Rome II*, Saints Row IV, Dota 2, GRID 2, Metro: Last Night, Bioshock: Inifinite, Tomb Raider, Guild Wars 2 and so much more.

*The only card in all of our gaming laptop comparisons to be able to play Rome II on Ultra at 30 fps.

 

To conclude:

The MSI GT70 Dominator does what it’s name promises: Dominate the competition. If you are looking for the very best gaming laptop under 1500 dollars, this is where you want to be. No compromises, only full performance. Exactly how we like to see our gaming machines. 

 

The Key Facts:

  • Processor / CPU: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 4800MQ Quad-Core
  • Graphics Card / GPU: NVIDIA Geforce GTX870M
  • RAM: 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
  • Hard Drive / HD: 1024 GB
  • Screen Size: 17.3 inches
  • Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 pixels
  • Operating System: Windows 8.1
  • Weight: 8.6 pounds
  • Number of USB 2.0 Ports: 2
  • Number of USD 3.0 Ports: 3
  • Battery: Lithium ion
  • Dimensions: 16.85 x 11.34 x 2.17 inches

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MSI GT70 Dominator