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MSI GE62 6QD Apache Pro Gaming Laptop Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

This particular configuration of the GE62 6QD has a suggested retail price of £1079 from participating retailers. However, if you require additional horsepower, there is a 16GB GTX 970M version available for £1299.97. In terms of value, the basic setup’s technical specification and aesthetically striking design is an attractive proposition. The 2-year European collect-and-return warranty adds peace-of-mind and makes the initial investment worthwhile. There’s a lot of competition around the £1000 price point, but the GE62 6QD offers a dependable package to suit the mainstream gaming customer.
Overview

MSI have done a splendid job with the GE62 6QD which combines the portability and power required for a viable desktop replacement. The chassis’ brushed aluminium finish is spectacular and works wonderfully with the lids contoured lines. Similarly, the RGB-backlit keyboard features a great deal of customization and makes it remarkably easy to type documents at night. The island-style keyboard allows for fast, accurate typing and doesn’t rely on too much travel distance.

The display’s PLS technology produces a vivid and dynamic colour range which isn’t too daunting on the eyes. Additionally, the 1920×1080 resolution is a sensible choice given the GTX 960M’s performance. Throughout the testing procedure, the integrated GPU attained perfectly playable frame-rates on the most demanding of settings. Ideally, the GTX 970M is a significantly faster chip, but incurs a price increase of over £200. However, the system’s 2GB of dedicated VRAM could cause problems as titles begin to leverage huge amounts of video memory. Nevertheless, if you turn down the AA or Texture Quality, 60 frames-per-second is easily obtainable.

Speaking of CPU performance, the i7-6700HQ performed quite well but there was a few anomalous results. I would pinpoint this strange situation to software bugs and the architecture’s unofficial support status. In real world scenarios, the latest mobile Skylake chip surpassed the i7-4720HQ and felt snappier. The laptop’s boot drive also managed impressive read/write rates although I would have preferred to see a slightly larger capacity. The network speeds over WiFi and Ethernet were consistently high and showcased the benefits of top-tier networking equipment.

The battery life was acceptable given the laptop’s thin design, but I felt slightly underwhelmed by its performance. Despite this, if you significantly reduce the screen’s brightness, there should be enough time to complete essential tasks. The laptop’s Dynaudio speakers are magnificent and aided by the Nahimic audio software. After using the speakers for a few days, I was mesmerized by the audio clarity and fairly loud maximum volume.

In conclusion, the GE62 6QD is surprisingly cool, extremely quiet and feels like a premium piece of hardware. Furthermore, the complete package is almost perfect for the typical gamer who doesn’t have an obscene amount of money to spend.

Pros