Final thoughts and rating

HEXUS Snapshot:

...though we appreciate the fact that MSI is trying to make gaming laptops thinner and lighter, there's still plenty of room for improvement

Trying to produce a 17.3in laptop that's capable of playing the latest games is a challenge in its own right, but trying to do it for just over £1,000 is even more difficult.

MSI's attempt to rise to the challenge has resulted in a package that shows promise in certain areas while falling short in others. The combination of a third-generation Intel Core i7 processor and up-to-date GeForce GTX 660M graphics provide enough power for a mobile gaming experience, but NVIDIA's mid-range GPU will struggle with full-HD games at high-quality image settings, so a compromise has to be met.

Similarly, MSI's decision to include a mechanical hard disk as opposed to a solid-state drive does have a noticeable effect on everyday performance; the GE70 just doesn't feel as fast or responsive as its price tag suggests.

The matte, full-HD display is a real highlight and the GE70's speaker system is good, but these plus points are juxtaposed by a small trackpad and a keyboard that's spongy in certain areas. It's very much a mixed bag, and though we appreciate the fact that MSI is trying to make gaming laptops thinner and lighter, there's still room for improvement.

The Good

Powerful CPU, decent GPU
Enjoyable anti-glare, full-HD display
Good speaker system
Slim, for a gaming laptop

The Bad

Lacks a solid-state drive
Keyboard could be better
Plastic chassis is impuissant

HEXUS Rating

MSI GE70 0ND-055UK

HEXUS Where2Buy

The MSI GE70 gaming laptop is available to purchase from Amazon UK.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.