MSI GX740 (GX740-061Uk) review

Unlike most laptops, the GX740 can output 7.1 surround sound from its integrated Realtek audio processor via four 3.5mm analogue stereo outputs. You won’t be able to use a microphone at the same time, though. The built-in speakers provide reasonably clear and balanced bass, mid and treble tones, but aren’t particularly loud.

The 17in display is decent, but not outstanding. It’s glossy, but not too reflective. Colours are generally accurate, but white and light shades look slightly greyish, and this rapidly becomes worse if you reduce the screen brightness.

Performance proved to be surprisingly poor, with an overall score of just 71 in our benchmark tests – a score we’d associate with laptops costing almost half this price. However, performance in our game benchmarks rectifies the situation somewhat. In Call of Duty 4, at a resolution of 1,280×769, it ran at a blistering 75.6fps: one of the fastest scores we’ve seen from a laptop. At the display’s native 1,680×1,050, resolution we saw 57.2fps and also managed to get the same framerate from Crysis up by selecting medium quality and no anti-aliasing.

Unfortunately, despite a large display, a 500GB hard disk, and a two-year warranty, the GX740 is a mediocre choice if you want to use it for anything other than gaming. Its battery life in particular is poor at just one hour and 16 minutes. Ultimately, the GX740 is a decent gaming laptop, but it lacks the versatility most people require from a laptop.