Table of Contents
amazon MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition reviews
Design
The Dragon Edition captures every look with a strikingly red metal-covered red metal cover. In addition, the iconic submerged dragon is located in the middle of the machine and the silver MSI brand name is considered a different class and to the battle in this battle laptop.
In addition, hidden dragons are also printed inside the machine, next to the red apple touch. The large Dynaudio loudspeaker system is located above the keyboard and the subwoofer is outstanding thanks to the red LED bezel on the side.
On the left of the large keyboard is a system of buttons and lights: power button, GPU graphics processor, fan speed, XSplit Gamecaster feature (record your gaming moments and play live matches directly. On Twitch, Youtube, Ustream) and steelseries engine software.
At 8.4 pounds (3.81 kg) and measures 16.9 x 11.6 x 1.9 inches respectively, the GT72S Dominator Pro weighs as much as the Asus G751JY (8.4 pounds, 16.4 x 12.5 x 0.9 ~ 1.7 inches) but thicker.
Screen
MSI never disappointed its followers about screen technology. Impressive product with a 17.3-inch screen, offering stunning colors and sharp detail when viewed in 1080p quality. Dragon has the ability to display up to 114% of sRGB color. This figure far exceeds the 102% average and “super-combat” Alienware 17 or G751JY.
However, through testing, the device provided only 288 nit brightness, lower than the average 293 nit.
Display
Screen Size and Resolution
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition features a 17.3-inch display, providing an immersive viewing experience for gaming and multimedia. The laptop offers two resolution options: Full HD (1920 x 1080) and 4K UHD (3840 x 2160). The Full HD resolution is ideal for gaming, ensuring smooth gameplay and high frame rates, while the 4K option delivers stunning visual clarity and detail, particularly beneficial for content creation and media consumption.
Color Accuracy and Brightness
The display of the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition boasts impressive color accuracy and brightness levels, thanks to MSI’s True Color Technology. The colors are vibrant and well-saturated, enhancing the visual experience in games, movies, and creative work. The screen’s brightness is sufficient for most lighting conditions, although it may struggle in direct sunlight. The wide viewing angles ensure consistent image quality from different perspectives, making it suitable for collaborative gaming or watching videos with friends.
Performance
Processor and Memory
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition is equipped with Intel’s high-performance processors, ranging from the Core i7-6700HQ to the Core i7-6820HK. These quad-core processors provide exceptional computing power, capable of handling demanding games, multitasking, and intensive applications with ease. Paired with up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, the laptop ensures smooth performance and efficient multitasking, allowing users to run multiple applications and games simultaneously without experiencing slowdowns.
Storage
Storage options for the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition include a combination of traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). The inclusion of an SSD significantly enhances the laptop’s performance, reducing boot times, and improving overall responsiveness. The SSD is ideal for installing the operating system and frequently used applications, while the HDD provides ample storage space for games, media, and large files. Users can configure the laptop with up to 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD, offering a balance between speed and storage capacity.
Graphics
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition shines in the graphics department, featuring NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 980M or GTX 970M discrete graphics cards. These high-end GPUs deliver outstanding gaming performance, capable of running the latest AAA titles at high settings with impressive frame rates. The GTX 980M, in particular, provides near-desktop level performance, ensuring a smooth and immersive gaming experience. The laptop also supports NVIDIA’s G-Sync technology, which synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the GPU’s output, reducing screen tearing and providing a smoother visual experience.
Connectivity and Ports
Wireless Connectivity
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition includes advanced wireless connectivity options, featuring Intel’s dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. The Wi-Fi performance is reliable and supports high-speed internet connections, ensuring a stable online gaming and browsing experience. Bluetooth 4.1 allows for seamless pairing with wireless peripherals, such as gaming mice, keyboards, and headphones, enhancing the overall gaming setup.
Ports and Expansion
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition offers a comprehensive array of ports and expansion options to cater to various connectivity needs. These include:
- 6 USB 3.0 ports: Providing ample connectivity for peripherals, external storage, and other USB devices.
- HDMI and Mini DisplayPort: Enabling connection to external monitors and displays, supporting multi-monitor setups for an extended desktop experience.
- Thunderbolt 3 port: Offering high-speed data transfer and support for additional external displays, enhancing versatility and performance.
- Ethernet port: Ensuring a reliable wired network connection, crucial for online gaming and stable internet access.
- SD card reader: Facilitating easy transfer of data from cameras and other devices that use SD cards.
- Headphone and microphone jacks: Supporting high-quality audio input and output, essential for gaming headsets and external audio devices.
The inclusion of these ports ensures that the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition can accommodate a wide range of peripherals and external devices, enhancing its versatility and functionality.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Keyboard
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition features a SteelSeries gaming keyboard, renowned for its durability and exceptional typing experience. The keyboard is backlit with customizable RGB lighting, allowing users to personalize the lighting effects to match their gaming setup. The keys offer a comfortable amount of travel and tactile feedback, making it suitable for both gaming and typing. The inclusion of a dedicated numeric keypad is a welcome addition, particularly for users who require it for data entry or gaming shortcuts.
Trackpad
The laptop’s trackpad is large and responsive, supporting multi-touch gestures for improved navigation and usability. The trackpad’s surface is smooth and provides accurate tracking, although most gamers will likely prefer using an external gaming mouse for precise control. The trackpad is complemented by physical buttons, offering tactile feedback and enhancing the overall user experience.
Audio and Speakers
Sound Quality
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition is equipped with Dynaudio speakers, delivering impressive sound quality for a laptop. The speakers provide clear and balanced audio, with sufficient volume to fill a medium-sized room. The sound quality is suitable for gaming, movies, and music, offering a rich and immersive audio experience. The inclusion of a subwoofer enhances the bass response, adding depth to the audio output.
Microphone and Audio Inputs
The laptop includes a built-in microphone, offering decent audio capture for in-game communication, voice calls, and video recording. The dedicated headphone and microphone jacks support high-quality audio input and output, essential for gaming headsets and external audio devices. The laptop also features Nahimic audio software, providing advanced audio customization options and enhancing the overall audio experience.
Battery Life
Battery Performance
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition is powered by an 8-cell battery, providing decent battery life for a high-performance gaming laptop. Under typical usage scenarios, such as web browsing, multimedia playback, and productivity tasks, the laptop can last up to 4-5 hours on a single charge. However, during intensive gaming sessions, the battery life is significantly reduced, lasting around 1-2 hours depending on the game’s demands and the system settings. The laptop’s power adapter is bulky, but it ensures that the laptop can be quickly recharged for extended gaming sessions.
Power Management
MSI’s Dragon Center software provides comprehensive power management options, allowing users to optimize battery performance based on their usage patterns. The software includes various power profiles, such as Eco, Comfort, and Sport, enabling users to balance performance and battery life according to their needs. The Dragon Center also provides real-time monitoring of system performance, temperatures, and battery status, ensuring that users can maintain optimal system performance and efficiency.
Thermal Management
Cooling System
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition features MSI’s Cooler Boost 3 technology, employing dual fans and multiple heat pipes to effectively dissipate heat generated by the CPU and GPU. The cooling system ensures that the laptop remains cool even during extended gaming sessions, maintaining stable performance and preventing thermal throttling. The fans operate quietly under normal workloads, although they can become audible under heavy loads, which is expected for a high-performance gaming laptop.
Heat Dissipation
Thanks to its efficient cooling system, the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition manages heat dissipation effectively. The palm rest and keyboard areas remain comfortable to touch, even during prolonged gaming sessions. The bottom of the laptop and the area near the exhaust vents may become warm, but this is typical for gaming laptops with powerful hardware. Overall, the thermal management of the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition ensures that the laptop can maintain optimal performance without overheating.
Nvidia’s G-Sync technology
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon is the latest laptop equipped with G-Sync technology – integrated in-screen motherboard to make the image smooth motion. This technology works in full screen mode and windows mode, which is quite attractive to gamers.
Gaming and graphics
This is also one of the first gaming notebooks on the market to own the GTX 980 chip, a common unit in the gaming desktop. This chip, when combined with a GPU graphics processor, will give the machine a more powerful graphics performance and smoother performance. In addition, Dominator Pro Dragon is one of the few devices that support connectivity with virtual reality headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
where can you get a MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition online
MSI GT72S Dominator Pro G Dragon-070 17.3″ GAMING LAPTOP GTX 980 i7-6820HK 32GB 256GB SSD+1TB G-SYNC VR READY: Buy it now
MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO DRAGON-638 Select Edition (i7-7700HQ, 32GB RAM, 480GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3″ Full HD, 120Hz, Windows 10) VR Ready Gaming Notebook: Buy it now
MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO DRAGON-638 Select Edition (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 240GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3″ Full HD, 120Hz, Windows 10) VR Ready Gaming Notebook: Buy it now
MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO DRAGON-639 (i7-7700HQ, 32GB RAM, 256GB SATA SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3″ Full HD, 120Hz, Windows 10) VR Ready Gaming Notebook: Buy it now
MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO DRAGON-638 Select Edition (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 480GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3″ Full HD, 120Hz, Windows 10) VR Ready Gaming Notebook: Buy it now
MSI GT72VR DOMINATOR PRO DRAGON-638 Select Edition (i7-7700HQ, 32GB RAM, 1TB SATA SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3″ Full HD, 120Hz, Windows 10) VR Ready Gaming Notebook: Buy it now
Efficiency
Not only has the “strong” graphics, the product also has a speed of 2.7 GHz thanks to Intel Core i7-6820HK processor and 32GB of RAM. In a normal state, the machine is easy to run The Witcher 3 comes with 10 tabs open in Google Chrome. Via Geekbench 3, the device scored 13,896 points, surpassing the average of 11,329 in the desktop line.
Software and User Experience
Pre-installed Software
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition comes with a suite of pre-installed software designed to enhance the gaming experience. The MSI Dragon Center is the central hub for system management, providing users with comprehensive control over performance settings, system monitoring, and customization options. The software suite also includes:
- Nahimic Audio Enhancer: This software enhances the audio experience by providing advanced audio customization options, including virtual surround sound, bass boost, and voice clarity.
- SteelSeries Engine: Allows for detailed customization of the RGB keyboard lighting and key macros, enabling users to personalize their keyboard settings according to their preferences.
- XSplit Gamecaster: A streaming and recording software that allows gamers to broadcast their gameplay and create content for platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
Operating System
The GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition typically comes with Windows 10 pre-installed, providing a familiar and user-friendly operating system. Windows 10 is well-suited for gaming, offering compatibility with a wide range of games and software applications. The operating system’s Game Mode optimizes performance for gaming, ensuring that system resources are allocated efficiently to enhance the gaming experience.
Upgradability
Easy Access to Components
One of the standout features of the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition is its upgradability. The laptop is designed with easy access to key components, allowing users to upgrade the RAM, storage, and even the GPU with relative ease. The bottom panel can be removed by unscrewing a few screws, revealing the internal components. This design ensures that users can keep their system up-to-date and enhance its performance over time.
Memory and Storage Upgrades
The laptop supports up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, providing ample headroom for memory upgrades. This is particularly beneficial for users who require additional RAM for multitasking or running memory-intensive applications. The storage options include multiple M.2 SSD slots and a 2.5-inch HDD bay, allowing users to configure a combination of SSDs and HDDs according to their needs. The inclusion of these upgrade options ensures that the GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition can keep up with evolving performance requirements.
Conclusion
The MSI GT72 Dominator Pro Dragon Edition is a testament to MSI’s commitment to delivering high-performance gaming laptops with distinctive designs and robust build quality. Its powerful hardware, upgradability, and comprehensive feature set make it a formidable choice for gamers and power users. While it may not match the performance and sleekness of the latest gaming laptops, it offers excellent value for those seeking a durable and capable machine.
Strengths
- Robust Build Quality: The combination of high-quality materials and sturdy construction ensures long-term durability.
- Upgradability: Easy access to key components allows users to upgrade RAM, storage, and even the GPU.
- Unique Design: The dragon-themed aesthetics set it apart from other gaming laptops, appealing to gaming enthusiasts.
- Powerful Hardware: The inclusion of high-performance CPUs and GPUs ensures smooth gaming and multitasking performance.
Weaknesses
- Portability: The laptop’s size and weight make it less portable compared to modern gaming laptops.
- Battery Life: Limited battery life during intensive gaming sessions, requiring frequent recharging.
- Outdated Hardware: While still capable, the hardware may not match the performance of the latest gaming laptops.
