MSI Apache Pro laptop is another addition to the VR ready gaming laptops.It has the latest Pascal architecture GPU which was crafted to make the laptops VR ready by being compatible with the PC VR headsets like Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The specs on this laptop have been crafted for such VR experiences.
Specifications
Screen Size: 15 inches
Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
Processor: 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD+ 1 TB HDD
Series: GE72VR Apache Pro
Item Weight: 5.3 pounds
Wireless Type: 802.11 A/C
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
Best Buy: www.amazon.com
Price: $1599
Amazon Ratings: 4.5/5
Design and Display
The laptop has an all black cover with the MSI dragon logo on it.When you open the laptop you are greeted with the SteelSeries keyboard which is backlit and has multi-zone colored lights.The laptop has a pretty standard look like any other MSI gaming laptops and there is nothing different about this product when it comes to its cover design.
The display on this laptop is gorgeous with its HD display and a non-reflective surface, it is a perfect choice for supporters of team Matte. Although the laptop has a matte display, the colors are pretty vibrant on the screen and while watching House of Cards, I could sense the seriousness on the face of Frank underwood making it a more engaging series.
While gaming, The Witcher did not seem to disappoint with the top notch GPU and the quality display taking it to another level.You can feel the gameplay is much better with since it emphasized on each and every detail.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard in the laptop is powered by SteelSeries and is backlit making it much easier to use in dim lights. The keyboard has three keys on the top one being the power button and the other two being the “Cooler Boost” and the SteeSeries Engine Feature which does come in handy to customize a lot of features in the laptop.
The touchpad is sensitive and picks up gestures pretty well.The overall quality of keyboard and touchpad is pretty cool which makes the experience of this laptop way better than many other laptops in the given price range.
Audio
The audio is powered by Dynaudio high fidelity speakers which really pumps up the gaming experience with the sound quality. The MSI developers have tried to improve the audio quality with built-in dedicated bass, speaker, headset AMPs, and gold plated jacks for maximum audio transfer. With the inclusion of the Nahimic 2 software which specializes in 3D sound enhancement processing and audio improvements, there is no way you can beat the quality the audio on this gaming laptop.
The laptop does provide an overall excellent audio quality and it can give a tough fight to the Alienware 15 which has been ruling the audio arena since a long time.
Graphics and Gaming
The GPU in this laptop includes the new GeForce GTX 10 series which is the new graphics card series introduced by NVIDIA for making the laptops compatible with Virtual Reality and make usage of the Rift and Vive possible with this laptop.The laptop has the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card and the minimum requirement for the GPU set by the makers of the PC VR headsets is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M and above.
That being said, the laptop can easily play most of the titles in the ultra settings which is something great since you can play most of the games which include the graphics demanding games using the display resolution to the fullest.NO more worries of playing games with low fps and having troubles with playing the graphics hungry games by downgrading the settings, this laptop is really setting up standards when it comes to graphics and gaming.
The laptop comes with great storage as well which includes 256 GB SSD which makes the laptop much faster as compared to having only the HDD, although the laptop does include a 1 TB HDD which is an amazing addition to storage.You can further upgrade the storage if you like, though I really do not see the need.The laptop has a 16 GB RAM which is more than enough for a smooth gaming performance.The file transfer speeds must be great and multitasking with several tabs open will be a piece of cake for this laptop.
Battery Life and Overheating Issues
The battery life of this laptop is a little sad when you are gaming on it with the ultra settings on and it can last up to one hour.Using it for web surfing alone will drain the battery in about 3 hours which is something average for a gaming laptop.But the battery life cannot be a deal breaker because of the rest of the amazing specs.
For the overheating issues, the manufacturers have included Cool Booster 4 to maintain the temperatures under maximum load which is while gaming.The laptop did not go unusually hot, however, with the demanding GPU and CPU, overheating issues being there is something expected, however, the makers have done a pretty good job in maintaining the chassis at an optimum temperature.
Ports and Warranty
The ports included in this laptop are 2 x USB 3.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.1 port, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x Mini display port, 1 x HDMI port, memory card reader and an audio jack.
The laptop comes with one year’s warranty.
Bottomline
MSI has been one of the major leaders when it comes to gaming laptops and they have tried to take the laptops up a notch by introducing the 10 x series graphics card in this laptop which is amazing.There is still a wait for the Alienware coming up with their series of VR ready laptops, although they would cost a fortune.
This MSI VR ready laptop is a real value for money and even though I feel the battery life could be better, there is not much to complain about after all the amazing features that are being provided apart from that.
The fact that you can game any title in the ultra settings is very impressive along with the VR-compatibility which acts like an added bonus to the laptop.With plenty of ports, great audio quality and a top notch graphics card I really cannot find a reason for this laptop to be not considered while buying a gaming laptop.
Looking at the fact that you cannot upgrade the GPU on your laptop and in case you want an upgrade you need to buy a new one, this laptop is the best choice with the latest 2016 release graphics card by NVIDIA.
In the case I have left any points or you have anything to share or ask, leave them in the comment section below and I would be happy to help 🙂
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