MSI GT70 2PC Dominator

The MSI GT70 2PC Dominator ( $ 2,351 as tested ) is a powerful , 17 - inch , midrange gaming laptop boasts the latest hardware from Intel and NVIDIA , and features such as a customizable keyboard backlight and Blu - ray drives . It has one or two rough spots - especially the touchpad without adequate support for the best Windows 8 experience , but apart from minor flaws , it delivers a powerful gaming rig for a reasonable price , and earns our Editors Choice ' for midrange gaming laptop .


design
The MSI GT70 2PC Dominator will look familiar to anyone who has used the MSI gaming laptops before , because the chassis is similar to the previous systems , such as the MSI GX70 3be - 007US , or iBuyPower Valkyrie CZ - 28 , which uses the same chassis design . The measured 8.3 - 2.2 pound notebook by 16.9 by 11.3 inches ( HWD ) , and a black , brushed aluminum across the lid and palm rest .

The laptop is equipped with a well-built , chiclet - style keyboard from SteelSeries . It offers several color backlighting , with different zones can be set to virtually any color of the rainbow . The key travel well , with enough depth and no flexing of the enclosed deck . The accompanying touchpad is also pretty good , with separate right and left buttons , but it lacks basic Windows 8 acts , such as swiping in from the side . Choosing The previous editors ' midrange laptop for gaming, Asus G75VW - DH72 , easily gestures with ease .

Boasting a 17.3 - inch screen a 1920 by- 1 , 080 resolution , and a matte finish to reduce glare and reflectivity. The display looks great , with real colors and wide viewing angle , but it is lacking the ability to touch . While it is not unusual for gaming laptop , this means that the touch input so essential to Windows 8 is relegated entirely to the touchpad , including incomplete gesture support .

Finally , the GT70 2PC Dominator is outfitted with two stereo speakers and a built - in subwoofer . While playing our bass test track , " Silent Shout ," by the Knife , subwoofer provided decent bass , thumping right along when most laptop can hardly offer anything on the low end . When watching the latest trailer for X - Men : Days of Future Past , the dialogue and music is clear , while the various explosions and sound effects all had a little extra weight on them .