GT72 refreshed with GTX 900M graphics

Question

Today sees the launch of one of the biggest leaps in mobile graphics we’ve seen in a long time. We’re talking of course about the NVIDIA GTX 900M series, which consists of the GTX 970M and the 980M. These come in distinctly different flavors, but they’re both extremely high-performing, while using less power than the previous generation.
If you want the best, the GTX 980M is your choice. A GT72 with the GTX 980M scores over 11000 points at stock frequencies in 3DMark 11 (with NVIDIA 344.00 drivers), whereas the GTX 970M outperforms the previous generation’s high-end offering GTX 880M in the same benchmark by scoring about 9200 points.
Unlike other gaming notebooks on the market, the GT72 is actually upgradable – you can swap your existing GTX 870M/880M graphics card for the 970M/980M, thanks to a unique MXM graphics design. Depending on your territory, you can purchase this yourself (if you’re experienced enough to do the job yourself) or have the job performed for you at an MSI authorized service center. For more details on this, see http://event.msi.com/gt72mxm

Answer 1

Well, here it is..... the MSI GT72-2QE Dominator Pro-208US! Essentially, this notebook is equally equipped as the previously reviewed, GT72 2PE-007US, with one major exception..... the awesome NVidia GTX-980M. As such, I will be using my thoughts of the previous 880M model..... amending these where appropriate. As to unboxing photos, essentially everything is the same, so please review the photos HERE.
So, here it is.....
It's Bold, it's Bad, it's Fast, it's Powerful, and honestly, there is not much, not to like about this notebook. Also at present, this notebook is fully MXM upgradable, and for a single GPU solution, it really doesn't get much better than this.
This model uses the same Chi Mei CMN1735 screen, which has good brightness, color, and contrast. Previously, I criticized this screen for lack of viewing angles, but interestingly enough, this is not the case with this notebook. The Steelseries keyboard is indeed flex-free, keys are very positive and responsive, and the back-lighting is brighter..... which I attribute to the keyboard's re-design. Looks and feels great!
As to performance, the benchmarks below attest to the GT72's awesomeness, so what about noise, and the redesigned dual-fan cooling solution?
Simply put, it is quieter than the GT70, has a better fan profile, and temps are well managed. Given the hardware, of course you will hear the fans spin up when the system is stressed, but this is not at all disturbing..... and when doing common task, the fans are only noticed if you get close and cozy with the system. Ambient room temperature were again 78F, and the system's idle temps were CPU@36C, and GPU@33C. Without the use of Cooler Booster ('stock' fan profile only), during benchmarks the highest CPU temp reached was 73C, and the GPU only reached a high of 70C. Throughout, the palm rest remains cool to the touch, it's polymer is smooth as glass, and it's surface is seamless across the touchpad. Only a mild warmth rises from the keyboard.
That said, how does the new GTX-980M (Maxwell GM204) stack up in the benchmarks, as compared to the previous GTX-880M (Kepler GK104)?
Significantly improved in both performance and efficiency, the GTX-980M excels over the GTX-880M as follows:
1.) Vantage score improves by 3651, while GPU temp reduced by 10 degrees-C (18F), and the CPU by 5 degrees-C (9F).
2.) 3DMark11 score improves by 2292, while GPU temp reduced by 10 degrees-C (18F), and the CPU by 9 degrees-C (16F).
3.) 3DMark Sky Diver score improves by 4228, while GPU temp reduced by 16 degrees-C (29F), and the CPU by 8 degrees-C (14F).
It should be noted that the factory release 344.00 driver was used for these benchmarks, and the 980M is yet to be recognised in FutureMarks validation process. Performance scores should improve with future NVidia driver release packages. Also, this 2nd-GEN Maxwell was manufactured still using the 28nm process, and efficiency will further improve with future Maxwell's, as this process is reduced.
So what about SuperRAID 3, is it fast? Oh YEAH! Performance exceeds SuperRAID 2, as expected, and system boots to desktop in as little as 6 to 7 seconds. HD Tune Pro reports an average read time for the Toshiba M.2 SSD's, as 1530MB/s..... while the previous SuperRAID 2 Sandisk X100 mSATA SSD's averaged 1411MB/s. On the other hand, SuperRAID 3 really shines in the Crystal Disk Mark scores. To best evaluate the 'Real-World' performance of SuperRAID 3, I again used the PCMark 8 Storage Test. For those unfamiliar with this benchmark, the performance score of 5016 is very respectible. The duration of this benchmark is generally 1 to 3 hours, and the GT72 sped through in just 1 hour and 16 minutes. All in all, I applaud MSI's use of the new M.2 SSD's, but I think performance will most improve with future 9-Series Intel chipsets.
At this point I conducted an audit of the systems storage capability, and all audits (including Intel's IRST) reports a total of 6 SATA ports, distributed as follows:
Port 0 = M.2 SSD, SATA III @ 6Gbs
Port 1 = M.2 SSD, SATA III @ 6Gbs
Port 2 = ODD, SATA II @ 3Gbs
Port 3 = HDD, SATA II @ 3Gbs  (NOTE: MSI has installed a SATA III, 6Gbs HDD on this port)
Port 4 = M.2 SSD, SATA III @ 6Gbs
Port 5 = M.2 SSD, SATA III @ 6Gbs
This will undoubtedly come as somewhat a disappointment, to those desiring faster alternative storage devices to ports #2 & #3.
it is when gaming, that you understand the mastery of it's intuitive design. The re-designed flex-free keyboard, the large smooth & heat-free palm rest, the spatial Dynaudio speakers, and vivid display, all lend to an immersive gaming experience. So much so, I found myself playing my test game far longer than originally intended, and playing on this notebook is simply FUN!
To run the GT72 through it's paces, I again chose the recently released AMD optimized title, Sniper Elite III, by Rebellion. With game settings max'ed to 'Ultra', the GTX-980M smoothly sliced through the frames like a hot knife to butter, with frame-rates from 45 to 94FPS, averaging at 65FPS. Game play was extremely smooth and fluid, and never a hic-cup or artifact. Also, just as benchmark scores should improve in time, I anticipate frame rates will improve, as more mature future drivers are released.
To best represent the 'Out-of-the-Box' experience, I played with the stock fan profile, and Cooler Booster was never used. Like with my benchmark testing, the fan noise was not disturbing, and game audio though the Dynaudio speakers easily comes to the forefront. Fan noise was never a distraction. Temps of the GPU peaked to 75C, and the CPU peaked at 61C. Again, with hardware like this, and without the use of Cooler Booster, these temps are outstanding.... and the new dual fan design is a success!
In conclusion, the look and feel is very stylish, build quality is nice, and the smooth finish is actually somewhat fingerprint resistant. Overall, with these great looks, it's fully loaded system specs, and stellar performance scores, the MSI GT72 Dominator Pro (with 980M) not only entitles bragging rights..... it DEMANDS them!
Enjoy!
The following screenshots are the benchmark results using NVidia's new 344.24 driver release. Rather than performance, the focus of this release was implementing new Maxwell features, and game optimization..... ergo, these scores were actually slightly lower. Again, the ambient temp was 78F. Future drivers should improve performance levels.
Information on NVidia's new GTX-980M:
To take the 980M through it's paces, I allowed the Unigine benchmarks to loop 5 times, prior to actually running these benchmarks. This stressed the card to 100% for a considerable period, yet max temp never exceeded 75C.
PCMark 8 Storage Test, and Creative benchmark scores are EXCELLENT!
Enjoy!