The MSI GT73VR Titan Pro is a animal. This powerful gaming auto can technically be classified as a laptop – it has a 17.iii-inch display attached via a hinge – but information technology's so large it'll stay desk for most of its working life. Its price tag matches its size, too: the GT73VR starts at $2,100, though top-stop configurations will hands gear up you back more than $3,000.

What you get for the size and price is simple: MSI'due south almost powerful 17-inch gaming laptop. From a hardware perspective, there are no compromises here. This monster PC is kitted out with a top-end Intel Skylake processor and the fastest Nvidia graphics on the market place. The display, storage, and RAM can all exist configured with flagship components likewise.

Like with many MSI gaming laptops, at that place is a collection of GT73VR models available to purchase. The one I received to review came with a Core i7-6820HK processor, GeForce GTX 1080 graphics with 8GB of GDDR5X memory, a 512GB solid state drive to complement a 1TB hard bulldoze, 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1080p 120Hz K-Sync display. All up, this variant volition gear up you dorsum $3,099.

This sounds ludicrously powerful, merely there are even more vicious options available. Some variants pack 4K displays, at least 1TB of SSD infinite, 64 GB of RAM, and even ii GTX 1070s in SLI. If you lot take a lot of money to spend, MSI will provide an appropriately-configured GT73VR.

Only let's discuss the elephant in the room offset: the size of the GT73VR.

This enormous laptop clocks in at 45mm thick and 3.9kg heavy (8.vi lbs), a proficient 10mm thicker and 1kg heavier than a typical 17-inch gaming organization. The sheer size and especially the weight of this auto prevents information technology from being truly portable. Sure, it is possible to employ it in different rooms of your house, or take it to LAN parties, only you'll need a defended conveying bag to ship it. The GT73VR is not a portable workstation you'll want to bear around with you often, and that'due south non what it was designed for.

The heft of this system is compounded by its enormous ability brick. At ane.2kg it weighs more than an unabridged lightweight laptop, and this extra weight needs to be factored in when transporting the machine. Granted, a combined weight of 5.1kg is less than many compact gaming desktops, simply it's still much heavier than other more portable gaming laptops out there.

On the other hand, the GT73VR is averagely sized for a gaming laptop with a GTX 1080 inside. If you want something smaller, Aorus does offer a slimmer 17-inch organization that weighs only 3.2kg, but outside of this you'll have to downgrade to either a GTX 1070 or GTX 1060 for a truly portable laptop. The GT73VR's principal competitor, the Asus ROG G701VI, is a bit slimmer though only every bit heavy.

MSI has made the GT73VR this size and so it can accommodate a massive cooling solution. At that place are iv huge vents located around the sides of the laptop, through which y'all can see sizable heatsinks and even thick heatpipes in some areas. MSI has opted for a dual-fan solution, one for each side of the laptop, that intakes through an enormous vent on the base and exhausts through the sides.

Nearly the entire base of the GT73VR is a series of massive vents. The laptop sits on large condom pads that heighten the base past nearly a total centimeter in some areas, assuasive a ton of air to menses into these intake vents.

The GT73VR has a distinct angular design with a number of 'gamer' elements, including aggressive ruby highlights around the stylized vents, and a weirdly-shaped power push. The edges of this laptop taper quite significantly, particularly at the front, which gives some areas (particularly around the side vents) an ugly, swollen appearance. Understandably it's difficult to create a decent pattern when the laptop is so thick, but this machine won't exist winning any manner awards.

Almost of this laptop has been constructed using blackness plastic, notwithstanding there are ii areas that apply brushed metal: effectually the keyboard, and the lid. The metallic areas attract fingerprints, which tin be annoying if you lot'd adopt a make clean expect, although the metal looks a lot amend than the inexpensive yet tough plastic used elsewhere.

The bezels on the GT73VR are not small, only information technology'due south good to run across MSI has resisted the urge to make them enormous like we saw with the Alienware 15. The 17.three-inch display fits comfortably in the area allocated to it, and it'due south unlikely MSI could take fit anything significantly larger in this space.

The swivel assembly is tough and smooth to operate, providing a adept range of angles for usage. There's a bit of screen wobble when borer the display, though it's not a touchscreen and so it shouldn't wobble during normal usage.

This laptop comes with a corking selection of ports in a layout that makes sense for desktop usage. The massive proprietary ability connector is establish on the rear edge, along with HDMI 2.0, Mini-DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, and a USB Blazon-C port with Thunderbolt 3 capabilities.

The left edge features 3 USB-A 3.0 ports and 4 3.5mm audio jacks, while the right border has a further two USB-A 3.0 ports and an SD carte du jour slot.

I beloved the sheer number of USB-A ports plant on this laptop; y'all'll have spare ports even when you connect important accessories. Having four three.5mm sound jacks too allows this system to support analog six-channel audio output. Ideally, I'd similar to encounter an boosted USB-C port that's user attainable on either the left or right side, but I'm glad in that location is still Thunderbolt iii found on the rear.

The sound organization included with the GT73VR is i of the better ones I've found on a gaming laptop, mostly thanks to the 5W woofer that provides depth at the depression cease. Unfortunately, the 3W stereo speakers permit the audio feel down with mediocre mid-range functioning, and the fact they burn into your desk limits their quality. On a laptop this large, surely at that place was enough room for tiptop-firing speakers.