The processor is the brain of every computer, and in particular every device and gadget that makes our lives easier.
We have made this article, among the others that will help you decide which laptop you should pursue based on the processor model.
The Best gaming laptops with the Kaby Lake processor will bring your gaming to the next level but also enhance the overall performance of your laptop with its futerproof capabilities.
Our prior posts included writing mostly about the Skylake HQ processors, both ranging between the i5 and i7 brand name. Of course, for flagship, splurge models that range in more thousands than you can count, we have seen the mobile processors with extension HK at the end, which are more hardcore, and multiple-operation friendly.
We have written articles before where we mentioned the Kaby Lake Core i7-7700HQ, a powerful, quad-core processor on other models, but we have never directly talked about its capabilities, performance, benchmarks, analytically and in-depth, like we have described the graphics card chips, displays, and variety of other configuration options which contribute to such a perfect level of gaming.
This is why, we tailored this comprehensive guide about the Kaby Lake, and the best gaming laptops with the Kaby Lake processor.
Images | View full detail on Amazon.com |
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[img_products img_code="41yowHpaImL" alt="ROG Strix GL502VS 15.6" GSYNC 120 Hz VR Ready Thin Gaming Laptop GTX 1070 8GB Core i77700HQ 16GB DDR4 128GB SSD 1TB HDD" code="B01NALTGWN"] | #1. ROG Strix GL502VS 15.6" GSYNC 120 Hz VR Ready Thin Gaming Laptop GTX 1070 8GB Core i77700HQ 16GB DDR4 128GB SSD 1TB HDD |
[img_products img_code="41UBoIKzYtL" alt="MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro-448 17.3" 120Hz 5ms Display Powerful Gaming Laptop Core i7-7700HQ GTX 1070 16GB 256GB SSD + 1TB VR Ready" code="B01N6L9S7U"] | #2. MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro-448 17.3" 120Hz 5ms Display Powerful Gaming Laptop Core i7-7700HQ GTX 1070 16GB 256GB SSD + 1TB VR Ready |
[img_products img_code="41wqDok0TlL" alt="CUK MSI GE62VR Apache Pro VR Ready Laptop (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10) - 2017 HTC Vive Compatible Gaming Notebook Computer" code="B06X1GP3MV"] | #3. CUK MSI GE62VR Apache Pro VR Ready Laptop (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10) - 2017 HTC Vive Compatible Gaming Notebook Computer |
[img_products img_code="51WI1Q21CYL" alt="CUK ASUS GL702VS ROG Gamer Laptop (Intel Quad Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD 120Hz 5ms, Windows 10) - VR Ready Gaming Notebook Computer" code="B06WRT9Y5L"] | #4. CUK ASUS GL702VS ROG Gamer Laptop (Intel Quad Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD 120Hz 5ms, Windows 10) - VR Ready Gaming Notebook Computer |
[img_products img_code="316EbegObuL" alt="Gigabyte Aero 14Wv7-OG4 14" Notebook QHD IPS 7th Gen Intel Kabylake i7-7700HQ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB VRAM DDR4 2400 16Gx1 RAM M.2 SATA 512GB SSD HDD Windows 10 Gaming Laptop (Orange)" code="B01MR0RF9K"] | #5. Gigabyte Aero 14Wv7-OG4 14" Notebook QHD IPS 7th Gen Intel Kabylake i7-7700HQ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB VRAM DDR4 2400 16Gx1 RAM M.2 SATA 512GB SSD HDD Windows 10 Gaming Laptop (Orange) |
The Best Gaming laptops with the Kaby Lake Processor
Our testing process wasn’t easy. It mostly relied on the prior instincts due to already reviewing some of these laptops before, except that they sported the older configurations, hence exploring through the new one felt like a thrilling, new challenge.
There are many laptops in the competition, and it is understandable that some other laptops with the i7-7700HQ we have already reviewed in our prior articles which led to conclusion that it will be an extremely challenging task to find models that will surpass the ones that we have already called the best.
Some of these models are mid-priced, while some hit the larger amount of money likely not to be found in our wallet or the bank account. However, we have invested many quality hours to find the laptops that will among other performance, design, and durability criteria suffice one last- having the Core i7-7700HQ processor from the Kaby Lake generation.
After a tough fight, we decided to proclaim the latest generation, Asus ROG GL502VS, 2017 gaming laptop, the one worthy to take the crown. It has remarkable performance, and if you could leave out the minor drawbacks it has, such as the battery life, accepting its true value could be a lot easier work.
Sit tight and continue reading this compelling article, about the best gaming laptops with the Kaby Lake processor.
Images | View full detail on Amazon.com |
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[img_products img_code="41yowHpaImL" alt="ROG Strix GL502VS 15.6" GSYNC 120 Hz VR Ready Thin Gaming Laptop GTX 1070 8GB Core i77700HQ 16GB DDR4 128GB SSD 1TB HDD" code="B01NALTGWN"] | #1. ROG Strix GL502VS 15.6" GSYNC 120 Hz VR Ready Thin Gaming Laptop GTX 1070 8GB Core i77700HQ 16GB DDR4 128GB SSD 1TB HDD |
[img_products img_code="41UBoIKzYtL" alt="MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro-448 17.3" 120Hz 5ms Display Powerful Gaming Laptop Core i7-7700HQ GTX 1070 16GB 256GB SSD + 1TB VR Ready" code="B01N6L9S7U"] | #2. MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro-448 17.3" 120Hz 5ms Display Powerful Gaming Laptop Core i7-7700HQ GTX 1070 16GB 256GB SSD + 1TB VR Ready |
[img_products img_code="41wqDok0TlL" alt="CUK MSI GE62VR Apache Pro VR Ready Laptop (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10) - 2017 HTC Vive Compatible Gaming Notebook Computer" code="B06X1GP3MV"] | #3. CUK MSI GE62VR Apache Pro VR Ready Laptop (i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1060 6GB, 15.6" Full HD, Windows 10) - 2017 HTC Vive Compatible Gaming Notebook Computer |
[img_products img_code="51WI1Q21CYL" alt="CUK ASUS GL702VS ROG Gamer Laptop (Intel Quad Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD 120Hz 5ms, Windows 10) - VR Ready Gaming Notebook Computer" code="B06WRT9Y5L"] | #4. CUK ASUS GL702VS ROG Gamer Laptop (Intel Quad Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB, 17.3" Full HD 120Hz 5ms, Windows 10) - VR Ready Gaming Notebook Computer |
[img_products img_code="316EbegObuL" alt="Gigabyte Aero 14Wv7-OG4 14" Notebook QHD IPS 7th Gen Intel Kabylake i7-7700HQ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB VRAM DDR4 2400 16Gx1 RAM M.2 SATA 512GB SSD HDD Windows 10 Gaming Laptop (Orange)" code="B01MR0RF9K"] | #5. Gigabyte Aero 14Wv7-OG4 14" Notebook QHD IPS 7th Gen Intel Kabylake i7-7700HQ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 GDDR5 6GB VRAM DDR4 2400 16Gx1 RAM M.2 SATA 512GB SSD HDD Windows 10 Gaming Laptop (Orange) |
#1. ROG Strix GL502VS 15.6″ GSYNC 120 Hz VR Ready Thin Gaming Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B01NALTGWN’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’64d48dde-26ef-11e7-88bd-b93fa8b99c62′]There is not much debate in choosing the best gaming laptop, especially the one with the latest generation processor.
The reason why Asus wins the heart of the gamers and generally people that perform multi-threading actions, because it still persists the biggest enemy to every gamer- heating.
I usually see myself having thoughts about whether I should opt for the Asus flagship model or the MSI. Both of them have developed an advanced thermal system which prevents the overheating and thus the damage to the components essential to the optimal work of every computer, especially the laptop.
Asus ROG GL502VS from the Strix edition makes us take a deep breath first, before announcing that it is the best gaming laptop with the Kaby Lake processor.
Asus Strix GL502VS is a mid-ranged laptop which can handle a lot of stress and gaming ambitions. It wraps up the configuration of the latest generation and provides even the strictest gamers with the most challenging experience. If you continue reading, make sure to remember every detail that could encourage you to pursue this dream laptop. It is perfect for the gamers with the taste on gaming-looking laptops, but there will be more to say about this in the design section.
Design
Asus’ gaming line has been well recognizable over the past year, thanks to its LED lights, future-proof design and just an overall badass looking. The silver chassis is decorated with the neon orange lighting that gives this laptop a futuristic appearance. We used to see the good old black design. However, Asus decided to change them and make them more similar to another flagship model, GL72, that we wrote about already.
“Look at my glow” style of gaming laptops produced by Asus is a common thing now. But, it doesn’t hurt to mention that other gaming laptops in the gaming category also follows after this example. In the center, we can see an etched ROG sign, that stands for the Republic of Gamers. Additionally, the sweet color lining is available on the WASD keys on already backlit keyboard. However, the manufacturer decided to specially point out the WASD letters as they are a common code for every stricter gamer.
Unfortunately, the popular strix model is not covered in the brushed aluminum like the other models in this price range. We can always though, admire the quality of the sturdy plastic, that still makes the laptop extremely premium looking. The laptop is relatively lightweight, which would definitely not be the case if the laptop was made from aluminum. As for the quality, it is far from cheap and we can only praise the quality of plastic. It is also important to note, that the resting hand area when we opened the laptop feels extremely smooth and comfortable, as if it was really made from aluminum.
In short, we admire Ausus trying their best to make the new strix model look and feel premium. Considering that it sports all the premium components inside of it, we can almost call it portable despite the 15.6 inches, and heavy components, as the laptop barely exceeds 5 pounds.
In terms of connectivity, we can call Asus STRIX GL502VS very rich, as its thick edges has made a lot of improvement and thus allowed many connectors to make its appearance on it. There is a pack of three USB 3.0 ports, followed with a headphone port. Just like the vast majority of laptops, the STRIX model also has an SD card reader, perfect for reminiscing the old memories from the old mobile phones.
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the availability of the Ethernets and HDMI ports as well. The thick surface has made the best out of itself. The ROG model is also praised for the compact DisplayPort which makes it easy for connecting more monitors and ensuring a desktop class gaming.
Asus STRIX GL502VS definitely follows up with the trends of today, but tomorrow as well. The manufacturer has found a room for the USB C connecter. I am very happy to see this happening.
When everything that concerns the design of the 15.6 inches gaming laptop is wrapped up, it is a relatively portable, and a “look at me”, fashionable looking machines that fits in the backpack and serves as the perfect travel companion without a problem.
Keyboard and Touchpad
As usual, often seen on specialty gaming laptops, Asus Strix GL502VS among its other siblings and predecessors has a backlit keyboard, along with the pointed out WASD keys that help the gamers move and orientate. However, in terms in the quality, there is nothing special, or remarkable about it to say.
Then again, I can’t say that the keyboard is bad. I may look weird but I use special mechanical keyboard to play games with, mostly because of the better travel time, and deeper structure. Despite that, the Strix offers good-quality keyboard, not bad nor the best. The keys are well-spaced, to the point that there has even been enough space for the numeric pad on the right side. The travel time is ok too, which results in 1.6mm, when you give it a strong but never too hard touch.
The keyboard serves well, knowing that it is dedicated to the gaming laptop where display, configuration and software is the top priority and put an accent on. However, there is nothing too innovative about it. Pretty much, we are all used to the sinister red backlights that support the hardcore gaming experience during the night or dark hours, as much as making your laptop looking extremely sinisterly bold among the friends.
Another important feature to add is that the manufacturer decided to get rid of the num lock button but add a macro key that allows activating the ROG gaming center software, which helps achieve the wanted gaming experience.
If you are a typist, you will enjoy the quality of keyboard because it is fairly soft and deep. Just don’t summon the ASUS’ gaming suite while being in-depth dedicated into typing. All summed up, this is an ordinary keyboard that you will find on a gaming laptop. It is not the one that will make you bow down in an awe or take your breath away, but definitely looks cool and serves a good quality against the opponents in games. I forgot to add that just like the other laptops in this range, the STRIX keyboard offers an anti-ghosting utility which supports up to 30 simultaneous keys.
While the touchpads usually don’t make a remarkable change to the gaming laptops, it wouldn’t make a lot of difference to mention its features and quality for the sake of regular day-to-day operations but, also emerge the description for those who use this laptop in the development purpose.
It is very large, and smooth, my fingers were slipping on its brushed surface while I was using it, and I was delighted with the quality for the usual needs. But when it came down to check the multiclicking and gestures my delight has faded away. It would happen couple of times that the laptop wouldn’t react or not at least as fast as I would expect when it came down to zooming
So, in those terms, the touchpad can appear to be slow and lacking the speed for responding. Most of the time, it was correct and hit the spot when reading the multi-gesture orders. However, we cannot go on without mentioning this little issue that was available on it.
Display
Display plays an important role in terms of gaming laptops. It displays the picture of game you are playing and it is important to mention that the vast majority of gamers relies on details and good texture. This is why ASUS has arranged a great effort to provide its market with the best possible display you could be asking for when gaming. It literally included everything an average but also more professional allured into games geek can demand from.
The finish matte, display which prevents the reflection and offers great viewing angles over 178 degrees offers a delightful gaming experience. Evoking the ambient, the mountains, the water, the characters in the games we have tested. When we came down to the technical testing the panel responded with 98 percent of Adobe RGB color space, and 100 percent of the RGB standard.
So, aside from being a gamer, if your expertise extends in the branches of video and photo editors, this display is amazing. The colors are vivid and textures even more vibrant and detailed. Absolutely remarkable performance, with the supported resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Audio
When it comes to the audio, it can never be amazing on a laptop. STRIX though went far above our expectations and made a noticeable improvement in the quality of audio. While the most of the speakers appear on the keyboard, Strix laptop has its’ speakers moved on each side of the touchpad.
The crispy, and clear sound has filled out room while we were testing, with even more powerful bass. There is also ROG Gaming Center which allows the audio settings, if you remove this software, you will be left with the lesser of audio quality. Even though I am mostly gaming with the headphones, there is nothing wrong with having a good-quality audio up your sleeve.
Another Easter egg of this model is a trio microphones that purposely remove the bad quality ambient sounds that could prevent you from having a loud and clear communication that will entirely focus on your voice.
Battery Life
When it comes down to the gaming laptops, the battery life is never the one to impress us. This is mainly because of the focus on gaming components that drain a lot of power. Asus is no different than the competition in this context. Just like the other models, it doesn’t sport decent battery.
After the several tests we have performed by streaming HD videos on YouTube, with a great amount of brightness which kills the battery with ease, we have gotten the results of the battery life, and it isn’t durable at all.
We were saddened to see that the laptop only managed to survive three hours. Even worse, the result we got can’t even match with the other gaming laptops in the competition. Even larger laptops that reach 17 to 19 inches in the case size don’t have significantly different battery life. We were nothing but disappointed.
Heating and Temperature
Like mentioned at the beginning of the review, Asus and MSI hold the crown made of pure gold when it comes to the thermal isolation. The Asus STRIX model sports the latest triple copper thermal system which contributes to a better channeling of the air and stronger performance of CPU and GPU
The temperatures are optimal and suffice the most demanding games. It is important that the heating level is always optimal. And as a result of that, I can even put the laptop on my knees without feeling the boiling hot on my thighs.
Performance
While the display, audio and perfect thermal protection inside the laptop are only an outside factors. The center focus of this laptop is its unique configuration, added on by the Kaby Lake Intel Core i7-7700HQ, quad core processor.
In addition to that, we are playing the top notch, high demanding games on NVidia Ge Force GTX 1070 M which is based off the Pascal 16 nm architecture and provides the best possible performance for the gaming laptops. It has 8 GB of GDDR5 and is capable of uninterruptedly running even the most demanding game releases.
However, the graphics card is not only capable of crushing even the games that came out recently and those to come. It is Eligible for the hardcore VR experience and runs even the virtual reality titles such as the 2017 edition of Resident Evil and more games. We recommend you to sit tight with your virtual reality headset, and enjoy the joy presented of this magical graphics card that is strong enough to even move the mountains. Additional feature is the famous G-SYNC that increases the performance of graphics card and overall experience as well.
The processor is backed up with the 16 GB of DDR4 RAM that in combination with the processor can handle multiple operations and is more than sufficient for running games on recommended settings. The vast majority of games relies on maximally 8 GB so even having less than 16 GB would result in not worse gaming experience. The maximally supported amount of ram on GL502VS is 32 GB, but I don’t recommend this kind of an upgrade unless you have money to spend.
ASUS has thought about the storage as well. Your favorite games and movie collection can be stored in a 1 TB mechanical hard disc with the 7200 RPM SATA speed. While the system is installed in the 128 GB SATA II SSD, which amazing accessing and transferring speeds. The loading times of your favorite games will work extremely swift and smooth that you won’t even notice the time that has passed.
The laptop is secured with the Windows 10 64 bit, and a lot of useful software that can help you get a grip of this laptop with an extreme ease.
The things that I didn’t like
There are not many things to mention. However the remarkably wrong thing about this laptop is the battery life. We are in 2017, the year of exponential and fast movement of technology onwards. Where the 15.6 inches mid ranged laptop has the same battery life like the 17 and 18 inches MSI laptops with the GTX 1080 M.
Unfortunately, in my eyes that is unacceptable. Many gamers are students who cannot afford having multiple systems, hence it is unacceptable to them to lug around a laptop that won’t even last more than three hours in the library. Unnecessarily stupid.
Another thing that I didn’t like was the touchpad with weird multi-gesture options. I was expecting something that can put up with the challenges, unfortunately, the touchpad cannot. Thankfully, there is a mouse.
Reason for the Recommending
A beautiful anti-glare, matte display, emotion emerging audio, a powerful, lasting, and futureproof configuration. If you are looking for a laptop that unites these criteria, Asus GL502VS is the right model for you. It, not only merges the beautiful and useful, but escalates the high end gaming experience and takes it to a completely next levels. If you have enough money to put out into this model, feel free to pursue it along with your gaming dreams.
Summary
Asus STRIX GL502VS is a mid ranged gaming laptop with various capabilities. If you can live through the issue of low battery life, funny gesturing touchpad and a “look at me” appearance, it is a great option for playing premium, recent titles along with the VR friendly applications and popular games that you can never get tired of.
The Runner Ups
There is definitely not the significant difference between the other gaming laptops and our winner. In the following paragraphs, we will offer other models with the Core i7-7700HQ model, and in case our favorite has gotten out of the stock, the four models before will equally satisfy your gaming needs.
It is also important to say that we have already written about some of these models, however, these are the enhanced, better and more powerful models and in addition to the wonderful i7 successor.
[amazon_link asins=’B01NALTGWN’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’86e1499f-26ef-11e7-9afa-9b239cc10e09′]
#2. MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro-448 17.3″ 120Hz 5ms Display Powerful Gaming Laptop
[amazon_link asins=’B01N6L9S7U’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ab6c9a68-26ef-11e7-a32e-fb33d39c2799′]If Asus is not our first candidate, then the MSI is always there to be the runner up. In case the Asus has been sold out, you can opt for the 17.3 inches MSI GT72VR Dominator Pro, with refurbished system so that it can support the Pascal’s graphics card, but also our flagship CPU that we have been talking about throughout this article.
The design that greeted us is the usual black, metal build MSI style. Not too attaching, but there are several ribs that draw its gaming attitude.
In the middle, lifted slightly up, there is an etched MSI sign, just like with every gaming laptop of MSI from the G series. As usual, the MSI features less of the “look at me” attitude compared to the Asus, which is why gamers opt for it.
However, this is not a laptop that you can lug around through the bus. The 17.3 inches case gives an amazing display opportunities, but it takes an extra effort to take this laptop over at your best friend for the LAN party.
We sincerely hope that you have a car for that matter as these laptop models are supposed to rest on the desk, and not take space in the travel bags.
The 17.3 inches display works perfectly on 120 Hz, with only 5 ms delay which is great display responsiveness. There are the expected anti-glare features along with wonderfully wide viewing angles. The resolution is the standard 1920 x 1080 pixels with detailed and vivid textures. The MSI good-quality displays will allow you to deeply focus and get ahead of your enemies and opponents.
There is also a Nahimic 2 Virtual surround sound that ensures great quality of audio, for the enriching gaming experience. There is the expected Intel Core i7 processor and NVidia GTX 1070 mobile graphics card with 8 GB of the dedicated memory, 16 GB of RAM, which exist of 8GB x 2 which are extendable to up to 32 GB of RAM, DDR4. Along with the 1 TB SATA drive, there is a solid state drive which supports 256 GB of storage, twice as more compared to our winning model.
Unfortunately, being a 17 inches model, this laptop cannot survive for longer than three hours, after the testing with the streamed videos. However, this amount is understandable given that the MSI model is quite larger, compared to the ASUS one that we have already reviewed.
Things that I liked
- Beautiful Display
- Powerful configuration
- Deep, mechanical keyboard class
Things that I didn’t like
Low battery life
The battery is not removable
Reason for Recommending
MSI GT72VR offers less of a “look at me appearance” and can serve as a perfect desktop replacement in the apartment, thanks to its large size and a sturdy build. It looks gorgeous none the less, and in addition to that wonderful look, it packs up the revolutionary specifications that are worth all the praise. This model will save you many years for buying the laptop, because it supports every game that has come until now, and is supposed to continue so, in the future.
Summary
The MSI’s popular model that we already got to review before, GT72VR is a great deal for the bold, professional, and strict gamers. We cannot call it the mid-ranged because it is full of useful things inside of it. Aside from the beautiful display it sports the latest configuration that makes it eligible for the long run. If you are looking for a sturdy, large, and powerful model, MSI has always something up their sleeve that can match even the most demanding gaming standards.
#3. CUK MSI GE62VR Apache Pro VR Ready Laptop – 2017 HTC Vive Compatible Gaming Notebook Computer
[amazon_link asins=’B06X1GP3MV’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’c0c7d44e-26ef-11e7-8554-315efdcb4883′]This, slightly smaller model of 15.6 inches doesn’t differ too much to the model that we have already described above.
It is packed in the same metal built case, without not too many complimented appearance boosts.
The MSI laptops look discrete, but unleash their alien power when turned on, on ultra settings of your favorite game.
The laptop springs for the same RGB keyboard, that slightly feels annoying and eye-hurting to me. But the outcome of the quality is different. The keys come in fine line spacing, soft and deep on touch, and silent while I am typing, and I type fast.
The display is also wonderful, just like the models that we have described. The full HD 15.6 inches display features the standard 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and colors are very accurate and the display quite responsive.
In terms of performance, the laptop is slightly poorer compared to the models above. The Apache Pro has decided to go for the GTX 1060 M with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory.
There is nothing wrong with that, especially because this is a contribution to everyone with the weaker budget but aim to play powerful games. The model has 16 GB of RAM, and aside from the dedicated mechanical hard drive, there is the 128 GB SSD upgrade.
Things that I liked
- Great build quality
- Nice configuration
- Great display
Things that I didn’t like
- Problem with the unresponsive touchpad
- Bloatware
- The milding battery
Reason for Recommending
The MSI Apache Pro is slightly cheaper compared to the models we displayed above. Hence, for the people with the tight budget, this will appear like an amazing opportunity and a gaming machine that can still withstand all the gaming challenges thrown on it.
Summary
MSI GE62VR is a mid-ranged, VR ready gaming laptop that will take your breath away. Despite the lower graphics card, you can rest assured that springing for this model is nowhere near mistake.
#4. CUK ASUS GL702VS ROG Gamer Laptop – VR Ready Gaming Notebook Computer
[amazon_link asins=’B06WRT9Y5L’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d52e9bb3-26ef-11e7-8490-757a6b9e50ce’]There is not much difference between this model and the first one we reviewed.
However, this laptop is larger, and more powerful. Just like the MSI, this is a perfect desktop replacement for gamers who like to lug their computers around the house.
The laptop sports a 17.3 inches full HD displays with 5 ms delay, and resolution of 1920 x 1080 with the G-sync feature.
The chiclet, illuminated keyboard will make typing easy and smooth just like the performance components which are pretty much the same here like on the first laptop, except that now we have 256 GB of solid state memory, instead of 128 GB.
Things that I liked
- Strong build
- Amazing display
Things that I didn’t like
- Battery Life
- Unresponsive touchpad
Reason for Recommending
If you are a fan of Asus, and you are looking for a 17.3 inches display, Asus ROG GL702VS is amazing for you. Despite not making difference in configuration compared to other 15.6 inches model, the noticeable difference in performance is present. ASUS has amazing thermal protection and in a larger model such as this, the temperatures and air channeling is even better determined.
Summary
The GL702VS is a powerful, 17.3 inches gaming laptop with amazing gaming performance. It will appeal with all gamers who are looking for a large display, and a desktop-class overall performance.
#5. Gigabyte Aero 14Wv7-OG4 14″ Notebook
[amazon_link asins=’B01MR0RF9K’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’lincolnlabs02-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’ef493150-26ef-11e7-9688-e5d5ebb25321′]If you thought that this article will go on without the compact design laptop, you’re wrong.
Gigabyte Aero 14 is a redesigned model so that it can support the Kaby lake successor to the 6700HQ.
It looks amazing, especially with the orange attractive case, and a 14 inches QHD display with an IPS panel.
It sports the resolution up to 2560 x 1440 resolution, with amazingly large viewing angles, along with the feature for preventing the blue color being emitted.
The Manufacturer also promises a powerful battery for an extensive productivity time that can last whole day. The laptop sadly comes with the GTX 1060 M instead of the GTX 1070.
However, you can choose how do you want your laptop to be packed. There are 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, which consist of 1 card of 16 GB, which means that you can easily extend your RAM.
Unfortunately, the laptop comes only with the 512 GB SSD instead of 1 TB mechanical hard drive. However, 512 GB of powerful storage with superb transferring speeds is more than any gamer can expect from a laptop.
Things that I liked
- Design
- Powerful build
- Vivid, finish matte display
- 8 hours battery life
Things that I didn’t like
- It runs slightly hot
Reason for Recommending
If you have money to spend, and you are prone to the traveling, Gigabyte Aero 14 is the right companion for gaming. It doesn’t only have the most adorable design, and 14 inches but also sums up the performance of other four laptops with being just 14 inches wide.
While it greets some heating problems, it can still run the most demanding games without overheating if you spring for a powerful but affordable cooling pad. Other than that, the laptop is perfect for traveling, gaming and everything else you throw on it.
Summary
Priced very fairly, Gigabyte Aero 14 is a wonderful buy for the money. If I may add, I think that this laptop is very versatile and powerful for sporting even the most massive gaming. The audio, touchpad, and potential heating problems are fixable with the upgradable components that are inexpensive. If you are not looking for a 17.3 inches large box, this mid ranged 14 inches laptop can come along.
A little about the Kaby Lake processor
The Kaby Lake, Intel Core i7-7700HQ is the latest generation of the HQ model featured from the i7. An extremely fast quad-core processor for the laptops was released on January 2017, after being announced in January at the last CES.
It is made to continue the good-quality performance after the Core i7-6700HQ, also a quad-core chip based on the Skylake architecture. Compared to its predecessor, it has an improved 14 nm+ process, which means that the clock ranges slightly higher.
While the architecture didn’t experience specific change, the video chip has been upgraded.
The processor of the latest Kaby Lake generation sports the Intel HD Graphics 630, with an architecture system that doesn’t stand out compared to the 530 GPU, sported from the Skylake generation. However, there was a noticeable improvement in the clocking of the graphics.
When it comes to the performance, the Core i7-7700HQ was gifted with a 200MHz higher clock. In dependence to the Boost, that is 5,5-7.6% higher. Compared to other familiar processors this is great, as the TDP can be easily reduced down to 35 Watts. However, this affects the performance of the chip by decreasing it, which is why it is not recommended to do this.
The real question is, where are we likely to see this processor? Mostly in the gaming laptops. However, I am not surprised to see them in the business suite laptops as well. The 45 Watts of TDP, this processor is likely to be seen in larger, and less portable notebooks, of 15.6 inches and higher. Though, we won’t be surprised if we see it in the smaller ones either.
More about the quad-core Kaby Lake processor can be found on articles that present the user and gaming benchmarks, so that the user can take a grip of its true capabilities. In our opinion the Intel Core-7-7700HQ can be used on all multi-threading devices, as it was designed to withstand the rough usage, and performing multiple operations at once.
Final words
We have reached the end to our Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor from the Kaby Lake generation. We have focused on the mid-ranged but certainly high quality gaming laptops that grabbed our attention within the seconds.
Finding a perfect gaming laptop is a difficult, and challenging past. If you want to spend money on a powerful laptop, don’t expect to spend less than $1000, unfortunately, depending on our needs, occasionally $1500 too. We have highlighted the most valuable features, pros and cons of every laptop, and we hope that it will suffice your searching needs.
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