GPU and Gaming Performance
The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4850 graphics card (with 512MB of video memory) breezed through our benchmarks. It notched a 3DMark06 score of 9,859, which was almost 4,000 points higher than the typical desktop replacement (5,932). It was on a par with the quad-core-powered Gateway P-7808u FX (10,019), but lagged about 1,400 points behind the ASUS W90 (which contains dual ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 GPUs). The system notched a 3DMark Vantage score of 5,306, which ranked third behind the Alienware M17 (5,737), and the category-leading ASUS W90 (8,399).
Naturally, the excellent scores translated into very nice gaming performance. When we fired up Far Cry 2, the GT725 ran at a brisk 83.5 frames per second in autodetect mode (1024 x 768), which dipped to 43.9 fps when we bumped up the visual effects and resolution to its max (1920 x 1200). The ASUS W90 (71.0 fps at 1024 x 768, 54.7 fps at 1920 x 1080) and Gateway P-7808u FX (85.1 fps at 1024 x 768, 52.7 fps at 1440 x 900) posted numbers in the same ballpark. The lower cost P-7807u FX turned in 67.5 fps at 1024 x 768 and 43.5 fps and 1440 x 900).
ATI’s GPU deftly handled the visuals of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We were impressed by the wrinkles in our commanding officer’s face, and the smoke that gently wafted from the barrel of our weaponry after spraying the environment with shells.
Storage and Boot Time
The 7,200-rpm, 320GB hard drive made for speedy file transfers. On the LAPTOP Transfer Test, it moved our 4.97GB folder of mixed media at a rate of 27.8 MBps, which is more than 5 MBps faster than the typical desktop replacement. Although speedy, the drive didn’t help with the Windows Vista Home Premium boot time; the system loaded in 1:12, which is commonplace for desktop replacements.
Wi-Fi and Battery Life
The 802.11n Wi-Fi radio pushed data along at a rate of 15.7 Mbps at 50 feet away from our access point, and 20.4 Mbps at 15 feet, which were dead-on with the category averages (19.4 Mbps, 15.9 Mbps). This allowed us to stream an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series in full-screen mode with very little buffering.
On the LAPTOP Battery Test, the GT725’s nine-cell battery lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes on a charge, which was 10 minutes shorter than the desktop replacement average. Still, this machine is unlikely to be lugged very far from an outlet.
Software and Warranty
Bundled with the system is Adobe Acrobat Reader 8, Aegia PhysX (for more realistic in-game physics in compatible game titles such as Mass Effect), Easy Face Manager, InterVideo WinDVD 8, Microsoft Office 2007 (60-day trial), Norton Internet Security (60-day trial), Ulead Burn.Now 4.5 SE, and WinRAR. MSI covers the notebook with a three-year warranty and weekday tech support.
Configurations
MSI offers the GT725 in one other configuration. The GT725-074US, a $1,449 system, packs a 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor, an 8X DVD±RW drive, and a lower 1680 x 1050-pixel resolution display.
Verdict
The MSI GT725 offers very good quad-core performance and gaming muscle for a reasonable price of $1,699. Although you could spend less on the $1,399 Gateway P-7807u and get strong gaming performance, that system lacks the MSI’s higher resolution and Blu-ray playback. We would’ve liked to seen a better designed keyboard and more responsive mouse buttons, but the GT725 is a good value.
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