After activating Cooler Boost 5, the idle is now at 37 degree C and full load at 70 degree C.

With 2-degrees difference at idle and 8-degrees difference at full load, are pretty impressive results.
The Cooler Boost 5 cooling module of the GE63VR does a pretty good job with GPU cooling,
and keeps the GTX 1070 under 80 degrees even at full load, without activating Cooler Boost 5.
The i7-7700HQ CPU comes in default at 2.8~3.8GHz, with power mode set at Balance.
When running full load with LinX 0.6.5 – 85~96

Activate Cooler Boost 5, and run full load with LinX 0.6.5 – 75~83

LinX 0.6.5 is one of the most demanding burn-in software, as others usually generate lower temperatures.
From what I can recall, launching burn-in test with AIDA64 has a lower temperature by over 10 degrees than with LinX 0.6.5.
The fan noise is quite loud when activating the cooling button, which is only suggested if you wear headphones or have speaker volume at over 60.
This prevents you from being affected by the full speed fan noise. Otherwise the GE63VR stays relatively silent under standard circumstances.
Both the 7RE and 7RF version of the GE63VR use the same gaming display.
With FHD resolution, 94% NTSC, 3ms response time, and 120Hz refresh rate, these are one of those rare high-end TN displays.
They are also ideal for games with fast-paced actions, like the modern FPS games.
We tried adjusting both notebook displays to a similar brightness, to better compare the image details.
On the left is the high-end TN display from the GE63VR; on the right is an IPS display from the ASUS ROG GL502VS, which has a similar spec and price with the GE63VR.
The comparison is made with the built-in Windows 10 wallpaper, but you can use your own if interested.

Many used to have the impression of TN displays having smaller visible angle than IPS.
Yet the comparison clearly shows that the high-end TN display nowadays already have similar, if not better, viewing angles than high-end IPS displays.
With a wide color coverage of 94% NTSC, it’s a definite win against the competing ASUS IPS display, whether you’re viewing from the front or the sides.
I’ve seen many beauty IPS displays, but with more and more manufacturers, the quality and spec also varies greatly.

Opening up the bottom cover of the MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider reveals the interior hardware design.
Two DDR4-2400 slots and woofer on the right; two more DDR4 slots preloaded with 16BX2 under the keyboard.
Two NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD slots; 2.5” SATA3 HDD to the left.
The top section is the new MSI Cooler Boost 5 cooling design.
The cooling design has been the focus of MSI gaming notebooks over the recent years.
With the latest Cooler Boost 5, there are dual fans, 7 heat pipes, and 3 cooling sections.
The massive cooling design with ventilation across multiple sections on the chassis prove how the GE63VR takes cooling very seriously.

There are total of 4 speakers, certified by the renowned Danish company Dynaudio.
Two 3W giant woofers and two 2W stereo speakers.
The thermal pad on the M.2 SSD is also a thoughtful design for the high-speed high-temperature NVMe M.2 SSDs.

I was planning to demonstrate with videos, but the recorded files size ended up a bit too big. I’ve replaced them with photos for now.
SteelSeries per-key RGB backlight keyboard and USB port lighting. They look better in person than in photos.

I couldn’t help but think that I was positive to compare with Dell and Alienware.
ROG may have been the leading brand for motherboards, but just doesn’t seem to be putting enough effort in gaming notebooks.
There’s still much to be improved to catch up with other gaming notebook brands.
Battery life. Windows 10 power mode set to balance.
Built-in battery capacity of 4730mAh 51Wh. Seems to be slightly small.
With GTX 1070 playing DVD video, it’s left with 66% after 1hr; 30% after 2hr; 10% after 2hr 30min.
The maximum battery life of the GE63VR is around 2hr 40min, a somewhat acceptable number considering the high-end spec.
Conclusion for MSI GE63VR 7RF Raider
Pros and Advantage:
1. GE63VR has more speedy ID design, also more sturdy than the previous GE62.
2. Features up to a standard NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics, drastically enhanced its 3D performance.
3. The GIANT speakers and woofers offer the best sound I’ve ever heard so far.
4. 120Hz/3ms display with 94%NTSC color coverage is exactly what’s needed for gaming. It even comes with True Color 2.0 color calibration.
5. The built-in Dragon Center is feature-rich and also nicely integrated other exclusive software.
6. The new Cooler Boost 5 boosts the cooling capability of the GE series.
7. Exceptional keyboard feedback with software that offers RGB lighting, macro, multiple profiles.
8. ESS SABRE HiFi Audio DAC for headphone output. Supports “Hi-Res Audio ready”.
9. Super RAID 4 with two high speed NVMe M.2 SSDs in RAID 0.
10. Killer solution for both wired and wireless network to form Killer DoubleShot Pro, plus the Killer Shield design.
Cons for Improvement:
1. The metal brush pattern on the A-side top cover leaves fingerprints easily.
2. Only 720p resolution for the webcam. The image quality could also be improved.
3. The high-end TN display has wide visible angle for top and both sides, but lacks when viewed from the bottom.
4. Slightly low battery life due to the GTX 1070. It’d be better if it lasts over 3.5hr.

Performance Ratio ★★★★★★★★★☆ 93/100
Material Ratio ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 88/10
Specification Ratio ★★★★★★★★★☆ 93/100
Aesthetics Ratio ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 86/100
Price-Value Ratio ★★★★★★★★☆☆ 88/100
Comparing to the last gen GE62, the GE63VR has removed the built-in ODD, but still weighs the same.
This is due to many of the enhancement under the hood, especially the cooling design and the full GTX 1060/1070 graphics.
The huge sound chambers grant the GE63VR far superior audio experience in volume, detail, and bass.
The quality and sturdiness upon picking up the notebook proves this to be a quite an evolutions over GE62.
With the MSRP just under 2000 USD, the MSI GE63VR 7RF actually costs slightly less than its rivals with similar spec.
The GE73VR with GTX 1060 6GB also has quite the aggressive pricing, with MSRP around 1600 USD.

The GE63VR is the mid-high model among MSI lineup, and will probably also comes in various versions to choose from, just like the GE62.
So far, only the version with i7-7700HQ and GTX 1060 6GB is available in Taiwan.
It’s available with GTX 1060 6BB and 1070 8GB for GPU options.
If they come in 4C4T Core i5 with GTX 1060, they should be able to further lower the price tag, and become even more affordable for those who love the GE series.
Aside from 3D performance, I think a lot still needs to be worked on, like audio, display, keyboard, cooling, chassis.
The GE63VR may not have scored 100/100 in all aforementioned category, but are at least 80~90+ in most.
The GE63VR is a well-balanced notebook with gaming-grade performance.
Of course, there’re still some things that I’d like to see addressed.
But the new version already has a major upgrade. I look forward to seeing more verions available for the consumers.
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