MSI GT70 One-609US Dragon Edition

Like most gaming laptops, the GT70 One Dragon Edition is one big system. Measuring 2.17 by 16.85 by 11.34 inches (HWD)—similar to the Maingear Nomad 17 Ultimate—it won't even fit into the laptop compartment of most bags. With a weight of 8.29 pounds (10.45 pounds if you include the power adapter), carrying it around is a backbreaking proposition. You'll be able to take it with you to a LAN party, but this beast will be fairly stationary from day to day.


The chassis is primarily constructed of plastic, with a reinforcing layer of aluminum across the lid and palmrest. To really drive home the "Dragon Edition" tag, the silhouette of a coiled dragon is imprinted into the brushed crimson anodized aluminum on the lid and palmrest. The 17.6-inch display looks good with a 1,920-by-1,080 resolution IPS panel, though the viewing angles are only so-so, with shifts in color when viewed at an angle. For the gamer sitting dead-center in front of the screen, however, the display is excellent. And anti-reflective coating also cuts down on any distracting glare.

The keyboard, manufactured by SteelSeries, features multi-colored backlight. Different colors can be assigned to different portions of the keyboard, and several distinctive lightning patterns can be selected, letting you light up the board with a rainbow of colors. The keys themselves are chiclet-style and provide excellent feedback, but the layout could be improved. The QWERTY keyboard and the 10-key numeric pad aren't physically separated, and as a result, the arrow keys are crammed in between, resulting in a half-size Shift key to accommodate the Up arrow, and a half-size 0 key on the keypad. This is an especially puzzling design choice since there is ample room for all of the keys; there is an extra inch and half of space on either side of the keyboard.