MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 Review: A Mid-Range Gaming Laptop

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: At First Glance

Whenever I see an ”MSI” laptop, I know that it is a gaming laptop. Indeed, MSI has become one of the leading gaming laptop brands in the tech world.

Apparently, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 is one of the gaming laptops from this notable brand. This is a gaming laptop that offers an incredible list of amazing specs for high-end gaming.

Also, due to its price, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 seems targeted at budget gamers. Speaking of price, at the time of writing this review (May 2022), this gaming laptop had a starting price of $1,499.11 on Amazon.

Since you now have an idea about this laptop’s price, let us proceed to talk about its performance and features. Hence, kindly read on.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Design, Display, Ports, and Connectivity

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 has the same appearance as most MSI gaming laptops. In fact, if you are used to MSI laptops, you can easily identify this laptop with its usual sophisticated gaming look.

Talking about its look, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s chassis is made of plastic material with a matte-black finish. Sadly, the laptop’s plastic chassis is quite fragile, making it less durable.

Nevertheless, the matte-black finish gives the laptop’s body, including the lid, a cool look. Besides, you will find an MSI logo in catchy red color at the center of this lid.

However, that is not the only prominent feature you will find on the lid. There is also a white MSI insignia above the logo, close to the edge.

Moving on, upon opening the lid, you will come across the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s 15.6-inch display. However, while trying to open the lid, you will notice that it is almost impossible to open it with just one hand.

This is due to the sturdy dual hinges that tightly attach the lid to the laptop’s base. Hence, when trying to open the lid, it is best you use both hands.

Moreover, due to the sturdy hinges, this laptop’s lid hardly wobbles or flexes when nudged.

Going back to the laptop’s display, it comes with an FHD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. With this resolution, the display should be able to produce clear and sharp images for adequate movie experience and gaming sessions.

Moreover, this laptop’s display features an LED backlight. This LED backlight helps evenly distribute light across the display, thereby eliminating black spots in most areas.

However, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s display disappoints in terms of brightness as it delivers a peak brightness of 258 nits. Due to this, this gaming laptop might not be good for usage outdoors or in well-lit areas, as the display will be affected by reflection.

Having said that, let us now talk about the contrast ratio of the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s 15.6-inch display. In case you do not know what that means, I will give a brief explanation below.

In short, the contrast ratio simply describes the differences between the darkest areas of the display and the brightest areas. Furthermore, a high contrast ratio, which is preferable, will make the differences between the bright and dark portions noticeable.

This will also ensure that the dark areas or blacks on the display will be very deep and rich. Sadly, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s display has a poor contrast ratio of 478:1, which is far below the acceptable value of 1000:1.

As a result, blacks on the display tend to look grayish. Hence, movies with lots of dark or shadowy scenes might not be enjoyable on this gaming laptop.

We have said a few things about the display and can now proceed to other parts of the laptop. However, it is difficult to leave the display area without noticing the bulky bezels surrounding it.

Nevertheless, on the top bezel, you will find the laptop’s HD (720p) camera, which works decently for selfies and video conference calls. Meanwhile, the bottom bezel bears an MSI insignia with a white finish.

Proceeding to the base, you will love the SteelSeries keyboard that the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 features. SteelSeries keyboards are designed specifically for gaming laptops to deliver an ultimate gaming experience through their function keys.

Moreover, the SteelSeries keyboard on this laptop has a red backlight that illuminates the keys. Hence, thanks to this backlight feature, you should be able to use the keyboard in dark areas.

Another advantage of the red backlight is that it beautifies the keyboard and adds to the laptop’s overall gaming aesthetics. Still on the keyboard, it is comfortable to type on thanks to its long key travel, which ensures typing accuracy.

In case you are wondering what key travel means, it is the distance between the resting position of a key to full depression.

That said, underneath this keyboard, you will find the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s touchpad with dedicated click buttons. The touchpad is responsive and accurate, thanks to its smooth surface.

Also, the dedicated click buttons are quite impressive, with nice feedback.

Now, let us proceed to the sides of the laptop, where you will find the ports. To begin with, the right side of this laptop houses a charging port, one USB 2.0 port, and an SD card slot.

On the other hand, the left side of the laptop features two USB 3.0 ports and one USB 3.0 Type-C port. That’s not all; this laptop’s left side also comes with one HDMI port and an Ethernet port.

Meanwhile, when it comes to wireless connectivity, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 features Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 802.11 ac. With Bluetooth, you can connect the laptop to other Bluetooth-enabled devices and transfer media files.

Likewise, the WiFi feature gives the laptop access to the internet when connected to a WiFi network that has access to the internet.

On the rear of the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407, you will find ventilating grills. These grills are important for circulating air in and out of the laptop.

Therefore, during long gaming sessions, the laptop should keep it cool without getting too hot.

At the bottom of the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407, you will find four 2W speakers. These speakers are fairly loud, and they produce a considerable amount of bass.

However, since the speakers are located at the bottom of the laptop, the sound produced gets muffled. Hence, to enjoy the best sound quality from this laptop, I recommend you use headphones or external speakers.

At this point, let us discuss the laptop’s weight and the dimension. The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 weighs 2200 g and measures 383 x 260 x 22 – 29 mm (W x D x H).

Clearly, this laptop isn’t lightweight or slim. However, compared to most of its competitors, it is slimmer and less heavy.

For example, the Acer Nitro 5 weighs 2700 g and measures 390 x 266 x 26.75 mm (W x D x H).

In conclusion, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 is a nice-looking gaming laptop, even though its chassis is fragile due to its plastic build. Moreover, the laptop features a decent FHD display and a red-backlit keyboard with comfy keys.

Based on these, I will be rating the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 a nine out of ten in this design section of the review.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Processor (CPU) Performance

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 comes with an Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor. The Intel Core i5-7300HQ is a quad-core processor with a base frequency of 2.50 GHz.

Furthermore, this processor has a boost frequency of 3.50 GHz and a 6 MB cache memory. Moreover, the Intel Core i5-7300HQ is a high-end and fast processor – it should be able to handle most computing tasks and intensive gaming efficiently.

To further prove the laptop’s processor’s performance, let us now discuss its result on the Cinebench R15 benchmark test. In brief, Cinebench R15 evaluates a computer’s processor by measuring how well it can perform when its cores are in use.

Thus, the test is categorized into two tests. These tests are the single-core test and the multi-core test.

For your information, the single-core test evaluates the processor’s performance when using one of its cores to perform tasks. Meanwhile, the multi-core test evaluates the processor’s performance when using all of its cores to perform tasks.

You should be aware that the higher the score on these tests, the better the processor’s performance. So, according to the results from the test, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 obtained a score of 513 points on the multi-core test.

However, on the single-core test, the laptop scored 142 points. In comparison, this laptop has almost identical scores as the MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ, which uses the same processor.

Specifically, the MSI PL62 MX150 7300HQ scored 511 points on the Cinebench R15 multi-core test. Meanwhile, on the single-core test, it scored 142 points, just like the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407.

All in all, I will be rating the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 an eight out of ten in this processor section of the review.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Memory (RAM) Performance

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 features a DDR4 memory type. Also, the laptop supports a maximum memory of 32 GB and comes with a standard memory of 8 GB.

Moreover, the laptop comes with two memory slots for memory expansion. For the sake of this review article, I will evaluate the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 with 16 GB RAM.

With this amount of memory, this gaming laptop should be able to handle most applications and high-end games. Not just that, the laptop should also be able to multitask effectively.

Speaking of which, you will be able to open about 20 Chrome tabs simultaneously on the laptop without slowing down. Moreover, while these tabs are opened, you can also stream YouTube videos and switch between them without the laptop lagging.

To better understand the laptop’s performance with 16 GB RAM, I will be sharing its PCMark 8 test result. For clarity, PCMark 8 is a benchmark test that evaluates a computer’s overall performance.

Apparently, a computer’s memory is a big factor in determining the overall performance of a computer. Moreover, on the PCMark 8 test, a high score means better performance.

Therefore, at the end of the PCMark 8 test, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 delivered a score of 3899 points. In comparison, the MSI GL62-6QFi781H11 scored 3603 points on the same test, which is lesser than the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s score.

However, the ASUS Strix GL502VM-FY039T performed better, scoring a massive 4741 points.

All things considered, I will be rating the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 an eight out of ten in this memory review section.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Storage Options and Performance

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 comes with an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD. The maximum storage capacity you can get on this laptop is 256 GB.

Honestly, a storage space of 256 GB is too small for a gaming laptop. In fact, there are some high-end games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, that requires over 200 GB of storage space before installation.

Hence, downloading one of such games on the laptop will exhaust its storage space. Thus, for adequate storage space, I suggest you purchase an external hard drive.

Moreover, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 features a 2-in-1 card reader, which can be used for storage expansion. Besides, because the laptop features SSD, it should offer a fast storage speed, boot time, and file transfer speed.

For insights into how fast this laptop’s storage is, I will be sharing its result in a CrystalDiskMark test. This test is a benchmark test that measures the read and write speed of a computer’s storage drive.

If you don’t know, read and write speed refers to how fast a computer’s storage drive can open and save files respectively. Moreover, on the CrystalDiskMark test, the higher the “MBps” value, the faster the read and write speed of the computer’s storage drive.

So, on the benchmark test, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 recorded a sequential read speed of 501 MBps. Also, it recorded a sequential write speed of 483.9 MBps.

In comparison, the HP 250 G5 SP, which also uses SSD, delivered a read speed of 509 MBps and a write speed of 322.1 MBps. Also, the Dell Latitude 15-3570, which also uses SSD, delivered a read speed of 453.2 MBps and a write speed of 137.7 MBps.

Therefore, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s SSD is faster than the HP 250 G5 SP’s SSD and Dell Latitude 15-3570‘s SSD.

In conclusion, it is quite sad that the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 has limited storage space. However, its storage speed is impressive and faster than most of its competitors.

Due to these, I will be rating the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 an eight out of ten in this storage review section.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Graphics Card Performance

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 comes with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card. This graphics card has a base frequency of 1354 MHz and a boost frequency of 1455 MHz.

Furthermore, as a dedicated graphics card, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 features a 2 GB GDDR5 VRAM (video RAM). Therefore, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 should be able to handle most graphics-intensive applications like Adobe Photoshop.

Also, the laptop will be able to run some high-end games smoothly. Speaking of games, while playing Tomb Raider (2013), the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 should be able to deliver 170.3 fps (frame per second).

Also, the laptop is capable of playing Dirt Rally (2015) at 88.4 fps. Moreover, it might impress you to know this laptop should be able to deliver these frame rates while playing the games at a high graphics setting.

For more understanding of the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s graphics performance, I will share its 3DMark test result. In case you don’t know, 3DMark measures a computer’s ability to render 3D graphics. 

Just like every other benchmark test in this article, a higher score on this test means a good graphics performance. With that in mind, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 scored 39,824 points on the benchmark test.

In comparison, the ASUS Strix GL753VD-GC045T delivered a score of 35,884 points on the same benchmark test. However, the Acer Aspire VX5-591G-D0DD outperformed the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407, scoring a massive 48,626 points.

It is worth noting that the laptops in this comparison also use NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics cards.

In conclusion, the performances of the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 during gaming and on a benchmark test are impressive. Hence, I will be rating the laptop an eight out of ten in this graphics card review section.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407: Battery Life and Performance

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 comes with a 6-Cell 41 WHr Li-ion battery. Sadly, MSI did not specify how long this laptop’s battery can last on a full charge.

However, according to a web surfing test conducted by notebookcheck.com, the battery lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes. For your information, this test involves continuously surfing the web over a WiFi network until the laptop dies.

Also, during the test, the laptop’s display brightness must be set to 150 nits. That aside, on a video playback test – streaming a movie repeatedly on the laptop until it dies – the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 delivered a battery life of 3 hours and 37 minutes.

Comparatively, the MSI GL62-6QFi781H11 delivered a battery life of 3 hours and 3 minutes on the same video playback test. Thus, even though the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407’s battery life isn’t good, it is longer than that of one of its competitors.

All in all, to conclude this battery life review section, I will rate the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 a seven out of ten.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

The MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 is a gaming laptop with a remarkable overall performance. Also, thanks to its high-end hardware, this laptop can be used for other purposes aside from gaming.

Furthermore, this laptop has a nice design as well as a good number of ports. Also, the laptop’s display and keyboard are some other areas that are commendable.

However, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 is not without flaws. Some of its flaws include poor battery life and limited storage space.

Nevertheless, for a gaming laptop that costs less than $1500, the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407 delivers an incredible performance. Hence, if you need a decent gaming laptop that isn’t overly priced, you should opt for the MSI GL62M 7RD-1407.

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