Performance

 

 

 Performance

The G74SX-XA1 configuration we received comes with a Core i7-2630QM clocked at 2 GHz, which is a processor we’ve already had experience with in a number of previous gaming laptops. The performance of that part is well known (it’s outstanding). Still, through testing means looking for the unexpected, so let’s start with our typical SiSoft processor benchmarks

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These scores are roughly in tune with what was produced by similar laptops we’ve previously tested. The Maingear eX-L 15 is slightly quicker due to its Core i7-2720QM processor, clocked at 2.2 GHz, but the MSI GT680R offers nearly identical performance numbers.

Although there’s no upsets here, there doesn’t need to be. The second-gen Core i7 processors are clearly superior to any other quad-core mobile processor from Intel or AMD, so they’re a good choice for gaming laptops such as this.

Now let’s have a look at our general application benchmarks.

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Again, our processor-dependent benchmarks such as 7-Zip match the stride of the MSI GT680R and its identical processor, while the slightly upgraded Maingear eX-L 15 offers slightly better performance overall.

This trend continues in the Peacekeeper and PCMark 7 benchmarks. In Peacekeeper the MSI actually performs better than both the Maingear eX-L 15 and the ASUS G74. This is due to a custom turbo feature on the MSI which more aggressively boosts the clock speed of the processor when multiple cores are not required.

I was a little surprised to see that the PCMark 7 score was not much different from that of the MSI GT680R, as there’s a big difference between it and this laptop – the GPU. While the MSI had the older Nvidia GTX 460M, this new model has the Nvidia GTX 560M. Let’s take a closer look at how the new part performs with our gaming benchmarks.

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Our results here are somewhat mixed. In some games, such as Dawn of War 2: Retribution and Far Cry 2, there was no advantage or minimal advantage to the GTX 560M. In fact, the ASUS G74 was slightly slower than the MSI GT680R in DoW2:R, but as I’ve commented in the past, this game seems to lean heavily on processor performance. It is likely that the MSI’s custom turbo feature gave it the edge.

On the other hand, the G74 matched the GTX 485M equipped Maingear eX-L 15 in Just Cause 2 and also managed to a score about 20% higher than the MSI in 3DMark 11. This seems to suggest a theme – in more recent games and benchmarks the GTX 560M is offering a greater performance advantage than it does in older games that only use DirectX 9. Performance is still excellent even in DirectX 9 games, however – clearly, anything over 100 frames per second in Far Cry 2 is simply overkill.

Of course, most gamers won’t be playing at 1366×768 on this beast. While that resolution provides an excellent basis for comparison because it is widely supported, the 1080p panel on this laptop is there to be used. How is performance impacted when games are played at the native resolution (but detail settings remain the same)?

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Both Dawn of War 2: Retribution and Far Cry 2 still managed over 60 frames per second at the panel’s native resolution, and the former lost only a handful of frames compared to the game played at 1366×768. As I’ve mentioned in the past, Dawn of War 2: Retribution seems bound by processor performance rather than the GPU.

Just Cause 2 ran just below 60 frames per second at the lower resolution, and increasing the test to 1080p dropped about 20 additions frames. Despite this, the game remained smooth and enjoyable to play.

Now let’s have a look at one final benchmark – boot times and hibernation.

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The results here are average. The G74 booted quicker than the MSI, but did not boot more quickly than the Maingear eX-L 15, which has a commanding lead of nearly ten seconds. On the other hand, the ASUS had the best resume times of that trio.

However, the gaming laptops in general are not quick in this benchmark – the Core i5 powered Lenovo X1 boots and resumes substantially quicker than any of them.

 

 

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