Competition is good. Even more so when you're usually limited to a few options to get your gaming fix on a laptop. It's one
of the many reasons why we're happy that MSI has come to the party with their GT680 laptop.

Everything from demanding titles such as Metro 2033, Battlefield Bad Company 2 and Stalker: Call of Pripyat (along with the latest mods) ran smooth and without a hitch at full HD with all bells and whistles turned on. What's interesting is the manner in which it's done. At no point during our virtual escapades were we torn away from laying waste to unsuspecting terrorists by the usual issues that plague portable PC gaming - namely heat and noise. Not even during the most testing of firefights did the inferno extend to our lap or fingers. The heat management is excellent.

As for the noise during web browsing and typing out documents, the fans could be heard but it isn't anything that would put a damper on ~ your thoughts. During games the fans did kick ~ in to a greater degree but it didn't take away anything from the experience, thanks to the speakers. The audio on the GT680 has been i provided by Dynaudio - it might not be as well known a name as perhaps JBL but it gets the job done with aplomb.

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In addition to these, the build quality is robust. The chassis is chubby which helps keep it cool, the chiclet-styled keyboard is firm enough to get the job done with the minor gripe of not being backlit. While not having the widest of viewing angles, the screen is great for gaming head-on with some vivid colour reproduction. While the GT680 did succumb to flexing, there's nothing that keeps it from emanating the tank-like impression you get from your first few minutes of using the device.

However, it is a massive dust and fingerprint magnet. On the other hand, the battery-life is fantastic for a gaming laptop. It gave us an above average three and a half hours. All in all the GT680 is a great laptop with a sweet starting price as well. Wholly recommended if you're looking to game on the go or replace your ageing gaming PC.