Derek’s normally the go-to guy for MSI laptops around here , but this time around I’ve spent a few days with the 2019 update of the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin gaming ultraportable, the higher specked 8SG version based on RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics, and gathered all my impressions down below.
I’m not as familiar with MSI notebooks, but I do have a lot of experience with thin-and-lights in general, so can compare it to the other options that I’ve reviewed in our previous articles.
The 2019 GS65 is pretty much a hardware update of last year’s model, with the same build, keyboard, IO, battery, cooling or display, but with RTX graphics, 2666 MHz memory, NVMe storage out-of-the-box, and a redesigned clickpad. That’s why we’re mostly going to focus on the performance of this new generation in this review and how it compares to the older GTX models, as well as the other RTX thin-and-lights, so we’ll often refer to our previous review for details on the aspects that haven’t suffered changes.
I’ll also mention that our review unit was offered by MSI and was returned to them once the article was published. It’s a retail version, identical to the ones available in stores, and we’re testing it just days after its release (early Feb 2019), thus certain aspects might improve with more mature drivers and future software updates.
Specs as reviewed
MSI Stealth Thin GS65 8SG
Screen 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 px, IPS equivalent, 144 Hz, matte
Processor Intel 8th Gen Coffee Lake i7-8750H CPU, hexa-core 2.2 GHz (4.1 GHz boost)
Video Intel HD 630 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
Memory 16 GB DDR4 2666Mhz (2×8 GB DIMMs)
Storage 512 GB M.2 NVMe (Samsung PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ) + empty M.2 slot, both support PCIe x4
Connectivity Killer Wireless-AC 1550i, Bluetooth 5.0, Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet
Ports 3x USB-A 3.1 gen2, 1x USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.0, mini-DP, mic, earphone, RJ45 Lan, Kensington Lock
Battery 80 Wh, 230 W charger
Size 358 mm or 14.08” (w) x 248 mm or 9.75” (d) x 17.5 mm or .69” (h)
Weight 1.89 kg (4.17 lbs), .89 kg (1.96) for the charger, EU version
Extras individually lit RGB keyboard, large clickpad, HD webcam, stereo speakers
This generation of the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin is available in multiple configurations, with various amounts of RAM/storage and either RTX 2060 , RTX 2070 Max-Q or RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics. They share all their traits, so the majority of this article applies to any of the versions you might be interested in.
Design and first look On the outside, the 2019 update of the MSI GS65 is identical to the 2018 model, that means the design, materials and build haven’t changed. For the most part this remains a stylish, practical and well-made laptop, however, it still creaks and rattles all over the place, both when grabbed and lifted, and when pressing on the lid-cover, palm-rest and the perforated grill at the top of the keyboard.
MSI’s reps claim they’ve added some interior reinforcements that are supposed to improve the screen and main chassis rigidity, but I haven’t personally reviewed the 2018 GS65 so I don’t have an exact reference for comparison. I’m still looking for clarifications from my MSI contact, but as far as I can tell, there’s only some flex in the lid and very little in the keyboard-deck, yet the creaks are still there.
Nonetheless, aside from these creaks and perhaps the DC-in placement in the middle of the right edge, there’s very little I don’t like about this laptop, and even the creaks can be partially muffled with some fine tweaking that’s explained in this article, were we also talk about the laptop’s other design and build traits . I find it rather hard to accept these creaks in a $2000+ laptop, knowing how most of the other options feel, even if the GS65 is one of the more affordable devices in its segment and those sturdier built alternatives are usually more expensive. Even so, I don’t think the build is a deal-breaker, as long as you’re aware of the issues and don’t expect MacBook or Blade like sturdiness.
I’ll also add that there’s still no finger-sensor on our unit. Certain configurations of the 2018 GS65 offered a finger-sensor integrated within the power button, but as far as I can tell this hasn’t spread to all the 2019 updates, which is a pity, as IR cameras are also not an option, so you’ll have to stick to typing your password each time you log into Windows.
Keyboard and trackpad The Steelseries keyboard on the GS65 is different than the ones on the larger MSI gaming laptops, with slightly larger 16 x 16 mm key-caps and at the same time shorter strokes, at 1.4 mm deep.
The feedback is pretty good though, once you get used to it. I had to adapt to the fact that the keys require a fairly firm hit in order to actuate, unlike the shallower keys on most other ultra-portables, which lead to some missed strokes at first. On the other hand, this is quite forgiving and will register hits even when pressing a key on its sides.
There’s also no flex in the keyboard’s deck, and the layout is pretty good, with well-sized directional keys and an extra set of Function keys at the right, assigned to Home/End and PgUp and PgDn. MSI even placed the Windows key on the right side this time around, unlike on most of their other laptops.
On the other hand, I do find this a bit chattery when typing quickly, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on typing at the library or in other very quiet places. The font could also be a love/hate option for some of you, as it’s unlike the standard fonts other OEMs put on the laptops. I like it though, and I also like that both the main and the secondary function of each key are backlit.
Speaking of that, this keyboard gets individually controlled backlit keys, with some bright RGB LEDs beneath each key. There’s plenty of customization options in the included Steelseries app, and I like how pressing FN shuts-off all the other keys except those with an associated command, a neat Easter-egg of MSI laptops.
As a side note, quite a few people have been complaining about a specific keyboard issue on the 2018 GS65 , with the Fn, Win and Enter keys not working properly after a while. This has been addressed on the later 2018 models and the 2019 update, so is no longer something you should potentially worry about.
The clickpad is brand new on the 2019 update of the MSI GS65, much larger than the one on the 2018 version, and as far as I can tell, made out of glass. Aside from the size, it’s a pretty standard clickpad with Precision drivers and works well.
I haven’t noticed any quirks with daily use, either with swipes, taps or the standard gestures (two fingers for scrolling, navigating back/forward in browser, three fingers for minimizing windows, etc), and even the physical clicks are pretty good and quiet, just be aware that only the lower half of the surface depresses, so you’ll have to press towards the bottom corners for the clicks to register properly.
Bottom point this a good keyboard/clickpad combo. There’s no NumPad though, and unfortunately, no biometrics. You can also find Derek’s impressions about the keyboard on his GS65 over here .
Screen The 2019 GS65 gets a matte 15.6-inch IPS AHVA panel with FHD resolution and 144 Hz refresh rate. It’s the B156HAN08.0 panel from AU Optronics that was also available on the 2018 version and that’s used, in different variations, on many other 15-inch gaming laptops of the moment.
MSI’s variant is good-enough for daily use as long as you plan to use your laptop indoors, as its maximum brightness is rather low, and on top of that our sample suffered from some uneven illumination as well, with the upper half being dimmer than the top. Unfortunately this aspect, as well as light bleeding, are fairly random and have been reported by reviewers and various GS65 buyers in the past, thus my advice is to buy from a place that allows returns and just ask for a refund if you draw the short stick. We kind of did here, as Derek got a better panel on his model .
Nonetheless, we could not spot the unevenness with the naked eye, and even the bleeding was barely noticeable on dark backgrounds and high brightness settings.
Here’s what we got on ours, according to our Spyder4 sensor:
Panel HardwareID: AU Optronics AUO80ED (B156HAN08.0);
Coverage: 97% sRGB, 71% NTSC, 75% AdobeRGB;
Measured gamma: 2.2;
Max brightness in the middle of the screen: 240 cd/m2 on power;
Contrast at max brightness: 730:1
White point: 7400 K;
Black on max brightness: 0.33 cd/m2.
PWM: No;
Response time: 7 ms advertised, 12.7 ms GtG.
The panel is fairly well calibrated out of the box, but you can use this calibrated profile to fix the White point and gray-level imbalances.
Either way, this is nonetheless the kind of screen you’ll primarily benefit from when playing games, with the fast response times and high refresh rates. It’s not bad for daily use either, as long as you get acceptable amounts of bleeding on your sample. On the other hand, this might not cut it for you if you plan to use your device in bright environments, and there are other options with brighter FHD 144 Hz screens . There are also similar laptops with more color accurate and sharper 4K 60 Hz panels, but those should only be an option if gaming is not your top priority, as gaming at higher refresh rates is much smoother than at 60 Hz, even without GSync.
And yes, there’s no GSync on this laptop. GSync is definitely a nice thing to have on a gaming laptop, but not a requirement once you get a high-refresh rate panel, and it also helps keep the price down and leaves room for Optimus, thus longer battery life. Nonetheless, if a thin-and-light gaming laptop with GSync and RTX graphics is what you crave for, you’ll find it in the Acer Predator Triton 500 , which also gets a more evenly-lit and brighter variant of the AU Optronics 144 Hz FHD screen, as well as in the Asus ROG Zephrus GX531 .
Hardware and performance Our test model is the higher-end configuration of the MSI GS65 Stealth Thin, the 8GS variant with the Core i7-8750H processor, 16 GB of RAM in dual channel, the RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics chip and a 512 GB M.2 NVMe SSD.
Before we proceed to talk about its behavior and performance you should know that our review unit is a retail model, but with early drivers from Nvidia (Version 418.81), thus some of the aspects covered in this section might improve/change with later-on updates and tweaks.
Our configurations came with 2x 8GB memory sticks, which work in dual channel, as well as a fast Samsung PM981 M.2 NVMe SSD. There are two M.2 slots inside this laptop, but both the RAM slots and the storage are hidden behind the motherboard and require complete disassembly to access.
That means you’ll have to remove the bottom panel, which is the simple part, then disconnect the battery and various ribbons, remove the motherboard and flip it over to get to them. The entire process is illustrated in this video , and like Derek mentioned in his article , if you don’t feel comfortable going through this process and don’t want to void warranty (there’s a warranty sticker on top of one of the screws, so removing the back panel will void warranty in some regions), you could order the configuration you want from a specialized retailer, which could also repaste the components for you. That’s actually recommended on thin-and-light laptops and will help reduce CPU/GPU temperatures in demanding loads, as well as improve performance.
On to the elephants in the room, the GS65 is built on the six-core Coffee Lake Core i7-8750H, just like the 2018 models, but gets Nvidia Turing graphics. MSI offers it with either RTX 2060, 2070 Max-Q and RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics, and we got the latter version here. As with most 2080 Max-Q chips, this implementation gets a 735 MHz Core Speed, but with the ability to Turbo up to 1590 MHz as long as the thermals allow it.
We’ll get to that in a second, but first, here’s what to expect in terms of performance and temperatures with daily use.
We test the CPU’s behavior in demanding loads by running Cinebench R15 for 10+ times in a loop, with 2-3 sec delay between each run, which simulates a 100% load on all the cores. As with all modern CPUs, the first runs return high scores, but then they settle a little lower as the CPU heats-up and can no longer maintain its maximum Turbo speeds for more than a few seconds.
The included Dragon Center software offers several CPU profiles, and we opted for the highest-performance option: Sport, alongside the Auto fan setting. Out of the box, our sample settles for a TDP of 45 W, frequencies of 3.2-3.3 GHz, scores of around 1050 points and CPU temperatures of around 85 degrees Celsius. Details below.
Those are pretty high temperatures, and they’re mostly due to the passive Auto fan profile, which keeps the fans at low speeds, but sacrifices thermals and performance to some degree. That’s a known issue with the Dragon Center app, and most users will probably have to create a custom fan curve in the app in order to get the performance when needed, but at the same time quiet fans with daily use.
Still, for the purpose of our tests, we kept the fans on Auto and proceeded to undervolt the CPU, which proved perfectly stable at -150 mV. In this case, the review unit settled at a similar TDP of 45 W, frequencies of 3.6-3.8 GHz, scores of around 1170 points and high CPU temperatures of around 90 degrees Celsius.
That still leaves a little bit of room at the top, as the CPU can in theory run at constant Turbo Speeds of 3.9 GHz. To get there we switched the fans on Cooler Boost, which better cools the CPU and lower temperatures to around 80 degrees Celsius, but while in this case thermals are no longer a concern, Power Limit Throttling kicks in and in the end the CPU can only run at 3.7 – 3.9 GHz, returning Cinebench scores of around 1200 points. Of course, the fans are also very noisy on this setting, at about 56-57 dB at head level, so you’ll either have to use headphones or manually tweak their profile.
Performance on battery is pretty good as well, Cinebench returning scores of around 1000 points on the default profile with the fans an Auto, and higher on the undervolted settings.
Next we’ve included a set of benchmarks, for those of you interested in numbers. We ran them on the standard out-of-the-box profile, with the Sport mode selected in Dragon Center and fans on Auto:
3DMark 11: 19299 (Graphics – 25016, Physics – 11471);3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 16101 (Graphics – 18603, Physics – 14983);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 6949 (Graphics – 7185, CPU – 5859);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX) Graphics: 3999;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 4535;PCMark 10: 5447;PassMark: Rating: 6111, CPU mark: 14686, 3D Graphics Mark: 12949;GeekBench 3.4.2 32-bit: Single-Core: 4007, Multi-core: 22215;GeekBench 4.1.1 64-bit: Single-Core: 4887, Multi-core: 22082;CineBench R15 (best run): OpenGL 98.10 fps, CPU 1157 cb, CPU Single Core 170 cb;x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 204.23 fps, Pass 2 – 68.06 fps.
We also ran some of them on the -150 mV undervolted CPU profile, paired with the Cooler Boost fan profile from Dragon Center, which we’ll further name the Tweaked profile. Here’s what we got:
3DMark 13 – Fire Strike: 16544 (Graphics – 18775, Physics – 14486);3DMark 13 – Time Spy: 7376 (Graphics – 7517, CPU – 6669);3DMark 13 – Port Royal (RTX) Graphics: 4197;Uniengine Superposition – 1080p Extreme: 4743;GeekBench 4 64-bit: Single-Core:4974, Multi-core: 22271;CineBench R15 (best run): OpenGL 96.64 fps, CPU 1219 cb, CPU Single Core 171 cb;x264 HD Benchmark 4.0 32-bit: Pass 1 – 205.86 fps, Pass 2 – 77.01 fps.
The Dragon Center app doesn’t allow any GPU overclocking, and while we tried to boost up the Core speeds with MSI Afterburner, we were not able to get a stable profile even with a small 50 MHz boost. That’s not necessarily an issue though, given the fact that these RTX chips are already thermally constrained and cannot run at their maximum Turbo Speeds in most scenarios anyway, especially in real life gaming. Overclocking the GPU would lead to improved benchmarks results, but with real-life gaming undervolting the CPU helps a lot more in my opinion than a potential GPU overclock, as it allows the CPU to run cooler and leaves extra thermal room for the GPU (the two share an interlinked cooling solution), which translates in higher GPU performance.
We’ve tested that in the benchmarks above, but also in games. We ran a couple of games representative for DX11, DX12 and Vulkan architectures, both on the Standard and the Tweaked profiles. Here’s what we got.
FHD Standard FHD Tweaked
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Ray-Tracing OFF) 98 fps
112 fps
Battlefield V (DX 12, Ultra Preset, Ray-Tracing ON) 55 fps
62 fps
Doom (Vulkan, Ultra Preset, TSSAA) 131 fps
135 fps
Far Cry 5 (DX 11, Ultra Preset, SMAA) 98 fps
102 fps
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (DX 11, Ultra Preset) 172 fps
176 fps
Rise of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Very High Preset, FXAA) 92 fps
100 fps
Shadow of Tomb Raider (DX 12, Highest Preset, TAA) 84 fps
88 fps
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (DX 11, Ultra Preset, Haiworks On) 92 fps
96 fps
Battlefield V, The Witcher 3, Doom – recorded with Fraps/in-game FPS counter in campaign mode;
Far Cry 5, Middle Earth, Tomb Raider games – recorded with the included Benchmark utilities.
Battlefield V is still the only title that supports RTX at this time, and as expected the performance takes a serious hit when activated.
Compared to the other RTX 2080 Max-Q laptops we’ve previously tested, the MSI GS65 falls behind on the default profile, mostly because the slow Auto fan profile is unable to cool the CPU and GPU, and as a result the RTX chip clocks down in order to prevent overheating.
The results get a lot better on the Tweaked profile, with the CPU and GPU running both cooler and at higher frequencies. However, as mentioned already though, the fans spin loudly once on Cooler Boost, so you’ll have to use headphones.
Running games on the undervolted profile, but while keeping the fans on Auto, results in higher temperatures and reduces performance, as illustrated in the picture below (compare it to the Cooler Boost variant in the set above).
Last but not least, gaming on battery offers limited performance, as both the CPU and GPU are only able to run at reduced frequencies.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Predator Triton 500 tested a while ago remains the better performer in this class among the laptops we’ve reviewed, but the GS65 comes within a few percents and runs several degrees cooler, both on the interior and at the case level. of course, repasting the CPU/GPU should further improve this laptop’s behavior in demanding loads. Derek’s article includes a performance/temperature comparison between various pasting methods he’s tried on his device, and repasting with a proper compound sure pays off.
Even so, the RTX 2080 Max-Q with stock paste and the aforementioned Tweaked profile was able to outmatch last year’s GTX 1070 Max-Q model by a fair bit, as you can see below.
Benchmarks GS65 – RTX 2080 Max-Q OC GS65 – GTX 1070 Max-Q OC
3DMark – FireStrike Graphics 18775
16027
3DMark – TimeSpy Graphics 7517
–
3DMark – Port Royal 4282
–
Passmark 3D Graphics 13350
–
Uniengine Superposition 4767
–
Doom – Ultra ~135 fps (72 C CPU, 69 C GPU)
105-120 fps (82 C CPU, 79 C GPU)
Witcher 3 – Ultra ~92 fps (75 C CPU, 70 C GPU)
58-72 fps (83 C CPU, 75 C GPU)
Other RTX 2080 Max-Q implementations score above 20000 in 3DMark Graphics, and slightly better in games as well, so there’s some room for improvement for the 2019 GS65. Keep in mind that MSI offers no OC profile for the GPU, and we could not overclock it with Afterburner either, while other OEMs do offer an OC profile that leads to better benchmarks results. You’ll also fins a few more side by side benchmarks of the 2018 and 2019 GS65s in this article .
Potential buyers should not forget that the GTX 1070 versions of the GS65 are now available for as low as $1800, while the RTX 2080 model sells for $2800, so when it comes to performance for the buck, there’s better value in the older models, at least for now. We’ll further talk about that in the Conclusions section down below.
Emissions (noise, heat), Connectivity and speakers The MSI GS65 actually gets a fairly simple cooling design when compared to most other thin-and-lights in its category, with three fans, but a simpler array of heatpipes. One of these fans is mostly in charge of cooling the CPU, and the other two take care of the GPU, with one thinner heatpipe interlinked between them.
I was not allowed to tear up the laptop, so the picture below is from this other review of the GS65 , which you should check out for a second opinion.
This does a fairly good job at keeping the components at bay, but as already mentioned throughout the article, the Auto fan profile active by default favors reduced noise over performance, and as a result the GS65 runs hot and performs rather poorly out of the box in demanding loads. That’s why you’ll have to either use Cooler Boost when gaming, or create a personalized fan profile from the Dragon Center app. As a heads-up, the fans ramp to about 51-52 dB at head level on the Auto profile, and 56-57 dB on Cooler Boost, both loud enough that you’ll need headphones to cover them up.
With daily use, the GPU fans shut off on the Auto profile, but you can also turn off the CPU’s fan as well with that custom profile, allowing for a quiet daily use experience. There was no electronic noise on our unit, but that’s not a guarantee you won’t get some with yours, given how coil whine is a widespread issue with modern computers.
As far as outer-shell temperatures go, our GS65 ran cool with daily use (on the Auto fan profile), but very hot with gaming. The images below show that actually switching the fans to Cooler Boost helps lower the temperatures by a few degrees, while significantly improving performance when corroborated with the other tweaks, as shown in the previous section.
*Daily Use, fans on Auto – Netflix clip in EDGE for 30 minutes *Load Default, fans on Auto (~51-52 dB) – playing FarCry 5 for approximately 30+ minutes on ultra FHD settings *Load Tweaked Mode, fans on Cooler Boost (~56 dB) – playing FarCry 5 for approximately 30+ minutes on ultra FHD settings
For connectivity, there’s Wireless AC and Bluetooth on this laptop, through a Killer 1550i implementation of the popular Intel AC 9560 module, but also Gigabit Lan through a Killer E2500 module. We’ve mostly used our unit on wireless and it performed well, offering stable signal strength and good speeds both near the router and at 30+ feet, with walls in between. We did run into some issues with the Killer driver out of the box, the kind that caused the connection to disconnect, but it went away after updating the drivers.
As far as audio goes, there’s a set of rather small and down-facing speakers on this laptop, placed in the corners. They’re loud for their size though, at about 83 dB at head level, don’t distort at high volumes and don’t sound that bad either, despite the fact that they greatly lack in bass. The audio jack on the other hand is pretty good, and MSI’s Nahimic software is there to help tweak out the output if you want to.
As for the camera, there’s nothing special about it. It’s placed at the top of the screen, flanked by microphones, and takes rather washed out images even in well-lit rooms. In the dark, it’s mediocre at best, just like you’d expect from a laptop camera.
Battery life MSI puts an 80 Wh battery inside the 15-inch GS65 Stealth Thin, which is about average for its class. With Optimus on board though this actually lasts for a fair while on a charge, as long as you don’t game, of course.
Here’s what we got on our review unit, with the screen set at 40% brightness, roughly 120 nits.
16 W (~5 h of use) – text editing in Google Drive, Better Battery Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;12 W (~6 h 30 min of use) – 1080p Youtube fullscreen in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;12 W (~6 h 30 min of use) – 1080p Netflix fullscreen video in Edge, Better Battery Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;12 W (~6 h 30 min of use) – 4K fullscreen .mkv video in the Movie app, Better Battery Mode, screen at 30%, Wi-Fi ON;26 W (~3 h of use) – browsing in Edge, Better Performance Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON;54 W (~1 h 30 min of use) – Gaming – Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Maximum Performance Mode, screen at 40%, Wi-Fi ON.
The laptop charges via a standard barrel-plug and this configuration is bundled with an adequately sized 230W charger, while lower-end versions will get a smaller and lighter 180 W brick. A full charge takes over 2 hours, and this laptop cannot charge via USB-C.
Price and availability The 2019 update of the MSI GS65 is available in stores as of the end of January 2019, with prices starting at around $2800 in the US for the RTX 2080 Max-Q models.
Lower end versions with RTX 2060 and RTX 2070 Max-Q graphics are also available, starting at $2100.
These prices will drop in the months to come, so follow this link for updated prices and configurations at the time you’re reading the article .
Final thoughts The 2019 iteration of the GS65 is pretty much a hardware bump of last year’s model, with a few minor refinements on the side. It builds on the strong points of the 2018 generation , keeping the design, IO, keyboard, screen, and battery-size, but at the same time does not majorly improve on that crucial aspect many have been complaining about: the build quality. The outer case and chassis still creak, which is hard to accept in such an expensive product. It also gets a fairly dim screen, and if you’re unlucky like we were, you might even draw the short stick and get uneven backlighting and light bleeding.
In the end, the hardware remains the major factor that sets the two generations apart. Both GS65 models struggle with performance out of the box, but at the same time both handle games and demanding loads well once tweaked.
Ray Tracing is still in its infancy and not enough on its own to justify paying for an RTX laptop, but the RTX 2080 update also performs better in regular games. However, our tests show that the gains are within 15-20% in benchmarks and games, which again might not be enough to justify its high pricing. Potential buyers should, however, consider the fact that the RTX models run cooler than the GTX variants as well, both at the hardware level and on the outside, which corroborated with the performance boost, the future proofness of RTX chips and future price drops, could just push them in pole position later this year. I’m also curious about how the RTX 2070 variant performs, it might actually be the better value of the RTX configurations, at $400 beneath the 2080 model.
Bottom point, the 2019 MSI GS65 is the same laptop as last year, but with faster graphics, cooler thermals, a new clickpad and a significant price bump. It should have what it takes to become one of the most popular options in its segment, just like its predecessor, as while significantly more expensive than the GTX models from 2018, it still remains one of the more affordable RTX thin-and-lights. It will nonetheless face fierce competition, both from the new and similarly priced Acer Predator Triton 500 , but also from the more expensive and better-crafted alternatives like the Razer Blade 15 Advanced , Gigabyte Aero 15 Y9 or Asus ROG Zephyrus GX531 , each with their own share of pros and quirks.
That wraps up our review of the 2019 MSI GS65 Stealth Thin 8SG. Hope this was helpful, and I’m looking forward for your thoughts, comments, and questions in the section down below.
Review by: Andrei Girbea
Andrei Girbea is a Writer and Editor-in-Chief here at Ultrabookreview.com . I write about mobile technology, laptops and computers in general. I've been doing it for more than 15 years now. I'm a techie with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. I mostly write reviews and thorough guides here on the site, with some occasional columns and first-impression articles.
David
February 16, 2019 at 11:08 am
Great review. In your opinion in the new GS65 the best 15 inch 2080 maxi laptop or the Zephrus/ Razer Blade Advanced?
Andrei Girbea
February 16, 2019 at 11:42 am
Not sure yet. We're still working on the reviews of the Blade 15 and the Zephryus 15. Each has their own particularities though, those, the GS65, the Triton and the Aero, so there's no BEST one, just one that could better cater to each one's needs.
David
February 16, 2019 at 11:45 am
Thanks for the reply. I’ve read the Blade will have better performance and be optimised for that. I’m after ultimate gaming performance overall.
Could you give me an idea of particularities of the ones you’ve seen so far?
Andrei Girbea
February 16, 2019 at 12:09 pm
I think you should go through the reviews on the site for that.
Our articles on the Blade and Zephyrus should be available in the near future, and we'll know which performs best at that point. From what we've tested so far, the Triton 500 come at the top as the best performer RTX 2080 max-q option, however, we had a pre-release model and final units might be clocked lower, in order to cope with temperatures and noise. Bottom point, give us a week or two and we'll be able to answer which is the best performer. Right now we can't, yet :)
Esteban B
March 1, 2019 at 7:36 am
Can't wait for your Razer Blade 15 2019 review! One thing I would love you to take into consideration with that laptop if you have the chance, is the Coil Whine issue a lot of people have been complaining about with the 2019 Blade 15. No review has talked about it, even if it is non existing, but many users are reporting lots of issues with that (and sincerely that's the only thing stopping me to consider it personally at the moment until there is official word).
If you have the time to report on that too that would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
Alex
February 17, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Interesting and on point review of the GS65. However I have already bought the GS65 2060 RTX. Do you thin it is a major difference between the 2070 and 2060 rtx models?
Andrei Girbea
February 17, 2019 at 4:21 pm
I can't tell for sure, but I'd be inclined to say not really. 2060 configurations are most likely the better value of all the available options, as long as you don't care much about Ray Tracing in games
Alex
February 17, 2019 at 4:28 pm
Thanks
Andrei Girbea
February 17, 2019 at 4:32 pm
Do you plan to run any benchmarks, perhaps 3Dmark, uniengine? If yes, can you share the results? It would help others interested in the 2060 model.
Alex
February 17, 2019 at 4:34 pm
I am more than open to share them once I get the laptop on Tuesday.
Andrei Girbea
February 17, 2019 at 4:39 pm
Cool, I'll send you an email and we can further talk there. Thanks
ratcashh
February 17, 2019 at 7:21 pm
How come noone talks about Lenovo Y740 as a competitor for these gaming laptops? Price wise they beat everything else hands down. Cooling is very good. The only issue is the smaller battery… Only if Lenovo offered to use M2 instead of the 2nd HDD and putting in a bigger battery…
Andrei Girbea
February 17, 2019 at 8:35 pm
Hardware wise, yes, it is. But the Y740 is a little thicker and heavier, and it's not as nicely made, so it's more of a competitor for the likes of the Asus ROG Strix GL504 and perhaps MSI GS63 Raider imo. The GS65, Razer Blade, Gigabyte Aero, Asus Zephyrus, Acer Triton etc are in different class.
ratcashh
February 17, 2019 at 8:54 pm
Nicely made, maybe, but that is subjective. Build quality is very strong, though, on the Lenovo.
Weight is 2.2Kg which is almost on par with the Aero 15 X9. The only difference is 17mm more depth (250 vs 267mm) and 3.5mm more height (18.9mm vs 22.45mm). Hardly noticeable. The significant difference is the weight of the power brick. 0.9Kg (with cables) of Lenovo, vs ??? of the MSI?
Andrei Girbea
February 17, 2019 at 9:03 pm
It's about the same for the MSI as well. I agree those differences are small, and I agree there might be better value for the money in something like the Y740 or GL504, but at the same time, I also understand why some might prefer paying extra for on these premium tier options.
Phongbv901
March 13, 2019 at 8:13 am
I bought a rtx 2060 version. It's quite good with the baterry life is nearly 7 hours. Gaming experience is not too hot if you're playing in the room with air-con turned on. For me it's a very good laptop for both working and gaming purpose.
Ratul Sarna
March 16, 2019 at 11:04 am
How do you find the build quality? For work and carrying it around in a backpack, do you feel it is fragile and might result in accidental damage?
Bodo
June 30, 2019 at 1:25 pm
Hi. I bought this laptop a few months ago and my CPU temperature while gaming is always aroung 90 degrees, even though some games only take up 30% of the CPU. But what I was wondering is if you could give me some tips about undervolting the CPU, or if you think it would help. I've never tried overclocking so I will do some research on that. But I would like to know if your tried something similar and if it's worth it.
Thank you in advance.
Trilok
August 6, 2019 at 1:42 am
Hi There,
I am planning to buy a gaming laptop and confused between these 3 models- asus zephyrus s gx502, asus zephyrus s gx531
and MSI Gs65. All of these laptop have pretty much same configuration like i7 9th gen, 240hz display, rtx 2060 etc.
I think in terms of performance these are almost same.
My preference would be – better screen quality, build quality , speakers, better heat management.
thanks in advance
Andrei Girbea
August 6, 2019 at 10:43 am
Hi.
I'd go with the Gx502 and here's why:
– the screens and speakers similar between the three
– the GX531 has the best thermal module, but also has the keyboard on the bottom, so it's not very practical when not used on a desk
– the GX502 has the second-best thermal module
– Asus offers a good software package that allows juggling with fan speed and performance/thermals
– the GX502 is nicely built
– The GS65 is smaller and thinner than the others, but not as well built
– lastly, as far as I know, the GS65 is more expensive than the others
Trilok
August 7, 2019 at 3:58 am
Hi Andrei Girbea,
Thanks for your reply.
If I am getting asus zephyrus s gx502 with rtx2060 and 144hz and msi gs65 with rtx2060 and 240hz for same price, Would you still prefer asus zephyrus s gx502?
Thanks
Andrei Girbea
August 7, 2019 at 10:31 am
Personally, I would, for the reasons explained earlier. But that doesn't mean you should go the same route.
The 240 Hz screen would make sense if you play fast action games, shooters, etc. Otherwise, you're not going to feel the difference between 144 and 240 imo.
Trilok
August 7, 2019 at 4:20 am
And yes one more thing.
I got a chance to check msi gs65 with 240hz display in store and it was so smooth but the s gx502 was packed so I just saw the barebone without turning it on and it was definitely better than gs65. Would the s gx502 144hz be same as gs65?
Andrei Girbea
August 7, 2019 at 10:33 am
Ask them to open the Zephyrus for you and check it out, tell them you're interested in getting one of them, I don't see why they wouldn't do it.
Trilok
August 7, 2019 at 4:52 pm
Hi Andrei,
Thanks for the response.
Yes I tried because I wanted to see the screen quality but according to them once the box is opened and set upped it would be hard for them to sell it.
Hussein Khedr
August 24, 2019 at 9:36 pm
Hi, I was in the same exact position you were in. Was either gonna get the MSI GS65 or the GX502, ended up getting the GX502. The screens are almost IDENTICAL, with the gx502 gaining a very slight edge. Build quality is much better on the gx502 and if you're worried about the refresh rate, it's felt the same across all laptops. The only thing the MSI does better than the GX502 is the battery life.
Trilok
August 30, 2019 at 7:00 am
Hi Hussein
Thanks for the reply. I ended up with gx502 too. Going to upgrade the ram with 32gb because it comes with single channel 16gb and storage too.
Thanks