MSI GE60 (GTX 960M) Notebook Review
For the original German review, see here.
The GE60-2QEWi781 is an upgrade over the GE60 of last year, the MSI GE60-2PEi781B. Our test model replaced the Core i7-4700HQ and the GeForce GTX 860M with the Core i7-4720HQ and the GeForce GTX 960M, which should allow it to outperform its sister model from last year. We will find out whether this is true in our in-depth review.
The competition of the GE60 includes laptops like the Acer Aspire VN7-591G, the Schenker XMG A505 or the Gigabyte P34W V3. These are all notebooks which have scored a spot in our Top 10 list of mobile gaming notebooks.
As both GE60 models have the same build, we will not discuss the case, the connectivity, the input devices or the speakers in this review. For information on these topics, we direct the reader to the review of the MSI GE60-2PEi781B from last year.
Display
The GE60 is equipped with a matte 15.6-inch panel, which has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. MSI has not stuck with the Samsung panel of the 2014 GE60 model. Instead, the manufacturer has chosen an LG display, which turns out to be a bad choice: the LG screen (219.9 cd/m²) offers less brightness than the Samsung panel (308.9 cd/m²). It is disappointing to see a laptop of this price class having such low brightness.
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Brightness Distribution: 79 %
Center on Battery: 220 cd/m²
Contrast: 611:1 (Black: 0.36 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.46 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.74 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.34% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
60% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.54
Contrast (611:1) and black value (0.36 cd/m²) are decent but could have been higher. As expected, the panel cannot cover the sRGB and AdobeRGB color spectrums fully: 38% of AdobeRGB and 60% of sRGB. Right out of the box, the display has good colors. The DeltaE 2000 deviation measures 5.46 (ideal: DeltaE smaller than 3). A blue tinge is not visible on this panel. A calibration can drop the deviation from 5.46 to 3.34 and presents an opportunity to balance the gray levels.
MSI has granted the GE60 an IPS panel, which translates into great viewing angles. The notebook can be comfortably used outdoors as long as the surroundings are not too bright.
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 LG Philips LP156WF4-SPL1 | MSI GE60-2PEi781B Samsung 156HL01-102 | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P Sharp LQ156D1JW04 | SCHENKER XMG A505 AU Optronics B156HAN01.2 (AUO12ED) | Gigabyte P34W V3 AU Optronics B140HAN01.1 | MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 Samsung SDC4852 | |
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Display | 60% | 45% | 60% | 64% | 31% | |
Display P3 Coverage | 40 | 65.7 64% | 64.9 62% | 66.1 65% | 69.4 74% | 52.2 31% |
sRGB Coverage | 60 | 92.5 54% | 66.9 12% | 92.1 54% | 92.6 54% | 78.7 31% |
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 41.34 | 66.8 62% | 66.9 62% | 67 62% | 67.4 63% | 54 31% |
Screen | 25% | 28% | 46% | 13% | 13% | |
Brightness middle | 220 | 327 49% | 322 46% | 284 29% | 305.4 39% | 268 22% |
Brightness | 220 | 309 40% | 325 48% | 275 25% | 277 26% | 227 3% |
Brightness Distribution | 79 | 90 14% | 90 14% | 87 10% | 84 6% | 74 -6% |
Black Level * | 0.36 | 0.43 -19% | 0.37 -3% | 0.23 36% | 0.72 -100% | 0.39 -8% |
Contrast | 611 | 760 24% | 870 42% | 1235 102% | 424 -31% | 687 12% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.46 | 3.59 34% | 3.77 31% | 2.46 55% | 2.81 49% | 4.12 25% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.74 | 4.86 -3% | 5.36 -13% | 2.3 51% | 1.92 59% | 3.65 23% |
Gamma | 2.54 87% | 2.35 94% | 2.39 92% | 2.32 95% | 2.21 100% | 2.5 88% |
CCT | 7130 91% | 7177 91% | 7163 91% | 6393 102% | 6384 102% | 6423 101% |
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 38 | 60 58% | 61 61% | 60 58% | 60.4 59% | 49 29% |
Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 92 | |||||
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 43% /
34% | 37% /
33% | 53% /
50% | 39% /
27% | 22% /
18% |
* ... smaller is better
Performance
MSI presents the GE60: a 15.6-inch gaming notebook. It can run all modern games fluidly and is available for around 1,150 Euros (~$1266). Various other configurations are available on the website of the manufacturer.
Processor
Like the 2014 GE60 model, the test model is equipped with the latest Haswell processor: the Intel Core i7-4720HQ. This quad-core CPU works at a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz and Turbo allows it to boost up to 3.4 GHz (all cores), 3.5 GHz (2 cores) and 3.6 GHz (1 core). This means that our CPU operates at slightly higher speeds than the Core i7-4700HQ processor, which can be found in the 2014 model of the GE60. The performance is fully unleashed while the laptop is plugged in. While running on battery, the laptop does not offer the Turbo feature and merely operates at its base speed.
Cinebench R10 | |
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 | |
Rendering Single 32Bit (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Geekbench 3 | |
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 | |
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
* ... smaller is better
System Performance
The system runs smoothly and we did not encounter any major issues. The PCMark 8 Creative benchmark was the exception to the rule: it crashed and displayed an error message. Overall, the PCMark 8 benchmark results are good and the PCMark 7 scores are noticeably low, as our test model does not have flash storage. In comparison to our test model, competitors which have flash storage can post higher scores. The system performance of the GE60 has room for improvement: the user can install a Solid State Drive. In fact, this is quite easy as the GE60 has a maintenance flap and a free mSATA slot for an appropriate SSD.
PCMark 7 Score | 3437 points | |
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2 | 3213 points | |
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2 | 4407 points | |
Help |
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2 (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
PCMark 7 - Score (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Storage Devices
The storage of the GE60 is a 2.5-inch HDD from HGST. It offers a capacity of 1 TB and operates at 7,200 rpm. MSI partitions the drive into two sections: operating system (572 GB) and data (337 GB). CrystalDiskMark measures a read speed of 128.4 MB/s. HD Tune delivers an average transfer rate of 108.1 MB/s. These are typical values for a 7,200 rpm drive.
The GE60 offers an empty mSATA slot, which, once occupied by an SSD, can be used as the OS partition. This would not require re-installing Windows 8.1 as the user could simply copy over the files onto the SSD. This would place the Recovery Partition onto the SSD as well, which would allow the user to re-install the system at anytime or reset it to its delivery state.
We recommend an SSD with a minimum capacity of 90 GB and believe 120 GB would be sufficient. A 60 GB SSD would not suffice for this task, as the user will put the OS and all needed programs on the drive and thus would be cramped for space. We use Macrium Reflect Free to clone the drive. The procedure is self-explanatory and takes a few minutes to execute.
Graphics Card
The switchable graphics system, Optimus, powers the GE60: for everyday use and while on battery, the laptop employs the Intel HD Graphics 4600 IGP, but when we require more performance, the system swaps to the GeForce GTX 960M. The switch is automatic, but it can be manually regulated by the user. The GeForce GTX 960M operates at a base clock speed of 1,097 MHz. Turbo allows it to boost its speed up to 1,176 MHz. Furthermore, the GPU is accompanied by 2,048 MB of GDDR5 VRAM. In essence, this is a slightly faster GPU than the GeForce GTX 860M of the 2014 GE60 model: the GTX 960M core is up to 7% faster. However, the GPU from last year has faster GDDR5 VRAM (1,253 MHz vs. 1,000 MHz). This places the 3DMark results of both models neck-to-neck.
In comparison, the GeForce 940M, which is often found in cheaper notebooks, lies up to 55% behind our two GPUs, whereas the 950M lies around 18% behind. The GTX 970M is a beast and can surpass our model by 71-76%.
3DMark 11 Performance | 5299 points | |
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score | 45746 points | |
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 12388 points | |
3DMark Fire Strike Score | 3688 points | |
Help |
Gaming Performance
The hardware of the GE60 is powerful enough to run modern games fluidly at the native FHD resolution. A few demanding games require a lower resolution or details to run fluidly. Due to the faster graphics core, the GE60 should deliver slightly higher frames than the 2014 sister model. However, there is no tangible difference. The 2014 GE60 model has faster VRAM than our test model and thus, compensates somewhat. The GE60 faces a worthy competitor in the Schenker XMG A505, which uses the same CPU-GPU combination. In fact, the Schenker laptop surpasses our test model in terms of performance. Why? Our laptop rarely uses the Turbo for the GeForce GPU and operates usually at 900 - 1,097 MHz.
low | med. | high | ultra | |
Tomb Raider (2013) | 241.5 | 164.9 | 100.1 | 47.3 |
Thief (2014) | 47.3 | 43.5 | 41.8 | 25.2 |
GRID: Autosport (2014) | 154.1 | 78.2 | 51.5 | 40.4 |
Tomb Raider | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:FX AF:16x (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Thief | |
1366x768 Normal Preset AA:FX (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 | |
1366x768 High Preset AA:FXAA & Low SS AF:4x (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
MSI GE60-2PEi781B | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
Gigabyte P34W V3 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
GRID: Autosport | |
1920x1080 High Preset (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 | |
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:4x MS (sort by value) | |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 | |
SCHENKER XMG A505 | |
MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 |
Emissions
System Noise
The fan of the GE60 is always audible as it is never off. While idle, the laptop has a noise emission of up to 36.2 dB. The laptop gets really loud at full load: 51.8 dB. While gaming, the noise emissions lie around 48.4 dB. Thankfully, the fan does not emit distracting and annoying noises, like whistling.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 35.2 / 35.6 / 36.2 dB(A) |
DVD |
| 40.2 / dB(A) |
Load |
| 48.4 / 51.8 dB(A) |
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30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
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min: , med: , max: Voltcraft sl-320 (15 cm distance) |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 GTX 960M/4720HQ | MSI GE60-2PEi781B GTX 860M/4700HQ | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GTX 960M/4720HQ | SCHENKER XMG A505 GTX 960M/4720HQ | Gigabyte P34W V3 GTX 970M/4720HQ | MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 GTX 970M/4720HQ | |
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Noise | 2% | 12% | 8% | 1% | 7% | |
Idle Minimum * | 35.2 | 34.2 3% | 30 15% | 29.2 17% | 34.2 3% | 29.4 16% |
Idle Average * | 35.6 | 34.6 3% | 32.2 10% | 30.8 13% | 34.3 4% | 31.8 11% |
Idle Maximum * | 36.2 | 35.6 2% | 35 3% | 42.6 -18% | 38 -5% | 36 1% |
Load Average * | 48.4 | 49.4 -2% | 41.7 14% | 41.6 14% | 43.8 10% | 46 5% |
Load Maximum * | 51.8 | 49.8 4% | 42.6 18% | 43.8 15% | 55 -6% | 51.8 -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Our stress test (Prime95 and Furmark run for at least 1 hour) performs differently while the notebook is plugged in and while it is on battery. In both cases, the CPU and GPU start at high speeds (1 to 2 minutes). While plugged in, the CPU speed drops slowly and settles at 1.2 to 1.6 GHz. The GPU operates at a speed of 1,050 MHz. While on battery, the CPU operates at a constant 1.4 GHz and the GPU runs at 460 - 470 MHz. During the stress test, we measured temperatures above 50 °C at multiple points.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 50.1 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 53.4 °C / 128 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.9 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(-) The palmrests and touchpad can get very hot to the touch with a maximum of 46.5 °C / 115.7 F.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (-17.6 °C / -31.7 F).
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 GTX 960M/4720HQ | MSI GE60-2PEi781B GTX 860M/4700HQ | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GTX 960M/4720HQ | SCHENKER XMG A505 GTX 960M/4720HQ | Gigabyte P34W V3 GTX 970M/4720HQ | MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 GTX 970M/4720HQ | |
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Heat | -5% | -30% | -33% | -21% | -16% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 50.1 | 44.9 10% | 53 -6% | 56.4 -13% | 45.2 10% | 53.4 -7% |
Maximum Bottom * | 53.4 | 49.1 8% | 53.2 -0% | 61.8 -16% | 56.8 -6% | 43.3 19% |
Idle Upper Side * | 25.6 | 30.6 -20% | 38.6 -51% | 41.3 -61% | 34.6 -35% | 34.7 -36% |
Idle Bottom * | 28.5 | 33.6 -18% | 45.9 -61% | 40.2 -41% | 43.6 -53% | 39.6 -39% |
* ... smaller is better
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the GE60 is typical, considering the hardware. While idle, the laptop consumes up to 23.3 W - normal. During the stress test, the hunger rises rapidly to 133.6 W and places our test model higher than similarly equipped laptops, like the Asus GL771JW. The reason: the CPU of the Asus laptop is throttled far more. While gaming, both laptops consume the same amount. The power consumption of the GE60 lies between 81 to 103 W (average 89 W).
Off / Standby | 0.2 / 0.3 Watt |
Idle | 8.4 / 12.8 / 23.3 Watt |
Load |
89 / 133.6 Watt |
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 GTX 960M/4720HQ | MSI GE60-2PEi781B GTX 860M/4700HQ | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P GTX 960M/4720HQ | SCHENKER XMG A505 GTX 960M/4720HQ | MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 GTX 970M/4720HQ | |
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Power Consumption | 1% | -30% | -23% | -33% | |
Idle Minimum * | 8.4 | 8.5 -1% | 16.2 -93% | 11.2 -33% | 14.7 -75% |
Idle Average * | 12.8 | 12.9 -1% | 20.2 -58% | 18.6 -45% | 20.9 -63% |
Idle Maximum * | 23.3 | 22.9 2% | 22.8 2% | 26 -12% | 25.6 -10% |
Load Average * | 89 | 90.9 -2% | 96.4 -8% | 100.2 -13% | 101 -13% |
Load Maximum * | 133.6 | 126.2 6% | 126.9 5% | 147.6 -10% | 138.8 -4% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The GE60 offers a runtime of 6:26 h while idle. The Acer Aspire VN7-591G (3:36 h) cannot keep up. We checked the idle runtime using the Battery Eater Reader's test: the panel is set to the lowest brightness and the "Power Saver" profile is active. The wireless modules are also turned off. At load, the GE60 lasts 0:58 h and places at the same level as the Aspire (0:58 h). The runtime at load was calculated using the Battery Eater Classic test. For this test, we set the "Performance" profile and all wireless modules on along with max brightness.
In our practical WLAN test, the MSI notebook runs dry after 3:42 h. The Aspire (2:46 h) has a far shorter battery life. In this test, we used a script which loads websites every 40 seconds. The "Balanced" power profile was active and brightness was set to around 150 cd/m². The video playback test was carried out using the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264 coding, 1920x1080 pixels) which ran in a loop. The wireless modules are off and brightness is set to around 150 cd/m². The GE60 holds out for 2:50 h and once again places alongside the Aspire (2:56 h).
MSI GE60-2QEWi781 49 Wh | MSI GE60-2PEi781B 49 Wh | Acer Aspire VN7-591G-727P 52 Wh | SCHENKER XMG A505 62 Wh | Gigabyte P34W V3 61.25 Wh | MSI GE62-2QFUi716H11 51 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | -6% | -16% | 31% | 38% | -15% | |
Reader / Idle | 386 | 303 -22% | 216 -44% | 352 -9% | 522 35% | 234 -39% |
H.264 | 170 | 176 4% | 208 22% | 165 -3% | ||
WiFi v1.3 | 222 | 166 -25% | 162 -27% | |||
Load | 58 | 64 10% | 58 0% | 105 81% | 82 41% | 63 9% |
WiFi | 222 | 216 | 284 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The MSI GE60-2QEWi781 offers sufficient performance to run any game fluidly. However, the laptop gets quite loud and hot. On the bright side, the laptop is equipped with decent input devices and an HDD with lots of space. The user can even install an mSATA SSD in the empty slot provided. The battery life is acceptable, considering this laptop is a gaming notebook. Aside from the modest brightness, we do not feel that the laptop lacks much. MSI has installed a matte IPS FHD panel with great viewing angles, but sadly it is not bright enough for the price.
MSI GE60-2QEWi781
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05/17/2015 v4(old)
Sascha Mölck