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MSI GE63 Raider 8SG Laptop Review: GeForce RTX 2080 for Cheap

Last gen look, current gen graphics. It may not have the sexy narrow bezels of the latest laptops, but the GE63 still comes equipped with one of the fastest Nvidia GPUs available and an ultra-smooth 144 Hz display with almost no ghosting.

The mid-range MSI GE series sits in between the low-end GP series and high-end GT series. It carries many of the same features as the GT series but in a smaller and more affordable chassis design.

Our unit here is the 15.6-inch MSI GE63 equipped with an Intel 8th gen Core i7-8750H CPU and the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. This particular model has since been succeeded by the GE65, but the GE63 is still a lucrative purchase especially since it carries the same high refresh rate display and graphics options that many newer gaming laptops also offer. Our test unit, for example, can be found on Xotic PC for $1750 USD compared to over $2000 for other laptops with the same GPU.

The MSI GE63 competes directly with other mid-range to high-end gaming laptops including the Razer Blade 15, Lenovo Legion Y740 15, Asus ROG Strix III or Scar III, Gigabyte Aorus 15, or the Dell Alienware m15. We recommend checking out our existing reviews on the older Pascal-powered GE63 since the chassis remains unchanged.

More MSI reviews:

MSI GE63 Raider 8SG (GE63 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8750H 6 x 2.2 - 4.1 GHz, Coffee Lake-H
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile - 6 GB VRAM, Core: 1380 MHz, Memory: 1750 MHz, GDDR6, 441.41, Optimus
Memory
16 GB 
, DDR4-2666, 19-19-19-43, Single-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, AU Optronics B156HAN07.1, IPS, AUO71ED, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM370
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
, Secondary: Seagate 1 TB ST1000LM049
Soundcard
NVIDIA TU104 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
2 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 1x microphone, 1x headphones, Card Reader: SD, SDHC, SDXC
Networking
Killer E2500 Gigabit Ethernet Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW) (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 29.5 x 383 x 260 ( = 1.16 x 15.08 x 10.24 in)
Battery
51 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD (720p)
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 3W Speaker + 2x 3W Woofer, Keyboard: Chiclet SteelSeries, Keyboard Light: yes, MSI Dragon Center, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.57 kg ( = 90.65 oz / 5.67 pounds), Power Supply: 980 g ( = 34.57 oz / 2.16 pounds)
Price
1900 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
83.4 %
12/2019
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
2.6 kg29.5 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.8 %
10/2019
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.3 kg25 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.3 %
10/2019
Dell G7 7590
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
2.5 kg19.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.1 %
10/2019
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
2.4 kg25 mm15.60"1920x1080
84.7 %
02/2019
Razer Blade 15 RTX 2070 Max-Q
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
2.1 kg17.8 mm15.60"1920x1080

Case

The GE63 is now over two years old and it really shows. The thick bezels, flashy outer lid RGB colors, myriad angles, and LED-lit USB ports are the opposite of what you find on many newer ultra-thin laptops where minimalism has become a stronger focus. The newer GE65, for example, has omitted many of these gamer-y aesthetics for a smoother and more professional look.

Of course, an older chassis doesn't mean a weaker laptop. The GE63 lies in between the GS65 and GT63 in terms of rigidity with slight-to-moderate warping when applying pressure and only minimal creaking. Its lid feels stiffer than the lids of the GS65, Asus Zephyrus S, and Lenovo Legion Y740 to be on par with the lid of the Razer Blade 15.

Build quality is excellent on our test unit as it exhibits no unintended gaps or defects. Nonetheless, the red trims and plastic rear look cheap on system as do the finicky latches around the edges of the bottom panel when servicing.

The chassis is wider and heavier than the latest 15.6-inch gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y740 or Razer Blade 15 because of its thicker bezels. It wasn't until the launch of the GE65 did MSI fully refresh the 15.6-inch GE series with a smaller, thinner, and lighter look. We expect the company to eventually phase out the GE63 by 2020.

Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~150 degrees)
Hinges are uniformly firm at all angles and do not creak. Slight teetering still occurs
Hinges are uniformly firm at all angles and do not creak. Slight teetering still occurs
Fingerprints will accumulate and show on the brushed aluminum palm rests and outer lid
Fingerprints will accumulate and show on the brushed aluminum palm rests and outer lid
Both the base and lid are stronger and more rigid than the thinner MSI GS series or Asus Zephyrus S series
Both the base and lid are stronger and more rigid than the thinner MSI GS series or Asus Zephyrus S series
L-shaped RGB lighting on the outer lid for a more "gamer" aesthetic
L-shaped RGB lighting on the outer lid for a more "gamer" aesthetic
More intricate chassis design with sharper edges than the minimalist MSI GS series
More intricate chassis design with sharper edges than the minimalist MSI GS series
390 mm / 15.4 inch 266 mm / 10.5 inch 40 mm / 1.575 inch 2.9 kg6.44 lbs383 mm / 15.1 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 29.5 mm / 1.161 inch 2.6 kg5.67 lbs362 mm / 14.3 inch 265 mm / 10.4 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.3 kg5.03 lbs357.7 mm / 14.1 inch 248 mm / 9.76 inch 27.5 mm / 1.083 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs360 mm / 14.2 inch 275 mm / 10.8 inch 25 mm / 0.984 inch 2.4 kg5.35 lbs364.3 mm / 14.3 inch 273.4 mm / 10.8 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 2.5 kg5.51 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options haven't changed for better or worse. While the variety is great for a gaming laptop, the ports are tightly packed especially along the left edge and so any connected cables will occupy valuable desk space. In contrast, competing laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y740 have ports with thicker cables along the rear edge.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: SD card reader, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, AC adapter
Right: SD card reader, 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, AC adapter
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: Kensington Lock, 1 Gbps RJ-45, Mini-DisplayPort, USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C, 3.5 mm headphones, 3.5 mm microphone
Left: Kensington Lock, 1 Gbps RJ-45, Mini-DisplayPort, USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 3.1 Gen. 2 Type-C, 3.5 mm headphones, 3.5 mm microphone

SD Card Reader

The spring-loaded SD card reader is slow not unlike on many other MSI laptops. Moving 1 GB worth of pictures from our UHS-II test card to desktop takes about 38 seconds compared to just 8 seconds on the Dell XPS 15.

Fully inserted SD card still protrudes by about 2 to 3 mm
Fully inserted SD card still protrudes by about 2 to 3 mm
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s +197%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.9 MB/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.4 MB/s -13%
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
11.67 MB/s -57%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
MSI GT75 8RG-090 Titan
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
87 MB/s +178%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.34 MB/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.2 MB/s -10%
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
13.44 MB/s -57%

Communication

The Killer 1550i module is included for integrated Bluetooth 5.0 and WLAN transfer rates of up to 1.73 Gbps. It is essentially identical to the Intel 9560 except with added support for Killer's Control Center software.

Removable M.2 WLAN module
Removable M.2 WLAN module
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1374 (720min - 1484max) MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
629 (602min - 651max) MBit/s
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
570 MBit/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
355 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
MSI Prestige 15 A10SC
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1291 (1212min - 1379max) MBit/s
MSI GL65 9SEK
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
637 MBit/s
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
Killer Wireless-AC 1550 Wireless Network Adapter
633 MBit/s
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
Killer Wireless-AC 1550i Wireless Network Adapter (9560NGW)
615 (508min - 642max) MBit/s

Maintenance

Servicing requires a Philips screwdriver and a sharp edge. The bottom plate is moderately difficult to remove especially around the rear and edge where the audio ports can be caught on the plate. Keep in mind that a Factory Seal sticker must be broken if servicing the system.

Users have direct access to both DDR4 SODIMM slots, both M.2 2280 slots, and the single 2.5-inch SATA III bay. There is a 6-cell Li-Ion battery pack in contrast to the Li-Polymer battery packs on most other laptops.

The internal layout is very similar to the cheaper MSI GL65 as shown below.

The bottom panel is secured by 11 Philips screws
The bottom panel is secured by 11 Philips screws
MSI GL65 for comparison
MSI GL65 for comparison

Accessories and Warranty

A Quick Start guide and velvet cleaning cloth are included in the box.

The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies. Registering your purchase with MSI may net another few months of extended warranty or accidental damage protection depending on region.

Input Devices

Keyboard

We applaud MSI for its consistency when it comes to keyboards. Most G series laptops integrate SteelSeries keyboards for a similar level feedback, travel, and clatter across the lineup. If you have ever typed on a laptop from the MSI GS, GP, or GT series, then you will already be familiar with the typing experience on the GE63. Feedback from the main QWERTY keys is firm and quieter than on many other laptops for a satisfactory typing experience. The Space key and narrow NumPad keys, however, are louder and more cramped, respectively.

Per-key RGB lighting is back and all printed text are lit. Some other laptops with per-key RGB lighting do not light up secondary key texts like on the Gigabyte Aero series or the Asus ROG Strix III.

Touchpad

The touchpad (11 x 6.3 cm) is smaller than the touchpad on the Dell XPS 15 (10.5 x 8.5 cm) but with dedicated mouse keys for better precision and feedback. Though the surface is smooth, it seems to have responsiveness issues when gliding a finger slowly. The onscreen cursor, for example, would sometimes stop even though our finger continues to move. We observed a similar phenomenon on the recent WE75 workstation

The dedicated mouse keys offer both shallow travel and firm, clicky feedback. However, pressing on the sides of each key feels spongier than if pressing down their center. Feedback could have been more uniform as it shouldn't vary depending on where you push the key.

Familiar G series SteelSeries keyboard and layout. Auxiliary buttons include Turbo fan mode and the SteelSeries Engine app
Familiar G series SteelSeries keyboard and layout. Auxiliary buttons include Turbo fan mode and the SteelSeries Engine app
Red-trimmed touchpad feels smooth, but responsiveness is unreliable
Red-trimmed touchpad feels smooth, but responsiveness is unreliable
Quiet clatter with firm feedback from the main QWERTY keys
Quiet clatter with firm feedback from the main QWERTY keys
NumPad keys are narrower when compared to the QWERTY and Arrow keys
NumPad keys are narrower when compared to the QWERTY and Arrow keys

Display

The 144 Hz AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 IPS panel here can also be found on the Asus Zephyrus M GM501. As a result, the MSI GE63 shares similar response times, contrast levels, color coverage, and overall visual experience as the Asus alternative. It's hard to go back to standard 60 Hz displays once you become accustomed to the fast 120 Hz or 144 Hz refresh rate. When compared to the Chi Mei N156HHE-GA1 TN panel on our last GE63 test unit, the newer AU Optronics panel offers faster response times and wider viewing angles but with a slightly narrower gamut.

Our main complaint about the display is its moderate graininess. Texts and images do not appear as crisp as they do on the Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 or most glossy alternatives. Uneven backlight bleeding is also present on our unit and could have been better considering the price range.

Matte screen with no glossy or 4K UHD options
Matte screen with no glossy or 4K UHD options
Thick bezels by today's standards
Thick bezels by today's standards
Moderate backlight bleeding along the bottom right corner
Moderate backlight bleeding along the bottom right corner
Subpixel array. Note that the individual subpixels are not perfectly crisp due to the overlying matte layer
Subpixel array. Note that the individual subpixels are not perfectly crisp due to the overlying matte layer
279.7
cd/m²
283.6
cd/m²
247.5
cd/m²
256.8
cd/m²
268.3
cd/m²
242.6
cd/m²
267.9
cd/m²
262.9
cd/m²
238
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 283.6 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 260.8 cd/m² Minimum: 4.84 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 268.3 cd/m²
Contrast: 1342:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.65 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 2.76
ΔE Greyscale 2.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
93.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
59.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
91.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.33
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
AU Optronics B156HAN07.1, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GL65 9SEK
AU Optronics B156HAN13.0, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
BOE NV156FHM-N4J, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
N156HHE-GA1, TN, 15.60, 1920x1080
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Sharp LQ156M1JW09 (SHP14D3), IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
CMN N156HHE-GA1 (CMN15F4), TN, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
-42%
2%
26%
4%
26%
Display P3 Coverage
65.1
36.63
-44%
67.7
4%
91.3
40%
66.2
2%
90
38%
sRGB Coverage
91.7
55
-40%
91.6
0%
99.9
9%
97.1
6%
100
9%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.9
37.85
-43%
67.1
2%
85.7
30%
67.6
3%
86
31%
Response Times
-184%
-53%
27%
-25%
-109%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
8.8 ?(4.4, 4.4)
26.4 ?(13.2, 13.2)
-200%
19 ?(9, 10)
-116%
8.4 ?(4.4, 4)
5%
15 ?(8, 7)
-70%
24.4 ?(14.4, 10)
-177%
Response Time Black / White *
11.2 ?(5.2, 6)
30 ?(17.6, 12.4)
-168%
10 ?(6, 4)
11%
5.8 ?(4.4, 1.4)
48%
9 ?(5, 4)
20%
15.8 ?(13.8, 2)
-41%
PWM Frequency
25510 ?(34)
250 ?(20)
25510 ?(19)
Screen
-55%
9%
-4%
-30%
-28%
Brightness middle
268.3
277.3
3%
477
78%
307.1
14%
309
15%
292
9%
Brightness
261
256
-2%
431
65%
276
6%
284
9%
258
-1%
Brightness Distribution
84
86
2%
84
0%
80
-5%
88
5%
81
-4%
Black Level *
0.2
0.2
-0%
0.175
12%
0.37
-85%
0.42
-110%
0.23
-15%
Contrast
1342
1387
3%
2726
103%
830
-38%
736
-45%
1270
-5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.65
5.25
-98%
4.17
-57%
2.53
5%
3.99
-51%
5.82
-120%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
4.67
19.43
-316%
6.97
-49%
4.66
-0%
8.3
-78%
9.05
-94%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
2.76
4.39
-59%
2.51
9%
2.82
-2%
1.12
59%
2.82
-2%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.2
3.5
-59%
3.49
-59%
1.7
23%
5.43
-147%
4.61
-110%
Gamma
2.33 94%
2.1 105%
2.5 88%
2.194 100%
2.57 86%
2.65 83%
CCT
6862 95%
6895 94%
7076 92%
6893 94%
7767 84%
6950 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59.3
35
-41%
60
1%
76
28%
63
6%
76
28%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
93.3
55
-41%
91
-2%
100
7%
97
4%
100
7%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-94% / -69%
-14% / 0%
16% / 5%
-17% / -23%
-37% / -28%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is approximately 93 percent and 59 percent of the sRGB and AdobeRGB standards, respectively, to be not unlike every other 15.6-inch 144 Hz panel at the moment. High refresh rate panels with wider gamuts are only now becoming available.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

The panel is well-calibrated out of the box with average grayscale and color DeltaE values of just 2.2 each. Attempting to calibrate the display even further ourselves resulted in almost no improvements.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
11.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise
↘ 6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 25 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
8.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.4 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 17 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Outdoor visibility is not any better or worse than most other gaming laptops because the backlight is merely average for the category. Sunlight or overcast will wash out the matte screen even if glare is minimal. Viewing angles are wider than on our last GE63 with its TN panel.

Color and contrast degrade if viewing from extreme angles
Color and contrast degrade if viewing from extreme angles
Outdoors on an overcast day
Outdoors on an overcast day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on an overcast day
Outdoors on an overcast day

Performance

The GE63 is available in a wide variety of SKUs ranging from the Core i7-8750H to the i7-9750H CPU, GeForce RTX 2060 to the RTX 2080 GPU, and 120 Hz to 144 Hz 1080p displays. Note that there are no Core i9, GeForce Max-Q, or 4K UHD options as these are instead reserved for the GT or GS series. Nvidia Optimus is present to automatically exclude G-Sync features.

While the GE63 supports dual-channel RAM, our test unit comes with just a single 16 GB module for a single-channel setup. Unfortunately, simple storage and RAM upgrades will require breaking a factory sticker which may impact your warranty. LatencyMon shows no DPC latency issues when wireless is enabled or disabled.

Processor

CPU performance is below average. The i7-8750H in our MSI performs 10 to 12 percent slower than the average i7-8750H in our database taken from 93 other laptops. Enabling Cooler Boost mode (a.k.a. Turbo Mode) does not appear to improve CPU performance by any significant margin.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop shows that our GE63 8SG is slower than the GE63 8RF by about 10 percent even after accounting for throttling. We're not sure why this is happening, but it occurs consistently enough in our testing to be worth mentioning. The Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 with the newer Core i7-9750H can perform 30 to 40 percent faster than the i7-8750H in our GE63 even though the i7-8750H and i7-9750H perform similarly on average.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-8750H for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
0651301952603253904555205856507157808459109751040110511701235Tooltip
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø904 (892.96-1015.9)
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1132 (1125.75-1244.28)
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046 GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8750H, CUK Cyclone 500GB M.2 NVMe; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø922 (899.42-1130.1)
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008 GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø1024 (1006.34-1167)
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
509 Points +24%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
498 Points +22%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
442 Points +8%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
441 Points +8%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
422 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (403 - 418, n=6)
412 Points +1%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H
409 Points
Asus Zephyrus GX501
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
382 Points -7%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
362 Points -11%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
340 Points -17%
CPU (Multi Core)
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
4926 Points +130%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
3712 Points +73%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
3059 Points +43%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
2924 Points +37%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (2142 - 2707, n=6)
2377 Points +11%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H
2142 Points
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
1864 Points -13%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
1825 Points -15%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1765 Points -18%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
1685 Points -21%
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
212 Points +27%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
203 Points +22%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
189 Points +13%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
181 Points +8%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
172 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (163 - 177, n=86)
172 Points +3%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H
167 Points
Asus Zephyrus GX501
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
160 Points -4%
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
144 Points -14%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
142 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
MSI GT76 Titan DT 9SG
Intel Core i9-9900K
2022 Points +99%
MSI GE75 9SG
Intel Core i9-9880H
1721 Points +69%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H
1285 Points +26%
Medion Erazer X15805
Intel Core i9-8950HK
1217 Points +20%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H
  (863 - 1251, n=93)
1113 Points +10%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H
1016 Points
Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 GA502DU
AMD Ryzen 7 3750H
805 Points -21%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H
790 Points -22%
Asus TUF FX705DY-AU072
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
742 Points -27%
Asus Zephyrus GX501
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
735 Points -28%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
167 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
1016 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
98.1 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

PCMark benchmarks rank our system slightly lower than expected. The cheaper MSI GL65 with the Core i7-9750H, dual-channel RAM and slower RTX 2060 GPU, for example, scores 5 percent higher on average.

We experienced no issues with out test unit other than the touchpad responsiveness problems mentioned above.

PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 10 Standard
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5938 Points +12%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5761 Points +8%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5625 Points +6%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (5316 - 5816, n=3)
5604 Points +5%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5316 Points
Essentials
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
9431 Points +6%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
9364 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (8917 - 9041, n=3)
8975 Points +1%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
8917 Points
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
8912 Points 0%
Productivity
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7748 Points +12%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7507 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (6947 - 7759, n=3)
7401 Points +7%
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
7381 Points +6%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6947 Points
Digital Content Creation
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
8220 Points +25%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7221 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (6584 - 7697, n=3)
7206 Points +9%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7104 Points +8%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6584 Points
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5661 Points +37%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
4860 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (4124 - 4918, n=3)
4555 Points +10%
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
4271 Points +4%
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4136 Points 0%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4124 Points
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
5870 Points +5%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5697 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (5574 - 5697, n=3)
5616 Points +1%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5577 Points
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5287 Points -5%
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
5210 Points -7%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
4124 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5577 points
PCMark 10 Score
5316 points
Help

Storage Devices

Users have access to two M.2 PCIx x4 slots and one 2.5-inch SATA III drive unlike the Razer Blade 15 which has just one or two storage bays maximum. Our test unit ships with the same mid-range 512 GB Western Digital PC SN520 NVMe drive as on the MSI GL65. The costlier Samsung PM981 series can offer two times faster sequential read and write performances.

See our table of HDDs and SSDs for more benchmark comparisons.

CDM 5.5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5.5 (Primary SSD)
CDM 5.5 (Secondary HDD)
CDM 5.5 (Secondary HDD)
AS SSD
AS SSD
HD Tune
HD Tune
The two M.2 2280 slots are positioned perpendicularly
The two M.2 2280 slots are positioned perpendicularly
2.5-inch SATA III bay for additional storage
2.5-inch SATA III bay for additional storage
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
MSI GL65 9SEK
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
CUK Cyclone 500GB M.2 NVMe
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
AS SSD
14%
-19%
53%
-16%
-27%
Seq Read
904
1315
45%
1372
52%
2399
165%
1163
29%
512
-43%
Seq Write
1344
1378
3%
746
-44%
1665
24%
919
-32%
462.8
-66%
4K Read
24.99
25.31
1%
35.42
42%
49.17
97%
48.88
96%
32.36
29%
4K Write
107.4
118.2
10%
99.9
-7%
87.7
-18%
90.1
-16%
68.6
-36%
4K-64 Read
631
839
33%
302.1
-52%
1144
81%
323.8
-49%
348.6
-45%
4K-64 Write
731
720
-2%
191.4
-74%
648
-11%
403.8
-45%
294.3
-60%
Access Time Read *
0.131
0.116
11%
0.132
-1%
0.05
62%
0.24
-83%
0.101
23%
Access Time Write *
0.099
0.091
8%
0.037
63%
0.042
58%
0.046
54%
0.051
48%
Score Read
746
996
34%
475
-36%
1433
92%
489
-34%
432
-42%
Score Write
973
976
0%
366
-62%
902
-7%
586
-40%
409
-58%
Score Total
2126
2485
17%
1065
-50%
3040
43%
1332
-37%
1071
-50%
Copy ISO MB/s
1187
1279
8%
1062
-11%
1269
7%
Copy Program MB/s
673
889
32%
426
-37%
452.8
-33%
Copy Game MB/s
1295
1218
-6%
650
-50%
755
-42%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Sequential Read: 904MB/s
Sequential Write: 1344MB/s
4K Read: 24.99MB/s
4K Write: 107.4MB/s
4K-64 Read: 631MB/s
4K-64 Write: 731MB/s
Access Time Read: 0.131ms
Access Time Write: 0.099ms
Copy ISO: 1187MB/s
Copy Program: 673MB/s
Copy Game: 1295MB/s
Score Read: 746Points
Score Write: 973Points
Score Total: 2126Points

GPU Performance

The RTX 2060 in our MSI scores 4 to 6 percent higher than the average mobile RTX 2060 in our database taken from 15 other gaming laptops. At the same time, however, Cloud Gate scores are the lowest we've recorded on any laptop with RTX 2080 graphics. We suspect that both the under-performing CPU and single-channel RAM are responsible for the significantly lower scores here.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Port Royal
Port Royal
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X
164870 Points +126%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
138058 Points +90%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (72806 - 168006, n=16)
136271 Points +87%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
119860 Points +65%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
118058 Points +62%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
116593 Points +60%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
114009 Points +57%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
97136 Points +33%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
72806 Points
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
58270 Points -20%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
46618 Points -36%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
39824 Points -45%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X
35851 Points +41%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
27620 Points +9%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
25432 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (22504 - 27319, n=16)
25211 Points -1%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
22260 Points -12%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
19846 Points -22%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
18055 Points -29%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
17419 Points -32%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
14718 Points -42%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
9315 Points -63%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
6792 Points -73%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
6382 Points -75%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X
14645 Points +49%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
11294 Points +15%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (9411 - 10992, n=15)
10046 Points +3%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
9797 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
8299 Points -15%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
7722 Points -21%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
6910 Points -29%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
6387 Points -35%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
5534 Points -44%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
3519 Points -64%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
1990 Points -80%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
1744 Points -82%
2560x1440 Port Royal Graphics
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
5785 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (5377 - 6005, n=14)
5674 Points -2%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
5295 Points -8%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
4467 Points -23%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
3742 Points -35%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
3738 Points -35%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Physics
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
20369 Points +40%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (14555 - 25010, n=16)
19685 Points +35%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
17694 Points +22%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
17511 Points +20%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
17003 Points +17%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
16560 Points +14%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
14765 Points +1%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
14555 Points
MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop), i7-7740X
14439 Points -1%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
14106 Points -3%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
11693 Points -20%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
10522 Points -28%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
37989 Points +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (31826 - 38809, n=17)
35286 Points +1%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
34897 Points
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
29436 Points -16%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
25500 Points -27%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
23734 Points -32%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
21861 Points -37%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
19670 Points -44%
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
13228 Points -62%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
8304 Points -76%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
8223 Points -76%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (9038 - 18934, n=17)
14407 Points +59%
MSI RTX 2080 Gaming X Trio
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop), R7 2700X
13644 Points +51%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H
12450 Points +38%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12323 Points +36%
Maingear Vector 15
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile, i7-9750H
12192 Points +35%
SCHENKER XMG Neo 15 XNE15M19
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H
12064 Points +33%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, i7-9750H
10851 Points +20%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H
9038 Points
Dell G3 3590
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, i5-9300H
8880 Points -2%
HP Pavilion Gaming 15-cx0003ng
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
7763 Points -14%
MSI GL62M 7RD-077
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i7-7700HQ
7072 Points -22%
3DMark 11 Performance
20224 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
27465 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
18985 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
8501 points
Help

Gaming Performance

So, how do the low Cloud Gate scores and great Fire Strike/Time Spy scores translate to real-world gaming? Unfortunately, frame rates are significantly slower than they should be especially for a GeForce RTX 2080. Shadow of the Tomb Riader on maximum 1080p settings, for example, averages just 69 FPS compared to 99 FPS on the MSI GE75 with the exact same CPU and GPU but with dual-channel RAM. Even the Walmart EVOO Gaming 17 and its RTX 2060 is able to pump out faster frame rates than our MSI.

The GPU itself does not appear to be responsible for the subpar gaming performance of the laptop. GPU-Z reveals the RTX 2080 in our MSI to be the same as the RTX 2080 in the MSI GE75 and yet the latter offers nearly 45 percent faster frame rates. Rerunning the same benchmarks in Turbo Fan mode would not significantly improve our results.

See our dedicated page on the mobile GeForce RTX 2080 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1280x720 Lowest Preset
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
178 fps +109%
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
148 fps +74%
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
144 fps +69%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (85 - 178, n=6)
138.3 fps +63%
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
135 fps +59%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
133 fps +56%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
132 fps +55%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
126 fps +48%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
111 fps +31%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
102 fps +20%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
95 fps +12%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
85 fps
Asus GL753VD
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
71 (48min) fps -16%
1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
130 fps +88%
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
124 fps +80%
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
111 fps +61%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
105 fps +52%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (69 - 124, n=7)
102.9 fps +49%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
99 fps +43%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
83 fps +20%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
80 fps +16%
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
72 fps +4%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
69 fps
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
64 fps -7%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
31 fps -55%
Asus GL753VD
Intel Core i7-7700HQ, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile
26 (3min) fps -62%
The Witcher 3
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
135 (118min - 158max) fps +64%
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
103.4 (81min - 119max) fps +26%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (82.2 - 105, n=16)
95.6 fps +16%
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
95.5 fps +16%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
92.7 fps +13%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
92.1 fps +12%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
82.2 fps
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
72 (61min - 84max) fps -12%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
68.9 fps -16%
SCHENKER XMG Fusion 15 XFU15L19
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q
66 fps -20%
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
60.6 fps -26%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
36.2 fps -56%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
29.7 fps -64%
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
414.3 fps +112%
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
403 (355min - 475max) fps +106%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
325 fps +66%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (195.8 - 414, n=9)
322 fps +64%
Asus ROG Strix RTX 2080 OC
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (Desktop)
319.5 (212min - 347max) fps +63%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
295.3 fps +51%
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
287.9 fps +47%
MSI GE75 8SG Raider
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
276 fps +41%
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile
258 (230min - 292max) fps +32%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
195.8 fps
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
175.1 fps -11%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
145.5 fps -26%
BioShock Infinite
1280x720 Very Low Preset
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
528 fps +120%
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
394 (59min - 1116max) fps +64%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (240 - 528, n=6)
385 fps +60%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
349.6 fps +46%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
322.5 fps +34%
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
317.1 fps +32%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
270.6 fps +13%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
259.9 fps +8%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
240.2 fps
1920x1080 Ultra Preset, DX11 (DDOF)
KFA2 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti EX
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (Desktop)
233 (33min - 538max) fps +57%
Eurocom Sky X4C i9-9900KS
Intel Core i9-9900KS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
208.2 fps +40%
Average NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
  (148.6 - 213, n=7)
191.8 fps +29%
Razer Blade Pro 17 4K UHD 120 Hz
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q
189.5 fps +28%
Walmart EVOO Gaming 17
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile
156 fps +5%
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile
148.6 fps
MSI GF65 9SD
Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Mobile
128.6 fps -13%
Dell G3 3590
Intel Core i5-9300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile
85.6 fps -42%
Acer Aspire 7 A715-72G-704Q
Intel Core i7-8750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile
76.7 fps -48%
051015202530354045505560657075808590Tooltip
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G: Ø87.5 (76-93)
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 240.2 208.3 202 148.6
The Witcher 3 (2015) 195.8 157.5 126.1 82.2
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 85 73 69 69

Emissions

System Noise

The cooling solution consists of two identical fans and eight copper heat pipes. Fan noise and behavior are not unlike what we recorded on the older GE63 8RF with GTX 1070 graphics. When idling on desktop, the fans will almost always be active at around 33 to 35 dB(A) against a background of 28.5 dB(A). Thus, expect a low level of fan noise to always be present when web browsing or word processing even when set to the Power Saver profile. Some other gaming laptops like the Lenovo Legion Y740 or Razer Blade 15 are able to remain silent during these same conditions.

When gaming, fan noise becomes steady at about 56 dB(A) to be close to what we recorded on the GE63 8RF. This means that fan noise is not any louder despite the much more powerful RTX 2080 GPU. Unfortunately, 56 dB(A) is significantly louder than most other gaming laptop with the RTX 2070 or RTX 2080. The larger Asus ROG G703, for example, tops out at 50 dB(A) when under the same gaming conditions.

Enabling Cooler Boost mode will lift the fan noise ceiling to 57.2 dB(A). Keep in mind that this feature will reduce core temperatures more so than actually improving performance.

We're not able to notice any coil whine or electronic noise from our test unit.

Twin ~45 mm fans are always active and never truly silent
Twin ~45 mm fans are always active and never truly silent
Fan noise is steady when gaming with no pulsing behavior
Fan noise is steady when gaming with no pulsing behavior
Be careful if upgrading RAM as one of the modules sit underneath a heat pipe
Be careful if upgrading RAM as one of the modules sit underneath a heat pipe
The RTX 2080 GPU alone has five heat pipes over it
The RTX 2080 GPU alone has five heat pipes over it
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, i7-8750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
MSI GL65 9SEK
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, i7-9750H, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G
Dell G7 7590
GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, i7-9750H, Toshiba BG3 KBG30ZMS256G
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, i7-8750H, CUK Cyclone 500GB M.2 NVMe
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
Noise
0%
8%
6%
8%
-0%
off / environment *
28.5
28.1
1%
30
-5%
28.4
-0%
28
2%
30
-5%
Idle Minimum *
33.9
31.4
7%
31.3
8%
29.5
13%
31.4
7%
30
12%
Idle Average *
33.9
31.5
7%
31.3
8%
29.6
13%
31.4
7%
35
-3%
Idle Maximum *
34.3
33.5
2%
31.3
9%
29.6
14%
32.2
6%
36
-5%
Load Average *
39.5
49.3
-25%
42
-6%
45
-14%
35.5
10%
42
-6%
Witcher 3 ultra *
56.2
51.3
9%
42.1
25%
51.5
8%
47.6
15%
54
4%
Load Maximum *
57.2
58
-1%
46.5
19%
53
7%
50.8
11%
56
2%

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
33.9 / 33.9 / 34.3 dB(A)
Load
39.5 / 57.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.5 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are generally flat when idling on desktop. When gaming or under high loads, hot spots can become as warm as 40 C on both the center of the keyboard and center of the underside as shown by the temperature maps below. The thinner MSI GS65 with the RTX 2080 Max-Q can be even warmer at almost 45 C or 58 C on the keyboard center and underside, respectively. Surfaces never become uncomfortably warm on the GE63 no matter the load.

Four sets of exhaust vents
Four sets of exhaust vents
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for an hour
AC adapter after running Witcher 3 for an hour
Max. Load
 38 °C
100 F
36.8 °C
98 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
38.6 °C
101 F
32.8 °C
91 F
 
 24 °C
75 F
22.2 °C
72 F
27.4 °C
81 F
 
Maximum: 39.8 °C = 104 F
Average: 32.3 °C = 90 F
42 °C
108 F
33 °C
91 F
42.6 °C
109 F
24.8 °C
77 F
39.6 °C
103 F
30.4 °C
87 F
24 °C
75 F
21 °C
70 F
20 °C
68 F
Maximum: 42.6 °C = 109 F
Average: 30.8 °C = 87 F
Power Supply (max.)  38.8 °C = 102 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.3 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F for the devices in the class Gaming.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.8 °C / 104 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 42.6 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 20.5 °C / 69 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 33.8 °C / 93 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.9 °C / 84 F (+1.5 °C / 2.7 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
witcher 3 stress (top)
witcher 3 stress (top)
witcher 3 stress (bottom)
witcher 3 stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the system with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU can be observed running at 4 GHz for about 20 seconds before hitting a core temperature of 96 C. Thereafter, clock rate drops to just 3.1 to 3.2 GHz in order to maintain a cooler core temperature of 79 C. In comparison, the Asus Zephyrus S GX531 with the same CPU will stabilize at a higher clock rate of 3.4 GHz but at slightly higher clock rates and core temperatures of 3.3 to 3.4 GHz and 81 C, respectively.

Running Witcher 3 is more representative of real-world gaming conditions. The CPU and GPU will stabilize at 86 C and 73 C, respectively, when under such conditions. Enabling Cooler Boost or maximum fan mode will reduce the CPU and GPU temperatures to 74 C and 68 C, respectively, without affecting core clock rates.

Running on battery power will impact performance. A 3DMark Fire Strike run on batteries returns Physics and Graphics scores of only 9026 and 6871 points, respectively, compared to 14555 and 25432 points when on mains. The "Sport" power profile is automatically disabled when on battery power.

System idle
System idle
Witcher 3 stress
Witcher 3 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Witcher 3 stress (Cooler Boost on)
Witcher 3 stress (Cooler Boost on)
Witcher 3 stress (Cooler Boost on)
Witcher 3 stress (Cooler Boost on)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 49 50
Prime95 Stress 3.1 - 3.2 -- 79 53
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.2 - 3.3 1395 80 62
Witcher 3 Stress 3.8 - 3.9 1785 ~86 73
Witcher 3 Stress (Cooler Boost on) 3.8 - 3.9 1785 ~74 68

Speakers

MSI went all in with the audio experience and it really shows. There are two subwoofers inside compared to zero on most other gaming laptops for a total of four 3 W speakers. Maximum volume is much louder than on most other laptops as a result and audio quality is excellent for a laptop. The palm rests will vibrate to the touch, but there is thankfully no rattling or static.

Quad speaker setup (2x 3 W + 2x 3 W subwoofers)
Quad speaker setup (2x 3 W + 2x 3 W subwoofers)
Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2043.340.743.32542.838.742.83141.237.841.24042.937.242.95043.834.243.8634838.6488054.235.354.210062.431.962.412566.831.666.816071.431.671.420074.33174.325075.530.175.531574.529.674.540072.428.772.450076.529.176.563080.229.480.280078.630.178.6100080.329.480.3125078.929.178.9160082.128.782.1200083.128.483.1250081.62881.6315079.427.879.4400077.928.477.9500075.328.175.3630079.12779.1800084.926.984.91000086.826.786.81250081.826.681.81600073.226.573.2SPL93.140.593.1N1083.9108median 78.9median 28.7median 78.9Delta3.71.43.735.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseMSI GE63 Raider 8SGApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (11.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 90% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 5% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 94% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Idling on desktop can demand as much as 70 W when set to the High performance profile compared to less than half that on other gaming laptops. Thus, we recommend setting the system to Balanced mode or activating the integrated GPU if the extra horsepower is not needed. When gaming, power consumption becomes steady at 243 W to be nearly the same as the MSI GT63 with the slower last generation GTX 1080.

We're able to record a maximum consumption of 257 W when running both Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously from the medium-sized (~18 x 8.5 x 3.5 cm) 280 W AC adapter. This high of a draw eventually falls after about 20 seconds to be similar to our clock rate observations during the Prime95 stress test above.

Power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Power consumption when running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06
Power consumption when running Witcher 3
Power consumption when running Witcher 3
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 162 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 125 W
Prime95 initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 162 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 125 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 257 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 231 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Consumption spikes to 257 W for about 20 seconds before falling and stabilizing at 231 W
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.14 / 0.23 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 16 / 22.8 / 69.4 Watt
Load midlight 107 / 256.9 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, WDC PC SN520 SDAPMUW-128G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, CUK Cyclone 500GB M.2 NVMe, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ, TN, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-26%
14%
-3%
31%
34%
Idle Minimum *
16
41
-156%
22.2
-39%
26.4
-65%
11.4
29%
9
44%
Idle Average *
22.8
45.3
-99%
24.9
-9%
30
-32%
13.5
41%
14
39%
Idle Maximum *
69.4
47.1
32%
30.6
56%
30.6
56%
21.6
69%
19
73%
Load Average *
107
94.9
11%
101
6%
90.4
16%
106
1%
91
15%
Witcher 3 ultra *
243.2
149.4
39%
143
41%
255.6
-5%
186
24%
182
25%
Load Maximum *
256.9
214.2
17%
186
28%
224.4
13%
196
24%
238
7%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Runtimes are essentially identical to the GL65 and our last GE63 8RF despite the faster RTX 2080 GPU in our GE63 8SG since all these models have the same 51 Wh Li-Ion battery packs. Expect just four hours of real-world WLAN use to be average for a 15.6-inch gaming laptop.

Recharging from empty to full capacty takes just over two hours. The laptop cannot be recharged via USB Type-C unlike on the Asus Zephyrus M GU502.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 13min
WiFi Websurfing
3h 57min
Load (maximum brightness)
0h 46min
MSI GE63 Raider 8SG
i7-8750H, GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile, 51 Wh
MSI GL65 9SEK
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2060 Mobile, 51 Wh
Lenovo Legion Y740-15ICHg
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q, 57 Wh
MSI GT63 Titan 8RG-046
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1080 Mobile, 75.24 Wh
Asus Strix Scar III G531GW-AZ062T
i7-9750H, GeForce RTX 2070 Mobile, 66 Wh
MSI GE63 Raider RGB 8RF-008
i7-8750H, GeForce GTX 1070 Mobile, 51 Wh
Battery Runtime
-1%
-24%
-18%
41%
-3%
Reader / Idle
373
262
-30%
340
-9%
WiFi v1.3
237
230
-3%
179
-24%
194
-18%
333
41%
240
1%
Load
46
60
30%
46
0%

Pros

+ fast 144 Hz refresh rate and fast response times; reduced ghosting
+ 2x SODIMM, 2x M.2 2280, 1x 2.5-inch SATA III bay
+ powerful audio; 2x 3 W subwoofers
+ powerful GeForce RTX 2080 GPU
+ well-calibrated out of the box
+ dedicated mouse buttons
+ per-key RGB lighting
+ full-size Arrow keys

Cons

- servicing requires breaking a "Factory Seal" sticker
- system fan is always active; never silent
- below average CPU performance
- buggy touchpad responsiveness
- no Thunderbolt 3 support
- slow SD card reader
- average battery life
- single-channel RAM
- thick bezels

Verdict

In review: MSI GE63 Raider 8SG. Test unit provided by Xotic PC
In review: MSI GE63 Raider 8SG. Test unit provided by Xotic PC

Our specific GE63 configuration is a mixed bag. While GPU performance in 3DMark is excellent, both the below average CPU performance and the single-channel RAM are bottlenecks to an otherwise powerful gaming laptop. Frame rates when gaming are lower than expected and so we strongly suggest configuring with dual-channel RAM instead if possible. Attempting to upgrade RAM or storage yourself will require tearing an anti-tamper sticker.

Aside from the key drawbacks mentioned above, the GE63 will likely continue to be one of the better laptop deals you can find with the full-power (i.e., non-Max-Q) GeForce RTX 2080 GPU. This particular chassis design is reaching end-of-life status even though the display, per-key RGB keyboard, and GPU are as good or better than most newer gaming laptops. It's also one of the few 15.6-inch gaming laptops outside of Clevo with three internal storage options to maximize storage capacity.

If you can configure with dual-channel RAM and can deal with the loud fans when gaming, then the MSI GE63 will be a relatively inexpensive roadway to mobile GeForce RTX 2080 graphics. You'll lose out on the sleek narrow bezels and lighter weight offered by newer laptop designs, but the GE63 will not feel more fragile to hold or carry.

MSI GE63 Raider 8SG - 12/03/2019 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
78 / 98 → 79%
Keyboard
83%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
60 / 80 → 75%
Weight
59 / 10-66 → 88%
Battery
57 / 95 → 60%
Display
87%
Games Performance
90%
Application Performance
90%
Temperature
92 / 95 → 96%
Noise
66 / 90 → 74%
Audio
90%
Camera
35 / 85 → 41%
Average
74%
83%
Gaming - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > MSI GE63 Raider 8SG Laptop Review: GeForce RTX 2080 for Cheap
Allen Ngo, 2019-12- 4 (Update: 2019-12- 4)